1851

1851: Who is buying franchises right now and what type of activity are you seeing?

Bob Johnston, Director of Franchise Development at <a href="https://www.fibrenew.com/fibrenew-franchising/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=franchise-forecast-bob-johnston-of-fibrenew-2710435" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" style="text-decoration-line:none" target="_blank">Fibrenew</a>: A lot of people who are displaced out of corporate America. They&rsquo;re fed up and don&rsquo;t want to go back even if they have a job offer&mdash;they want more flexibility.&nbsp;

1851: What&#39;s the number one thing franchisees are looking for in the conversations that you&#39;re having with prospects?&nbsp;

Johnston: Flexibility and freedom. They want more time with their families. They&rsquo;re tired of being on the road for an hour to work and back. Let&rsquo;s say their son has a football game that starts at 5:30, but they work until 5&mdash;they don&rsquo;t get back from work in time and have to miss it. We offer a <a href="https://1851franchise.com/tips-for-choosing-the-right-franchise-to-fit-your-lifestyle-4116" style="text-decoration-line:none" target="_blank">lifestyle franchise</a>, so they can work their schedule around their families.

1851: Do you have an ideal franchisee in your system, and what are their qualities?&nbsp;

Johnston: First, they can&rsquo;t be colorblind. They work with materials and colors. Second, they&rsquo;re someone who enjoys working with their hands. We also need people who are not afraid of networking and marketing. What sells our business isn&rsquo;t someone talking about it&mdash;it&rsquo;s showing before and after photos. Candidates should also be trainable and coachable, as they have to follow our programs and system.

1851: What&#39;s the biggest challenge facing franchise development right now and how are you overcoming it?&nbsp;

Johnston: We always want more leads. The way I&rsquo;m handling that is reaching out more and more to consultants personally. I check in to see how they&rsquo;re doing to develop those relationships. I&rsquo;ve been doing this for 27 years, so I&rsquo;ve built a lot of great relationships.

1851: What&#39;s one thing prospective franchisees should know about your brand and franchising in general before buying?&nbsp;

Johnston: Our training and our support are what we hang our hat on. It&rsquo;s all about training, and when you&rsquo;re out in the field, you&rsquo;ll be ready. People say, &ldquo;I want to go into business for myself, but not by myself.&rdquo; With Fibrenew, you&rsquo;ll never be by yourself. You also need to work hard during training and follow the program to be successful.&nbsp;

1851: Why should franchisees invest in your industry and in your brand specifically, and why should they invest now?

Johnston: There&rsquo;s not a more diversified franchise company out there. Everywhere you look, there&rsquo;s leather, plastic, and vinyl. No matter what type of building or business we work with, they will have those materials to work with, so the work will always be there.&nbsp;

As for when it&rsquo;s the right time, if it&rsquo;s the time in their life when they have the time and want the flexibility, then they&rsquo;ll know when to dive in. It&rsquo;s a great opportunity, and the market, for us, is always there. Why work for others when you can work for yourself and make the profits?

<div>&nbsp;</div>

Bob Johnston | Franchise Forecast | 1851 Franchise

1851 Franchise

1851 caught up with the franchise development professionals of various brands to learn more about the state of the industry and their predictions for the year ahead.

Franchise Forecast: Bob Johnston of Fibrenew

franchise-forecast-bob-johnston-of-fibrenew

Home Halo

Home Halo’s 160-Step Launch Process: Setting Franchisees Up for Success

home-halo-franchise-launch-process

VA Reimbursement: A Unique Opportunity for Home Halo Franchisees

va-reimbursement-a-unique-opportunity-for-home-halo-franchisees

Home Halo’s "Frank" Method: Coaching Franchisees to Greatness

home-halos-frank-method-coaching-franchisees-to-greatness

home-halo-dan-deak-personal-journey-headshot

Dan Deak's Personal Journey: From Caring Son to Home Halo CEO

dan-deaks-personal-journey-from-caring-son-to-home-halo-ceo

10 Reasons Why You Should Invest in a Home Halo Franchise

10-reasons-why-you-should-invest-in-a-home-halo-franchise

Buying a Franchise Masterclass

 Franchise Opportunities

Get Support Buying a Franchise

How to Buy a Franchise White Paper

How to Buy a Franchise

How to Sell Franchises

How to Grow a Franchise

Find a Franchise Supplier

1851 Franchise Opportunities

Franchisor News

Franchisor Power Rankings

FranCamp Mastermind Summit

Franchise Resources

What ALEC-Laffer's Report Means for Franchising

Website Awards

Power Rankings

About 1851

Advertise on 1851

Contact 1851 Editorial

Terms of Use

1851 Login

GROWTH CLUB LOGIN

facebook

instagram

twitter

linkedin

youtube

Dave’s Hot Chicken Sold to Roark Capital in $1 Billion Deal to Fuel Global Expansion

daves-hot-chicken-sold-to-roark-capital-in-1-billion-deal-to-fuel-global-expansion

Homebuyers Keep Buying — And That’s Good News for Home Service Franchises - 1851 Franchise

Homebuyers Keep Buying — And That’s Good News for Home Service Franchises

homebuyers-keep-buying-and-thats-good-news-for-home-service-franchises

AI Could Push Unemployment to 20% — Fueling a Surge in First-Time Franchise Buyers - 1851 Franchise

AI Could Push Unemployment to 20% — Fueling a Surge in First-Time Franchise Buyers

ai-unemployment-impact-white-collar-job-loss

How To Sell Just One Franchise: What You’ll Learn at FranCamp NJ 2025

how-to-sell-just-one-franchise-what-youll-learn-at-francamp-nj-2025

House Passes Tax Relief Package With Key Benefits for Small Businesses and Franchises

house-passes-small-business-tax-relief-bill-2025

The Ultimate Guide to Selling Franchises: How To Create a Strong Incentive

how-to-build-strong-incentives-to-attract-prospective-franchisees

The Ultimate Guide To Selling Franchises: How to Leverage Franchise Expos

how-franchisors-can-leverage-franchise-expos-to-drive-success

How Franchise Brands Can Prepare for the Rise of AI-Driven Advertising

how-franchise-brands-can-prepare-for-the-rise-of-ai-driven-advertising

The Ultimate Guide to Selling Franchises: How to Position Your Value Proposition

The Ultimate Guide to Selling Franchises: How to Position Your Value Proposition — Point of Differentiation

how-to-position-your-value-proposition-with-a-point-of-differentiation

How Car Sales Taught Buddy's Home Furnishings’ Mitchell Lee the Secrets of Franchise Development

how-car-sales-taught-buddys-home-furnishings-mitchell-lee-the-secrets-of-franchise-development

What You Need To Know About Low-Cost Franchise Opportunities

what-you-need-to-know-about-low-cost-franchise-opportunities

Sola Salons Franchisee Grows Salon Freedom Into a Multi-State Powerhouse 

sola-salons-franchisee-grows-salon-freedom-into-a-multi-state-powerhouse

Dan Yangas Brings Family Flooring Legacy Full Circle With Footprints Floors Franchise in Naperville 

Dan Yangas Brings Family Flooring Legacy Full Circle With Footprints Floors Franchise in Naperville, Illinois

dan-yangas-brings-family-flooring-legacy-full-circle-with-footprints-floors-franchise-in-naperville-illinois

Franchisee spotlight graphic with photo of Sean Phelan & Caring Transitions logo

From Tech to Transitions: Why This Caring Transitions Franchisee Left the Corporate World To Help Families Navigate Life’s Hardest Moves

sean-phelan-caring-transitions-franchise-austin

Franchise Forecast: Bob Johnston of Fibrenew

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS