Kevin Hannabery bought his first business, a gas station, a few years after he graduated from college. After escaping the cold Northeast and moving to Florida when he was 18, he eventually transitioned to a more “warm weather business”: pools! Over the past 20 years, Kevin has owned 7 Pinch A Penny locations. Currently down to one (that he purchased in 2013), Kevin has 45 employees.
Kevin lives in Sarasota, FL with his wife, Tracy, and loves to golf and enjoy the water (pool and beach, obviously!).
What made you decide to look into purchasing a franchise?
Before purchasing my first Pinch A Penny, I owned a gas station for a few years after I graduated from college. I would shop at a local Pinch A Penny for my pool and really liked the concept of Pinch A Penny system. Coming from the commodity, gas industry, the atmosphere of Pinch A Penny was what I was looking for.
Financing can be an obstacle and/or intimidating factor for aspiring entrepreneurs. How did you find financing options to purchase your franchise?
I was fortunate enough to not need financing for my 1st location as I was able to use proceeds from selling my previous business.
How does Pinch A Penny support and encourage your success?
Pinch A Penny is the perfect mix of being there if you need the support, but also giving you the freedom to run your own business with no big brother approach. Everyone from the customer support desk all the way to the president is available and easy to communicate with. They have all avenues of support available, which allows you to concentrate on your business. I always feel that my franchise fee is well worth it and that I benefit from it far beyond what I pay.
What are you most proud of and why?
I am proud to have succeeded in a business that I was previously not familiar with. Every location I have owned has always been a success. I am also proud and fortunate to have hired and worked with some amazing employees. It is amazing to watch them grow and learn in their positions. I am honored to be able to help provide the path for them to succeed.
What advice would you give to new or potential franchise buyers?
I would recommend that everyone do their homework and make sure that business ownership is right for them. In the beginning, expect long hours and a lot of learning curves. If you enjoy challenges and ability to control your future, I would suggest giving it a try. Not knowing the business or industry you are entering is not a problem, you can always learn the business. As long as you have the dedication and drive to do what it takes, everything else will fall into place.
More about the Pinch A Penny franchise opportunity:
Pinch A Penny surveys their franchisees yearly with Franchise Business Review. Because we have such great data from their franchisees, they appear on many of our lists including:
- Top 200 Franchises
- Most Profitable Franchise
- Top Franchise for Culture
- Recession-Resistant Franchises
In addition to the many lists they’ve made, they also share their full franchisee satisfaction report. That means you can check out the details on why this franchise performs so well. Here are some highlights from the report:
- 89% of franchisees agree that they enjoy operating this business
- 92% of franchisees are likely to recommend this franchise to others
- 87% of franchisees agree that they respect their franchisor
