Growing a Franchise
The founder of Preservan learned that the reality of franchising rarely matches early expectations, with growth shaped by trial, error and active involvement.
When business owners turn their companies into franchises, they often assume that growth will happen right away. The documents are signed, the plan is in place and everything feels ready to take off. But as Ty McBride, founder of Preservan, found out, the real test starts when you begin trying to bring in your first franchisee.
"I think that most entrepreneurs have this unrealistic belief in what you're doing, that you just believe it's going to happen. And so you just go out there and you do the thing," McBride told GoodSpark Franchise Growth Accelerator CEO Charles Internicola on a recent podcast.
What McBride learned after launching Preservan as a franchise is that the process looks very different in reality than it does in expectation. His first wins came not from big marketing budgets or broker networks, but from people who already knew and trusted him.
Instead of waiting for leads, McBride started talking about franchising long before his Franchise Disclosure Document was finalized. He shared the news with friends, family and professional contacts. By the time the franchise launched, interest had already built up.
"We had two franchises within days of issuing our FDD, essentially," he said. "The first one was an employee. He was my top performing technician. He wanted growth. Our second one was a friend of mine … I sat on a park bench in Maine and said, 'Man, I don't know what this is going to look like, but I'll do everything I can to make sure your location is successful. You count on me.'"
This organic start helped shape Preservan’s culture. The first owners believed in the mission and helped validate the system for future candidates.
After a few early wins, McBride experimented with paid marketing and broker relationships. He tried lead portals, ad campaigns and vendor programs that promised fast results. None of them delivered what he expected.
"I wasn't getting any conversions or even conversations with those portal leads," he said.
It was a turning point. McBride realized that no vendor could substitute for the founder’s voice and involvement. The most valuable lessons came from testing, failing and adjusting, and over time, he refined his strategy to focus on actions that would move the brand forward.
"What worked for us was just for me to take a very active role," he said. "We made a brand video where I shared my story and my vision for Preservan. And that was a key piece to it."
When he began showing up in content and conversations, results improved. He called, emailed and followed up daily until the effort started to pay off.
That’s why McBride warns new franchisors to avoid “magic seed” promises from vendors offering franchisees for a flat fee or low monthly cost. "None of these businesses got started because you signed up with somebody who promised you they would get you a bunch of customers," he said. "That's not how any of these things work.”
The reality, according to McBride, is that franchise growth requires the same hands-on effort as running the original business. It’s built on personal outreach, credibility and follow-up.
McBride also came to see that the foundation of any strong franchise brand is its story — one that connects the founder’s mission with the franchisee’s opportunity.
“You just got to have your story down ... both you as the founder's version of it and what that means for your business," he said. "The vision you have for franchisees, what their life is going to look like.”
He began weaving that story into every part of Preservan’s development — the website, the videos, the content and every discovery call. And as the system grew, the story evolved.
“I love our first two [franchisees] ... but I would say today, clearly, they're not who we look for anymore," McBride said. "We’ve redeveloped our story, and it wouldn’t attract those two gentlemen today. I’m always thinking about how to refine our brand story so we can continue to grow in the way that we have a vision to grow.”
That evolution helped McBride attract franchisees who were not just financially successful but also passionate brand advocates.
McBride’s experience shows that real franchise growth doesn’t come from quick results or clever marketing. It comes from steady effort, learning as you go and staying genuine. The brands that grow are the ones where the founder keeps showing up — on calls, online and in every conversation — to share the story behind the business.
For emerging franchisors, growth happens when you stop waiting for results and start leading the process yourself. There are no shortcuts — only persistence, authenticity and the founder’s voice to carry the brand forward.
Watch the full podcast above or on YouTube.
Learn more at goodsparkfranchise.com.
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