Patrice & Associates Franchisee Embraces Entrepreneurial Freedom

Rick Weaver became a franchise owner with Patrice & Associates in October of 2018 and has never looked back. Weaver had a happy and successful career, first working for Kmart Corporation and then as a consultant and district manager for a retailer in Michigan. The decision to become a business owner came when Weaver, then in his mid-60s, was finding it difficult to secure an employment opportunity.

“The problem is that when you reach a certain age, you're going into interviews and the interviewer is somebody resembling your grandchildren,” he said. “You soon get the very distinct impression, time after time, that they don't want ‘Grandpa’ working with them. My wife and I had a discussion and we decided we would just open up our own business and not have to be dependent on somebody else making a hiring decision. She just retired and she's going to start working with me later this month.”

Reflecting on his choice of Patrice & Associates, he highlighted the unique elements that drew him to the franchise, emphasizing the freedom it afforded him to work on his own terms and in diverse locations, so he could be present for his family in moments of crisis and celebration. 

“My son has a very rare disease, so I spend a lot of time at the University of Michigan medical hospital with him, and I can do my work in their coffee shop,” he said. “Last week, I was on vacation in Hawaii. I spent a couple of hours in the morning getting my work done and then I went to the beach.”

1851 Franchise spoke with Weaver about his journey into franchising and his 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?

Weaver: I had a very rewarding career with a company that not too many people know of anymore: Kmart Corporation. I was with them when they were the largest discounter in the United States. In 2002, I took a buyout and did consulting for several years and then I ended up taking a position as a district manager for a Michigan retailer that is no longer in business. 

When my time there ended, I was looking at different options, but the problem is that when you reach a certain age, you're going into interviews and the interviewer is somebody resembling your grandchildren. You soon get the very distinct impression, time after time, that they don't want “Grandpa” working with them. My wife and I had a discussion and we decided we would just open up our own business and not have to be dependent on somebody else making a hiring decision. She just retired and she's going to start working with me later this month.

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?

Weaver: The best thing about franchising is that if you want to go into your own business, building everything from scratch such as the procedures, the supply lines and everything that is needed for the banking process, can be very complex. With franchising, all that stuff is already done for you. Particularly with Patrice & Associates, all of the complexities are handled for you; they do all of the accounting and marketing. In this particular franchise, you're able to focus on the daily business matters and that’s it. 

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

Weaver: As I was going through the validation process, I was researching several different franchisors trying to determine which one was best for me. Unfortunately, at the time, my daughter was attacked and needed a lot of medical attention. It made me realize that I needed to keep myself flexible. Patrice & Associates was the only one where I could work when and where I wanted to, which gave me so many options.

My son has a very rare disease, so I spend a lot of time at the University of Michigan medical hospital with him, and I can do my work in their coffee shop. I can do it out in their courtyards. While he is having a procedure done, I can be there while still getting my work done. Last week, I was on vacation in Hawaii. I spent a couple of hours in the morning getting my work done and then I went to the beach. I couldn't do that if I had to go to a brick-and-mortar store every day; I would have none of that freedom.

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

Weaver: My long range plan is to add recruiters and add clients to get to the point where I only have to administer and coach. Then I can spend the rest of my time doing nothing!

1851: Have you recommended franchising with Patrice & Associates to others?

Weaver: I have. If someone has to be persuaded, they probably won’t be successful. I will talk to anybody about being a franchisee and I will be very honest about Patrice & Associates and my experience. A franchise has to match up with your chemistry and motivations, so it might not be the right fit for everyone, as is true with any franchise. 

There is no boss, nobody to drive you forward. If you don’t have that ability to hold yourself accountable, or if you can’t find that in a friend or spouse, you won’t be successful in any business. I am really honest about that during validation calls to prospective franchisees.

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

Weaver: I have really strong support through my wife. We are really religious and we always credit the Lord for helping us through business. Having the confidence and support of my wife is phenomenal.

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

Weaver: They need to evaluate what kind of business they are going to enjoy doing. I heard many years ago that you don’t want to buy a Subway franchise because you like making sandwiches, because you might not like making sandwiches for 10 hours a day for the rest of your life. You need to take a step back and take a look at what you’ll be doing. You also need a business model where you can eventually step back and the business will be able to run itself or you can run it with the help of other people rather than on your own.

ABOUT Patrice & Associates:

Patrice & Associates is a recruiting franchise that helps thousands of managerial and executive level candidates every year find rewarding jobs in the hospitality industry and beyond. With strong brand recognition, a flexible business model and a growing footprint, Patrice & Associates has established itself as a leading franchise opportunity in the staffing industry.

Today, with over 175 units in the U.S. and Canada, Patrice & Associates is the largest hospitality executive search firm in the country.