Office Evolution takes the ‘Evolution’ part of its name very seriously, the way some of the brand’s longest-tenured franchisees tell it. Spouses and business partners Suhash and Ulka Bhavsar were just the second franchisees in Office Evolution’s system when they signed on with the brand more than five years ago. The opening of their Somerville, New Jersey location in August of 2014 marked the brand’s first unit outside of the state of Colorado.
Office Evolution has experienced incredible growth in the years since, currently boasting more than 50 locations across the U.S. As the brand increases its footprint, adapting and developing its offering to better serve the changing needs of the community of small business owners it serves has become increasingly important. Suhash and Ulka have experienced the implementation and execution of business model additions first-hand and reaped the benefits of Office Evolution’s ever-strengthening offering.
Before their journey with Office Evolution began, Ulka had spent her career in commercial real estate lending and was searching for something more entrepreneurial. Suhash, on the other hand, worked as a marketing and sales strategy consultant in the biopharmaceutical industry and was interested in staying in his current role.
“We were first introduced to Office Evolution by a posting we saw online somewhere, but there were no franchisees signed up at the time,” Ulka said.
The Bhavsars were initially hesitant about joining such a young brand, but Office Evolution fit their needs well enough that they continued with the discovery process. When Suhash and Ulka met the brand’s leadership team, everything changed.
“After we met [Office Evolution founder and CEO] Mark Hemmeter and learned more about the system, we were sold,” Ulka said.
Hearing about the brand’s Ohana culture and Hemmeter’s vision for Office Evolution convinced the Bhavsars to take on the challenge of franchise ownership with the brand. Now, more than five years later, Ulka says Office Evolution’s committed team, the business model’s limited staff requirements and the growing demand for shared office space make the brand as compelling an opportunity as ever. To this day, she remains the business center manager at their location in Somerville.
“Since the moment they opened their doors, Ulka and Suhash’s dedication to their clients hasn’t faltered,” Hemmeter said. “Their passion, feedback and perspective have contributed so much to the longevity of the brand as a whole. It’s an incredible validator for our franchise opportunity that they are in it for the long haul.”
Ulka said Office Evolution's business model and offerings have been through many "evolutions" during the Bhavsar’s time with the brand. Specifically, she pointed to the significant growth of the support team, which in turn has helped develop new processes and enhance the capabilities of their business center.
“The thing that excites me the most about my work to this day is being a small business owner that helps other small business owners,” Ulka said. “We have seen other businesses start small and grow so much over time. It's incredibly rewarding to be a part of those success stories.”
As far as the future is concerned, the Bhavsars see the brand continuing on its already impressive trajectory through a continued commitment to innovation.
“With the ever-changing needs of small business owners, continuing to innovate our service offerings to serve them in the best way possible is the key to continued success,” Ulka said