Franchise Broker Becomes Owner With Footprints Floors After Learning About the Opportunity

Clint Goehry spent two decades as a successful medical salesperson. When his wife became sick, he took a step back to care for her, and after her passing, he wanted to get back into something new. Goehry became fully credentialed as a franchise consultant in Washington, working with hundreds of franchise brands to help other entrepreneurs find their next opportunity.

“I believed in franchising as a great way to start your first small business, and I was excited to help other people start their journeys, but I quickly realized that I would prefer a career that allowed me to be out and about, bonding with people,” Goehry said. “After just six or seven months working as a consultant, I had learned about plenty of brands and knew that Footprints Floors was the ideal fit for me.”

Now, Goehry is working to launch and grow his business in Tacoma, Washington, as he works toward building a self sufficient team and business.

Goehry took the time to chat with 1851 Franchise to discuss all of this and more. Here’s what he had to say:

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

Clint Goehry: I’ve had many different jobs, but they’ve always dealt with people. I did sales for sports apparel and accessories, and I spent 20 years in medical sales across the western states.

I transitioned out of that when my wife got sick so I could take care of her. After she passed, I looked into becoming a franchise consultant. I did that for about six months earlier this year, but I quickly realized that I didn’t like being at a desk all the time. I wanted something that would allow me to get out and meet people, so I started looking into franchise opportunities for myself. I came across Footprints Floors, and it was the best opportunity for me.

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?

Goehry: I always thought franchising was the way to go, especially if you’re going into a smaller business. It’s hard to do it yourself.

I think people should know that there’s a lot you can do with the backing of a franchisor that you couldn’t do independently. For example, marketing spend for an individual local business isn’t nearly as cost-effective as it is when there’s an entire franchise system behind the campaign.

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

Goehry: My main criteria were that I didn’t want a brick-and-mortar concept and I needed to like the concept itself.

Footprints Floors is exciting to me because sometimes less really is more. We don’t have the liability of carrying a bunch of inventory that may or may not sell — something I saw happen very often when I was doing apparel sales.

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

Goehry: I certainly want to grow. I’ll probably be the only employee for a few years. Realistically, there are two primary responsibilities in this business: sales and production. My goal is to bring someone on within the next three years to work with the installers and help manage the schedule. 

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

Goehry: My parents were in the concrete business, so I had some exposure to entrepreneurship and construction when I was young. 

Additionally, my sales background has enabled me to take a consultative approach, helping me achieve success by focusing on understanding customers' needs without applying pressure or creating discomfort.

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

Goehry: Unless you’re really interested in something operational, I’d suggest not doing a brick-and-mortar business.

The other thing is that, when you buy a franchise, you’re going into something that was developed by someone who has already made the costly mistakes. Stay with the concept. Don’t start your franchise and then decide you have a better way to do it. You’re handed a way to go about it that has been successful before, so focus on that.

ABOUT FOOTPRINTS FLOORS:

Upon his return to Littleton, Colorado, after serving in the U.S. Air Force, Bryan Park noticed that Denver’s flooring industry lacked a higher level of customer service and sophistication. So, in 2008, he founded Footprints Floors, which today specializes in installing hardwood floors, tile floors, backsplashes and laminates. With more than 150 territories, Footprints Floors offers franchisees a robust support system, including a call center, flexible hours for work-life balance and a low cost of entry with outstanding economics. For more information about the Franchise Times Top 500 brand, visit https://footprintsfranchise.com/.