Entrepreneurs and Community Advocates Expand Impact with TruBlue Home Service Ally Franchise in Michigan

Michelle and Kier Cook have supported their Plymouth-Canton community for decades. Michelle’s in-home preschool business and Kier’s commercial cleaning business served as entrepreneurial outlets that also allowed the pair to make real impacts on their community. The two also volunteered with Meals on Wheels, Girl Scouts and city clean-up efforts. So when they learned of TruBlue Home Service Ally, the home maintenance and handyman franchise that provides services to seniors and busy adults, they knew it was the perfect fit to further expand their advocacy in the community.

Both Michelle and Kier witnessed their mothers struggle to maintain home-related tasks after their fathers passed away, so they felt the need for a service like TruBlue directly. Now, they will open TruBlue Home Service Ally of Plymouth-Canton later this month to help busy adults or others experiencing a similar need.

1851 Franchise spoke with Michelle and Kier to learn more about their journey to franchising and plans for the future.

1851 Franchise: Frame your personal story for us. What did you do before franchising, and how did you decide franchising made sense for you?

Michelle: My husband and I are both business owners. He has a commercial cleaning business  and a background in Facility Maintenance and has been doing that for over 20 years. I was a preschool teacher, and I decided to open up in my home. That’s where we started with business ownership, but when Kier found TruBlue, we knew the community needed it.

1851: What was your perception of franchising prior to becoming a franchisee, and what do you want people to know about franchising now that you are in it?

Michelle: We expected structure and support, and we knew we wouldn’t be in it by ourselves. If we ever came across a challenge that we couldn’t get through, we knew that we would have someone to contact and lean on for advice. For instance marketing at a higher level and walking on a paved path that you can follow. All we have to do is plant the seeds and watch our opportunity garden grow! Not to mention we are acutely aware that within each challenge is an opportunity that we must manage, and be adept towards the possibility of change.  But within the Trublue system you always know that the help or the answers aren't too far behind to get you back on track.   

1851: What made you pick this brand? What excites you most about this company?

Michelle: When my father passed away, my mom was left with the responsibility of taking care of her home. Kier experienced the same thing when his father passed away. When taking care of the home got to be too much for [his mom], she actually downsized into a condo whereas my mom is still in her home. TruBlue was right for us because we’ve experienced it.

So often, we go over and they tell us that they need this or that done, and we just want to spend time with them. When we learned about TruBlue, we thought, “Where was this when we needed it?” We want to be that resource for our community.

1851: What do you hope to achieve with your business? What are your plans for growth? 

Michelle: For me, it’s all about getting to the executive level where we’re not working in the business but for the business; I want to do my part with marketing, talking to people and getting them what they need. We want to provide jobs and a culture where people actually enjoy going to work. For Kier, his personal slogan is being Trustworthy, Dependable , and ready to be of Service. With this service mindset we hope to put ladders in place for other Handymen to climb and be leaders of their team they lead within our company. We seek to empower several small teams that work on the same concepts of trust and dependability, while making a great impression on each and every customer they come in contact with.  Immediate growth plans are to put skilled labor in place, Make ourselves known and trusted in the senior community, while making Trublue Home Service Ally the #1 Option for Premium Handyman services in Western Wayne County over the next decade. 

1851: What is the one thing about your story you want us to know?

Michelle: There’s a shared connection between a lot of people. A lot of people will go through the same experience that we did with our parents and need those resources, and a lot of people don’t know how to find them. “Who has the connection? Who do I call?” My husband and I didn’t know who to call at the time that we were going through this, so we’re excited for people to find us so we can help.

1851: What advice do you have for other people thinking about becoming a franchise owner?

Michelle: Talk to other people and ask them all the hard questions. It is okay to ask those hard questions. I would rather them ask the questions now and find out now than to sign up and realize after the fact that it’s not really what they want.

About TruBlue Home Service Ally:

TruBlue Home Service Ally® provides a unique and affordable approach to helping busy adults and seniors live a worry-free life by offering trustworthy handyman, home maintenance and senior modification services. Helping you maintain your home both inside and out, TruBlue’s services include handyman projects and to-do list chores, preventative home maintenance programs, kitchen and bath remodels, seasonal work, and senior modification services, all handled by professional, bonded and insured Tru-Pro® Technicians. TruBlue franchise owners are required to complete senior home safety certification programs through the NAHB and Age Safe America. As certified specialists, TruBlue franchisees are able to perform aging in place home safety assessments and can make recommended safety modifications as needed.

All locations are independently owned and operated. Service offerings, certifications, and licenses vary by location.