How Footprints Floors Franchise Improves Daily Operations for Owners and Teams

With over 160 active territories across the U.S., Footprints Floors, the flooring installation franchise, has supported its owners in expanding nationwide through a streamlined business model and simplified operations. Because Founder Bryan Park launched Footprints Floors out of necessity, the business model has been straightforward and streamlined since the start. However, the franchisor only continues to hone its models and processes, ensuring franchisees consistently benefit from operational improvements.

“The focus of our franchisees is creating a great experience for the customer,” said Park. “We have built a system that allows owners to focus on what they are great at — customer service and communication — and outsource the rest.”

When they join the system, Footprints Floors owners are trained on how to build and run their businesses with instruction on recruitment, customer service, project management and more. By outsourcing labor to local teams, allowing customers to choose their own suppliers, and relying on help from the corporate team to drive marketing and awareness, franchisees can enjoy far simpler daily operations.

“I’ve come from other franchise models, so I have experience with other franchisors,” said Brandon McBrier, a Footprints Floors franchisee in Charlotte, North Carolina. “I think that the Footprints Floors corporate team is generous, and it’s long-sighted. The system has grown very quickly in a short amount of time, and they’ve been ready for it all along. They have continued to have innovative ways that help us be more efficient, save money and be better equipped to do our job. I’m really happy with what this company is doing.”

A Mobile Model Decreases Overhead and Increases Flexibility

McBrier noted that one of his favorite things about the business is also one of the primary benefits. “I work out of my truck, mostly, which I think is a benefit to my job!”

Footprints Floors has a largely mobile business model, meaning franchisees can move between jobs and maintain a presence with their teams and customers. Many owners prefer being mobile to working a cubicle job; it benefits the relationship aspect of the business and makes operations easier. Footprints Floors franchisees don’t have to travel to a brick-and-mortar office to start their days, which means they’re able to begin operations much more quickly.

“There’s some routine that you certainly want to develop, but things are also changing all the time,” explained McBrier. “This house is going to be different from the house I’m visiting tomorrow. And the homeowner here is certainly different from the one we’re going to be working with tomorrow. There are some things that change, but having a routine for payroll, scheduling and work orders allows me to stay organized and help things run smoothly.”

Minimal Supplies Allow Franchisees to Focus on Sales

Footprints Floors is a flooring installation company, not a flooring sales company. Because of this, owners typically don’t keep a wide range of flooring products in stock. Rather, they collaborate with homeowners to determine which flooring solution will be best for their needs, empowering those owners to source materials however they like.

This is a great benefit to the homeowners, as they do not feel pressured into purchasing their flooring from a predetermined vendor. It’s also a benefit to Footprints Floors owners, as it lets them remove another budgeting, ordering and storage consideration.

“The model is designed so that we don’t really supply much of anything. We try to have our homeowners supply things,” said McBrier. “That just streamlines our business model so that we can stick to what we’re good at, which is installation, instead of managing a mini supply chain. That cuts out runs to the hardware store and trips to deliver supplies to the customer’s house. If we pass that responsibility on to the homeowner or the crew, we’re freed up to sell and manage the jobs we’ve sold.”

Franchisees’ Connection With the System Further Improves Operations

While the system has built a strong baseline for a streamlined business, Footprints Floors owners are consistently connecting with one another, taking advantage of system-wide trainings, and leveraging the support of industry professionals to ensure every aspect of their businesses is as impactful as possible.

“We have Google Chat threads that are extremely active every day. There must be 100 posts per thread, and it’s a place for people to post questions. It might not be a question that I have today, but I can see responses from other owners, employees and members of the corporate team, and that might help me in the future,” said McBrier. “One of the heads at the National Wood Flooring Association is in our text thread, so it’s a must-read when he responds. That’s a great continuing education piece and a resource for me because I still have questions and can post there and get great answers to them as well.”

McBrier added that the system also has access to educational calls, recordings, in-person trainings and the annual convention. These resources, combined with a passionate, driven group of franchisees who consistently support each other, allow owners nationwide to continually collaborate, improving their businesses and driving further growth.

“We don’t always have people to bounce ideas off of face-to-face, and having that network of supportive owners and team members is invaluable,” said McBrier. “There’s a community being built nationwide, and it’s nice to know that that’s out there, especially in this type of industry.”

To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit 1851franchise.com/footprintsfloors