Building a Legacy: How Wireless Zone Franchisee John Russell is Leaving His Mark on a Rapidly Growing Industry
To say John Russell is driven by success would be a serious understatement. Since joining the Wireless Zone franchise system just seven years ago, Russell as quickly built a multi-unit empire, opening 23 locations in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Kentucky, Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C.
It’s a legacy Russell was born to build.
After graduating from high school, he moved to Pittsburgh to enroll in college. To help save for his education, he began selling phones in a kiosk in a local mall. After a few months, he was promoted to manager, where he successfully grew the business for the next two years. That’s when Wireless Zone came calling. He began working for a Wireless Zone franchisee who operated 13 locations in the Pittsburgh market, and quickly worked his way up to become a successful district manager overseeing two locations.
That’s when the entrepreneurial bug fully bit.
Russell took the plunge, moving home to central Pennsylvania to start his own wireless company. He knew he wanted to be in business for himself, but not by himself. Wireless Zone was a natural fit.
“Being part of the Wireless Zone franchise system provides us with so many benefits,” Russell said. “Wireless Zone franchise owners benefit from a national relationship with Verizon. We have Wireless Zone franchise field support that provides us with support to help our businesses grow and be successful. Wireless Zone offers great advertising and training opportunities to support our sales force. We can also take advantage of credit lines to support growth. With Wireless Zone we are able to have greater purchasing power with vendors which allows for larger profit margins, and we’re associated with a nationally successful brand name.”
It’s one reason why Russell has been able to expand his store count so quickly as a franchisee.
“There are hundreds of Wireless Zone franchise owners who have had similar success in expansion,” Russell said. “I often reach out to those owners to learn from their experiences. Wireless Zone offers weekly ‘business building’ calls featuring strategies that successful franchisees have put into place. I also gained a wealth of knowledge and experience from working in the wireless industry with Wireless Zone prior to starting my own company.”
As a multi-unit owner, Russell has taken an individualized approach, utilizing Wireless Zone’s proven business model in each one, but also recognizing that each location has its own equation for long-term success.
“Every market is unique. Many factors can affect your success. Even though each store has the same brand name and franchise connection, that doesn't mean it is going to be the same experience. We have had to adjust to different markets developing different strategies based on each location,” he said.
That approach has made Russell a rising star with the brand, even with so many other multi-unit success stories to tell. And, it’s why his sights remain high with Wireless Zone for years to come.
“We hope to continue to grow in existing markets,” Russell said. “Our goal is to grow to 30-50 stores. With our strong infrastructure and committed employees we are on target for that growth. We believe in providing strong career opportunities for the employees that work with us. We also base our company growth on providing the best customer experience possible for our clientele. With strong employees and great customer service, I’m extremely confident that we will continue to be successful as we grow.”