Doctors Express - Mark Damico

As we start the New Year, many of us think about making resolutions to better ourselves or our lives in the coming year. Resolutions are like goals. If you don't write them down and have an action plan, they will probably fall by the wayside. Take your resolutions seriously and implement your action plan. If you do that, you can better your life and there are no limits. My resolution for this year is to coach my clients to see beyond their limitations and never let my limitations get in their way. Our story this month is about an individual that made a resolution to become a business owner. In fact, he has ambitions of owning several businesses. He's implementing his action plan and being rewarded for his efforts. He's in charge of his destiny. Congratulations Mark and welcome to the world of entrepreneurship!

Mark Damico  AFC/Doctors Express    As Mark and I met over breakfast, it became apparent to me that Mark was a polished executive and at the youthful age of 43. Mark graduated from Princeton with a degree in Economics. He spent the past 15 years of his career working for Fiserv, a financial services company, as a group President. Most recently he had been President and CEO of Stone River, an insurance spin-off of Fiserv. As we continued our conversation I learned that Mark was currently in a career transition exploring his options. He had a strong desire to do something on his own and had been thinking about that for the past year and a half. He had a couple of ideas for businesses that he could start from scratch and also evaluated the purchase of a few existing businesses. He had never really considered franchises, but he was willing to keep an open mind and explore all this options. Mark was not looking at business ownership as a "job". He wanted to find a business or perhaps several businesses that had a strong growth potential with a sustainable annuity type income stream that he could develop over time. In other words, he wanted to work "on" or manage the business verses working "in" the business as an employee or technician. Mark completed our various assessments and we worked on the profile of his hypothetical business. Mark was open to various ideas. He realized that the business would be a vehicle to the life he was going to create for himself and his family. Mark also informed me that in addition to working with me, he and a partner were exploring the possible of opening several laundromats across the country and also a solar opportunity. He had a vision of managing several companies and we were working on one piece of the puzzle. Mark expressed some basic concerns that we needed to address during his discovery journey: Would a franchise model suppress his creativity? Will the franchisor be someone with whom he wanted to be in business? Would it provide a strong enough return to make it worth investing his time and money? Will he enjoy and have fun building the business? Will the opportunity be sensitive to economic swings? Will he be able to find a reliable team to execute the model? Would he lose too much time and flexibility with his family? Will it be saleable in the future? These were all great questions and I assured Mark that we would work together to get him answers. We decided to look at business models that could be run as a semi-absentee owner. With this type of model, the owner puts a manager in place from day one so he can concentrate on business development. In our initial investigation we decided to validate franchises in automotive repair, urgent care, health and sports supplements and a martial arts studio. There is a very important point I want to make to my readers of which Mark was well aware. You don't have to be a car mechanic to own an auto repair shop, a doctor to run an urgent care facility or a karate black belt to run a martial arts studio. The owner of these businesses will hire employees, technicians or managers to run the day-to-day of the business. The owner will concentrate on business development, marketing and promotions. Mark liked the martial arts studio concept. It built character and confidence of children and taught them respect for others. Mark had been a coach for kids football and basketball and saw the value in this franchise. In this investigation, he discovered there was a chain of five karate studios in the area. Although any good concept has competition, he decided he wanted something more unique that he could build over time. The supplement franchise didn't show the financial potential he was seeking. The auto repair franchise was looking for a regional developer to bring their franchise brand to the state. This would require Mark to solicit and develop new franchisees rather than own an individual or multiple stores. Mark decided that he would rather own a store and develop and manage a team. The franchise that really caught Mark's interest was an urgent care franchise called Doctors Express. This was a newer franchise that was starting to spread across the country. There were none in Wisconsin yet. Mark liked the industry. Health care would always be in demand. Costs were soaring and urgent care was a way to bring affordable health care to a large segment of the population and help minimize emergency room visits. Mark validated the franchise and this is what he had to say. "Growing up on the east coast, I was familiar with numerous independent urgent care facilities that very effectively competed against the large hospital system in their respective markets.  I saw a need for that in Wisconsin.  A full service urgent care that existed only to make patients feel better quickly and had no agenda to drive the patients to other specialists or affiliated providers made a lot of sense to me.  So, as complicated as the franchise was, the business proposition was dead simple--create a customer experience that exceeds the competitors.  It all comes down to three simple things--care, convenience and cost.  If we can provide a broad range of top quality healthcare services in a comfortable and convenient setting, short wait times, no appointments needed, extended hours of operation, and at a cost commensurate with seeing your family practitioner (in many cases less expensive than even the drug store clinics) then we'd have a place among the large competitors in the market." Urgent care centers are different from emergency rooms in many ways. While they provide many of the same services, they do not have the same pricing schedules or wait times. For non life threatening illness, urgent care is an excellent choice because emergency rooms are busier and more expensive. The average urgent care visit costs patients $71-125 for basic care, with additional costs added for shots, x-rays, and labs. The average emergency room visit costs $1,318. Mark continued his investigation of Doctors Express and in December of 2011 he decided to buy the rights to open five clinics in Wisconsin. "There is a real change in the health care industry over the last few years," he said. "The convenience of the clinics and the number of people without a primary care physican are in my favor. The increase in health plans with high deductibles has made patients more aware of the costs and are more open to getting care in new settings." In April of 2013, Doctor's Express was purchased by American Family Care. AFC is a 30- year-old company that operated 37 clinics and primary care facilities in Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee. The Doctors Express acquisition made AFC the second largest privately owned urgent care operator in the country. After some reorganization, Doctors Express continued to franchise under the new name, AFC/Doctors Express. The combined company expects to have 160 sites in 26 states by the end of 2014. It took Mark over two years before he opened his first ATC/Doctors Express in Waukesha, Wisconsin. I asked him why it took so long and this is what he had to say.   "I spent a significant amount of time finding the right lead physician, since he would be the face of the franchise.  Without the right lead physician, the patient experience and work environment would never add up to what it needed to be to excel in a market currently dominated by healthcare systems.  Oh, and did I mention how important it is to find the right location?  No matter how good the physician and staff are, if people can't find us and we aren't visible in the community then it will take entirely too long to become established in any meaningful way."   Marketing the business is part of the support Mark gets from his franchisor. He had an open house in November that attracted front page coverage in the business section of the local newspaper. Doctors Express Waukesha partnered with LeRoy Butler of Green Bay Packers fame to bring LeRoy's inspiring message of anti-bullying and leadership to the students of Les Paul Middle School in Waukesha, Wisconsin. Mark has a marketing person to call on businesses that eventually will need urgent care for their employees, drug testing or flu shots. Mark is excited about his new business and this is what he told me."As the word has gotten out, we have seen the patient volume increase on a weekly basis.  The real tribute to the success of the model is that we are getting return patients and many friend and family referrals. I am excited to get up and come into work every single day!  I love the team of people who I work with and I sincerely believe that we have built a business that will be adopted as the preferred place for quality healthcare in the Waukesha community simply because every single staff member strives to create an exceptional experience for every single customer!"  AFC/Doctors Express treats everything from cuts and bruises to fractures and colds and everything in between. They have on-site lab tests, x-rays and prescriptions with no appointments needed. They're a state-of-the-art urgent care center with physicians on-site every day. The centers are open every day with extended hours. No appointments are needed and they accept most insurance plans. For those needing to pay cash, the cost is substantially less than visiting an emergency room and you will still be seen by a doctor. If you or a friend or relative live in the Waukesha, Wisconsin area and need some medical help and want to avoid the long wait and high prices at the emergency room, stop in at AFC/Doctors Express located at 1700 Coral Drive. They are open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week. The clinic is staffed with two full time physicians and one part time physician as well as supporting staff. They can be reached at 262-232-6200. No appointments are needed.   Mark made a resolution to himself to explore his self employment options. He kept his options open and considered all kinds of possibilities. He understood that his management and transferable skills could be used in any business or several businesses. The business was going to be the vehicle to the life he was trying to create for himself and his family. Mark and his partner did open a landromat and they plan on opening several others. So Doctors Express is his second business. He's working his strategic plan with more store openings and perhaps additional businesses in the future. So what is your New Year's resolution? Have you been telling yourself for years that you are tired of being unappreciated at work or tired of making money for someone else? Have you been thinking about starting or buying a business and you just don't know where to start? It's the start of a new year. Make a resolution to take the steps to learn about your business ownership options and possiblities. Dreams and wishes only come true if you take the steps to make them happen. Success doesn't happen overnight. It's a process taken one step at a time. Whether you are a corporate executive, manager, office clerk, mechanic or working mom, and if you have a vision or desire of being your own boss and being self-sufficient, reply back or give me a call so we can discuss your life goals and aspirations. Are you ready? Wishing you and your family a very Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year. Make 2015 the best it can be! Your comments and feedback are always appreciated.

Gourmet Giving - Dan Goosen

I hope you had a joyous Thanksgiving and that you're looking forward to the holidays that are just around the corner. This time of year, many people want to share their good fortune with others in need by gifting to charities or special causes. Over the years, I've had clients tell me that they wanted a business that made a difference in the community or allowed them to donate part of their profits to specific causes. Our entrepreneur of the month was attached to a franchise model that gave a percentage of each sale to a charitable cause. Congratulations Dan and welcome to the world of entrepreneurship!

Dan Goosen  Gourmet Giving    I first spoke to Dan Goosen in December of 2007. He was 46 at the time, had an associate degree in printing and worked as a color printing press operator. He told me that he had thought of owning a business for a long time. He just didn't know what kind of business he wanted. He knew he wanted the challenge and opportunity to be a business owner rather than work for someone else. Dan wanted the chance to reap the benefits and be rewarded for his efforts. We started our "journey of discovery" looking at business models that were in Dan's investment range and his interests. Our initial thoughts were to find a business that would replace his current job. While Dan was learning about his business ownership options, the economy took a turn as the great recession was starting to show its ugly head. Even though Dan had a strong desire to get his feet wet in the business ownership pond, he decided that now was not the right time. His fear of failure and the unknown and the uncertain economy overcame his desire. This is not unusual. I see it all the time. Most people are risk adverse. No one wants to buy a business and take that risk. They just want to own and run a successful business. This basic fear of failure is what holds so may people back from pursing their dreams. So many people think that entrepreneurs are risk takers. There is some truth to that. But what they really are is educated risk takers. They are willing to take an educated risk to reap the rewards. When someone buys a stock, they are taking a risk. They are making an investment in a company and the stock can go up or down. They can do their homework, but there is nothing they can do to affect the outcome. This is a reactive investment. Business ownership is a proactive investment. You have a say in the success or failure of your business. If you work hard and do what needs to be done, then you have an input in the success of the business and hopefully will be rewarded for your efforts. I wished Dan well and told him to keep the dream alive. I mentioned that he could take some classes or read books to prepare him for the future. Fast forward 5 years. In August of 2012 I got a call from Dan telling me the itch of business ownership hadn't gone away and that he'd like to renew his "discovery journey" and explore business ownership again. He felt he was ready. We discussed Dan's goals and why he wanted to be a business owner. He told me, "I would like to get my feet wet, possibly in a part time situation and see how I do. Confidence is an issue, so I would need a company that would provide support to help me make this dream come true.My wife and I always talked about owning our own business. I was looking for a business we could do together and still keep our jobs." So this time around, we concentrated our search and education on businesses and franchises that Dan and his wife Peggy could do part time. This would allow Dan to get his feet wet and learn what business ownership is all about while still allowing him the security of having a paycheck. There are two business/franchise models that allow one to run a business and keep your job. The first type is the semi-absentee owner model. This is a business where you would hire a manager to run the day-to-day, and you would manage the manager and do the bookkeeping and promotions for the business. Examples of this type of businesses are hair salons, massage-tanning-spa type businesses, even some fast food franchises. The theory would be to invest the profits from you first location as a down payment on a second location and replicate that by adding more locations over time. Once you have several locations operating, you would hopefully be generating enough to quit your job or continue to build your business as an investment stream. The second part-time business model is something like vending machines. This would include food type, DVDs, ATMs and specialty vending. This model appealed to Dan and was more in tune with his investment range. We explored various vending types but it didn't take long before a gourmet coffee vending machine business came to the forefront. The other factor that was important to Dan and Peggy was the fact that a percentage of each sale would go to charity chosen by the host location.   Dan and Peggy chose Gourmet Giving, a franchise that believes that profitable philanthropy is not an oxymoron. The Gourmet Giving franchise helps any size business support their favorite charity without costing that business any money. The franchisee sets up a Robotic Barista™ at the business (called a Host) without any cost or obligation. Once in place, the Robotic Barista™ produces the finest full 10 oz. freshly ground gourmet coffee beverages available anywhere. The Robotic Barista's™ custom burr grinder produces freshly ground lattes, cappuccino, espresso, mochaccino, coffee and hot chocolate at the push of a button, and for about half what you'd pay at a name brand gourmet beverage venue. These gourmet beverages are then purchased by people involved with the Host location. These people could be employees, customers, visitors, clients, staff, etc. The franchisee then donates a full 20% of the gross revenue to the charity chosen by the Host. The donations are made monthly. The Franchisee puts the Host's name on the check and includes a letter to the charity explaining that the donation was made possible by the Host Location. The charity then recognizes the Host, who in turn gets the emotional satisfaction of supporting their favorite charity. And again, all of this is accomplished at no expense to the Host. The Robotic Barista™ is designed and programmed for dependability and ease of use, and is durable, requiring minimal maintenance. The following is what Dan told me concerning this discovery journey and why he picked Gourmet Giving. "Marty worked closely with my wife and me to better understand what type of business would best suit our situation. From beginning to end Marty provided the necessary coaching and assistance. Marty worked with us through the process and found the best fit for our lifestyle." He went on to say, "I spoke with Horst Grau, the owner of Gourmet Giving. He personally came up to Wisconsin from Charlotte for a visit with us. My wife and I were very impressed by his personality and honesty. We felt like we had known Horst a very long time." Dan's business territory is located in western Wisconsin around the Chippewa Falls - Eau Claire area. He started his business about a year and a half ago with one machine and now has three machines. He has plans to grow his business to 10 machines in the near future. Reviewing his first year in business Dan told me, "It was harder than I expected and was a real learning experience. I never thought I could make a cold call since I had no sales experience. I enjoy the challenge and I'm growing every day." Dan has donated over $900 to the various charities of his host companies and hopes to double that this year. Presently he has his machines in a manufacturing facility, a dance studio and a gymnastic facility. Dan couldn't say enough about the franchisor and the concept. "The owner has been phenomenal with support. He's always there for me whenever I have a question or need some help. I like the giving part of the concept. I believe that once you start giving you'll get back. It's been a lot of fun. Running this business gets me excited about the future and balances out my current job that is not all that stimulating." "I'm becoming a more effective sale person.  I have met many people, and have helped many non-profits with income from our service. This is a really cool deal for all. I have set goals and continue to strive for more equipment capital in the future and becoming a household name in the Chippewa Valley. Hard work wins the day!" Dan named his business entity "Grounded and Giving." He has a Grounded and Giving Facebook page you might want to check out. Dan can be reached at 715-226-0703 or dgoosen776@gmail.com. Let him know if you'd like a Robotic Barista™ placed in your business. The coffee and lattes are great, and you'd have the satisfaction of also helping a charitable cause. Definitely a win-win! Like a good cup of coffee, Dan's business ownership desire never went away. It just needed to be brewed until the time was right. He took the steps to make his dream of business ownership come true, and you can do that too. Success doesn't happen overnight. It's a process taken one step at a time. Whether you are a corporate executive, manager, office clerk, mechanic or working mom, and if you have a vision or desire of being your own boss and being self-sufficient, reply back or give me a call so we can discuss your life goals and aspirations. Are you ready?      In the spirit of the holiday season, I hope you will take the time to help those in need with the gift of yourself, food or monetary contribution. Dan does his gifting, a little every day. Wishing you and your family a joyous holiday season and happy, healthy and prosperous New Year.. Your comments and feedback are always appreciated.

ARCpoint Labs - Steve Calder

If you want to be a self- sufficient business owner and don't know how to navigate the obstacles and roadblocks that happen along your journey, your dream will just become a wish rather than a reality. Roadblocks are dream killers. Roadblocks may be things like funding, finding the right location, spousal support or figuring out what type of business is the best fit for you. But desire, persistence and creativity will allow you to find the path around or over those roadblocks to make your business ownership dream a reality. Roadblocks are there for people who don't want it bad enough. Our story this month is about a man that had the desire to be a self-sufficient business owner, but roadblocks kept getting in his way. His journey to business ownership took longer than most of my clients, but his desire and persistence made it a reality. Congratulations Steve, and welcome to the world of business ownership. Way to go!

Steve Calder ARCpoint Labs     I met Steve Calder in the summer of 2011 when I gave a presentation on Franchising and Business Owner for the Career Changers Network, part of the Workforce Development Center near Appleton, Wisconsin. Steve sent me an e-mail after the talk and expressed a desire to talk more. He had been downsized a couple of months earlier and this was not the first time this had happened to him. He had been talking to his friend and neighbor, Dave, about maybe doing some kind of business together and he thought that perhaps I could help them. On paper, Steve and Dave would make a good team. Steve had great people skills and could be the face of the business. Dave had great operational experience and could handle the inside or operations part of the business. While it would be difficult for either one to come up with the resources to fund a business, pooling their money made a lot of sense. I decided to initially work with Steve and Dave separately. I did a needs and goals analysis for each of them along with their behavioral profile. My objective was to work up a profile for each, determine what type of business model had potential and then look for the common denominators. The profiling confirmed that Steve should be the sale guy and Dave the operations guy. Steve's background had been in insurance sales along with experience as a branch manager of a rental company and sales management experience in the cargo and freight industry. Dave was most recently a lean manufacturing facilitator and trainer, helping businesses operate more efficiently. Before that, he was service manager for a large plumbing company. Both gentlemen were in their early 50s. We came up with various business models for Steve and Dave to learn about and validate. Steve elaborates; "We spent time with Marty exploring various business models and quickly eliminated some to create a list of businesses for us to seriously consider and study. We began by looking at various franchising models and quickly came to agree that the service sector matched well with our past work experience, professional skill sets, expected business growth and personal financial investments we would have to make." It didn't take long before one opportunity floated to the top. ARCpoint Labs caught the interest of Steve and Dave and they wanted to learn more. ARCpoint Labs is a full-service national third-party provider/administrator providing confidential drug, alcohol, DNA and steroid testing, employment/background and wellness screening and corporate wellness programs. As we were validating ARCpoint Labs as their joint business venture, Dave got a job offer. With a family to support and a daughter in college, Dave accepted that offer. It would be a real challenge for Steve to pursue business ownership on this own, but he wasn't going to let this roadblock stop him. "I had to decide if I was going to find another partner, go at this opportunity alone, or pass on it altogether. My passion to be a business owner was too strong to ignore so I pressed on, alone," Steve said. After talking to the franchise development department and various owners around the country, Steve determined that ARCpoint Labs is the business he wanted to pursue. His next challenge would be funding. While we were exploring various funding options, roadblock number two appeared suddenly and stopped our journey in its track. Steve's wife Ann had been in remission from a serious illness. Her latest report from her doctor was not good and the illness had returned. Steve shared; "My wife was diagnosed again with cancer, a battle we thought we had successfully overcome some years before. I knew that my wife's health was now our first priority, so I called Marty with the news that I had to take a pause on exploring business ownership for an indeterminable amount of time. It was an emotional time. I would ask myself what else lies around the corner. How many other challenges or roadblocks are there yet unknown, ahead?" Steve and I discussed the situation and decided that it would be best for him to put this process on hold and concentrate on helping his wife. He took a job in the interim working for a friend that had recently started a business and needed a sales guy. The job offered a lot of flexibility so that he could be with his wife when needed, take a course on starting a business and explore various funding options locally. Steve shared the following: "Even during this challenging time, the passion to be my own boss, to mentor others and bring a new franchise to our local area remained strong within. During our time with doctor visits, another surgery, and post-operative cancer therapy, my wife and I talked about business ownership and the positive opportunities we both felt were still ahead for us. The passion had not waned. In fact, while this health challenge hit us emotionally, physically, and financially, we faced this challenge as we had previously, with prayer, determination, excellent healthcare and with the wonderful support of family and friends. Marty continued to stay in contact with me during this time. Not because he had to, but because we both wanted to stay connected. He went from being a business coach to a friend. The difference with Marty now was that we did not talk too much about my dream, but more about what was important personally and professionally. He understood that our family health issue was another challenge. We talked about some of obstacles I faced and how some folks let it consume them and derail their dreams. Our conversations focused on recognizing the challenges and looking for ways to overcome them and get on to the opportunities in life we both believed in." Ann's treatments were successful and she went back into remission. During a serious illness like this, a couple has to look at the future and life's uncertainties. Ann wanted Steve to pursue his dream. With Ann's blessing, Steve and I started up again in high gear to find the funding so he could make his dream of becoming an ARCpoint franchise owner a reality. Steve was on a mission. He was up for the funding challenge. He was going to find a way to get past this roadblock. Through networking, Steve met a former SBA banker who he thought would help him. It didn't work out. He tried various Credit Unions. If fact, he had a relative that was a VP at a local Credit Union. It didn't work out. He tried to get a home equity loan. It didn't work out. He considered peer-to-peer funding on-line. He couldn't make that work either. He wasn't discouraged. He was dedicated and persistent. He'd find a way. This situation is not unusual. Banks specialize in certain types of loans and have various lending guidelines. It is not unusual to get turned down for a loan several times before finding the right lender. Most people just give up. They hit the "brick wall" and quit. They don't want it bad enough. Not Steve! He was determined. I had previously referred Steve to a loan broker, but he was confident that he could find his loan locally on his own. A loan broker works with banks and funding sources across the county and understands the lending criteria for each of these sources. They charge a fee for putting the "deal" together, but they are a great resource. ARCpoint had considerable success with one particular loan broker. They had gotten loans for many of their current franchise owners. They understood the ARCpoint business model and knew what was needed to put the business plan and loan package together to qualify for a loan from an SBA approved bank. Steve worked with the loan broker to put together his business plan, cash flow projections and personal financial information. Shortly after that, Steve was pre-approved. He was ecstatic! But after a couple of weeks, the money wasn't coming through. Something had changed at the bank that had given Steve pre-approval, and they were no longer going to fund his loan. To this day, we don't understand what happened, except another roadblock got in the way of Steve's dream. But Steve was professionally persistent. He worked with the loan broker, tweaked his loan package and had it re-submitted to another bank. Eureka! This time he was approved but there was one more obstacle before he could get funded. The SBA needed to know that he had leased a location and what the cost would be. The landlord would have to supply the SBA a letter of intent and he was reluctant to do that unless Steve signed the lease. Steve and the landlord eventually resolved this issue and Steve went to ARCpoint training in mid October of 2013. That was more than 2 years after we initially started our conversations. In Steve's words, "It took a lot longer for us to start our dream of business ownership. I believe that with each challenge, there is an opportunity. Persistence and patience was a necessity for us to get as far as we did. Friends, family, and an understanding franchisor and new friend, Marty Barnes, never gave up on us although no one would have blamed them if they did. There was no pressure or ultimatums. We followed a process that made this start up experience part of our journey." I asked Steve to give me an example of the type of company he can help with drug testing and how his company creates value for them. This is the example he shared; "I recently landed a large firm's after hour's emergency business. The firm had previously gone to the local Emergency Room for about 2 hours to get a drug test. The Area Supervisor was required to take the individual to the hospital. That's two people away from work for a couple of hours, plus the machine under the supervisor's responsibility had to be shut down. The Safety Manager understood the total cost concept, and the savings of testing on site. Plus, the Area Supervisor could stay on the floor and keep the machines running!" Steve's final thoughts: "We've been open for almost a year. We've grown and are excited to be able to provide confidential accurate information to businesses for better decision making. We are privileged to help unlock answers for individuals that want DNA tests. We also help businesses implement drug and alcohol policies with the overall goal of improving or to support an existing formal safety program. It's all about passion and persistence. Now I can focus my passion and persistence on business growth and development. With what I've been through to get this far, the future looks bright! The glass is neither half-full nor half-empty. It is always full of opportunity". If you have a business in the Appleton-Fox River Valley area in Wisconsin and your company is in need a drug testing company with integrity, please give Steve a call at 920-264-0899 and allow him the opportunity to put together a drug or wellness testing program for your company. Like many people, Steve had a dream of being a business owner. When the obstacles and roadblocks appeared during his journey, he didn't quit like many people do. Perseverance, determination and the help of a guide or coach helped him make his dream of business ownership a reality. I'm confident that Steve will utilize this determination to build a successful business for himself and his family. If you have the desire to be a business owner, don't allow the obstacles or roadblocks to kill your dream. Success doesn't happen over night. It's a process taken one step at a time. Whether you are a corporate executive, manager, office clerk, mechanic or working mom, and if you have a vision or desire of being your own boss and being self-sufficient, reply back or give me a call so we can discuss your life goals and aspirations. Are you ready?     Your comments and feedback are always appreciated.

Fibrenew - Alan Kromanaker

Is there such a thing as a recession resistant business? Many of my clients ask this question because they have memory of the "great recession" and are looking for some assurance that if the economy takes another dip, their business wouldn't be adversely affected. There certainly are recession resistant franchises. Even if the economy takes a dip, we still need our hair cut, our taxes done, our car fixed or various other necessity services. In fact, during the last recession many franchises had sales growth. Our entrepreneur this month found a franchise that is recession resistant, high margins and required no initial employees besides him. It allowed him to get started with an affordable investment with lots of growth potential. Congratulations Alan, and welcome to the world of entrepreneurship!

Alan Kromanaker  Fibrenew    When I first had contact with Alan Kromanaker in March of 2013, he was 51 years old and had been out of work for a couple of months. He was last employed by a large construction company as a project manager, customer liaison and safety director. Alan spent the early part of his career as a training specialist in the Navy and retired from the Reserves with the rank of Master Chief Petty Officer after 28 years of service. Alan also holds a BS and MS degree in Recreational Resources and Administration and went on to become a recreational director earlier in his career. The Entrepreneurial gene runs in Alan's family. Years earlier, Alan started a "Baby Safe" company providing safety products and consultation for families with children. His father and partner operated an appliance and TV store for 25. His brother-in-law and sister-in-law owned and operated a Cousins Sub Shop franchise and he had a cousin that purchased a Zippy Shell franchise that provides self-storage and moving containers. Although Alan was looking for a job when we first met, it appeared that he really wanted to have the independence and rewards of working for himself again. He also had the desire to perhaps have his kids work in the business or pass it on to them some day. In Alan's words, "I lost my job in the construction industry due to down-sizing and was having a difficult time finding comparable work. I've always thought about a franchise but thought the only things out there were food-related. I didn't want to work the food industry. After about a year of being unemployed I received a call from Marty asking if I had ever thought about franchises. He turned me on to several types of franchises, surprising and enlightening me because of the availability of franchises having nothing to do with food service." Alan has excellent leadership, organizational and people skills and has the ability to inspire others to get things done. He also is a good teacher, trainer and has a gift for public speaking. He likes helping people, likes challenges and has a creative side and liked to see immediate results. I guided Alan through the Entrepreneur's Source "Journey of Discovery" and worked on the criteria for his potential business. Taking Alan's financial consideration into account, we decided to focus on service oriented businesses. The service business model often allows one to start out of their home and add employees as the business grows. This is in contrast to a retail business model where one would have to staff the business with several employees from day one. The service business model also does not require the upfront expense of a store front, inventory, fixtures etc. Although the initial investment of a service business model can often be substantially less than a retail model, I have yet to see a correlation between the money one invests in a business and the money they make. Alan initially decided to investigate a residential cleaning franchise, a restoration franchise (fire and water damage) and a franchise that repaired and restored leather, vinyl, plastic and fabric. Alan went through the initial presentation of all three companies. He learned about their business model, training, support and territory availability. All three franchises were impressed by Alan and his abilities. The cleaning franchise and the restoration franchise both invited him to attend their Discovery or Meet the Team Day. The leather repair and restoration franchise invited him to "ride-along" with an owner and experience the life of that franchise owner. Alan chose to go on the ride-along and was very impressed with what he learned and experienced. It appeared he found his calling and knew this business was the right one for him. Alan decided to move forward and become the Madison, WI owner of Fibrenew, a worldwide leader in the repair, reconditioning and color restoration of leather, plastics and vinyl for the automotive, marine, aviation, commercial and residential furniture markets.  With over 200 locations in the United States and Canada, Alan and Fibrenew can make worn and faded leather look like new again. Alan liked results that Fibrenew provided. It was a high margin business where he could be hands on and get immediate results. He also liked the detailed work, the fact that he would need no staff to get started and the possibility of getting his son involved in the business. His wife Lisa was a nurse and he was hopeful she could help him attain the leather and vinyl repair business for hospitals in the area. Over the past year, Alan has perfected his craft and has continued to grow his business. He found the dealer automotive market very competitive so he decided to concentrate on furniture, marine and commercial repair. With persistence and hard work, he was able to secure the business of the University of Wisconsin hospital system. There are lots of chairs and exam tables within the hospital system that will need upkeep and repair. Way to go Alan! When I asked Alan why he chose Fibrenew and how thing are going, this is what he had to say. "I chose Fibrenew because I like to work with my hands - I'm definitely not a sit behind the desk sort of person, I didn't have to have employees right away, and it was within my budget. Business has been growing steadily since opening just over a year ago. I have been doing a considerable amount of furniture warranty work, boat vinyl repairs, personal auto and furniture repairs, and have recently contracted with the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics for all their vinyl repairs. And referrals are steadily increasing as well." If you live in the Madison, WI area and you have piece of leather or vinyl furniture that has a rip, crack, cigarette burn or is showing excessive wear, please give Alan a call at 608-469-9311 or e-mail him at Madison@Fibrenew.com and let him come out to your home or business and perform his magic. He can make your furniture look like new again. It's truly amazing! Check out the Fibrenew website at www.Fibrenew.com to learn about all the services Alan offers and feel free to refer him to your friends and relatives. Most people have no idea that this service exists and it's amazing and environmentally friendly.   If you have the desire to be in business for yourself but have concerns about the economy, then perhaps you'd like to investigate one of the recession resistant franchises. It worked for Alan and perhaps it just might work for you too. Do you have the desire to be a self-sufficient business owner like Tom? Success doesn't happen over night. It's a process taken one step at a time. Whether you are a corporate executive, manager, office clerk, mechanic or working mom, and if you have a vision or desire of being your own boss and being self-sufficient, reply back or give me a call so we can discuss your life goals and aspirations. Are you ready?     Your comments and feedback are always appreciated.

Signs Now - Tom Steepy

We're all familiar with the adage, "As one door closes, another opens."  The corollary to that is, "If opportunity knocks, will you answer the door?"  Opening the door is not enough. It just lets you know that the opportunity is there. One must pursue that opportunity with hard work, dedication and perseverance so that you can maximize the outcome. I initially featured this story back in 2009 and I thought it was worth repeating because corporate downsizing continues. Many seasoned individuals struggle to find security in the job market. Our story this month is about a man that transformed the loss of a job into an opportunity to pursue his dream of business ownership. Congratulations Tom and wishing you continued success!

Tom Steepy                       Signs Now  I was always impressed by Tom Steepy's leadership skills as the president of my Harley Owner's Group chapter. But I really didn't know much about his professional side until I ran into him at a conference for Boomers put on by the local college. There I learned that Tom had become a statistic of the downsizing epidemic and was now exploring his career options. Tom has a Master's degree in Engineering Management and has a 25 year plus career as Director of Manufacturing and most recently, VP of Operations.  But after spending several months looking for a job with little success, he was quickly coming to the conclusion that he needed to explore his entrepreneurial options. He looked at his current situation as an opportunity to pursue his life-long dream of owning his own business. Tom and I decided to work together so I could help him explore his options and possibilities in business ownership. He had a thirst for learning and was an excellent student of our process. He supplemented his education by taking marketing and business plan courses from the local Small Business Development Center (SBDC). He wanted to prepare himself with all the necessary tools so he would be successful in his new career. Finding the right business fit is not an easy process. One has to keep an open mind and keep emotions under control. It's so very important to understand the owner's role in the business.  Believe it or not, that's more important than the service or product of that business. So Tom and I started our exploration together researching business models from automotive painting to senior care, picture framing to mitigation and restoration. During this process, Tom continued to learn about the skill sets needed to be a successful small business owner. He was mentally making the transition from corporate America to small business owner. Through our research, we came across a resale business, a sign franchise that suited Tom to a T. The present owner owned two stores and wanted to spin off one of them. There was an existing customer base, plus current management had neglected this store over the past few years. Tom saw the opportunity and the ability to utilize his manufacturing background to improve processes and grow the business. In Tom's own words, "Marty helped me discover that not only did I truly want to be a business owner, but he helped me discover the best type of business model to pursue to align with my passion, which ultimately help me find, purchase, and begin the journey of business ownership with a business that I am very proud of today, Signs Now. Marty provided me with exactly what I needed...and it turned out to be the most important life changing coaching that I have ever received". Signs Now produces interior and exterior graphics, vehicle wraps, retail signage and marketing materials for industries including construction, medical and real estate. As a business, its mission is to help businesses grow. Tom has adapted to business ownership as if he was doing this all his life. His manufacturing and corporate leadership skills are all being utilized. He has quickly learned the art of networking, sales and customer service. Tom won the Signs Now International Sales Growth Award his first year in business. Way to go, Tom! In our current challenging economy, Tom continues to reach out to new customers, service and grow present customers, and persevere. He moved to his new facility a couple of years to support his continued growth. If you have a business that's in need of a sign, exhibit booth, vehicle wrap or have an event coming up and need a banner, call Tom at Signs Now - 262-789-8006. Or stop by his facility at 2685A N. 179th St , New Berlin, WI.  Give him a call even if you're out of town. Tom will help you develop a concept and product to help your business or event "Stand Out in a Crowded World". Tom took the loss of a job as an opportunity to find and open a business of his own. Opportunities often don't just happen, they're made. I've enjoyed seeing Tom's business prosper over the years and I am grateful that I have been given the opportunity to help people like Tom find an exciting new career. I am also grateful that I have been able to help countless others come to clarity concerning owning their own business. Some, like Tom, go on to become successful business owners. Others realize through our process that business ownership isn't for them. But, now they understand why. Do you have the desire to be a self-sufficient business owner like Tom? Success doesn't happen over night. It's a process taken one step at a time. Whether you are a corporate executive, manager, office clerk, mechanic or working mom, and if you have a vision or desire of being your own boss and being self-sufficient, reply back or give me a call so we can discuss your life goals and aspirations. Are you ready?     Your comments and feedback are always appreciated.

Patrice & Associates - Heather Haas

Flexibility! Many of my clients need a flexible work schedule because of family commitments. Often a stay-at-home mom or dad desire to have a career where they can contribute to the family income, but still allow them time to take care of the kids and the family needs. This is a real dilemma with a corporate America job and the solution could be a business of your own. Our entrepreneur this month faced that dilemma head on and chose to open her own business with a business model that offered her the flexibility she needed. Congratulation Heather and welcome to the world of entrepreneurship!

Heather Haas  Patrice & Associates Hospitality Recruiting Heather Haas and I first connected in August of 2012. She was 42 years old, married with 3 children. Two of her children were challenged and required a great deal of her time and focus. She had been a stay-at-home mom for years and was ready to dip her toes back into the workforce. Ideally she'd like to work from home and was hopeful that we could find a business that would meet her needs. Heather met her husband Joe when they both worked at Blockbusters. She was majoring in Business when she got a promotion to manager and decided to quit school and continue her career full time. She eventually was promoted to District Manager. When Joe got a promotion to Regional manager, they moved to Minneapolis. Heather went to work for Prostaff as a staffing supervisor before retiring to start a family.  Joe moved on to become a Regional Manager for CVS. Heather is just a delightful lady full of warmth and enthusiasm. Her strengths were in management, customer service, training and relationship building. She likes a fast paced environment and she is results focused. Most important to her and Joe was that she would have the time and flexibility to take care of her family's needs. Because of her caring nature and experience taking care of her challenged children, Heather expressed an interest in something health care related. Although Heather had retail experience with Blockbuster, the retail business model didn't fit in with her lifestyle needs. We also decided to explore something in the staffing arena which could be operated out of home office. Heather entered our discovery journey with an open mind and her usual enthusiasm. And this is what she had to say, "Marty was exceptional during the discovery process. When I first decided to look into owning my own business I really thought I wanted to go into home health care. Marty helped me to explore several options. Based on my history, test results and what I was looking for, Marty presented P&A to me. From my very first conversation with P&A I felt that it was the best fit for me. Marty encouraged me to complete the entire discovery process with all 3 companies I was considering. I know that I made the correct decision based on all the facts! What a great experience!" What is P&A, the business that Heather mentioned?  P&A stands for Patrice and Associates Hospitality Recruiting. It has grown to become one of the largest restaurant recruiting and hospitality recruiting firms in the country. A Patrice & Associates franchise owner is a recruiting manager with their own defined territory. They work to connect client companies (some of the nation's leading chain restaurant and hospitality groups) with qualified management candidates. Many of the franchise owners work from home or a small office. Some hire other recruiters and manage their hospitality and entertainment staffing agency. In late November of 2012, Heather signed her franchise agreement and went to training in January.  She is still very excited about her business and shared the following: "I chose Patrice & Associates for many reasons. P&A offers a flexibility that I could not find in many other franchises. I can work from anywhere as long as I have my laptop and a phone. It allows me to create my own schedule to best meet the needs of my family. P&A has a great reputation in the industry and multiple national accounts that have a never ending stream of buil-in business. Plus, we can bring on our own clients. The mix of national account and personal clients keeps us very busy! I purchased a franchise because I wanted a business that had a proven track record. The P&A system absolutely works if you follow the program. There is nothing better than hearing the excitement and gratitude in someone's voice when they accept a new position. We are changing our candidate's lives and that is a great feeling! We have a great family of franchisees and corporate staff that are always available to help in any way needed."   Franchises come in a variety of business models. We are all familiar with the retail models where we eat and shop. But, there are many franchise models that are home based and offer a lot of flexibility and often a lower initial investment. I have yet to see any correlation between the more money one invests in a franchise business and the financial results. So how is Heather doing now?  Here's what she had to say. "Since starting last year, I have added one employee to help me with recruiting. Once she was up and running, my business picked up and continues to get better all the time. For this year, my goal is to double the placements I made my last year.  I am on track to achieve that goal. Next year, I plan to add more recruiters and continue to do so each year after that. I do plan to keep my business an "at home" business but there are more and more franchisees that are considering or planning to set up a brick and mortar location. You can really tailor this franchise to what works the best for you!"     Heather had been a stay-at-home mom for years and was ready to enter the workforce. She had excellent skills, but her lack of recent work experience was an issue in finding a job. Plus her need to have a flexible schedule made finding a traditional job challenging. Her decision to become a Patrice & Associates franchise owner offers her the opportunity to grow her own business, be rewarded for her efforts and provide the flexibility and opportunity to look after her family needs. If you've had experience as a manager of a restaurant, hotel or casino and are looking for a change, please contact Heather at 815-623-1660  C: 815-979-5086 or  www.patricecareers.com/HHaas. She'd be happy to help you find a rewarding position If you find yourself in a situation where you need a career that offers flexibility to take care of your family or perhaps you're entering the workforce after a long absence, than business ownership might be your solution. It was for Heather and she's most happy to be our entrepreneur this month. Do you have the desire to be a self-sufficient business owner or perhaps build a business empire?  Success doesn't happen over night. It's a process taken one step at a time. Whether you are a corporate executive, manager, office clerk, mechanic or working mom, and if you have a vision or desire of being your own boss and being self-sufficient, reply back or give me a call so we can discuss your life goals and aspirations. Are you ready?    Your comments and feedback are always appreciated.   Wishing you continued success in the future.

Tony Lutfi - Arby's, Church's, Little Ceasar's, Jack in the Box

We're all familiar with the American Dream where one starts a business with basically nothing and builds an empire worth millions.  We've heard the stories of Rockefeller, Carnegie and Buffett who built their wealth over a lifetime. Some modern day millionaires and billionaires seem to make their fortune almost overnight like Gates, Jobs and Zuckerberg. Our Entrepreneur Story this month is about a young man who at the age of 16 came to this country to avoid fighting with his countrymen. With hard work, determination and perseverance, he built an empire of franchise food outlets and businesses.  He is living the American Dream. When I read the story of Tony Lutfi in Franchise Times magazine, I knew this was a story worth sharing with my readers and I hope you enjoy it. There are many lessons we can learn from Tony's journey to success. Perhaps it will inspire you to go after your dream. I hope so. Congratulations Tony!  Job well done!

Tony Tutfi  Arby's - Church's Chicken - Sizzler Jack in the Box- Little Ceasars  Tony Lutfi was born in Jordan in 1960. His father was a laborer, laying tile for a living. The family was poor. In the 1970's Tony's brother Amin was drafted into the Jordanian Army to fight in the civil war against the Palestinians. Just before Tony's 16th birthday, the family sent him to American to live with an aunt to avoid fighting against his own countrymen. Tony's mother came with him to American to help get him situated and then returned to Jordan after three months to be with the rest of the family. Tony settled in with his aunt in Lodi, California. The cultural shock was overwhelming. In Jordan he had attended an all boys school and now he had to adapt to a mixed gender school which made him feel socially inept. Tony graduated high school and had plans to attend a community college and wanted to be a doctor. To pay for his education, Lutfi needed to work. His cousin Sylvia worked at the local Jack in the Box and she told him they desperately needed help for the overnight shift. Tony applied and was hired immediately. He started working before he even filled out any forms. He recalls, "They threw me right in. I remember making my first steak sandwiches without any meat on them." He loved the speed and the movement. "Everybody's talking, asking for something." Tony worked the overnight shift five nights a week while going to community college during the day. On the other two days, he worked overnights at a pair of local 7-Elevens. Sleep was at a premium. Tony worked his way up to night shift manager, earning $2.25 an hour. Because of his hard work, he was asked to be temporary store manager after a heart attack of the store manager. The new job paid $800 per month so he dropped out of school to concentrate on managing. The store recorded 11 record weeks under his guidance. Modestly, Tony doesn't take credit for that. "I just didn't screw it up", he said. The success motivated him to do more. In 1981, his family arrived from Jordan and they settled in Stockton, CA. They pooled their money together and bought a small grocery store and Tony went to work with them where he learned to butcher meat. In 1983 Lutfi went to work for Rax Roast Beef with a goal to someday own his own location. In 1988 the franchisees he worked for were having financial difficulties and Tony reached a deal with them to buy four locations. But, the deal fell through. A Japanese management company was taking over the Arby's locations in Southern California and wanted to buy and convert the four Rax units. The president of the management company, Bill Brusslan agreed to let Lutfi say on to help with the conversions and ultimately made him a manager of one of the stores. This was disappointing for Tony. He dreamed of being an owner. That is what he really wanted. But there was a silver lining. Brusslan became Lutfi's mentor. He recognized Tony's work ethic and promoted him to be the director of Arby's 33 locations in Northern California. "He treated me like a son. He gave me the best advice he could", Lutfi said. After 13 years of hard work, Tony Lutfi finally because a franchisee when in 1996 he bought two Arby's locations in Sacramento from his former employer. This was the beginning of the empire that Tony was determined to build. Two years later, Lutfi got into the Church's Chicken business by purchasing four stores in the Las Vegas Market that were in trouble. The acquisition came right before 911. "It took us a long time to get those stores turned around," Tony said. This provided valuable lessons and proved to be a catalyst for future acquisitions.      Today, Tony's business has grown exponentially. His nephew Nader Lutfi joined him in the business and is now vice president of Marlu Investment Group, the holding company for Tony's various businesses. Once Tony and Nader improved the cash flow of the four Church's in Las Vegas, they borrowed money to buy 10 more in Tucson. They went on to buy more units in Phoenix and Texas. In 2010 the company acquired Jack in the Box locations in California and built five Little Caesars locations. They went on to buy Sears Hometown stores, Sizzlers, and many more Arby's locations. Lutfi took advantage of the recession where he was able to purchase older brands at an attractive price because they were in a down period. His theory was to get the stores at a low price, go in and fix the store's operations and then profit from the improvements. He believed you make your money when you buy a business, not when you sell it. As Tony bought more franchise locations he developed a system and a game plan for improving the operations performance. Tony and his staff wait 90 days before making any strategic decisions. They talk to the staff, takes notes and interview people so he can better understand what's working and what is not working and needs to be improved. At the end of 90 days they compile of list of 30 changes to make at the restaurant and give the staff 60 days to implement those changes. Many of the ideas actually comes from the staff which makes cooperation and implementation much easier. They teach their managers to be business managers and "run it like it was their own." This philosophy has worked well. Engaging their employees in the change has resulted in loyal employees with lower turnover. "You make them feel important because they are important," Lutfi said. Tony has been known to help out some of his employee during hard times. He once paid for an employee's car repair and also for the funeral of a manager's mother. One of his employees said, "He's just a nice person. He's good to people and he's fair." Today Lutfi's holding company, Marlu Investment Group, has 21 Jack in the Box locations, five Sizzlers, five Little Caesars, 53 Arby's, 47 Church's and 29 Sears Hometown stores.  Tony is still working hard. He wakes up each morning at 5:30 and usually works until 6:30-7:00 in the evening. Tony and his wife Anna, who he met while they both worked at a Jack in the Box, have three boys and have passed on their hard work ethic.  All the boys worked at Arby's before they left for college. They cleaned dumpsters and restrooms. "They had to understand the value of work," Lufti said.  He also taught them the business side and account principles. Since college graduation, two of the boys have joined the business and the youngest probably will after his college graduation. Lufti's older brothers are also in the business along with his nephew, Nader. It is a true family business, only on a large scale. Tony and his Marlu Investment Group continue to grow and are one of the largest franchisees in the country. He is presently working on a deal for five T.G.I. Fridays along with development rights. Tony mentioned that he could see the company owning 10 brands someday. He is a man with big dreams and has worked hard to makes those dreams a reality. Obviously this isn't the typical story featured in my monthly newsletter. I wanted to share it with you because it shows that there is really no limit in the size and growth of a business through franchising. Some people are content with one outlet or territory and many have several locations. In actuality, the sky is the limit. You can grow your business as large as you want and you don't have to start out as a millionaire to achieve that success. Tony Lufti is a perfect example of that. He was just a 16 year old immigrant that needed a job and with hard work and determination he built an empire. Do you have the desire to be a self-sufficient business owner or perhaps build a business empire?  Success doesn't happen over night. It's a process taken one step at a time. If you'd like to discuss your dreams of business ownership, please reply back and I'd be happy to assist you. Your comments and feedback are always appreciated. Wishing you continued success in the future.