Why I Bought My Franchise: Justin Rowling, Premium Service Brands

When Charlottesville, Virginia local Justin Rowling decided to enter the franchising world, it was because he didn’t have one specific industry that he was particularly interested in. Instead, he just knew he wanted to own his own business. Now, as the franchise owner of three Premium Service Brands concepts — Maid Right, 360º Painting and Handyman Pro — Rowling is doing just that. 

Rowling is the owner of Maid Right, a housekeeping service, 360 Painting, a painting company servicing Charlottesville, and, most recently, the owner of Handyman Pro, one of the country’s fastest-growing home repair and remodeling franchises. All of his businesses are located in and around the Central Virginia area.

1851 Franchise: Tell us a bit about your background.

Justin Rowling: Before I got into franchising, most of my career was spent in the automotive industry. I went to college and got a bachelor's degree in communications. I then started detailing cars when I was in college, worked my way up to a service director, and eventually oversaw five different service departments for a car dealer group. That helped pave the way for opening my own business.

1851: What made you choose franchising?

Rowling: When I initially decided that I wanted to start my own business, I knew I wanted the support of a franchise so I wouldn’t just be flying in the dark. I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do and I didn’t have a specific plan, so franchising offered me options. Also, franchising allowed for a lower initial investment compared to starting something completely on my own. Once I decided I wanted to go that route, I Googled “franchising” and found a consultant who showed me different options that were tailored to my specific needs.

1851: Walk us through your journey as a franchisee candidate with the brand. What happened between your first inquiry and opening your first location?

Rowling: I looked into several different franchise concepts and eventually settled on Premium Service Brands. Right away, they were humble, helpful and very welcoming. Throughout the onboarding process, they proved that they had a great team culture, which is something that was really important to me. It isn’t just about having that relationship with the corporate team, it is also about having it with other franchisees as those connections will be your biggest support on a day-to-day basis. 

1851: How was the discovery day?

Rowling: Premium Service Brands had a discovery day in which I was able to go to the headquarters, meet the corporate team, see the office, learn about the culture and develop a deeper understanding of the business. During the discovery day, the team also provided references to contact other franchisees, which was very helpful. The discovery day made it clear that Premium Service Brands was what I was looking for.

1851: What made you decide to invest in Premium Service Brands? Why was it better than other brands in the segment?

Rowling: I invested in 360º Painting in September of 2018, then I launched Maid Right in December of 2018. The reason I chose 360º Painting first was based on the average job size and the expense structure — it is a good model to generate cash flow quickly. That capital allowed me to fund the Maid Right business model, which brings in more consistent revenue and a stronger customer base. 

1851: Describe the moment you knew you wanted to buy the franchise. What made you buy?

Rowling: I decided to invest in Handyman Pro in September 2020 because I recognized a major need for holistic home repair services. Handyman Pro is a fantastic business model to get into because we can do just about anything — small painting projects, power washing, putting together trampolines, kitchen remodels, deck building, replacing light bulbs — nothing is too small or too big, and the concept is a great hybrid between a lot of other brands in the segment. 

The beauty of Premium Service Brands is that once you figure one concept out, you can easily start another as the business models are very similar. You are providing different services, but they are all home-based and all require a similar type of advertising, which makes it easy to grow vertically. Once you have that confidence, you are better positioned to move right on to the next one. For example, Handyman Pro was easy to start because I knew I would have a business coach and all the corporate support I needed. Plus, in terms of cross-pollination, I have customers that are working across all three of my businesses. I have one customer who just bought a new house and we refinished their floors through Handyman Pro, painted inside with 360º Painting, and when it was all done we did a move-in clean with Maid Right. That is really how the franchise opportunity is supposed to work. 

1851: What advice would you give to a franchisor who is hoping to get more franchisees to sign on?

Rowling: My advice would be to remember that it is all about having the right culture. Make sure that your franchisees know that you are there for them. Recognize that you are not always going to run a perfect operation, so when things don’t go as expected, acknowledge it and fix the problem as soon as you can. It is a partnership, so you need to make sure your franchisees understand and feel that. If you do, they will trust you and use you as a support system. A strong and positive culture amongst franchisees is worth its weight in gold.