Anchored Tiny Homes Franchise Owner Enjoys Offering a Meaningful Service to Her Community

After two decades working in sales in corporate America, Maria Villaronga decided she wanted to transition to a career that allowed her to be at the service of others. Her professional life started in the hospitality business, having worked in restaurants and hotels, and although she found success when she shifted to the corporate world, she was left seeking a greater fulfillment.

Villaronga wasn’t sure what this career change would look like, until one day, while casually browsing a magazine, she came across Anchored Tiny Homes, the emerging accessory dwelling unit (ADU) franchise. She was immediately taken by the concept and knew that she herself would love a tiny home for many reasons. She has teen children who she knows will want their independence soon, but likely won’t be able to afford their own house straight away, as is the case with many young people in the current housing market. She also has an 82-year-old mother who would benefit from the support Villaronga could provide while still living independently in a tiny home in Villaronga’s own backyard.

 Whatever the reasons, Villaronga felt sure she wasn’t the only one who would love a tiny home on their property, and she saw a window for a meaningful service she could provide for the members of her community.

“When I came across Anchored Tiny Homes, I felt that there had to be hordes of people just like me who need this for similar reasons. I am excited to offer that to people in my community,” she said.

After meeting with the corporate team, Villaronga was sold. She could feel the passion the team had for their mission, and she too shared their enthusiasm. She opened her business in September of 2023 and is looking forward to serving the Austin metro area in Texas, with hopes to expand in the future.

1851 Franchise spoke with Villaronga about her journey into franchising and her plans for the future.

PROFILE QUESTIONS

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

Villaronga: My background consists of over 20 years in sales at small startups as well as large corporations, including over 10 years at IBM, which was my last W2 job. I was always working B2B, but prior to that, I was working in hospitality, which is really my passion. I worked in hotel and restaurant for the first five years of my working life, and I always had a passion to be at the service of others.

I went back to school a month or two before COVID hit the U.S. to get my master's degree, and started considering my next career move. I knew that I didn't want to go back to corporate America. I was browsing a magazine about franchising and I found Anchored Tiny Homes as the number 100 on a list of the top 100 franchise opportunities.

Immediately, I was interested. I read the profile on the founder, Colton, and all the folks on the team, and I thought this is exactly what I want to do.

I am excited to be able to work with individual families on fulfilling their dream of building generational wealth, increasing equity of their hard-earned investment, or having an aging family member closer to them making multigenerational living more plausible. It is a very meaningful business to pursue.

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?

Villaronga: I was very limited in understanding franchising because I only thought of fast food chains initially. Having studied business, I understood that when you own a franchise, you'd have to pay someone else to use the brand’s name, so I didn't really understand all that went into it and just assumed my profit wasn't all mine.

Now I understand that the franchisor basically removes all the barriers to success for me. They provide me with support in terms of the marketing, the call center, and the operations. They handle everything for me, so I can just focus on selling. That is the part I love, so this is the best situation for me.

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

Villaronga: There isn't a person on this planet that doesn't think tiny homes are amazing. I really am the perfect customer for what this brand is advertising. I have teenage kids who will someday want to move out, and they may not be able to afford their own home right away, so they could live independently in a tiny home, for example, on my property. I also have an 82-year-old mother who is mentally super sharp but has mobility issues. She currently lives independently with my sister who has special needs. Eventually, as my mother ages, we will need a solution, and tiny homes offer an alternative to nursing homes. They are a wonderful option for multi-generational families.

When I came across Anchored Tiny Homes, I felt that there had to be hordes of people just like me who need this for similar reasons. I am excited to offer that to people in my community.

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

Villaronga: It’s early on, so I’m currently just excited to meet with everyone and hear about their needs. That organic growth is what I’m seeking - word of mouth. I am seeking a steady growth over time, and I would love to eventually take over the entire Austin territory and expand to areas where there is a greater need. I plan to do this until I drop, so I’ll just keep expanding outwards.

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

Villaronga: We all make choices about what we can do in life, and being able to provide a helpful service is something you can do that is meaningful. It gives you a sense of purpose. I’m very fortunate that this was a choice I could make because I had the acumen, ability, and resources, and I am so motivated to be able to help people through this business.

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

Villaronga: The franchise disclosure document should be read carefully. Bring in others to read it and interpret it as well so you really understand what you can expect in terms of outcomes, but also so you can understand what isn’t explicitly stated. This will help you work out if you will find fulfillment in what you’re doing, and if you can accomplish your goals, such as building generational wealth or whatever your goal would be.

Anchored Tiny Homes’ FDD was thorough and gave a clear perspective. If you don’t have that feeling after reading a brand’s FDD, it might not be the brand for you.

ABOUT ANCHORED TINY HOMES

Anchored Tiny Homes (ATH) is on a mission to solve the housing crisis in the United States. Created by the Paulhus family, who hold over 40 years of combined construction experience, ATH is the only accessory dwelling unit (ADU) franchise on the market. With hundreds of completed and active projects in multiple states and growing daily, the ATH business model makes it easy for anyone to join this surging industry without a construction background and generate some of the best numbers shown in franchising!