Experienced and Successful Business Owner Expands His Expertise to the US by Opening Handyman Service in SW Houston

Alcocer has owned and operated a very successful sports complex in Latin America for almost four decades. During the pandemic, this industry took a hard hit, and Marcos found himself with a lot of time. Since Marcos always had a dream of bringing a business to America, he began researching business opportunities in the U.S. and came across the Handyman Service Brand, House Doctors. Marcos Alcocer and his group of successful business entrepreneurs have put their minds together and opened House Doctors of SW Houston on January 1, 2023

Marcos is a well-rounded business professional with quite the resume. He is the first Mexican MBA graduate from the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University and obtained his law degree with honors from Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City. He is now the founder and developer of more than 50 large business ventures in the sports club and real estate development fields in Latin America. With this experience under his belt, Marcos felt he would be able to apply these entrepreneurship skills toward House Doctors and help expand a well-trusted brand in the United States. He landed on SW Houston. Marcos looks forward to growing the brand’s presence with his team in the area and hopes to expand geographically in the future.

PROFILE QUESTIONS

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

I have 38 years of ownership of the largest sports club complex operator in Latin America. There are 50 clubs all over Latin America. I wanted to have a business in the U.S. and am very familiar with the Houston area. During the pandemic, my business was hit hard, so I found myself with a lot of time and thought I should build a business in the U.S. I branched out and looked into buying a franchise, and realized it could give me a headstart in the states.

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?

I thought I would have more of a national presence, but the brand is not well recognized in the Houston area. They have been helpful in other ways, though, like software and contracting.

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

House Doctors is a big brand and system, and I thought that could really give the local Houston customer the tranquility of having someone trusted go to their home and fix their needs with a one-year guarantee and, even, financing if they need it. I am really excited about the territory. This territory needs this type of service. They have great homes in the area that are going to need services that we can provide. Houston is a growing area, and so are we.

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

We would like to increase our geographical area eventually and serve the adjacent territories in the future. It might take a while because there is already a lot of business to be done in Houston.

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

We want to manage this franchise corporately (as opposed to mom and pop). We want to apply corporate controls and corporate strategies. All of my partners have ample business experience and training. I think this will make it grow even larger.

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

Make sure you get all the support you need from the franchise central office.