From Finance to Franchising with Fresh Coat Painters

Greg Oates, previously a finance professional with a background in wealth management and small business support at ADP, transitioned into franchising to pursue greater autonomy and community engagement. 

He chose Fresh Coat Painters due to the brand’s comprehensive support system and the appeal of the people-focused home services industry. While he was driven by a desire to be more involved in his community, his family was his main inspiration for the career transition.

“I left a career in finance to do what was most important to me, which was to spend more time with my family,” he said.

His goal with Fresh Coat Painters is to establish a lasting business that his children can potentially take over some day. 

1851 Franchise spoke with Oates about his journey into franchising with Fresh Coat Painters and his plans for the future. 

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

Greg Oates: I have a double major in finance and entrepreneurship from the University of Arizona, and right after graduation, I worked in wealth management and finance for 10 years. After that, I worked for ADP as a manager for their chat support, supporting small businesses with payroll and tax problems. I decided to go into franchising, because I wanted to do my own thing rather than working for a large corporation.

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?

Oates: I used to think franchises just told you what to do and then you were on your own, but there is actually a lot more support available than I initially believed. You have access to vendors and partners that have been doing business with other locations. It’s really beneficial to have all of those vetted partnerships. 

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

Oates: I really wanted to be in a people-based business so that I could interact with my community. The home services industry provides me with a great way to do that. 

Fresh Coat had a lot of information available. They took a lot of phone calls with me and provided a lot of presentations to show what the whole business was about prior to purchasing. I appreciated that they gave me everything I needed to make an educated decision. 

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

Oates: I would love to create a business that lasts so my family has the option to take over or continue it as they get older, so that we could have our own family business. I have two sons: Colton, who is seven, and Luke, who turns five in July. 

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

Oates:  I left a career in finance to do what was most important to me, which was to spend more time with my family. In between wealth management and ADP, I actually taught; I was in education. I got a master's in education and was teaching finance courses, so I took something that I was experienced with — finance — and I educated others about it, and in doing so, I was able to get on the same calendar as my family and really spend a lot of time with them. It’s really important to prioritize the important things in life, and I put my family above anything else. 

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

Oates: I would say, to take the plunge and don’t be scared.

ABOUT STRATEGIC FRANCHISING SYSTEMS:
Strategic Franchising Systems has been creating and providing affordable franchise business models to help people achieve their dreams for over 30 years. The franchise development company has five unique home-based, low-cost franchise opportunities: Nationally recognized painting franchise Fresh Coat, senior home-relocation and estate sales concept Caring Transitions, business and sales coaching concept The Growth Coach, fast-growing natural pet food and pet grooming brand Pet Wants and the only national provider of total house care, inside and out, for seniors and busy families, TruBlue. Strategic Franchising Systems has been designed to help franchisees win.  For more information, visit https://strategicfranchising.com/.