Transitioning from a steady corporate role to franchise ownership can feel like a big leap. For Chandler Register, a former Sherwin-Williams manager and current owner of Fresh Coat Painters of Alpharetta and Cumming, it was a calculated risk. Before becoming a franchise owner, Register experienced the strict demands of corporate roles, especially in one of Sherwin-Williams’ top-performing markets.
“Sherwin-Williams managers in Atlanta are committed to working 48 hours per week, so it’s essentially a six-day-a-week job,” Register said. “You’re kind of stuck in the store, which I didn’t love. I like to go out and talk with people.”
However, these 48 weekly hours spent in the store did allow Register to make meaningful connections, one of which ultimately led to the Fresh Coat pivot. He was approached by the previous owner of the Cumming territory, who was looking to transition out. Having seen the business from the supplier side, he was curious. And after spending some time with the previous owner, experiencing the day-to-day demands firsthand, Register saw the transition as a calculated risk that he was ready to take.
“I already had a leg up because Fresh Coat is a partner of Sherwin-Williams; we really only use Sherwin-Williams products,” he said. “I could talk for days about what one product does versus the other, and I knew the ins and outs of the products. That, combined with my management experience, made me confident.”
Register officially took over the Fresh Coat operation a couple of years ago, and he has grown steadily ever since.
As he has expanded, Register has begun to build his team, making his first hire last spring. Coincidentally, this person was also in a managerial role at Sherwin-Williams before transitioning to Fresh Coat.
“I probably sped up the onboarding process by about double the time by choosing someone who already had the knowledge of the paints,” Register said. “I didn’t have to teach him that, which was a huge benefit for sure.”
While existing product knowledge has served Register well, another key motivator for the transition was the autonomy that comes with being his own boss. After years of strict corporate schedules and experience at a desk job before Sherwin-Williams, Register was ready for a lifestyle shift.
The shift from a mandatory 48-hour work week to the ability to set his own schedule and create flexibility throughout the week was a major benefit for Register, but the leadership autonomy that business ownership provided was another key perk.
“My two biggest things are probably setting your own schedule and the freedom to do what you want with your products and business,” Register said. “You don’t have people over you saying, ‘That’s a great idea, but we can’t do it because of X, Y and Z.’ You’re your own boss. Obviously, Fresh Coat has guidelines that you have to abide by, but the freedom in general is great. Not just from a time aspect, but decision-making, too.”
Since taking over the business, Register has seen consistent year-over-year growth. Starting as an owner-operator in his first year, Register added an estimator and nearly doubled revenue in the second year. Now, he’s focused on a long-term plan to reach $1.5 to $2 million in annual revenue, leveraging opportunities with larger commercial projects to draw in additional revenue.
“We always have a consistent plan to grow, and we’ve grown every single year,” he said. “We’re already off to a pretty good start.”
Looking toward the future, Register remains optimistic, highlighting the resiliency of the industry. Unlike industries and corporate roles that may be drastically impacted by accelerated innovation timelines and the use of artificial intelligence, the painting industry remains human-centric and quite stable.
“Painting is recession-proof in that it’s something that always needs to be done,” he said. “It’s not something I see getting taken over by AI. You’re always going to have someone who needs to apply the paint. With painting in general, the only thing that will happen is technology will continue to enhance the process, not take it over.”
For others looking to make the leap to business ownership with a high-performing, recession-resistant model, Register highlights that growth requires stepping away from total security. While the risk is real, the reward of ownership and freedom is, too.
“It seems scary at first. There may be times where your account might not be where you want it to be because of an unexpected snowstorm, for example,” he said. “It’s just one of those things where you have to find solutions. When you can get through hiccups like that, it’s a pretty successful model. So, take the calculated risk.”
To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/freshcoat/info.
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After one of Chandler Register’s regular customers mentioned he was looking to exit his painting franchise, Register took a “calculated risk” and has seen steady business growth since.
Transitioning from a steady corporate role to franchise ownership can feel like a big leap. For Chandler Register, a former Sherwin-Williams manager and current owner of Fresh Coat Painters of Alpharetta and Cumming, it was a calculated risk. Before becoming a franchise owner, Register experienced the strict demands of corporate roles, especially in one of Sherwin-Williams’ top-performing markets.
“Sherwin-Williams managers in Atlanta are committed to working 48 hours per week, so it’s essentially a six-day-a-week job,” Register said. “You’re kind of stuck in the store, which I didn’t love. I like to go out and talk with people.”
However, these 48 weekly hours spent in the store did allow Register to make meaningful connections, one of which ultimately led to the Fresh Coat pivot. He was approached by the previous owner of the Cumming territory, who was looking to transition out. Having seen the business from the supplier side, he was curious. And after spending some time with the previous owner, experiencing the day-to-day demands firsthand, Register saw the transition as a calculated risk that he was ready to take.
“I already had a leg up because Fresh Coat is a partner of Sherwin-Williams; we really only use Sherwin-Williams products,” he said. “I could talk for days about what one product does versus the other, and I knew the ins and outs of the products. That, combined with my management experience, made me confident.”
Register officially took over the Fresh Coat operation a couple of years ago, and he has grown steadily ever since.
As he has expanded, Register has begun to build his team, making his first hire last spring. Coincidentally, this person was also in a managerial role at Sherwin-Williams before transitioning to Fresh Coat.
“I probably sped up the onboarding process by about double the time by choosing someone who already had the knowledge of the paints,” Register said. “I didn’t have to teach him that, which was a huge benefit for sure.”
While existing product knowledge has served Register well, another key motivator for the transition was the autonomy that comes with being his own boss. After years of strict corporate schedules and experience at a desk job before Sherwin-Williams, Register was ready for a lifestyle shift.
The shift from a mandatory 48-hour work week to the ability to set his own schedule and create flexibility throughout the week was a major benefit for Register, but the leadership autonomy that business ownership provided was another key perk.
“My two biggest things are probably setting your own schedule and the freedom to do what you want with your products and business,” Register said. “You don’t have people over you saying, ‘That’s a great idea, but we can’t do it because of X, Y and Z.’ You’re your own boss. Obviously, Fresh Coat has guidelines that you have to abide by, but the freedom in general is great. Not just from a time aspect, but decision-making, too.”
Since taking over the business, Register has seen consistent year-over-year growth. Starting as an owner-operator in his first year, Register added an estimator and nearly doubled revenue in the second year. Now, he’s focused on a long-term plan to reach $1.5 to $2 million in annual revenue, leveraging opportunities with larger commercial projects to draw in additional revenue.
“We always have a consistent plan to grow, and we’ve grown every single year,” he said. “We’re already off to a pretty good start.”
Looking toward the future, Register remains optimistic, highlighting the resiliency of the industry. Unlike industries and corporate roles that may be drastically impacted by accelerated innovation timelines and the use of artificial intelligence, the painting industry remains human-centric and quite stable.
“Painting is recession-proof in that it’s something that always needs to be done,” he said. “It’s not something I see getting taken over by AI. You’re always going to have someone who needs to apply the paint. With painting in general, the only thing that will happen is technology will continue to enhance the process, not take it over.”
For others looking to make the leap to business ownership with a high-performing, recession-resistant model, Register highlights that growth requires stepping away from total security. While the risk is real, the reward of ownership and freedom is, too.
“It seems scary at first. There may be times where your account might not be where you want it to be because of an unexpected snowstorm, for example,” he said. “It’s just one of those things where you have to find solutions. When you can get through hiccups like that, it’s a pretty successful model. So, take the calculated risk.”
To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/freshcoat/info.
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