Growth Potential Behind Zoup! Franchising Fuels Richard Zimmer’s Passion to Help Local Owners Succeed

Before Richard Zimmer ever took on the role of being Zoup!’s director of franchise development and real estate, he discovered his passion for helping others achieve their goals. After graduating from college, he earned his master’s in team building and started working as a consultant for franchise brands. Even though he wasn’t familiar with the franchising business model, Zimmer knew that he stumbled across something special. That’s why he decided to leave his corporate career behind to work his way through the ranks in various franchise companies.

“I wasn’t familiar with the franchising business model until we decided to go after brands as prospective clients. Even the company that I was with wasn’t completely cognizant of the model,” said Zimmer. “But as I continued to become more entrenched in the operations side of the business, I realized how great the model was. When you partner with the right franchise and have access to ongoing support, training and growth potential, there’s no limit to what you can accomplish. Now, I can’t see myself doing anything else.”

Zimmer first became involved with Zoup! in December of 2006 when the brand only had 17 locations open for business. However, by establishing strong relationships with franchisees and creating an environment in which people had the opportunity to grow, he helped the brand expand to 100-plus open units.

According to Zimmer, that success is attainable by ensuring that brands have a solid connection to the communities that they call home.

“Even though franchising brings a proven brand and established concept to the table, it’s very much a local business. That’s why it’s important for us to get to know our franchisees personally—there needs to be a strong tie to the community in order to be successful,” Zimmer said.

To maintain those relationships with consumers—and prospective business owners—in development markets across the country, Zimmer focuses his daily efforts on improving the Zoup! brand. He begins each day by talking to both current and aspiring franchisees and ensuring that they have all the tools and resources that they need to succeed. Zimmer then continues to support Zoup!’s local owners by helping them through the real estate selection process as soon as they sign their franchise agreements. His goal is to ensure that the brand’s franchisees are able to get their businesses off the ground without a hitch.

Going forward, Zimmer says that he plans to continue helping Zoup! owners reach their full potential. And in order to continue that trend, he’s focused on promoting the unique benefits that are exclusive to franchising.

“Franchising is an industry in which aspiring entrepreneurs have the ability to make a large impact right off the bat. They don’t need to get caught up in a big, corporate bureaucracy—franchisees are able to go into business for themselves while still having the backing of a strong model,” said Zimmer. “That’s why it’s so important to continue driving this industry forward. Franchising opens the door to a unique opportunity that otherwise wouldn’t exist, and it helps people turn their dreams into reality.”