After Years Advising Franchise Owners, This Business Consultant Is Joining Them With TruBlue Home Service Ally

Caitlin Arpin has spent the last three years on the other side of the franchise relationship. As a business consultant for Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa, she has helped franchise owners build their businesses. Now, at 37, she's applying what she's learned to a business of her own: a TruBlue Home Service Ally location serving Davenport, Florida, tentatively opening in early October.

“I've always been that entrepreneur, but I've been doing it for corporate,” Arpin said. “Every day I'm doing something, I think, ‘Wow, okay, this is for me. I'm building a legacy for myself.’”

For Arpin, becoming a franchise owner is a longtime goal that once seemed financially out of reach. Her experience working for a franchisor changed that perspective. After years of helping other owners navigate the business, she gained a better understanding of the franchise model and the confidence to make the move herself.

That experience also shaped what Arpin wanted from a franchisor. She was accustomed to being the person telling franchise owners to trust the systems and guidance available to them. With TruBlue, she found herself on the other side of that relationship.

“I'm usually the one telling the owners, ‘Hey, if you listen to me, you're going to succeed,’ so I know what that’s supposed to feel like,” she said.

Arpin’s background made TruBlue a natural fit. Before entering franchising, she spent about 20 years in hospitality, including 10 years running resort spas. She also grew up around job sites with a mother who painted and wallpapered, has renovated her own homes and understands firsthand the frustration of trying to find reliable home service professionals.

TruBlue gives Arpin a chance to bring those experiences together while addressing her community's need for home repair and senior modification services. As she prepares to open, she is focused on building a team of trusted professionals who are just as excited about the mission as she is. 

Arpin spoke with 1851 Franchise about what she learned from advising franchise owners and how that experience gave her the confidence to become one herself. Here’s what she had to say:

1851 Franchise: Tell us your story in one sentence.

Caitlin Arpin: There are a lot of connections to TruBlue. The customer service piece is kind of a no-brainer. I'm a homeowner who's hired a lot of professionals for my house and just have never been satisfied with the quality of the service I received. That’s when I started looking into franchising.

I also grew up on job sites with my mom. She painted and wallpapered for most of my life. I've flipped both houses I've lived in, so I feel comfortable with home repairs as well. Those two things, along with the in-home senior modifications piece, are really what called me to TruBlue.

1851: What was happening in your life that made you realize it was time to make a change?

Arpin: I've always wanted to own my own business. Financially, I didn't think that I could because it's only me. I'm by myself. I currently work in franchising on the franchisor side. My journey started in hotels and then I worked in hotel spas and I ran the spa for 10 years as a director. Then I thought I wanted to open a spa, so I started looking into franchising. Then I joined Hand & Stone, where I currently work as a business consultant. For the last three years at the corporate level, I have worked with owners to help them build their businesses. I enjoy working with owners and seeing the franchisor side, which opened my eyes to what I wanted to do: be an owner myself and take that leap. Being on the franchisor side gave me the confidence to consider becoming a franchisee. It was very strategic.

1851: Why did you choose this franchise over every other opportunity?

Arpin: The experience with TruBlue was incredibly professional. I thought they clearly presented what we do in this business: making sure our teams take care of our customers and their homes. I can tell they believe in this and are very passionate about it. For me, seeing that passion come through in the corporate office made me feel confident, because you have to trust the franchisor. Everyone on the team was so great that it just made sense. They have a plan in place. They have lots of steps that I feel like, if I listen to them, I will succeed. I'm usually the one telling the owners, "Hey, if you listen to me, you're going to succeed,” so I know what that’s supposed to feel like.

Plus, we have a great mission. It's not just handyman services. We're also helping people live in their homes longer. 

1851: What is it really like owning a TruBlue franchise?

Arpin: I'm still just getting started. I started pre-screening and looking for technicians, and I found some great candidates. Building a team is super important to the culture I want as an owner. I want to take everything I learned from being in hotels. 

What's surprising is that when these blue-collar workers looking for jobs hear what we're doing, they get really excited. They want something where they can make an impact. The excitement I see tells me that this doesn't exist. There's a need for this. That's what's been the most rewarding part so far — starting the interviews and getting a number of good candidates right out of the gate.

1851: What are your must-haves when building a team?

Arpin: You have to have integrity. I'm not going to be with them every second of every day. So when I'm hiring for this new team, I'm looking for people who will take ownership of what they're doing and treat it like it’s their own business. 

1851: How has owning this franchise changed your life?

Arpin: It's been pretty seamless so far. I knew what I was getting into and honestly the TruBlue model is much simpler than spas, believe it or not. It's been exciting to conduct interviews again and think about what this is going to look like as my business, which is crazy because every department that I ran within the hotel, the GMs would always tell me, "You run this spa like it's your own." And so, I've always been that entrepreneur, but I've been doing it for corporate. Every day I'm doing something, I think, "Wow, okay, this is for me. I'm building a legacy for myself.”

I think I love franchising because it gives you freedom within a framework. I didn't have to worry about a logo, toolkits, or vendor partnerships—all those things already exist. At the end of the day, what makes each franchisee different is their team and the expectations and level of service they provide. For us, those things will come through over time with Google reviews and as word of mouth spreads. But it's also going to be me actually being in my community, which is not something that I've ever done. I've done it within the hotel world or with vendors, but being out in my community, I think that it's going to be really interesting to wrap my arms around. Anyone who's worked for me and knows me knows that level of excellence that I expect. I'm excited to see how that plays out with TruBlue. 

1851: If your best friend had enough money to buy this franchise tomorrow, what would you tell them?

Arpin: If I felt they had the right business acumen and ability to build a team, I would tell them to just do it!

1851: What's the one thing you wish someone had told you before you bought this franchise?

Arpin: If anyone had told me something, I wish they'd said to do it sooner. I feel really equipped for this next part of the journey.

ABOUT TRUBLUE HOME SERVICE ALLY:

TruBlue Home Service Ally® provides a unique and affordable approach to helping busy adults and seniors live a worry-free life by offering trustworthy handyman, home maintenance and senior modification services. Helping you maintain your home both inside and out, TruBlue’s services include handyman projects and to-do list chores, preventive home maintenance programs, kitchen and bath remodels, seasonal work, and senior modification services, all handled by professional, bonded and insured Tru-Pro® Technicians. TruBlue franchise owners are required to complete senior home safety certification programs through the NAHB and Age Safe America. As certified specialists, TruBlue franchisees are able to perform aging in place home safety assessments and can make recommended safety modifications as needed.

All locations are independently owned and operated. Service offerings, certifications and licenses vary by location.