Throughout their careers, construction professionals develop the ability to handle hard work, solve problems to overcome hurdles and deliver results, and build and lead teams. However, over time, trying to scale an independent construction business can also expose entrepreneurs to unpredictable volatility from market shifts, ceilings on margins and even burnout. The restoration industry offers a natural next step for construction professionals looking to leverage their experience in a new way, and ServiceMaster Restore, the over-2,000-unit restoration franchise, represents a clear path to success.
Transitioning from independent construction to ServiceMaster Restore franchise ownership gives entrepreneurs a chance to establish themselves in a recession-resistant market with the backing of a national brand, while achieving the lifestyle balance independent construction can’t offer.
“I've kind of done everything to see if there's a better market out there than construction. At least from what I found, no,” said Erik Peiker, a ServiceMaster Restore franchise owner in Colorado. “It's fruitful and has staying power, especially the insurance world, which is basically recession-resistant. Beyond that, this has afforded me more time with my family because I have more backing. I used to work 14 hours a day, six to seven days a week, and now I have time to coach my kids' tee-ball games because I have the infrastructure and a support system.”
Lifelong experience in the trades creates an ideal baseline for entrepreneurs looking to break into the restoration space. For Peiker, decades of hands-on experience built the resilience and entrepreneurial spirit that would ultimately lead him to ServiceMaster Restore.
“I've owned a lot of businesses in a lot of different industries, but I've always been in the construction business,” he said. “I think it started when I was probably 15 years old, trying to grow a crummy beard so I could be on a roofing crew to earn some extra money. I didn't grow up with a lot, so I worked pretty hard from a young age. I started in the roofing industry, moved my way up to a general manager overseeing crews in 12 different states for a pretty large roofing company, and then got pretty bored. I started my own construction business about 13 years ago.”
Peiker began working for himself in his early 20s, doing reconstruction for mitigation companies across Colorado and surrounding states. He later transitioned to supplying labor for catastrophe recovery. While the specific details of the work varied, it taught him an important lesson about independent business ownership: “When it’s good, it’s good, but when it’s bad, it’s real bad,” he said.
Bruce Wishnia, a ServiceMaster Restore franchise owner in New Jersey, also had deep experience in home improvement, construction and real estate development. He worked in the industry from the late 1980s into the early 2000s before reaching a turning point.
After an experience selling a business to a large corporation, Peiker began to consider what it meant to partner with such an established organization. He considered what this could look like in construction, and he began to think franchising might make sense. One of his key criteria was a franchise system that was very active with the franchisees, and he ultimately landed on ServiceMaster Restore.
Wishnia’s shift started with an in-the-moment eye-opener.
“Around 2004, while I was building a lot of properties, I kept a number of them as rentals,” he said. “One of them had a pipe burst, and it ended up being a good thing. I hired a public adjuster, and he got me a $90,000 settlement while I completed the repairs for $50,000. That was my ‘aha’ moment.”
He continued to work with that adjuster, who gave him fire restoration jobs. While Wishnia was already completing drying and emergency services as an independent contractor, he quickly realized that balancing everything and growing the business would be difficult without a franchise.
“You can do it, but I saw the value of having a recognized franchise name behind the business,” he said.
With the backing of a national brand behind them, both Wishnia and Peiker have been able to scale their businesses and serve their communities while using skills they’d previously developed in their former roles. For example, Wishnia said he has used the skills he learned while working in development and networking for public sector contracts to support what he’s doing with ServiceMaster Restore.
For both entrepreneurs, ServiceMaster Restore has provided a structure they can build on, using their own project management, team-building and business leadership skills to make for an even stronger business.
Willingness to listen, learn, collaborate and lean into the franchise system has been an important factor in Wishnia’s success.
“You have to be open-minded and willing to listen and learn. Just because you own the business or the franchise doesn't mean you know everything. You have to make it about the team because, by yourself, you're only going to accomplish so much,” he said. “My story is that I put my head down and do what I have to do to make the whole team successful. It's not ‘I’; it's ‘we.’ I try to work as smart as I work hard. Hard work alone isn't enough, but if you work smart in addition to working hard, you can accomplish a lot.”
Transitioning to ServiceMaster franchise ownership allows construction professionals to stay in the industry they know and love with a model that allows them to scale. By pairing hands-on experience with a recession-resistant model and national backing, construction professionals can build a sustainable, high-growth business that allows for both financial and lifestyle success.
To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/servicemaster-restore.
ServiceMaster Restore
SPONSORED
The restoration franchise allows construction professionals to grow with a model better insulated from the unpredictability and burnout that often come with traditional construction roles.
Throughout their careers, construction professionals develop the ability to handle hard work, solve problems to overcome hurdles and deliver results, and build and lead teams. However, over time, trying to scale an independent construction business can also expose entrepreneurs to unpredictable volatility from market shifts, ceilings on margins and even burnout. The restoration industry offers a natural next step for construction professionals looking to leverage their experience in a new way, and ServiceMaster Restore, the over-2,000-unit restoration franchise, represents a clear path to success.
Transitioning from independent construction to ServiceMaster Restore franchise ownership gives entrepreneurs a chance to establish themselves in a recession-resistant market with the backing of a national brand, while achieving the lifestyle balance independent construction can’t offer.
“I've kind of done everything to see if there's a better market out there than construction. At least from what I found, no,” said Erik Peiker, a ServiceMaster Restore franchise owner in Colorado. “It's fruitful and has staying power, especially the insurance world, which is basically recession-resistant. Beyond that, this has afforded me more time with my family because I have more backing. I used to work 14 hours a day, six to seven days a week, and now I have time to coach my kids' tee-ball games because I have the infrastructure and a support system.”
Lifelong experience in the trades creates an ideal baseline for entrepreneurs looking to break into the restoration space. For Peiker, decades of hands-on experience built the resilience and entrepreneurial spirit that would ultimately lead him to ServiceMaster Restore.
“I've owned a lot of businesses in a lot of different industries, but I've always been in the construction business,” he said. “I think it started when I was probably 15 years old, trying to grow a crummy beard so I could be on a roofing crew to earn some extra money. I didn't grow up with a lot, so I worked pretty hard from a young age. I started in the roofing industry, moved my way up to a general manager overseeing crews in 12 different states for a pretty large roofing company, and then got pretty bored. I started my own construction business about 13 years ago.”
Peiker began working for himself in his early 20s, doing reconstruction for mitigation companies across Colorado and surrounding states. He later transitioned to supplying labor for catastrophe recovery. While the specific details of the work varied, it taught him an important lesson about independent business ownership: “When it’s good, it’s good, but when it’s bad, it’s real bad,” he said.
Bruce Wishnia, a ServiceMaster Restore franchise owner in New Jersey, also had deep experience in home improvement, construction and real estate development. He worked in the industry from the late 1980s into the early 2000s before reaching a turning point.
After an experience selling a business to a large corporation, Peiker began to consider what it meant to partner with such an established organization. He considered what this could look like in construction, and he began to think franchising might make sense. One of his key criteria was a franchise system that was very active with the franchisees, and he ultimately landed on ServiceMaster Restore.
Wishnia’s shift started with an in-the-moment eye-opener.
“Around 2004, while I was building a lot of properties, I kept a number of them as rentals,” he said. “One of them had a pipe burst, and it ended up being a good thing. I hired a public adjuster, and he got me a $90,000 settlement while I completed the repairs for $50,000. That was my ‘aha’ moment.”
He continued to work with that adjuster, who gave him fire restoration jobs. While Wishnia was already completing drying and emergency services as an independent contractor, he quickly realized that balancing everything and growing the business would be difficult without a franchise.
“You can do it, but I saw the value of having a recognized franchise name behind the business,” he said.
With the backing of a national brand behind them, both Wishnia and Peiker have been able to scale their businesses and serve their communities while using skills they’d previously developed in their former roles. For example, Wishnia said he has used the skills he learned while working in development and networking for public sector contracts to support what he’s doing with ServiceMaster Restore.
For both entrepreneurs, ServiceMaster Restore has provided a structure they can build on, using their own project management, team-building and business leadership skills to make for an even stronger business.
Willingness to listen, learn, collaborate and lean into the franchise system has been an important factor in Wishnia’s success.
“You have to be open-minded and willing to listen and learn. Just because you own the business or the franchise doesn't mean you know everything. You have to make it about the team because, by yourself, you're only going to accomplish so much,” he said. “My story is that I put my head down and do what I have to do to make the whole team successful. It's not ‘I’; it's ‘we.’ I try to work as smart as I work hard. Hard work alone isn't enough, but if you work smart in addition to working hard, you can accomplish a lot.”
Transitioning to ServiceMaster franchise ownership allows construction professionals to stay in the industry they know and love with a model that allows them to scale. By pairing hands-on experience with a recession-resistant model and national backing, construction professionals can build a sustainable, high-growth business that allows for both financial and lifestyle success.
To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/servicemaster-restore.
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