UK immigrants Simon and Stephanie Jones came to Canada with a dream: To start their own business, and leave a lasting imprint on their community. They have done just that with their PropertyGuys.com franchise in Kootenays, BC.
When did you purchase your franchise?
We bought our franchise in October 2007, the year our youngest daughter was born!
What was it about the franchise model and or leadership that led you to purchase it?
We love innovative ideas that break the mold and challenge the status quo. Being from the UK, we were really surprised at the North American Real Estate model, specifically the expensive commissions. We believe that people work so hard for their money and should be receiving more value in real estate, so we jumped at the opportunity to buy into a company that was innovative and doing something exciting and different in real estate. I think having a sense of adventure, wanting to ‘captain our own ship’ and knowing that we could make a difference in our community was the initial draw to PropertyGuys.com. We wanted to be part of a bigger movement.
What type of business experience, education, and/or skills did you have prior to becoming a franchisee that you have found particularly helpful?
I (Simon) have always been in sales and have a vast knowledge of how to gain momentum and I understand that ‘people buy people’. Stephanie was a high school science teacher in the UK and was keen to become an entrepreneur and use her skills to create a great customer experience; educating people on how to sell their own homes.
What do you like most about your job?
We find it really satisfying helping people achieve their goal of selling, what, in most cases is their biggest financial asset they have and move onto the next chapter of their lives. PropertyGuys.com really helps you become a big part of your community, and we meet interesting people every day. We are both exhilarated that our business has no limits, and being able to increase revenue in correlation with our efforts keeps us passionately reaching for our next goal.
How did you fund your franchise? Did you receive any discounts/incentives?
We saved hard to emigrate to Canada, and after purchasing our home, had the cash left over to be able to fund the purchase of our franchise.
What advice do you have for prospective franchise buyers?
You need to have a passion for the business you are buying, and believe that you can make a difference. You don’t have to be an expert in all areas, that is what your Home Office team is for: To help guide, support, and educate you as you grow. We went into this with our eyes wide open, knowing that our success really did rest in our own hands, but loved the fact that we had such comprehensive support every step of the way.
What do you wish you had known prior to going into franchising?
We wish we had known about the long hours, starting a new business with an 8-month-old and 3-year-old was challenging, but having a young family was a huge part of the motivation to keep pushing forward and is part of the story that is woven into our success now. In our 12th year as PropertyGuys.com franchise owners, we are now part of a team who inspire us and ensure we keep pushing forward on new initiatives and keep it fresh here in the Kootenays, BC.
To learn more about PropertyGuys franchise opportunities, please visit https://propertyguys.com/franchise
