SERVPRO - Todd Szada

Thanksgiving is behind us and the holiday season is in full bloom. I hope you gave our economy a boost with holiday purchases on Black Friday or Cyber Monday. Our economy can still use your help. Spending creates jobs and there are still a lot of unemployed people out there that would like to be productive again. So buy a holiday gift or a bargain for yourself and you'll be stimulating the economy and putting people back to work. And if at all possible, buy American. If each person bought one American made holiday gift worth $64, it would create 200,000 jobs for your friends and neighbors. That would be a wonderful holiday gift! Our entrepreneur this month had the dream of stimulating the economy by going into business with a close friend. It's a scenario I hear often from clients. It was an interesting journey with twists and turns where they each fulfilled their dream of business ownership, but not with each other. Congratulations Todd, and welcome to the world of Entrepreneurship!

Todd Szada

Todd Szada and his friend Cliff had talked about running a business together for years. They just didn't know what they wanted to do. They thought about something in the fast food arena, but they just weren't sure. Back in 2007, they heard an advertisement about a local Franchise Expo and decided to check it out. That's where Todd, Cliff and I met. Todd and Cliff worked together at a health care organization where Todd was Director of Human Resources. The three of us worked together for several weeks learning about business ownership possibilities until our investigation came to a screeching halt. Cliff had been downsized and accepted a job out of state. Their dream of having a business together was crushed. Todd and I lost touch for a couple of years. We reconnected when Todd responded to an e-mail I sent about a local senior care franchise that wanted to sell off some of their territory. As it turned out, Todd had changed jobs and was about to be downsized. Cliff's job also wasn't working out and he was looking at a local fast food franchise in Iowa. Cliff and Todd were talking again about a partnership. The opportunity was in Iowa, and Todd and his family were reluctant to move. Todd and I agreed to work together again and explore his options. We researched the fast food opportunity that his buddy Cliff was pursuing. The company had a good presence in Iowa, but not in Wisconsin where Todd lived. Plus, the cost was out of Todd's investment range. Todd wanted to utilize his human resource skills by managing people. He wanted a company that provided good training and support and had a great reputation. He wanted something where he wasn't stuck behind a desk all day like his last job. He also wanted something where his wife and family could be involved and perhaps leave to his sons some day. He also wanted the satisfaction and feeling of accomplishment at the end of a typical work day. And of course, he wanted to make a comfortable living to provide for his family. "Marty was great in helping me understand what type of businesses would best utilize my skills and provide the income and lifestyle I wanted." As we progressed through our journey of exploration, Todd discovered that SERVPRO, a company that specialized in fire and water mitigation, met his needs. They were a national company in business since 1969 with over 1500 franchise locations. They were a leader in their industry and known for their excellent training and support. Todd also liked it because he could utilize his experience in the insurance industry and he had several relatives and friends that were in professions to refer business to him. Fire and water damage happens every day. Certainly if there is a storm or flood, water damage is prevalent everywhere and SERVPRO's services are in hot demand. But every day, fires happen, hot water heaters break and pipe's burst causing considerable damage. Often mold forms and that also has to be mitigated. When one of these situations happen, the home or business owner calls their insurance company and the insurance company calls a firm like SERVPRO to mitigate the damage. SERVPRO's motto is "As if it never happened". They restore the premises back to a state that is equal to or better than it was before the disaster occurred. Todd went through extensive training before opening his SERVPRO office in June of 2010. When he returned from corporate training, a field instructor was on location to provide training in his territory. And that was a good thing because a tornado hit and Todd had immediate work. A few weeks later, heavy rains caused extensive flooding. They received over 800 phone calls and there was more work than the local franchisees in the area could handle. SERVPRO corporate put together a response team from 7 different states to help out and handle the immediate need. Todd's most unusual mitigation so far was when a deer jumped through the window of a day care center. Besides cleaning up the mess of the deer, every toy had to be cleaned and disinfected. So what does Todd think about his new life as an entrepreneur? "I love being my own boss and taking destiny in my hands. Paying my employees with my money rather than the money or a corporate employer has been a learning experience. I'm enjoying what I'm doing and very happy that I'm associated with a national brand." SERVPRO of Southwest Waukesha County, located at W246 S3151 Industrial Lane in Waukesha, Wisconsin specializes in fire & water cleanup and restoration and offers the following professional services:  Fire, smoke and soot clean-up, deodorization and restoration Water removal and dehumidification Mold mitigation and remediation Air ducts and HVAC Deodorization - e.g. skunk odor, pet odor, tobacco/nicotine, fire, pet odor, general cooking odor, and after-life odor remediation Carpet, upholstery, drapes and blind cleaning Hazardous waste mitigation and remediation Post construction clean-up Interior & exterior painting If or when you or your friends or family has a need for Todd's services, he can be reached at his office 262-542-0900 or his mobile phone 262-951-1528. Give him a call and he and his crew will restore your home or business "as if it never happened." Todd's dream of business ownership became a reality, even though he initially thought that being partners with a good friend was the best way to go. He educated himself on the possibilities and took the steps to make it happen. He's stimulating the economy by hiring people and is enjoying the rewards of his efforts.