ProLift Garage Door Franchise Ownership Gave This IT Professional the Flexibility to Run for Office and Give Back to His Community

IT professional-turned-franchise owner James Ball has always had a passion for community involvement. In fact, when he began looking for opportunities to leave the IT world to start his own business, one of the primary requirements was finding a business model that would grant him the free time to run for state representative in his home of downtown Portland. When Ball found garage door service franchise ProLift Garage Doors, he knew he had found the perfect door to his future.

“I knew I wouldn’t be able to run a successful political campaign and work a typical office or 9-to-5 job at the same time,” said Ball. “I was talking to a mentor of mine, and he recommended franchising. After working with a broker and evaluating a number of concepts, it was clear that ProLift Garage Doors aligned with my goals, my capital and my desire for time.”

ProLift Garage Doors, one of seven brands under the Premium Service Brands umbrella, performs repair, replacement, installation and servicing of overhead garage doors and loading dock components for residential and commercial clients. As people spend more time at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, ProLift Garage Doors has seen double-digit sales growth and offers prospective franchisees a lucrative opportunity to enter the underserved but resilient garage repair sector. 

ProLift Garage Doors allows franchisees like Ball to operate from their home while scaling their business, which not only offers more flexibility in owners’ schedules, but also creates a lower overhead, low cost of labor, little to no inventory and no requirement for brick and mortar locations. These all make it possible for franchisees to not only scale their business quickly, but also to see a return on their investment much sooner than opportunities in the home services industry.

With this proven business model and the support of Premium Service Brands, Ball knew he would have the ability to successfully scale his business. Premium Service Brands offers franchisees the resources they need to boost sales, recruit and retain employees, incorporate the latest technology and provide the best customer service in the industry. 

Ball started his ProLift Garage Doors franchise in August 2019, and while he didn’t win the race for state representative in Portland, he has been finding other creative ways to give back to his community through his business. 

Ball noted that in March, during the first lockdown, businesses were hit hard, but started to pick back up as people spent more time at home. This is when community-outreach efforts and grassroots marketing became a focal point for his marketing strategy. He found that a recent scholarship program was a great way to connect with his community and give back during a hard time. 

“ProLift Garage Doors offers a scholarship program that franchisees can participate in,” Ball explained. “We offer a $500 scholarship payable every December. This year, we emailed all of the universities in the state of Oregon and asked them to put our scholarship on their web page. We saw about 40 applicants from colleges all over the state, and on December 1st, we looked at all of the applicants and their essays. We ended up awarding the scholarship to a student at Southern Oregon University.”

Dave Rychley, vice president of brand performance for Premium Service Brands praises franchisees like Ball. “With ProLift Garage Doors, being involved means being successful,” he said. “James is a great example of a franchisee who is taking advantage of the opportunities that Premium Service Brands provides in order to grow his business while making important connections in the community.”

“Giving back to your community isn’t just important as a business owner, it is important as a human,” said Ball. “There are many who don’t have the means to give back, so those who are fortunate enough to be in a position to help have a duty to do so, especially during times like these. I am thankful that ProLift Garage Doors puts me in that position, both financially and in terms of my lifestyle. I am excited to continue growing with the brand and becoming a recognized business in the community I love.”

The startup costs for a ProLift Garage Doors franchise ranges from $101,375 to $142,000. This includes $60,000 that must be paid to the franchisor or affiliate. To learn more about franchising with ProLift Garage Doors, visit: https://www.premiumservicebrands.com/prolift-garage-doors