Problem-Solving Runs in the Family for Batteries Plus Bulbs Franchisees

Joe Cowern’s passion for fixing things was sparked at an early age when he would help his father and former electrical engineer and military veteran Ed Cowern, repair cars.

“As a kid, I have memories of helping my dad fix car batteries, change oil and rotate tires, so mechanics runs in the family,” Joe said. “I’ve been a troubleshooter for as long as I can remember.”

Inspired by his father, Joe decided to join the U.S. Navy after he graduated high school, where he trained to become an aviation technician,

“My father and my brother served, and to keep that family tradition alive, I did, too,” Joe said. “It was the best thing I ever did. While serving, I was trained extensively as a technician to repair just about anything electronic along with a drive to do a job properly and to completion.”

After seven years in the Navy, Joe decided it was time to take the next step in his career. Though he was interested in starting his own business, he took a job as a service technician but kept an eye out for opportunities to make his dream of becoming an entrepreneur a reality.

For years, Joe flipped through magazines and searched online, but he did not find anything that was the right fit for him until he received an email from Entrepreneur Magazine with information about 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 and device repair services. Joe knew his father was also interested in owning a business, so he told Ed about the Batteries Plus Bulbs franchise opportunity.

“Fixing things has always been my forte,” Joe said. “And as it turns out, my dad was also searching for business ownership opportunities and had walked into a Batteries Plus Bulbs store in Florida around the same time I got the email alert.”

Intrigued, Ed spent six months researching Batteries Plus Bulbs before deciding to become a franchisee and asking Joe to help him run the business.

“We decided Batteries Plus Bulbs was a great fit for us because of our technical backgrounds and shared entrepreneurial spirit, and my dad thought the brand would be a great investment and something he could pass down to me,” Joe said.

The father-son team opened their Batteries Plus Bulbs franchise in June of 2012 in Orange, Connecticut. They recently celebrated their six-year anniversary as co-owners.

“We looked around at a lot of different locations for our store in our home state of Connecticut, and we landed on Orange because it is right on the main drag next to many big box stores,” Joe said. “There is a Best Buy, a Home Depot, and a ton of others close by, which makes Orange a destination for a lot of people in the surrounding area.”

Currently, Batteries Plus Bulbs is aiming to expand in Connecticut by opening additional franchises in towns such as Avon, Windsor, New Britain, Meriden, Waterbury, New London, Hartford, East Haven, Norwalk, Trumble and Danbury that boast a mix of residential neighborhoods and businesses with many middle-income families and middle-aged adults. With a startup cost ranging from $190,144 to $367,358, the company is actively looking for qualified franchisees in Connecticut.

As Batteries Plus Bulbs begins its search for qualified partners in Connecticut, it continues to recognize and support its existing franchisees in the state. Although technology has changed and evolved since the Joe and Ed opened their store in Orange, they have managed to increase their sales every year with help from the Batteries Plus Bulbs corporate team.

“Batteries Plus Bulbs does a great job of researching and identifying trends to see where we fit in and how we can be useful to people,” Joe said. “For instance, laptops have been declining in popularity. People aren’t buying as many because they are using smartphones and tablets more than ever. That’s why we have been fixing phones and tablets for the last four years, which has kept us relevant to our consumers.”

After six years of success, Joe is looking forward to many more by focusing on exceeding the expectations of his customers.

“I want to continue providing the high-quality service that we have given to people,” Joe said. “We pride ourselves on making sure every customer leaves with a solution, whether that is a product or service.”

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