The nation’s largest Verizon Wireless retail franchise gives James Altiery the opportunity to capitalize on the growth potential behind the increasingly in demand wireless industry.

James Altiery always knew that he would end up working in the wireless industry. He first discovered his passion for technology during college, where he studied both business management and e-commerce technology. But it wasn’t until he came across Wireless Zone that he ever thought about taking his passion for wireless technology and using it to become a business owner.

Before discovering the brand’s franchising opportunity, Altiery worked for a lot of the wireless industry’s major players, including Best Buy, Gateway and Dell. He then got into the retail side of the business by working part time for a Verizon authorized retailer. Realizing that this was his best opportunity for a lasting career, Altiery rose through the ranks to become one of the corporate team members opening new stores in Texas. That’s when he decided it would be a good opportunity to branch out on his own.

Wireless Zone immediately stood out to Altiery as the best way to become a business owner—the brand’s position as the nation’s largest Verizon Wireless retail franchise and part of Verizon’s Big 6 Authorized Agents gave him an automatic leg up on the competition. But according to Altiery, what really stood out was the brand’s strong support system.

“The wireless industry is incredibly complex, especially when you’re running a store. There’s a lot at stake as a business owner—if you make a mistake with a phone, it has the potential to be costly. That’s why I decided to become a Wireless Zone franchisee instead of becoming a licensee for another brand,” Altiery said. “By working with Wireless Zone, there’s a layer of operational support in the background that I know I can rely on in the event that I need it.”

Altiery capitalized on that support system to become one of Wireless Zone’s many success stories. Within 18 months of signing his franchise agreement, he opened four locations in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. That dedication to rapidly growing alongside the brand ultimately earned him the "Rookie of the Year" award at Wireless Zone's annual conference. And that drive is still visible—Altiery’s fifth store is set to open its doors for business soon, while another two Wireless Zone locations are already in the works.

That ability to grow is another reason that Altiery decided to join Wireless Zone’s franchise system.

“When you work in wireless, you only have three job positions that are available to you. You can either be a sales representative, manager or some type of regional director. But with Wireless Zone, those limitations don’t exist,” said Altiery. “The brand makes it possible to grow alongside the wireless industry. Phones are constantly evolving and consumers are always going to need access to our services, which puts us in a unique position to succeed.”

In order to tap into that demand, Wireless Zone goes above and beyond to provide every one of its customers with a positive experience. The brand is focused on connecting with consumers on a local level in order to make the most out of a market’s growth potential, ultimately boosting franchisees’ bottom lines. 

“We don’t want to be known as just another Verizon store. Our goal is to be the go-to place for wireless solutions in every city that we establish a presence in. That’s why we’re committed to becoming an integral part of the community in the places we call home,” Altiery said. “Being active in our local communities has helped us earn a positive reputation among consumers, which is in turn helping us expand. We’re in a great spot now, but there’s definitely still room to grow. And we’re planning to make the most of that expansion opportunity.”

With more than 370 locations across the country and additional owners expected to sign on to develop more stores in new key development markets by the end of the year, Altiery is far from the only franchisee taking advantage of Wireless Zone’s multi-unit development opportunity. The brand is designed to help its local owners take their businesses to the next level—not only does Wireless Zone offer franchisees an incredibly simple business model, it also boasts an affordable initial investment. Startup costs to open up a Wireless Zone franchise range from $128,000 to $393,500.

“Multi-unit franchisees like James are perfect examples of the Wireless Zone system at work. Phones are an increasingly in demand product—consumers are always going to be on the lookout for the next upgrade. That’s why we’re looking forward to welcoming even more operators into our system in the months and years to come. There’s a real need for our services out there, and we want to continue to solidify our position as the brand to beat,” said Keith Dziki, director of franchise sales for Wireless Zone.