It’s no secret that the demand for home services is booming. As many franchise owners have discovered, entering this business segment with the full backing of a reputable franchisor has its advantages. If you ask Jessica Winters of Castle Rock, Colorado, how she achieves success as a Kitchen Tune-Up franchise owner, she’ll tell you it’s a combination of her previous sales experience, her scrappy, can-do attitude, and the thorough training she received from the franchisor.
As a thriving Kitchen Tune-Up franchise owner, Jessica learned that business dynamics can change over time, and it pays to be agile and adaptable. Her business took off so fast that she tripled her revenue goal in the first year of operation. Alongside her team of nine employees, Jessica is the proud owner of a stable and profitable business that’s all hers. This article explores Jessica’s journey to franchise ownership and her formula for success.
Why did you purchase a Kitchen Tune-Up franchise rather than start an independent business?
Since we saw no need to reinvent the wheel, we chose franchising so we could follow the success of a proven business model!
Did you have your heart set on a specific industry or brand from the start?
No, not at all. We were very open-minded and willing to consider any possible opportunity. I initially compared franchise opportunities in various industries.
Which of your prior skills and experiences were most helpful in launching your business?
I’d say being scrappy! Working multiple jobs in the past helped me understand what it takes to make something happen. Also, my previous sales experience—with a big assist from the training I received from Kitchen Tune-Up—played a fundamental role in our growth!
When researching franchises to buy, what criteria mattered to you most?
The most important factor was discovering a process we could easily replicate, along with the data that shows the average profitability of other franchisees in the system.
Did you speak with other franchisees? Which questions did you ask?
Yes, quite a bit! From a priority standpoint, we were obviously interested in the financials. We also sought their personal opinions of the franchisor’s infrastructure, the scalability of their businesses, and any of their perceived downsides.
Which questions did you ask the franchisor?
Again, mostly financial figures. We were specifically interested in hearing about the average margins for their most successful franchisees, benchmarks, the level of owner satisfaction, and what kind of quality of life we could expect as owners.
What were your biggest challenges when you first started out, and how did you overcome them?
Looking back, I’d say we scaled up too quickly! Our Kitchen Tune-Up franchise grew really fast, tripling our anticipated first-year revenue goal. We had to learn on the fly at a rapid-fire pace and continue to move quickly to make determined progress. The biggest takeaway was that the business dynamics and needs can change quickly and constantly. With every choice we faced, we had to solve these challenges or stagnate.
How does your franchise support and encourage your success?
The training and support are amazing. We’re always cognizant of how they continue improving their tools and team. As we learn and grow, they also continue to learn and grow.
What are you most proud of and why?
We’re most proud of the team we’ve built! We couldn’t have come as far as we have without surrounding ourselves with awesome and capable people. Each of them has made valuable contributions that have helped us learn and play to the strengths we didn’t even know we had.
What advice would you give to new or potential franchise buyers?
Owning a franchise can be harder than anticipated, but it’s very rewarding! You will most likely have the most extreme highs and lows in the beginning, but sooner rather than later, you’ll start getting out of it what you put into it!
