Charleston Native Brings First ProLift Garage Doors Franchise to City

In January, Travis Nicolette, a lifelong Charleston resident, opened his community’s first ProLift Garage Doors. Backed by Premium Service Brands, the 20-unit franchise performs repair, replacement, installation and servicing of overhead garage doors and loading dock components for residential and commercial clients.

But Nicolette is not giving up his day job. The hotel business-development pro decided to franchise with ProLift in large part because of the flexibility it afforded him as a working professional and father.

“The ProLift Garage Doors model allowed me to be active in the business while continuing my existing position,” he said. “I was looking to start my own business, but wasn’t quite ready to walk away from my current job, and ProLift Garage Doors stood out as a unique concept that would allow me to do that.”

ProLift Garage Doors allows franchisees like Nicolette 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. 

Beyond the flexible business model, Nicolette says it was the well-positioned consumer offering that really sealed the deal for him. 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. 

“This is an opportunity where you can care for customers when they’re in need,” Nicolette said. “You can come in and save the day for them. In comparison to our competitors, we can provide a better value for our customers and offer the highest quality services at a good price point. This, plus the low overhead and strong profit margins for repairs, means franchisees have the opportunity to become profitable very quickly.”

In terms of support, 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. 

“Having the support of a franchisor is helpful because I can avoid any big mistakes that could set me back in time and money,” said Nicolette. “Looking back as a first-time business owner, I can’t imagine starting a business fresh. I’ve also benefited from talking to other franchisees and getting the rundown. They are great resources who know what works and what doesn’t.” 

Nicolette started servicing clients in January, and he hopes to make a name for his business in Charleston and expand it further into markets like Columbia, Summerville and Myrtle Beach. Looking ahead, Nicolette is also interested in expanding his portfolio vertically with one of Premium Service Brands’ sister brands. 

Premium Service Brands offers a roster of franchise opportunities that are specifically designed to complement and integrate with each other. This allows owners to scale their businesses by efficiently adding brands to their portfolios. Now, Premium Service Brands is offering franchisees a 10% discount when they sign on to open multiple brands in their market through their Own the Home program.

“By investing in those other brands, it would reduce customer acquisition costs for me,” said Nicolette. “It’s easy to send customers over to a brand if they already work with one of our other brands. I want to eventually build up my portfolio and hire a staff that operates like a family, which is something that gets lost these days in the corporate world.”

Iric Wexler, chief development officer for Premium Service Brands, says Nicolette is the perfect addition to the team as the ProLift Garage Doors brand continues to seek qualified prospects in markets across the country. “Travis is a great example of a dedicated franchisee who is taking advantage of the opportunities that Premium Service Brands provides in order to grow his business and secure his future,” he said. “Now, we are excited to continue growing in the South Carolina market and beyond.”

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