New Beginnings: How One Franchisee Decided to Join 360° Painting in the Era of COVID

When Anthony Wortman became dissatisfied with his career in supply chain management, he thought about what would bring him the fulfillment he desired. Wortman had long been a home improvement hobbyist, so when he started looking at different brands to start a business in the field, 360° Painting’s model and corporate resources made the decision to invest easy for him. Even amid a time of uncertainty in a fluctuating economy, Wortman was successfully able to open the brand’s first location in Nebraska thanks to corporate guidance.

The brand is one of the largest personalized commercial and residential painting franchises, and Wortman was immediately impressed with its flexible business model. As someone who has lived and worked in the Lincoln area his entire career, Wortman expressed his excitement for contributing to the community in a constructive way.

“360° Painting was simply better than the others,” said Wortman. “They have a genuine model that supplies the best service to the community. I wanted to give my time to the community in the most impactful way I could and I believe we will impress our future customers. I aim to support the customers and create a good reputation in the community.”

360° Painting is also set to help communities during the COVID-19 outbreak. As Americans stay at home to avoid spreading the virus, more homeowners are taking the time to make renovations to their property. Wortman says that he looks forward to aiding homeowners as they move forward with personal projects in these difficult times.

Another aspect that truly sold Wortman on franchising with 360 Painting is their backing from parent company Premium Service Brands. In an economy that’s constantly changing, the support the brand provides for new and existing franchise owners was reason enough to motivate him to buy into the brand. Not to mention, the multi-brand franchisor saw  23% growth in systemwide revenue in the first half of 2020.

“After reading books and doing research,” said Wortman, “I feared I would go into my own business with no direction and just scrape by when it came to doing well. Getting into a structured business that will set you up for success is something that really sold the idea of franchising for me.”

Wortman’s 360° Painting location in Lincoln is not only Nebraska’s first, but one of the first in the Midwest. Luke Schulte, vice president of franchise development for Premium Service Brands, said that the Midwest is a target area for growth for the brand. In addition to Wortman, 360 Painting recently signed five new franchise deals that will help the brand expand into six new territories. As leadership seeks to continue the brand’s success, Schulte says that franchisees like Wortman are optimal for growing the brand throughout the region.

“Anthony is the ideal candidate for the 360° Painting brand,” said Schulte. “His business savviness and passion for the industry are key to the success of the brand. We’ve signed multiple new franchise agreements while simultaneously seeing a boost in year-over-year sales in the first half of the year. As we continue to engage with potential franchisees in target regions, we are looking for folks who are well established in their communities and can reach homeowners who are eager to make improvements to their homes.”

The brand has also taken steps to help franchisees and customers in the era of the pandemic, something that makes 360°Painting attractive to new business owners as COVID-19 persists. 360° Painting quickly pivoted from in-person consultations at the top of the crisis to offer free virtual estimates and provided franchisees with the appropriate training. By using video services like FaceTime and Skype, 360° Painting franchisees have been able to do virtual walkthroughs and provide customers with estimates by email. Franchisee benefits have also included one-on-one calls with their business coaches, financial webinars regarding cash flow and marketing packets that include email templates and social media posts.

Wortman said he is grateful for the support corporate has shown him in the past couple of months as he launches his store. While he is still focused on the success of his initial location, he has his sights on growth. As the pandemic continues, Wortman hopes to reach customers who are looking to improve themselves and their homes and grow the business organically. With a model that is seemingly pandemic-proof, the odds are in his favor.

“I hope to scale this business,’ said Wortman. “Eventually, I have big goals to grow my team. We value relationships and service. Providing an easy to contact, easy to work with business, I hope to create a reputation that the community can trust.”

The startup costs for a 360° Painting franchise range from $100,000 to $150,000. The franchise fee is $60,000. To learn more about franchising with 360° Painting, visit https://www.premiumservicebrands.com/360°-painting/