Meet the Zee: Father’s Battle with Dementia Inspires Devoted Son to Become TruBlue Franchisee

After Arturo Lopez’s father was diagnosed with aggressive dementia, Lopez and his family rallied together to ensure his well-being and make sure he was being cared for to the best of their abilities. It was this experience that would later become the catalyst for Lopez’s own entrepreneurial journey. 

Having experienced the challenges and emotional toll of caring for a loved one, Lopez was inspired to channel his compassion into a meaningful career path. This eventually led him to discover TruBlue Home Service Ally, a franchise system focused on home maintenance and handyman services for seniors as well as busy adults. 

After being drawn to TruBlue’s commitment to quality and service, Lopez conducted his due diligence and met with the leadership team. Impressed with the brand, Lopez decided to invest and in 2019, he officially became a franchisee of TruBlue of West Houston. 

Arturo Lopez’s Franchising Journey 

Prior to entering the franchise space, Lopez was the founder and CEO of AGL Holdings, a Houston-based consultant firm that assisted business owners and executives with succession strategies, transition and exit planning, financial advice, new business development and commercial real estate services. 

However, throughout his time with AGL Holdings, Lopez wished that he was able to spend more time with his family and have a greater impact on his community. 

“I was frustrated that I was making more money for somebody else,” said Lopez. “That’s how I got the entrepreneurial bug.” 

This realization, paired alongside his experience with his father, helped him understand that in order to achieve financial freedom and the ability to spend time with his family, he would need to think outside of the box. That’s when he began to consider franchising. 

Lopez was no stranger to the concept of franchising. A mentor had introduced the idea to him earlier, and he appreciated that franchising enables entrepreneurs to avoid starting a business from scratch and instead leverage an established business model. 

Why TruBlue? 

Before aligning with TruBlue, Lopez spent months conducting research. Prior to committing to the brand, he invested 18 months exploring various franchise possibilities, researching at least 200 different brands. His primary focus was on finding something he was genuinely passionate about, leading him to reflect on his personal experience with his father and the journey he and his family had undergone. 

“In my mind, I said to myself, there has to be someone who has figured this out for families,” said Lopez. “I was always interested in opening a business that could help seniors and veterans and, after my experience with my dad who served in the Coast Guard for 24 years, I realized there was a need for a company like TruBlue to help care for their homes.” 

Lopez ended up contacting TruBlue’s leadership team and was instantly hooked. He quickly came to appreciate the brand’s transparency, and after discussing the idea with his wife, the pair decided to take the leap and become franchise owners. 

“The corporate team is absolutely world class,” said Lopez.

In the four years since opening their doors, Lopez is already reflecting on a successful endeavor. He has opened four territories and is now the master territory owner in the Houston region with no signs of slowing down. But it wasn’t always smooth sailing for the duo. According to Lopez, the first 90 days of franchise ownership were an “absolute firehose” as he worked to figure out how to handle all the aspects of operating a franchise. 

“I embraced the model and followed the corporate recommendations quite a bit,” he said. “But I think I dragged my feet in hiring someone to support us internally as far as operations and administratively.” 

Advice to Others

Having successfully conquered the first 90 days, Lopez now looks back fondly on the initial challenges as crucial learning experiences. For aspiring entrepreneurs who may be looking to enter the franchise space for the first time, Lopez believes it’s crucial to surround yourself with the right people. 

“Throughout my life I have surrounded myself with mentors and people that are smarter than I am,” he said. “There will be good and bad days. If you don’t have a group of people, even if it's small, that truly inspires you and wants you to be better, then it’s not a group. It’s a cage.” 

To find out more information on the costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/trubluehomeserviceally/info.