FranX | The two most important insights to buying/selling franchises are below

The Next McDonalds (Big Idea)

Here’s Why We’re Barking Mad for Hounds Town USA

CEO JACKIE BONDANZA DISHES ABOUT THE BRAND’S 20-YEAR JOURNEY FROM SMALL BUSINESS TO SUCCESSFUL FRANCHISE.

Founded in 2001 by retired New York City police officer Michael S. Gould, Hounds Town USA is a testament to the power of perseverance and building a solid foundation for franchising success.

After retiring from the police force as one of the earliest members of the NYPD’s elite Canine Unit, Gould saw an opportunity for launching a business in the pet care industry. Offering doggy daycare, boarding, grooming, and pet care services, Hounds Town USA has spent the last two decades establishing a golden reputation as a pioneer in pet care.

“It was just kind of a natural extension of (Gould’s) really long career in having dogs as a partner in a law enforcement capacity,” says Hounds Town USA CEO Jackie Bondanza.

Despite Gould’s extensive experience working with dogs, however, launching a pet care company in the early 2000s – well before it was trendy for pet owners to lavish their pets with extra frills – was no easy task.

“People actually thought (Gould) was crazy,” Bondanza says. “They said, ‘There’s no way that idea is going to work. No one’s ever going to pay you money to watch their dog during the day.’ But he just kind of plowed through that. He knew that eventually the value for the dog would be recognized by the owners. And that’s obviously exactly what happened over the two decades we’ve been doing this.”

Starting from a 1200 square-foot store in Port Jefferson, Long Island, the brand expanded into the franchising space around seven years ago under Bondanza’s leadership. Since then, its system has grown to include 24 open locations with 40 more in the pipeline and 100 territories sold.

News You Can (Actually) Use

• How Covid Has Forever Changes the Restaurant Industry
• Is there money in virtual restaurants?

Franchisees Kicking Ass: The Franchisee is King

The Great Franchisee: Kristin Humphrey, Home Clean Heroes*, Houston

The career franchise executive is taking on her first role as franchisee with the fast-growing home-services franchise.

Kristin Humphrey has worked on the franchisor side of the franchise industry for most of her career, so it's fair to say she knows a good concept when she sees one. Now, the former director of operations for Pino’s Palette and franchise performance consultant for Christain Brothers Automotive is transitioning to the other side of the industry as one of the newest franchise owners with Home Clean Heroes*, the residential cleaning franchise backed by multi-brand franchisor Buzz Franchise Brands.

Humphrey says she was looking for a brand that was well-positioned for the post-pandemic landscape, and she found exactly that with Home Clean Heroes. This year, Humphrey and her husband have signed on to open three Home Clean Heroes territories in the Houston area and are excited to introduce the brand’s high-quality cleaning services and unparalleled customer service to their community in 2022.

READ MORE

Yo Broker, Sell My Franchise

How Mosquito Hunters*’ Strong Marketing Support Positions Franchisees for Success

Franchisee Josh Ambrose explains how the pest-control brand has emerged as a leading player in its segment through savvy local marketing efforts.

Before he became a business owner, Josh Ambrose served as a U.S. Marine for more than two decades. He first became aware of franchising as a career opportunity when a friend of his started working with a franchise consultant. Ambrose says he hadn’t previously considered entrepreneurship, but, inspired by his friend, he too began working with a franchise consultant and was eventually put in touch with Mosquito Hunters, a 130-plus unit outdoor pest control brand.

Ambrose signed his franchise agreement in January of 2020, just before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and his territory was fully up and running in March of 2021, at a time when the home services industry began booming and the need for mosquito abatement was continuously growing.

But it wasn’t only that increase in demand that inspired Ambrose to become a franchisee. When Ambrose decided that he would invest with Mosquito Hunters, it was because he was impressed by the “ground game” the brand offers its business owners, meaning the marketing systems and tools the franchise provides to help build brand awareness. This ground game covers everything from branded vans and lawn signs to digital marketing efforts.

“Mosquito Hunters franchisees told me all about the ground game,” he said. “No other franchisees talked about it as I was researching other brands in the segment, so I was unsure of the process at first. But that all changed when I saw the impact it made on my business. If you’re not putting out door hangers, road signs or getting the logo out there, you’re missing out on so many more touch points with potential customers, and the ability to acquire a customer who has a mosquito problem you can solve.”

The Bottom Thoughts

We have the benefit of talking with hundreds of franchisees each quarter. To help give you insight into how they ultimately get to “yey” a question we are asking franchisees (current) is: What pushed you over the edge – what made you say yes? The good news is, there were only two buckets that the various reasons fit into:

1. Family/Culture/Team: Accounted for 53% of responses.
2. Depth of Business: Accounted for 47% of responses

Thus, when you look at your story, your content, your website and your digital -- does the message drive home the depth of business story, how you support them to help them achieve the financial wealth and personal goals they have, and the culture, the feeling of family (you have their back), and the team?

Knowing that those were in every single response simplifies the executed message. We have to tell the business and culture story – over and over again. This can be done through you – but should also include your franchisees.