For the past 40 years, Bill Sweet has been a successful entrepreneur, focused on running an insurance agency and an Amazon delivery partner company. He found that the delivery business came with a frustrating cycle every year: hiring a large team for the holiday peak season, only to be forced to lay off talented drivers once the January lull hit. In an effort to retain his best employees and provide them with more stability, Sweet sought a business with a peak season that was the exact inverse of the delivery business. He found his solution in TWO MEN AND A TRUCK®.

Now open and operating as TWO MEN AND A TRUCK Milford/Waterbury, with its office based in Prospect, Connecticut, Sweet is leveraging TWO MEN AND A TRUCK’s summer-heavy schedule to keep his workforce employed 12 months a year. This business isn’t just about logistics; it’s also about family. Inspired by his father’s journey as an entrepreneur himself, Sweet has enlisted his son to manage operations and his daughter to lead marketing, working side-by-side to build a business foundation for his grandchildren.

Sweet took the time to chat with 1851 Franchise to discuss all of this and more. Here’s what he had to say:

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

Bill Sweet: I was born in Rhode Island and grew up as a huge sports enthusiast. I played hockey and four years of college soccer. I came from a great middle-class family, but my path really sprung from watching my father. He was an entrepreneur who started in sales before breaking away to open a sporting goods store. I watched him work from 9 to 9 every day, building that business from nothing into something thriving. I’ve taken his lead to create my own businesses over the years.

1851: What did you do before franchising, and how did you decide franchising made sense for you?

Sweet: I own an insurance agency with a brokerage. We also own an Amazon delivery company. During peak season, which is Christmas, we hire a lot of people and then come January, we unfortunately have to let them go. I wanted to find a way that we could keep working with the great people we hired and bring them on to do something year-round. TWO MEN AND A TRUCK was just the perfect fit because Amazon's peak season is the offseason for TWO MEN AND A TRUCK and vice versa.

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?

Sweet: When I built my first business, I did it myself and it was a grind. I wasn't sure what franchises were all about because I hadn't looked into them before. After I started talking to the group at TWO MEN AND A TRUCK, it was clear that these people know what they're doing. It makes the learning curve a lot shorter. They share their expertise and they have the people that can help you and guide you. When you do it on your own, you make a lot more mistakes. I really appreciate having their backing and support.

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

Sweet: This business gives me the opportunity to help people every day. People are calling you because they need your service, and you get to go out there and help them during a stressful time. Just in the first few weeks we’ve been open, I’ve been shocked by the amount of calls we’re getting. 

It's like the old adage, if you like what you're doing, it's not really a job. I'm looking forward to building a business again and getting it to the point where it's running on its own. When you get to step back, you want to get some pride out of what you are doing.

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

Sweet: We're actually looking to grow rapidly. We just started out this month, so we only have two trucks. Our goal would be to get to 10 trucks in the building we're currently working from. Then, we’d like to buy another franchise elsewhere and build that up. The sky's the limit from my perspective. We're looking to grow at whatever pace we can properly and successfully manage.

1851: Is there anything else about your story you want us to know?

Sweet: I’ve spent the past 26 years working independently and I’m very focused on building something where people can grow with us. 

My kids are also involved in the business. My daughter handles marketing and my son handles the warehouse and scheduling. It’s been a dream come true as a father to get to work with my kids and see them every day. I’m hoping this business can be something I’m building for my grandchildren as well.

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

Sweet: My advice is to always trust yourself. You have to put in honest work and always think through your decisions. If you look at the worst case scenario and you can live with that, make the decision. Anybody that hovers never acts. Jump in, trust yourself, and you'll be fine. Especially with a franchise because they provide you with a lot more support.

ABOUT TWO MEN AND A TRUCK: 

Headquartered in Michigan, TWO MEN AND A TRUCK is an international, full-service franchised moving company with more than 430 locations and 3,000 trucks operating in 47 U.S. states in addition to Canada, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. Each location is independently owned and operated, and together, the TWO MEN AND A TRUCK network has performed more than 10 million moves since its inception in 1985. In 2026, TWO MEN AND A TRUCK was featured on Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500 list, where the brand was ranked No. 1 in the Moving/Junk Removal Services category. TWO MEN AND A TRUCK was also named a top franchise by Franchise Business Review and was featured on the Best National Moving Company List by Newsweek. In 2021, TWO MEN AND A TRUCK was acquired by ServiceMaster® Brands, which is a leading franchise provider of needs-based residential and commercial services in the restoration, cleaning, moving, and bioremediation industries. ServiceMaster was founded as one of America’s first franchise businesses and does business under seven brands today across 50 states and nine countries that generate more than $3.5B in system-wide sales. For franchising opportunities, visit franchise.twomenandatruck.com.