Lifelong Salesman Finds Success as Batteries Plus Bulbs Franchisee in Manchester, Connecticut

After 35 years working with a family-owned retail furniture business, Bob Devanna decided it was time for a change.

“With more than three decades selling furniture under my belt, I reached the point where I was looking for something new,” Devanna said. “I considered retirement, but I knew I couldn’t just sit around. I needed to be productive.”

Driven by his entrepreneurial spirit and desire to make a difference in his community, Devanna started researching franchise ownership opportunities. While flipping through the Wall Street Journal one afternoon, he saw an advertisement for Batteries Plus (as it was known at the time before rebranding to Batteries Plus Bulbs in 2013), a leading retailer of batteries, specialty light bulbs market, and his interest was piqued.

“I was attracted to Batteries Plus Bulbs because I wanted to do something hands-on in a field that interested me, so the brand was a great fit,” Devanna said. “I thought my background in sales would help get the business off the ground. I was also very impressed with the Batteries Plus Bulbs corporate team. I knew right off the bat they would support me and help me with any questions or problems I might have.”

Devanna opened his Batteries Plus Bulbs store in June of 2011 in Manchester, Connecticut. He currently lives in Tolland, which is about 20 minutes away from Manchester.

“Location plays a huge role in the success of a business,” Devanna said. “I picked Manchester because I have been living in the area for the last four decades. I know so many people, which has made it easier to get the business off the ground. People walk in the door, and I know them either from living in the area for 40 years or through contacts I made selling furniture. That helps with word of mouth because people recommend us to their friends.”

Devanna recently celebrated his seventh anniversary as a Batteries Plus Bulbs franchisee. Despite the rising popularity of online retailers within the last decade, Devanna and the Batteries Plus Bulbs corporate team have worked to ensure that the company remains relevant to consumers by providing valuable new services.

“Batteries Plus Bulbs has done a great job staying nimble by finding other avenues of revenue as people continue to change the way they shop and use technology,” Devanna said. “For example, laptop batteries and camera and camcorder batteries are not as popular because people are not buying those products anymore. As a result, we got into repairing phones, which have largely replaced laptops and cameras.”

Devanna also credits the success of his franchise to his team, including his wife who handles accounting for the business. Together, they have cultivated an open and supportive company culture centered around serving and helping others and are looking forward to continuing to provide high-quality service to customers.

“We’ve fostered a great working environment to the point where it is hard for people to leave,” Devanna said. “One employee who had worked with me for more than five years was studying to become a registered nurse. I arranged his hours so that he could go to school. I will be 71 in five years, so eventually, I’d like to pass the business down to the guys who work with me. It’s like one big family here.”

In addition to supporting its existing franchisees, Batteries Plus Bulbs is continuing to expand by opening additional locations in Connecticut. The state’s demographic and geographic makeup are ideal for the retail franchise, with a mix of residential neighborhoods and businesses where many middle-income families and middle-aged adults reside. Currently, the company has its sights set on towns such as Avon, Windsor, New Britain, Meriden, Waterbury, New London, Hartford, East Haven, Norwalk, Trumble and Danbury. The startup cost to open a Batteries Plus Bulbs store typically ranges from $225,00 to $250,000.

For franchising opportunities with Batteries Plus Bulbs, visit https://batteriesplusfranchise.com/.