Kitchen Solvers Franchisee Builds Success in First Year

Brad Westhoven wanted to do something on his own, but also liked the idea of having a great support system to back him up.

Enter Kitchen Solvers.

Westhoven, of Napoleon, Ohio, owns the Kitchen Solvers franchises for Toledo, Ohio, and Fort Wayne, Indiana, and is pleased that he can pick up the phone and talk to other franchisees or people at the company when he has a thorny problem or just needs a little sage advice to improve his kitchen remodeling business.

Westhoven, who has been a Kitchen Solvers franchisee for a little over a year, made the move to the brand after his business folded in 2009 during the recession. His background is in molding and the millwork business and he worked at that for many years. He began casting about for something to do that would be meaningful and would ensure success.

“I didn’t want to reinvent the wheel. I wanted something that I knew would work. This is a proven system. They said and did everything that I liked,” Westhoven said, referring to the people at Kitchen Solvers.

One thing worried him a bit about getting started.

“How do I market? That was my biggest concern. But Kitchen Solvers has a great system to identify potential customers. They really helped me my first year to get me on track.”

He said that after doing his research and talking with franchisees and company executives, he “felt I could make a go of it with them.”

It was a smart move. He has already snagged many customers and averages about four jobs a month.

“I’m very busy, but this is a good problem to have,” he said. “My business is growing rapidly. I need to hire more people to help me.”

He said Kitchen Solvers wisely has recommended that he work on his business instead of in his business.

“That way I can concentrate on growing the business. I enjoy the sales aspect of the business. I really like talking with people to figure out what they want.”

The network of support he has with other franchisees is valuable to him.

“If there’s a question I have with any job, I always go back to the franchisors and the franchisees and get the answers I need. We all lean on each other,” he said.

There’s a Friday morning conference call, for instance, with other franchisees that he calls a helpful, freewheeling conversation. A lot of problems get solved and success stories are shared.

“We bounce ideas off each other. I love to connect with other franchisees. Everyone is enthusiastic about being part of such a great brand. None of us is alone. That feels great.”

Another aspect of the job that he enjoys is trying his best to give people their dream kitchens.

“Kitchens aren’t just about preparing food anymore,” Westhoven said. “They’re favorite gathering places and the center of many homes.”