Fostering An Award-Winning Franchise Brand

If you would have told me four years ago that Restoration 1 would be where we are today, I would have believed you. 

No that’s not a typo. See, I’ve always known there was something special about the opportunity with this brand. I realized this quickly after taking over in 2016 as CEO. From the people involved to the honest work that’s done everyday - the brand is full of opportunity and frankly, has proven to be a top franchise concept year after year. 

An award winning brand is fostered by a leader, not a micro-manager

The reason behind our success? It’s all about the people. This includes our leadership team, franchisees, corporate staff, customers and everyone in between. 

I firmly believe that when you have the right leadership team, everything else will fall into place. That’s why making the right hire for positions is so important. I’m focused on hiring people who are trustworthy, honest, open and hardworking. 

And once I bring them on board, I get out of their way and let them do what I’ve hired them to do. My teams aren’t spending hours sitting around the table going through meeting agendas. Why? Because if they are sitting at a table chatting through a couple of bullet points they’re not out there awarding franchise locations and they’re not able to be out supporting our existing network of franchisees.

Creating an award-winning brand requires getting out of your own way and empowering those you hire to do their jobs without your interference. This doesn’t mean that sometimes you don’t want to be involved in different aspects of the business. Trust me, it’s not always easy to see projects going down a path you might not have taken. But, at the end of the day a different path doesn’t mean it’s the wrong path, and if you’ve made the right hire your team will be just as committed to being successful as you are.

Awarding a franchise, not selling

Speaking of franchisees, hiring the best of the best leadership team has proven to lead to a network full of rockstar franchisees. It’s not easy to build a business full of successful and invested franchise partners. There’s not a blueprint to follow for getting it right. 

One of the biggest mistakes I’ve seen young franchise brands make is being so preoccupied around the idea of selling a franchise that they’re bringing the wrong people on board just for the sake of growth. Just because a potential franchisee checks all your boxes doesn’t mean they’re right for the business. It’s really key to remember that we are awarding franchises, not selling an opportunity to anyone who wants it. 

Our franchisees come from all walks of life. They’re corporate America evacuees, veterans, recent college grads and so much more. Every year I am blown away by the work these individuals put in to continue having a successful business. They show up and work hard doing dirty jobs that pay big, and that’s important. 

How you interact with a customer matters

A businesses’ success is often drawn from the satisfaction of its customers. This is especially true in the restoration industry. Every time our phone rings our customers are calling during one of the worst experiences of their lives. They’re calling us in the midst of tragedies -- whether it’s a flood, a home fire or an infestation of mold at their business. It’s not an easy business, and it’s not a business where customer service and empathy can be lacking. How we react to these situations plays a huge role in the growth of our business and we take that seriously. 

That’s why, in January alone,  Restoration 1 was ranked in Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500 for the eighth year in a row, and has been ranked #6 out of 40 in Franchise Times Fast & Serious List, moving up five spots from last year. 

Through my 25+ years of experience helping businesses grow, I’ve learned when you take the time to put all your ducks in a row, you’ll find your brand will quickly sustain success and growth as you expand. That’s what we’ve done (and are still doing) at Restoration 1.

We’re already on track for another record-breaking year full of growth. This is what makes me excited to get up every morning and lead Restoration 1 and bluefrog Plumbing + Drain.