Reverse Mortgage Brokers Find New Way to Serve Seniors with TruBlue Franchise in Upland Rancho, California

Jennifer and Brian Wiesner opened their TruBlue Home Service Ally franchise in the Upland Rancho area of California last November.

After decades of working in the mortgage industry and previously owning multiple businesses, the couple was excited to combine their professional expertise with their personal passion for helping seniors. Brian, who specializes in reverse mortgages and often works with seniors, recognized a major, unmet need in his community. TruBlue, a home maintenance and handyman service specializing in serving seniors and busy families, proved to be a great way to give back to their community while building a sustainable business for their family.

“The work we do isn’t just for seniors, but when I work with senior clients, I notice they may not have smoke detectors, or they don’t have earthquake protection on their water heater, or there’s termite damage that needs to be fixed,” said Brian. “I’m aware of all these things in the home, and TruBlue fits perfectly with what we wanted to do."

1851 spoke with the Wiesners to learn more about their background, their decision to join TruBlue and their plans for the future. 

1851 Franchise: Frame your personal story for us. What did you do before franchising, and how did you decide franchising made sense for you?

Jennifer Wiesner: I was raised in a household where entrepreneurship was preached as a way to have a fulfilling life. That was the goal. I’ve always had that in the back of my mind. Eventually, with my dad, we started a few businesses in the past in the travel and tourism area. We did a couple of start-ups way back when. Later on, Brian and I opened up our own mortgage corporation. We’ve been working in the mortgage industry for about 25 years now, and I’ve also been parenting. Now that the kids are off to college, I wanted to get a job somewhere not in the mortgage industry. But that’s not how I’m wired. I like to be in charge of things and our destiny, so I started looking at franchising options.

Brian Wiesner: I’ve been in the mortgage industry for 26 years, but before that, I was a teacher and a college soccer coach for 16 years. Everything I’ve always done is about teamwork and working with multiple people, having things organized and focused on the goal. That’s what I’m used to, and that’s normal for me.

1851: What was your perception of franchising prior to becoming a franchisee, and what do you want people to know about franchising now that you are in it?

Jennifer: We’re a little bit older and we don’t have time to waste. We want to get started. We don’t want to reinvent the wheel. There’s a plan we can follow, and we can personalize it to match our wishes and desires. We didn’t want to go and figure out systems, figure out marketing, recruiting and hiring. I knew we needed help.

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

Jennifer: I stumbled upon TruBlue. What appealed to me was the integrity of the company and that there is a lot of opportunity for growth within it. They have amazing support, guidance and training. It really seemed like a perfect match. We also wanted to focus on the senior population. Brian, in his mortgage work, has a great rapport with seniors and their family members to help them get into a good financial position. I’ve felt for a long time that seniors aren’t given enough support compared to other cultures, and that always broke my heart. So when we started looking at franchises, we wanted to focus on the senior population. TruBlue checked off a lot of boxes. We have a lot of personal contacts in the area already who are associated with seniors in some way, so we can be helpful to a population we really care about while also working together.

Brian: When we were looking for something to do, the statistics show that 11,000 people a day turn 65. With my mortgage business tailored to reverse mortgages, that’s an automatic demographic. So, we had to ask: what is the customer base that’s always going to be there and continue to grow? The senior demographic. We considered assisted living, medical equipment companies, etc., but those didn’t fit for us. We didn’t want a storefront or inventory. With TruBlue, you get a team behind you with the same goal, serving the community that wants to age in place. The work we do isn’t just for seniors, but when I work with senior clients, I notice the many safety situations, along with the general maintenance. There is just a huge percentage of 85 year olds that aren’t able to fix their sinks or actually know how to change their furnace filters or install a doorbell camera. I’m aware of all these things, and TruBlue fits perfectly with what we wanted to do.

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

Jennifer:  We also want to become the go-to resource for the best Realtors in the area. Virtually every house needs repairs or catch-up maintenance to make it market ready. We can prepare their listings for sale, and make the home “move-in” ready. We can also handle maintenance on their rental portfolios. Long-term, our goal is to expand into as much territory as we can in this area of Southern California. We want to have something to pass on to our kids. I’d love it if some friends or family members become TruBlue franchise owners as well! 

Brian: We want to have a rock-solid reputation in the community as someone people can trust to go into a senior’s home. Jennifer’s mom lives less than a mile from us, and she’s 83. We’ve literally seen people go by her home and try to talk her into having work done on the house, and she almost went through with things that weren’t in her best interest. We’ve seen this firsthand, and we want to be pillars in the neighborhood so people trust us and refer us. Our business is going to grow organically, and if we have a good reputation, that’s a good goal.

1851: What is the one thing about your story you want us to know?

Jennifer: Brian and I are older parents raising three teenagers and have aging parents. We hope our services can help others in this “Sandwich Generation” alleviate some of the stress of caregiving children and parents at the same time. Personally, I’m interested in yoga, Pilates, outdoor activities, hiking and water sports. One of my passions is serving on the board and doing volunteer work for the Ovation School for the Performing Arts here in Upland. 

Brian: I’m 65, and I can still work on my cars, do stuff around the house and I’m an avid mountain biker. I’ve also been a high-level soccer coach for 40 years. Overall, I’m part of the demographic we want to serve. As much as I think I can do things around the house, Jennifer will say, ‘Don’t you think we should hire a good technician to do it right?’ And she’s right. So who would I call personally? I am my own customer.

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

Jennifer: It’s important to trust your gut instinct about a company and the people you’re introduced to. If it doesn’t feel right, don’t pursue it. Everybody at TruBlue already feels like family, and they have our backs. Trusting the people and the process is very important. Follow the plan.

Brian: If you don’t like the people you’re working with, nothing is going to be fun or rewarding. Everyone we called who they suggested we talk to, as well as the people we reached out to on our own, were all like-minded and had nothing but good things to say about the company's culture and the upward business trend.

The total investment necessary to begin operation of a TruBlue franchise ranges from $65,050 to $91,400. This includes $44,900 that must be paid to the franchisor or an affiliate. For more information, please visit https://1851franchise.com/trubluehousecare/info. 

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, preventative 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.