Chandler, Arizona Footprints Floors Franchisee’s Success During Pandemic Leads to Expansion

With experience in multiple businesses and industries, Matt Gilstrap found himself investigating franchising opportunities amidst the 2020 COVID pandemic. Unlike his other ventures, Footprints Floors* provided an opportunity in an industry that was considered essential at the time, allowing him to continue in business.

After experiencing notable success with his first territory, Gilstrap began operations of his second territory April 1, serving the greater Chandler area. 

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

Gilstrap: Before franchising, I created my own self-serve frozen yogurt startup, and I did that for 10–11 years until the pandemic shut us down. At the time, I had some talents in doing epoxy countertops, so I was able to leverage that skill throughout COVID because it was considered an essential business. We grew that business to the point that it was capped out; it just couldn’t get any bigger. At that point, I started looking at franchises out of frustration. I wanted to stay in the home services industry, but I was looking to buy into a company that had everything outlined and was a turnkey solution.

I knew that the company that would check all of my boxes would have the systems and the vehicles necessary to manage everything and make growth happen faster than I could on my own. I found a Footprints Floors listing through one of the franchise-related websites, and it checked all the boxes. Footprints solved all my frustrations and pain points.

When I did discovery day, I really fell in love with the leadership team and could see that the owner was really involved. We all hit it off really well, and that was when we knew it would be a great fit. We decided to jump right in.

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?

Gilstrap: When we started our frozen yogurt shop, everyone thought we were a franchise because the branding was so good, the interior was nice and everything was so consistent. We were actually approached about franchising that model, but we wanted to do it on our own. When we started to open other businesses, none of them quite had the systems and processes in place that we needed.

At first, I thought that you could do anything and didn't need a franchise, but then I started to realize that having that backing is a really powerful tool.

It’s really easy to look at a franchise as something that’s not a local business, and maybe think it’s super corporate… I thought that in the beginning. It’s still a local business, but I think people should know that you can go a lot further and a lot quicker with a team and support systems than you can on your own.

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

Gilstrap: I love the interactions with the customers, and I love seeing the before and after photos. I’m very interested in home and design, and being able to utilize that creativity to bring clients’ designs to life makes the business that much more fun.

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

Gilstrap: I hope to have a solid team. We just hired two people, and I hope to one day have a team working with me through this process so we can not only expand but also have a higher quality of life and not let the business run me. I want to get to a point where I can spend more time with my family and grow the business to something that’s sustainable and able to support other families, not just mine, really comfortably and give people an enjoyable place to work.

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

Gilstrap: Every business we’ve ever started that has been successful was started at the beginning or in the middle of a recession. The frozen yogurt business started in 2008. We basically sold everything we owned to get that business. Then, right in the middle of the pandemic with a potential recession on the horizon, we bought a Footprints Floors. Everybody thought we were crazy because you weren’t allowed to be in homes and banks weren’t lending, but we scraped by to make it happen because we could see the potential.

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

Gilstrap: You’re essentially buying a job, so make sure that it’s a job that you like and an industry that excites you. You’re buying a business, but you’re also buying a career, so you better like that career. Don’t just do it for the money. 

ABOUT FOOTPRINTS FLOORS:

Upon his return to Littleton, Colorado, after serving in the U.S. Air Force, Bryan Park noticed that Denver’s flooring industry lacked a higher level of customer service and sophistication. So, in 2008, he founded Footprints Floors, which today specializes in installing hardwood floors, tile floors, backsplashes and laminates. With more than 160 territories, Footprints Floors offers franchisees a robust support system, including a call center, flexible hours for work-life balance and a low cost of entry with outstanding economics.. For more information about the Franchise Times Top 500 brand, visit https://footprintsfranchise.com/.