After Several Exciting Careers, Michael Goff Finds His Dream Home Services Franchise!

We love partnering with faith-based Franchise Owners who share our values of hard work and outstanding customer service, and we couldn’t have found a better franchise partner than our latest Owner, Michael Goff. He’s industrious, great with people, and values good customer service.

Michael was just awarded two of our exclusive floor installation franchise territories, in Akron-Canton and Cleveland, Ohio. Unlike many of our Franchise Owners, Michael isn’t quite new to home services. He first got a taste of the industry as a child, working in the family business.

“Starting at the age of 8 and continuing through my summers while attending college, I worked at my grandfather’s local hardware store which had been in business nearly 100 years,” Michael says. “Not only did I learn all the facets of home improvements and remodeling, I got the opportunity to interact with the public and learn the importance of customer service.”

His grandfather ran an old-school American hardware store, the kind where the owner and workers take time to make a personal connection with customers, going the extra mile to provide excellent service. “I enjoyed the ability to help customers with their home repair problems and seeing the satisfaction when they were able to successfully complete a repair on their own, well before YouTube videos were available for assistance,” Michael reflected.

“As time permitted, I would even go to customers’ homes to help out with projects free of charge since they were purchasing the material and tools from our family business.” His grandfather’s approach to business was right on. In fact, the business was thriving and available for Michael to purchase later on. But by that time, he was already developing a prosperous engineering career.

Life Before Footprints Floors Franchise

“I worked my first six years out of college for an Akron-based Civil Engineering firm involving construction project management of multimillion-dollar telecommunication facilities throughout the US,” Michael said. “Lots of travel and nights away from home. I spent the next six years of my career working in the transportation/freight industry for Yellow-Roadway Corporation (YRC).”

“My career ended with YRC when the Akron-based corporate office was closed with all corporate functions moving to the Yellow Freight headquarters in Kansas City. After a long discussion with my wife, we decided it was not worth relocating given we had two young children and both our families were local.” “Timing worked out well as the natural gas “shale” boom was just taking off in Ohio. I got a job with Chesapeake Energy. I enjoyed this as I got to spend most of my time outside in the beautiful environment of Eastern Ohio, managing vendors and contractors to meet aggressive construction schedules, and interacting daily with private landowners.”

“However, in 2018, Chesapeake Energy sold their Ohio operation to a small firm, and I was eventually laid off in early 2021 due to department restructuring. I took this loss as a blessing in disguise, and shortly thereafter decided to look at options to start my own business where I could personally control the success and outcome of my future, unlike my former roles with large corporations.”

Trading Life on the Road for Life at Home

After years on the road, Goff was more than ready to reclaim his time and bring stability back into his life. “I originally considered starting my own consulting business, home improvement construction company, or purchasing a local company for sale,” Goff said. “However, I quickly realized the benefits of the franchise model and that statistics show the success rate of new franchises is nearly 90% compared to only 20% for new stand-alone businesses.”

And so, the hunt was on. Goff reached out to an industry consultant for assistance. “Footprints Floors was one of ten potential franchise opportunities presented by Marc Camras of MVision Consulting (a franchise consultant) after I completed a detailed Self-Assessment Profile survey,” Michael recalls. “Footprints Floors made the final cut of three to be investigated further.”

Franchise consultants like steering their clients to Footprints Floors. As a solid, affordable choice that almost anyone can step right into without sacrificing their personal life, our flooring franchise has proven to be an ideal fit for Franchise Owners from all walks of life. And with limited floor installation franchise territories available, these opportunities won’t last forever.

“I gravitated towards franchise opportunities in the construction, remodeling, and maintenance space due to my past experiences,” Goff said. “Footprints quickly rose to the top because of its relatively low initial investment cost (compared to other opportunities), low operating/overhead costs, and a great opportunity for a flexible work schedule to improve my work-life balance.”

A Home Services Franchise With a Familiar Feel

We asked Michael why he preferred our industry over alternatives like the restaurant industry. As it turns out, the idea of our home services franchise just felt familiar and right to him. “My background from working at the hardware store along with my experience in the engineering and construction industries,” Michael says. “Also, the home services industry has proven to be one of the very few industries resilient during the pandemic times, something that other industries were not.”

That’s right. Our Franchise Owners get to work from home, on their own time, with no forced shutdowns, sudden layoffs, or irate boss threatening to yank them away from their families and back into the office. It’s the perfect arrangement, especially during this time in history. This might be why Michael wondered if our home services franchise was too good to be true. “I originally struggled with understanding how the business model could be so successful and profitable in such a short period of time,” Michael said.

A Franchise that Fits

Having great personal chemistry is important at faith-based Footprints Floors Franchise. Sure, it’s just a floor installation franchise, but all our executive team members and Franchise Owners work closely together. Before we bring a new Owner on, we need to make sure we’re right for each other. And Footprints Floors Founder Bryan Park still personally meets every potential Franchise Owner.

“Bryan is humble and down to earth. He did an excellent job answering all of our questions in an honest and straightforward manner. He also has a great sense of humor and good comraderie with the executive team, something that is rare in a leadership role,” Michael said.

This is a fast-growing floor installation franchise, but Founder Bryan is still in control and running it according to his business mission. Michael found this unique, well-executed mission impressive. “It’s the ability to expand and replicate a successful business model to markets throughout the US, while using entrepreneurs/owners who don’t necessarily have any experience in flooring or the construction industry,” he said.

Learning about Footprints From Franchise Owners

It was time for our corporate team to step in. Michael first got to speak with his development director, who gave him a full explanation of why Footprints is so successful. Once Brian Knuth walked me through the detailed numbers and I was able to validate the success by speaking with several Franchise Owners, it was no longer a concern,” Michael remarked. “One thing seemed consistent with all my research and discussions, as long as you follow the proven business model, the business will be successful. This was also validated by the success of several Owners who had no previous background in flooring or construction.”

Michael talked with existing Franchise Owners while he considered his investment. At Footprints, our Franchise Owners support each other’s growth and success. This begins before they’ve even signed on. Michael experienced our world-class support throughout his new Owner Discovery Process. And during his Discovery Day, he got to connect with our executive team and see what a day-in-the-life would be like. 

“The executive team was so friendly and personable during Discovery Day, unlike anything I have ever experienced in the corporate world. My wife and I immediately felt welcome and got the sense of a “small family-orientated” business despite the current size and growth of the Company,” Michael said. “Although just meeting the team, our conversations and interactions were similar to ones with family and friends. We enjoyed how the Discovery Day experience mimicked a typical day as a Footprints Owner.”

But what really won him over was Park’s personal vision for American entrepreneurs. A vision that Michael shares: the ability to make a good life for yourself and your family by building a solid business that creates real value for other people. “Owning a Footprints Floors franchise will allow me to go back to my roots, working as a small business owner requiring excellent customer service and helping make homeowners’ dreams come true,” Michael said.

“My past employment roles all had 24/7 operations, requiring me to be continuously on-call during nights and weekends with little to no time away from work. I am looking forward to the ability to have evenings and weekends free without worrying about unexpected phone calls or problems at work.” Owning your own business while getting evenings, weekends, and personal time-off is rare. But Michael has this now, thanks to our floor installation franchise.

“Also, our 14-year-old son and 12-year-old daughter are both actively involved in traveling sports and I am excited to have a flexible work schedule allowing me to attend,” he says. This is what makes Footprints tick. And the values that drive Bryan Park are the same ones that drive all our Franchise Owners. “The ability to control my own destiny will be the main reason for success, something that was not attainable in my previous careers,” Michael said. “And knowing that my dedication, hard work, and effort will ultimately lead to personal and family success, both financially and from a work/life balance perspective.” If you’re looking for a way to get your time back and make a good living, our floor installation franchise might be the right opportunity for you.

Please visit our franchise website for more information and to see what’s still available in your desired area.

From Owning a Christian Boarding School to Starting a Flooring Business – Meet the Brandons!

Some of our top Franchise Owners had no intention of starting a flooring business before discovering the faith-based, Christian Franchise Footprints Floors business opportunity. They were drawn to us by the lifestyle our flooring franchise can provide and the common values we share. This is especially true for two of our newest Franchise Owners, Bob and Susan Brandon from Springfield, Missouri. The Brandons were looking for two things in their life: “flexibility and freedom.” They found that, and more with Footprints Floors. As their son Shea gets set to take on the day-to-day operations of their new territory in the Ozarks, the Brandons took the time to share their personal journey with us and let us know why starting a flooring business was right for them.

Looking For a New Legacy

Bob and Susan Brandon have devoted the past twelve years of their lives to serving others in their Christian boarding school. “For the past 12 years, we have owned and operated a Christian boarding school for troubled boys on our 31 acres in Southwest Missouri,” Susan says. “Bob was also a public-school teacher and football/track coach and then taught in a large co-ed boarding school. In between those two jobs, he installed kitchen cabinets.” Their ministry is a labor of love, but it’s demanding work that doesn’t allow them any downtime. As rewarding as it may be, the Brandons are ready for a new season of life that gives them more time for their personal lives, family, children, and grandchildren.

So, the Brandons started looking for a new business. One they could still do together. Ideally, one they could pass on as a legacy for Shea and their other children. “We initially looked at a small drive-up convenience store. It looked like a great idea and is successful in the East. It sounded like fun!” Susan said.

It’s quite common for people to initially go for something that seems fun or relatable, such as a retail store or a restaurant, when considering business ownership. Fortunately for the Brandons, reality set in before they made the wrong financial commitment. “We quickly realized that this would require both very early and late hours, weekends, employees, a storefront, inventory, and more,” Bob said. “When we first began thinking of starting a new business, we expected to be doing all of the work, so we didn’t totally discount this kind of franchise.”

Finding Footprints

The Brandons needed less stress in their lives, not more. They turned to Franchise Connect Pro for some expert advice. “We connected with Sue Derene about this time and she was able to focus our minds on what we really wanted which was no storefront or inventory, 9-5 and Monday-Friday hours, and few or no employees,” Susan said.

“We had no idea anything like Footprints existed. We assumed it meant Bob would be out installing floors. We are thankful Sue kept steering us towards Footprints. She knew it really fit us before we did.”

Even with our growing popularity, faith-based Footprints Floors Franchise is still something of an insider’s secret. If you aren’t tapped into the industry, you might not be aware of everything we have to offer. But Sue knew that starting a flooring business would be perfect for the Brandons.

 “It allows us much more freedom and flexibility than what we currently have with the boarding school. We wanted a business without a storefront and low overhead. We wanted something our son could do with us and eventually take over,” Bob said.

Great Floors, Great Values

It isn’t easy to build a lasting business from scratch. Especially not if you plan to enjoy your life in the meantime. The Brandons needed to know exactly what starting a flooring business would mean for their lives, and if it would fit their values. They discussed this with our executive team during their Discovery Day.

“We knew we liked the business model and were optimistic about our prospects as owners. So, meeting Brian [Knuth, Franchise Development Director], Chris [Curtis, Franchise Development Manager], Jon [Jarvis, Director of Onboarding and Support], Rachel [Simpson, Director of Operations], etc was very reassuring,” Bob said. “We felt we are like-minded business-wise but also in our view of family and Christ-like servanthood.”

That’s pretty personal. But Footprints Floors Christian Franchise thrives because of the common values we share. Sometimes this is as simple as a mutual belief in hard work, good character, and excellent service. Other times, we get a little deeper.

The Brandons got to know who Footprints Floors Founder Bryan Park is, as an individual and a leader. “Bryan was open with us about his faith and his desire to be a servant to his family, his business, and the owners of all his franchises. That is the kind of man anyone should want to be working with. He is also obviously super competitive which in our minds is a plus,” Bob said.

Starting a Flooring Business With Strong Support

That’s pretty personal. But Footprints thrives because of the common values we share. Sometimes this is as simple as a mutual belief in hard work, good character, and excellent service. Other times, we get a little deeper. The Brandons got to know who Footprints Floors Founder Bryan Park is, as an individual and a leader. “Bryan was open with us about his faith and his desire to be a servant to his family, his business, and the owners of all his franchises. That is the kind of man anyone should want to be working with. He is also obviously super competitive which in our minds is a plus,” Bob said.

Bryan maintains close leadership over Footprints. He directs where this company is going while letting our passionate Franchise Owners handle the day-to-day aspect. And centralized corporate support keeps everything running smoothly. “The growth of Footprints Floors is phenomenal. We are excited to be getting in on this now. Specifically, the call center is not something we saw offered by any other franchises we looked at,” Susan said.

The Brandons had a few concerns about starting a flooring business. But understanding our comprehensive back-end support alleviated those. “The call center immediately stood out as something we would appreciate. The fact that the marketing is also taken care of is very important to us,” Bob said. “We are very impressed with the customer service aspect. We want to provide an exceptional service to homeowners and it seems that’s what Footprints Floors is all about.”

They don’t need construction, marketing, or customer service experience. Bob and Susan already have everything it takes to start a flooring business with our franchise system, and are ready to enjoy owning and operating a much more low-stress business than their previous position. “Running a boarding school for troubled kids is rough. We deal with families in crisis constantly. We did not work with underprivileged and abused kids but basically indulged children with parents who lack the basic parenting skills,” Susan reflected.

“These families are train wrecks and we mostly tried to stay out of the way of the train wreck and do what we could to change the lives of the boys. We feel that doing this work for as long as we have, disgruntled homeowners will be a breeze. Or if not easy, at least not anything we can’t handle.” She adds with a smile, “The homeowners don’t live on our property, right?”

Our Customer-First Approach

Footprints Floors has an excellent customer satisfaction track record. And our call center takes care of most of our Franchise Owners’ customer support. It’s just another thing the Brandons don’t have to worry about. We’ve thought of everything that goes into starting a flooring business, including things that may be intimidating.

“Finding crews was the one aspect that concerned us. We have always run our school without hiring people we didn’t know already and Bob is pretty hands-on,” Susan said. “We are not experienced with the interview process and are not super comfortable allowing others to dictate the success of our business. Having to hire crews is a little nerve-wracking because we are at their mercy to an extent.” 

Fortunately for the Brandons and other new Franchise Owners, learning tips and tricks to hire quality subcontractor crews is just one of the many areas they’ll have support with along their journey. Starting a flooring business is unfamiliar territory for Bob and Susan, but Bryan Park perfected a system that we can plug any hardworking Franchise Owner into. “The fact that Bryan is also an owner of his own franchise was huge for us. When he reassures us that crews are not something we need to stress over, we can believe him because he has done it himself,” Bob said.

The challenges the Brandons have surmounted leave them well prepared for anything that starting a flooring business may bring. “Our business was pretty successful. For most of the 12 years, we had a waiting list. We did it all on our own and with very little advice or any mentors; not to mention a franchise to back us,” said Susan.

Time to Enjoy Life

Our team is dedicated to helping the Brandons start their new flooring business. It won’t take them long to get up and running and, with our famously flexible work schedule, Bob and Susan will finally have some time off. “Bob has worked every Sunday since we opened the school. We take the boarding schoolboys to church with us but he works all day after church, so we are not able to have family get-togethers on Sundays, or if we do, Bob isn’t able to come,” Susan said. “With eight children and 5 grandchildren, those Sunday family get-togethers are the one thing we plan to enjoy for sure!”

This is the Footprints Floors mission at its core: putting faith-based, Christian business ownership in reach for people with full and enriching lives. “Again, Bryan obviously puts his family first and his drive to succeed second. That doesn’t mean you can’t do both well and that’s what we intend to do,” said Bob. “We can’t wait to both be able to spend time together as a family but also run a successful and prosperous business.”

We’re proud to welcome the Brandons into the Footprints Floors family. They’re just some of the amazing people who are making this franchise thrive. Are you interested in starting a flooring business that doesn’t require you to generate your own leads, stock up on inventory, or hire employees? We’re still awarding great people with exclusive flooring franchise territories. If you’re driven to succeed and have an entrepreneurial mindset, you’ll fit right in. Take a look at our website for more information.

Jeff Barnwell’s Top Reasons for Investing in his Wilmington, NC Floor Franchise

“The support will help provide the work, but the ability of the franchise is ultimately up to me.”

One of the things we like most about our faith-based, floor franchise is how well it suits independent-natured people. People like our newest Franchise Owner, Jeff Barnwell, from historic Wilmington, North Carolina. Jeff isn’t new to self-employment. He currently works as a subcontractor. He’s also put in time in business operations and small business ownership in the pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and chemical industries. 

Jeff’s always looking for ways to improve his work and life. That’s one of the reasons he decided to step out of subcontracting and back into business ownership. “I hope this will help in working with the labor and the quality of work,” he says. Jeff found our floor franchise on his own after putting in a bit of legwork to find a great investment opportunity. “I was looking for small businesses for sale,” Jeff says. “I came across one posted in multiple areas and determined the franchise. I contacted the listing party and started from there.”

Jeff’s Path to Floor Franchise Ownership

Jeff was interested in the home services industry. It’s a little more familiar to him than owning and operating a restaurant franchise. He had a few concerns in mind and saw more advantages in a floor franchise.

“Flooring is something that everyone has and is a basic necessity.  It is something that people understand and is not a trendy fad. Flooring changes over time but should never be obsolete,” Jeff says. “It’s more sustainable. Additionally, there’s lower upfront investment along with the potential to still have family time and take vacations.”

Jeff had his eye on what his long-term future would be. Not only in a booming industry but also what his future would be like within our floor franchise.“Running a business and not having a boss is great. At the same time, that can be very hard and stressful since there are no co-workers to turn to or to bounce ideas off,” Jeff says. 

“I like the franchise model primarily for the support. It’s a great medium between not having a boss and still having support when needed. Footprints Floors has a great system of support and vision.”

Strong Support = Strong Results

Our floor franchise’s support and vision come from the top down. Footprints Founder Bryan Park is an active leader. He takes the time to individually connect with each new Franchise Owner. Jeff met Founder Bryan during his new owner Discovery Day. During this time, Founder Bryan shared his vision for this company with Jeff.

“The Founder was available and spoke to everyone personally. There is a big difference between being accessible and being too important for the simple Franchise Owners,” Jeff says. “I have worked for companies and always enjoyed and worked harder for those where the CEO would interact compared to those where the CEO felt he was on a different level than the average worker.”

Footprints Floors works as a team. When we refer to ourselves as a family, this is what we’re talking about. Jeff’s experienced how difficult franchising can be when you invest in a bad system or with the wrong people. “In the past, I started with another franchise that could not even provide proper training and no one was interested in picking up a phone to help,” Jeff says.

“Footprints Floors has a large staff available and a great system using the chat rooms to help answer questions and link with others and industry specialists.” Jeff was able to thoroughly evaluate our support structure for himself.

We don’t expect our Owners to take our word for it. His Discovery Day gave him a close look at the ins and outs of owning and operating our floor franchise. “Discovery Day was good in that we saw a very, very quick scope of typical work and met several members of the team,” Jeff says. “Additionally, I liked being on a Discovery Day with a small set of other potential Owners.My group was three [candidates], including me, and all of us signed on to be Franchise Owners.”

A Different Franchising Experience

This close look gave him the insight he needed to move forward. Jeff saw that Footprints Floors isn’t like other franchises. Owning our floor franchise would be a much different experience. “There are others that I could see myself owning and enjoying, but the marketing seemed to be more up to me than providing support,” Jeff says. “With Footprints, there’s a good focus on marketing and finding leads.”

“The support will help provide the work, but the ability of the franchise is ultimately up to me.” Jeff’s put his success in his own hands. But, make no mistake about it, he’s fully backed by our entire team. And that starts with Founder Bryan Park.

Bryan’s involvement doesn’t drop off once Franchise Owners are invested. He’s right there every step of the way. “There’s accessibility and a strive to keep improving,” Jeff says. “I see him responding to chat questions regularly and I feel like I could pick up the phone and call him if needed. He continues to look for ways to make Footprints Floors the #1 flooring company in the country.”

This isn’t just big talk. Bryan Park is ambitious, with a clear vision to go to the top. He shares this freely with our Franchise Owners and brings them in for shared success. “Metrics are in place and guidelines to overtake the industry,” Jeff says. “The initial proof is from the owner and original Franchise Owners in Colorado, but the guidelines have been proven instead of just guessed to work.”

Floor Franchise Ownership With Time for Family

So, what does this really add up to for Jeff? It’s great that he’s signed on with Christian Franchise Footprints Floors early in our journey. But there are still immediate benefits to be gained, for him and his family. “I have the ability to set my schedule as needed to be available for my family,” Jeff says. “Being a small business owner, it is great to be able to move around some of the work to do what you want.”

“You can go eat lunch with your wife and then perform administrative work at 11 PM if you want. I hope to continue the ability to pick up kids or attend events as needed and move around the work. I would rather miss an hour of watching TV than my daughters’ sporting events.” We’re glad to give Jeff Barnwell a way to run his own business while he stays active and present for his family.

Are you interested in faith-based business ownership, without the risks of going it alone? Our floor franchise provides excellent support and unmatched schedule flexibility for Franchise Owners. You can invest now, get up and running quickly, and still have time for your daily life. We still have exclusive territories available, but they’re going fast! Please visit our floor franchise website to see if your preferred territory is still available.