The Great Franchisee: Noah Cheek, Footprints Floors, Detroit

Detroit-area native Noah Cheek recently opened Michigan’s second Footprints Floors*, a flooring franchise with over 50 locations, in Grosse Pointe. In light of COVID-19, Noah is offering virtual estimates to maintain social distancing efforts. 

Prior to opening his Footprints Floors, Noah attended Northwood University, where he received his degree in international business. After graduating, he worked in the creative industry in post-production for a number of years. Once he and his wife, Lisa, found out they were having a baby, Noah decided to take a step back from corporate America and open his own business to spend more time with his family. Noah wanted to launch a business the community could rely on, especially in today’s climate.

Since opening, Michigan has been placed on a mandatory lockdown due to COVID-19. Since construction services are an essential business, Noah decided to place an emphasis on virtual in-home estimates. While Noah's business stayed open, many others closed as millions lost their jobs. To combat this, Noah offered a 10% discount on floors and allowed customers to defer services for up to three months.

1851 Franchise: Tell us a little bit about your background.

Noah Creek: I was born on the eastside of Detroit, moved to Grosse Pointe when I was three. I studied International business at Northwood University in Midland, Michigan. From there I went into the creative industry and worked in post-production. I decided that I wanted to open my own business because my wife had recently gotten pregnant and I wanted something more family-oriented. I met my wife, Lisa, through my childhood best friend and we’ve been married for 5 years. Our son is 6 months old, Henry (Hank). She works in marketing as a sales executive. 

I was a VP at my last gig in creative, and I was tired of working for people. I started a franchise with a partner as a side project about 4 years ago. I did my research with no less than a dozen franchise groups, and I knew it was the model I wanted to go with. I didn't want to start a business from scratch. I also didn’t want a brick and mortar location, I really didn’t want employees. I was strict and didn’t want to compromise on what I wanted.

Footprints Floors popped up on my newsfeed one night, took a look at it and the model made sense to me. I saw the void in the customer service industry here, I wanted to be someone that people who needed a flooring service could count on. We are putting a barrier between us and the skilled trade. You should feel good about who you’re spending your money with, people get a better level of service than others. The diligence process I did with Footprints Floors was great, everything was very structured. Direct access to Brian Park has been amazing as well. 

1851: Do you own, or have you owned, any other businesses or franchises? 

Creek: Yes, True Rest Float Spa. I'm still a partner in the business. 

1851: What are you offering customers to stay safe during the pandemic?

Creek: We’re doing virtual estimates, as long as people have access to Skype, Zoom and Facetime and giving a discount to people who are looking to schedule their service now. As long as we get a few more appointments in a month we are good. We’re also offering the 10% discount to help bring in more estimates during COVID-19. 

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, carpet, tile floors, backsplashes and laminates. With more than 50 current locations, 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.