Express Employment Professionals - Rick Grimord

How does one know what type of business or business model would be the right fit? We often are attracted to a business because we have enjoyed this business as a patron or perhaps we have a passion for that particular industry or service. Unfortunately, this logic doesn't usually work to your benefit. You may love the basic business, but you may later find out that you are not happy with what you have to do in the business on a daily basis. Our entrepreneur this month almost made that mistake. He thought that income potential or customer demand should be his deciding factor. Fortunately, he was able to regroup and find a business that was a better fit for him before it was too late. Congratulations Rick, and welcome to the world of entrepreneurship!

Rick Grimord      Express Employment Professionals

Rick Grimord was in sales and marketing most of his career and has a degree in Business and Psychology. He had recently been downsized from the material handling division of Warn Industries where he was director of sales and decided that he wanted to do something on his own. He had been investigating franchising on his own and was initially attracted to a senior care franchise because of all the aging baby boomers that would need this service. He did his validation of that particular franchise and even attended a Discovery Day where he met the management and was officially approved as a future franchisee. His last step was to take the franchise's disclosure document and franchise agreement to a franchise attorney for review. During the consultation with his attorney, Rick started to question his decision and began to realize that maybe the senior care franchise wasn't really a good fit for him. Rick liked the business model, but he wasn't sure if he had the calling and patience to deal with seniors on a daily basis. He also thought that this business model would have constant turnover of staff and clients and it might be difficult to have a consistent income. His attorney was a good listener and sensed Rick's lack of commitment. He suggested that Rick give me a call so that we could discuss other business models that would be a better fit for him. Rick and I met at a coffee shop where we initially got to know each other and started our discussions about his strengths, goals and income and lifestyle needs. Rick told me that he was a wine and food enthusiast and wondered if there might be a franchise that would match these interests. But at the age of 60, he also wanted to have a life and restaurants and food related franchises are often open long hours 7 days a week. So we decided to explore options that were business related with more normal working hours. Rick also expressed a desire to be involved with the business on a daily basis and wanted to put his management experience to work, thus managing a team of employees. I asked Rick why he no longer wanted a job and why he had a strong interest in franchising. Here is what he had to say. "I got tired of making money for other people and I don't want to do this anymore. I'm smart enough to do something on my own. At one time in my career I worked for McDonalds corporate in marketing and regional advertising, supporting 307 stores in Florida. I was very impressed with the support that McDonalds offered their franchisees and this left a very positive impression concerning franchising." We looked at a variety of franchise options and decided on a few to learn about in more detail. Often clients are attracted to a particular type of franchise, perhaps one where they had a positive experience themselves. But more important is for the client to understand what their life would be as an owner and what they would be doing on a daily basis. As Rick validated the various opportunities, he was most impressed with Express Employment Professionals, a full-service staffing agency. Rick was impressed with the history and success of the company. He liked that it was a 9-5 type of business working in a professional business environment. He also liked that he could utilized his sales and people skills as he built relationships with local businesses to provide their staffing needs. In addition, he liked that he would be an influencer in helping to put people back to work. The employees that he would hire out to local businesses within his territory would have the opportunity to earn benefits such as holiday pay, vacation pay and referral bonuses. He would be making a difference in the lives of many. Express Employment Professionals is currently celebrating their 30th year in business. The have a network of over 600 independently owned franchise locations in the United States, Canada and South Africa. Express provides employment services and Human Resource solutions to help employers' needs and production goals. Their staffing solutions include evaluation and direct hire, temporary and contract staffing, professional search and contract, flexible staffing and onsite services. In May of 2012, Rick signed his lease for his office space and went to training in June. He hired his sister Laurie and son Braden as his initial office staff. Rick concentrates on business development. Since Rick opened his doors last year, he has worked with 75 different companies and has put 225 people to work. His staffing focus is administrative and professional positions as well as light industrial staffing. Rick chose Express Employment Professionals over the other franchises he considered because of the support they provided. In his own words: "I was impressed with the amount of support Express provided. They were head and shoulder above any other franchise I validated. Most franchisors tell you that you're in business for yourself but not by yourself. For some franchises that's just lip service. Express lives by that motto. I would recommend to anyone considering a particular franchise to check out the support they offer after you sign the check. Franchisors that support their franchisees tend to be the most successful." Rick is very busy in his new business getting job orders from local businesses that need help and matching that request to suitable job seekers. Rick told me, "I really like finding jobs for people and find that very rewarding." But it hasn't always been smooth sailing. Rick went on to explain. "Anytime you start a new venture there is going to be things you did not anticipate. You just have to learn to deal with it and move forward. That's why I find the support of the franchise so valuable." If you or a friend or relative have a business in the western Milwaukee area and suburbs and are in the need of staffing help, please give Rick a call at 262-754-1350 so that you can discuss your needs. Or if you prefer, stop by his office at 17550 W. Bluemound Rd , Brookfield, WI. Suite 200. Whether your staffing needs are short term or long term, Rick can help find the right individual to solve your staffing needs and be a productive contributor to your organization.   If you have been considering business ownership as a potential career but don't know what you want to do or are afraid of making a mistake, than I can help you. Rick was fortunate that the attorney he hired was a good listener and sensed that Rick wasn't committed to the senior care business and referred Rick to me for further investigation. Let me assist you in finding the right business fit the first time. 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 and we'll discuss your life goals and aspirations. Are you ready? Your comments and feedback are always appreciated. Wishing you success in the future and have a joyous holiday season.