For David Burbidge, becoming a ServiceMaster Restore franchise owner in Northern Utah was a natural next step in a career spent immersed in franchising and community-focused leadership. After working in marketing, operations and business consulting roles across the franchise world, Burbidge saw an opportunity during the pandemic to finally own a ServiceMaster location in the counties where he and his family live. 

“You’re catching people on their worst day, so it gives you a chance to really be of service to them,” Burbridge said. “On the business side, I was also really interested in the relationships with insurance carriers. That whole side of it — the complexity — has been fun to learn. I’ve learned everything from the ground up and then started passing those tasks up as we’ve grown.”

Now four years in, he’s not only doubled his revenue but built strong partnerships with neighboring franchisees, embraced a service-first culture and found fulfillment in helping people on some of their worst days.

1851 spoke with Burbridge to learn more about his background, his journey to the brand and his plans for the future. 

1851 Franchise: Frame your personal story for us. What do you want us to know?

David Burbidge: I’ve been with the brand since 2020 — in the midst of COVID. Before going to ServiceMaster, I was in the franchise world. I’ve been doing that for the better part of my career. I worked for an ad agency that did PR for Subway franchises. That gave me a real appreciation for local marketing and PR, and how to integrate brands into their communities.

After my agency work, I continued on to become a director of operations for Subway restaurants. Later, I actually became a business consultant for ServiceMaster. I got to know a lot of the owners and really enjoyed meeting them — they’re good, service-oriented people. That culture was really appealing.

About five years ago, we became aware that part of a license where we live in Northern Utah was becoming available from a franchisee. ServiceMaster allowed me to purchase it, which was great news because it happened to be in the counties where we live. That gave us an opportunity to do what we were hoping to do — own a ServiceMaster franchise.

1851: What made you pick this brand? What excites you most about this company?

Burbidge: You’re catching people on their worst day, so it gives you a chance to really be of service to them. On the business side, I was also really interested in the relationships with insurance carriers. That whole side of it — the complexity — has been fun to learn. I’ve learned everything from the ground up and then started passing those tasks up as we’ve grown.

1851: How has the business been thus far?

David Burbidge: In the first couple of years, we were able to double our revenue, which was really exciting. We’re a small company and have been going for about four years now. It’s been an interesting ride.

I’ve taken a few different approaches to integrate with the brand and with our community. My wife is an employee with ServiceMaster, and one of the questions I was asked when I started was, "How are you going to avoid conflicts of interest?" I knew it would be important to build relationships with the franchisees around me. Technically, we’re all competitors. But I’ve leaned into partnerships and community-building.

We did a TopGolf event, for example, representing our franchise to agents, adjusters and our customers. There was a big ice storm a couple years ago that maxed everyone out, and it was a great example of all the surrounding franchisees sending each other help. That’s something we’ve built over the past few years — a network that’s competitive, yes, but also cooperative.

I also joined the national ad committee. With my background in PR and marketing, it’s been exciting to work with other owners on how we’re promoting the brand. When we all forge ahead together, we’re a lot better as one brand than we are apart.

1851: What do you hope to achieve with your business? What are your plans for growth?

Burbidge: My goal is to build agent and carrier relationships. Adjusters are the tip of the spear, but I’m also focused on growing our commercial presence — apartment buildings, hotels, property managers, that sort of thing. You can’t really do that as a small franchisee in one little area, so it’s important to partner with other offices so you can expand your capacity. And I know it’ll be reciprocal.

1851: What advice do you have for other people thinking about becoming franchise owners?

Burbidge: There are lots of choices out there. Look at the culture of the organization — what they stand for, how long they’ve been around. ServiceMaster has a great relationship with Hire Heroes, to help provide meaningful career opportunities for veterans transitioning into civilian life, for example. I found a fit, and I jumped in. I just wish I’d started at 25 instead of 50!

About ServiceMaster Restore®: 

With approximately 2,000 franchised and licensed locations around the world, ServiceMaster Restore and ServiceMaster Recovery Management (SRM) serve customers through a global network of franchises available 24/7/365 to provide residential and commercial restoration services resulting from damage caused by water, fire, smoke or mold. SRM is the large-scale commercial catastrophic disaster restoration unit of ServiceMaster Restore. ServiceMaster Restore is a business unit of Atlanta-based ServiceMaster® Brands, a leading franchise provider of needs-based residential and commercial services. More information can be found at servicemasterrestore.com and srmcat.com.