Former Corporate Sales Rep Finds Family Time by Buying a Flooring Company for Sale

We’ve posted plenty of New Franchise Owner stories from franchise industry insiders, flooring experts, and fast-paced entrepreneurs on a mission to build a veritable flooring franchise empire.

But make no mistake about it, this flooring company for sale is the perfect choice for anyone looking for self-employment with a great family lifestyle.

Meet our latest Franchise Owner, Nick Valentino, from Medina, Ohio, whose Footprints Floors faith-based franchise has been serving the Greater Cleveland area for over a month!

“The little feet in this picture are the reason for me choosing Footprints Floors,” Nick says.

Nick’s time as a regional sales rep kept him always on-call and away from his family for extended periods of time.

“Ideally, I’ll be able to enjoy more beach vacations with my family because my past positions did not allow for much time, or gave me the feeling of having work-related obligations,” he says.

Industry brokers recognize our flooring franchise’s unique ability to provide our Franchise Owners with a flexible lifestyle while being a great financial investment. And they keep sending more clients our way.

Nick’s broker knew that he needed the relief that a home-operated flooring franchise would provide him.

With Footprints Floors, Nick can work out of his home and not have to worry about going into an office. And his homeowner design consultations and project oversight will fit around his family’s schedule, rather than the other way around.

The Right Support for Every Franchise Owner

We do everything we can to help our Franchise Owners thrive. Part of this means retaining standardization and consistency across all our Franchises by shouldering much of their administrative burden.

Our outstanding support system has put us on the map as a franchise that genuinely takes care of our Franchise Owners while also looking out for the brand’s best interests and staying true to our core values.

What we can’t handle for you on an everyday basis, we teach you to handle on your own. For example, one area that new Franchise Owners sometimes feel apprehensive about is handling subcontractors and crews.

“Understanding how to build the network of subcontractor crews was a bit intimidating but Chris [Curtis, Director of Franchise Support] reiterated the model and helped me gain the expertise that negates that worry,” Nick says.

After going through our process, Nick has some simple advice for anyone wondering if they can really handle our flooring company for sale: “follow the process and it will work… it’s proven.”

And what’s that process? It’s a singularly unique business model with a hybridized corporate-franchise operation system.

Our corporate call center oversees lead generation, marketing, and other programs designed to put you in touch with interested homeowners. Our representatives are also experts at taking incoming customer inquiries and scheduling work. This is stuff we’ve mastered and why Footprints Floors is thriving. We take the day-to-day headaches of marketing your business off your plate so you can concentrate on growing it!

So, our Franchise Owners focus on building up their local Footprints Floors business and taking care of the homeowners in their area. By utilizing subcontractor partnerships and our industry-leading call center, Footprints Floors Owners are able to give each customer the personal attention that independent flooring contractors simply can’t.

It’s a great system that lets everyone focus on what they do best. And it’s why our Franchise Owners enjoy such a wonderful work-life balance while getting fantastic business results.

Own YOUR Future With a Flooring Company for Sale

Nick Valentino is one of many success stories of Franchise Owners who found their ideal business opportunity by taking the first step and inquiring about a flooring company for sale. 

Are you intrigued by the prospect of owning a faith-based, Christian business in a BOOMING industry, yet still having more time for family than you do right now? Get in touch with us to begin your Franchise Discovery Process!

We still have exclusive franchise territories for sale. But they’re going quickly, with several states entirely sold out.

To see what’s still available where you are, please visit our franchise website for more information.

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Get the Inside Scoop on Footprints Floors University with Jon Jarvis and Chris Curtis!

When it comes to home improvement franchise support, Footprints Floors has always been in a league of its own, but now we’re taking things one step further for our new Franchise Owners! This July, we launched a new educational resource, Footprints Floors University for all our Franchise Owners.

Introducing Footprints Floors University

A new online training platform available to all new and existing Franchise Owners, Footprints Floors University takes much of your Owner training process online so you can access it anytime and from anywhere.

It includes our custom New Owner education material, a library of prior training webinars, and courses from leading industry associations.

As part of our Franchise Owner training material, we now provide complimentary access to the entire National Wood Flooring Association’s (NWFA) training library and the National Tile Contractor’s Association’s (NTCA) training library.

As an added perk, we’ve also negotiated discounts on their certification programs.

Usually, the NWFA programs cost $35 per course, $300 for certification, and $50 per year to maintain the award. We’ve brought this down to $0 for a course, $150 for certification, and $25 a year to renew it.

The NTCA’s certification program usually costs over $1,000. We’ve brought this down to around $250.

And remember, you can access all their training programs whether or not you want to go for a certificate.

This is a one-of-a-kind deal. There’s only one other company in the world with access to NWFA training programs. And Footprints Floors is the only company to offer both NWFA and NTCA material.

What are the NWFA and the NTFCA?

Here’s a quick primer for our prospective Franchise Owners who are new to the flooring industry.

The National Wood Flooring Association is the hardwood flooring industry’s leading professional organization.

It’s joined by just about every sector involved in the industry, including manufacturers, distributors, retailers, consultants, and of course flooring home service providers.

It provides industry-recognized technical education with over 200 individual courses and numerous certificates, granting the title of NWFA Certified Professional.

The NWFA also throws regular trade shows and expos, making it a great networking source.

The National Tile Contractor’s Association represents natural stone and ceramic tile contractors and installers.

The NTCA is the leading global tiling association and highly influential in the industry.

It doesn’t throw trade shows, but it does hold regular workshops, training webinars, and other industry-advancing initiatives. These include work safety advice, installation recommendations, insurance programs, and best practice guidance.

The NTCA also provides educational training courses, along with a Certified Tile Installer program.

What is training like through the online university?

Jon Jarvis decided to make our training process even more flexible and accommodating than before by shifting much of the education online to the Footprints Floors University platform.

This way our Franchise Owners can get by with less in-house training at our headquarters, not to mention get a jump on their flooring franchise training even sooner than before. 

Franchise Owners still come to our Denver headquarters for an initial two weeks of training before they launch. But instead of being left on their own, they will have access to our comprehensive online university.

And our Owners can get a head start on training by completing some before they even arrive for their initial session in Colorado.

Footprints Floors University is stuffed with exclusive training material.

Not to brag, but Footprints has great relationships with our industry’s professional associations. That’s why we were able to license programs from the NWFA and NTCA instead of creating all our own material.

Jon says, “it was actually just a call that we had already planned with the NWFA about reducing the annual membership fees for all of our owners. We approached them asking if there was any way we could get access to their training videos within the membership that we already have.”

Jon, Chris, and Founder Bryan Park were able to work out a deal to provide you with their library and they helped us work out an agreement with the NTCA as well.

We encourage our new Owners to go through the NWFA’s Certified Sales Advisor program, which should take around 30 hours. 

With this, you’ll be able to qualify as a fully certified sales professional with deep expertise in the hardwood flooring industry. (Far more than most.)

If you’re coming from a white-collar profession, you can rest assured. With this training, you’ll be well equipped to work with homeowners and able to get a great running start in your business.

We think it would be a great idea for our existing Franchise Owners to take this course as well. It will still be valuable, even for an experienced flooring Franchise Owner.

And just to reiterate, all these education courses are provided free to you. And they are also free to anyone else working within your flooring franchise.

Many of our more established Franchise Owners already have sales professionals working for them. If you do, you’ll be happy to know that all your employees can access the Footprints Floors University as well.

Footprints Floors University doesn’t just bring you up to speed on how to run a flooring franchise. It also offers recognized association with the industry’s leading professional organizations.

How Industry Associations Can Help Your Flooring Franchise

We want you to take full advantage of this resource. There’s plenty of industry content for you to dive into when you have time.

But you can also use our discount to get certifications and place them on your website or use them to enhance your credibility.

Jon says, “It adds a level of professionalism to your franchise. It’s a feather in your cap.”

Chris Curtis says, “We do want our Franchise Owners to become NWFA Sales Certified. Even on their own time. It’s good for us, it’s good for them, and it’s good for the Footprints brand.”

“Even if you’re not the badge type, you can have them on your website and be one of the few certified hardwood flooring guys,” Chris continues. “Most hardwood flooring guys – unless they just have the initiative on their own – aren’t really concerned about the NWFA. They’re more worried about making their next truck payment and those types of things.”

Keep in mind, that we’ve slashed the rates on NWFA certificates. This is a massive advantage over independent business owners who would need to pay the full price for an association’s membership, the training courses, and the certificate itself.

Many simply opt not to and forego the benefits of branded credentials.

An NWFA Professional Certification is an easy way to set yourself apart and enhance our flooring franchise’s brand. As usual, feel free to fit any extra training in on your own time.

You can also use your membership for networking. The NWFA and NTCA certifications carry weight in this industry.

There are many opportunities that are only available for certificate holders. One is simply that you gain entry into the association’s professional network.

If you have an NWFA certificate, the association will list you in its industry guide and its “Find a Professional” search tool. This listing in itself will generate qualified business leads.

The NWFA also provides active certificate holders with promotional materials and endorsement badges for advertisement.

To make sure their certified professionals are on their A-game, the NWFA gives out technical publications with the latest industry updates.

Also, please be aware that certain flooring manufacturers prefer having NWFA certified professionals install their materials. If a customer wants one of these brands, an NWFA badge will up your chances of landing them.

A Footprints Franchise typically does far less tiling work than wooden flooring. But there are still plenty of resources you can leverage from our relationship with the NTCA.

The NTCA focuses heavily on education and furthering member businesses. They aim to give their members practical help and tools. If the hands-on workshops don’t interest you, check out their leading reference manuals, tiling industry business insights, and regional networking events.

You may find the networking events to be the most valuable.  The NTCA is well regarded by those in the home building industry, including architects and designers. Members are listed in the NTCA membership directory which many use as a referral source.

Leveraging high-impact partnerships, relationships, and networking have been key tools in Footprints Floors’ rapid growth.

Own a Flooring Business that Gets You to the Next Level

Certifications through these reputable associations are strategic resources you can use to position yourself and gain influence in your local community. A reputable flooring franchise backed up by third-party badges is a much safer option for homeowners than an independent service provider with no credentials.

These partnerships raise our Franchise Owners to a higher level and everything you need is provided for you, right within Footprints Floors University, once you are awarded a Footprints Floors territory. 

Want to check it out for yourself? There’s just one way to get started- visit our franchise website today to take the first step in your Discovery Process!

AWARDS AND RECOGNITION:

Stay-at-Home Denver Mom Owns a Semi-Absentee Franchise in Tampa!

Can This Stay-At-Home Mom of 7 Own a Flooring Franchise in Tampa… and Still Have Time for Family??

They say the busiest people are the most likely to get even more done. But owning a flooring franchise, while homeschooling seven children and helping out a children’s theater takes busy to the next level. Who can possibly run a successful home improvement franchise while still having the time to manage a large family and all their activities?

Meet Tiffany Matthews.

Tiffany lives in gorgeous Denver, Colorado with her husband Nate and their seven children. And, as of pretty recently, she owns a plum, faith-based Footprints Floors franchise territory in sunny Tampa, Florida.

Wondering how that’s possible?

Well, Tiffany won’t actually be handling day-to-day operations herself. As a semi-absentee Franchise Owner, she will work behind the scenes to grow her Footprints Floors empire while her brother-in-law Dan Wheeler takes care of the day-to-day operations.

“We’re building a home in Florida,” Tiffany says. “It’s a second home for us. Our partner [Dan Wheeler] already moved down to Florida. So, he’s down there now, full time.”

Tiffany plans to expand her daily role with Footprints Floors in the future when the children are older. But for now, she wants to spend her time with her family and the local community.

“I’m home. So that’s my primary job and I network a lot as a mom,” says Tiffany. “I’ve been a dance teacher and I’ve dabbled in dance ever since. I’m currently helping with our kids’ Youth Theater program.”

Tiffany is pretty active in her Denver community. In fact, that’s how this all came about. Footprints Floors started in Denver, and our corporate office is still headquartered there. It’s where Founder Bryan Park lives with his family. And Tiffany and her husband Nate happen to be close friends with the Parks.

“We’ve actually known Bryan and Kelli Park for over five years. And Kelli runs a theater program where we work together. When my kids are in Youth Theater, it’s with Kelli Park.” Tiffany says. “We really love Bryan and Kelli so much! Just as people I really enjoy them and we’re very involved with their family. I saw her last night and the night before. I’ll see her tonight and tomorrow.” 

A Franchise Opportunity With a Foundation of Friendship

The two families first met at church and have enjoyed a growing friendship ever since. During this time, they’ve witnessed the growth and challenges that Bryan faced while building Footprints Floors Christian Franchise.

“We met them before they started franchising. When we were getting to know them, they told us about what he was doing with Footprints,” Tiffany says.

“As Bryan was starting to figure all that out, he would talk to my husband and work through some of it. And Kelli would tell me about the stresses of the ‘wife’ part of all this and we’d chat about that and pray with her,” she says. 

Tiffany and Nate have had an inside view of Bryan’s development of Footprints, and have literally witnessed the flooring franchise get built from the ground floor up! Naturally, this piqued their interests.

“We’ve known about Footprints for a really long time, and we thought it sounded like such a great, amazing opportunity,” she says.

“We loved everything about the business model. But we’re like, there’s just no way we can do that in our life right now,” Tiffany added. “Until this past May when we were able to talk with Dan, and everything just kind of lined up perfectly – we’re like, yes, we can finally do it!”

Semi-Absentee Franchise…Total Involvement!

Footprints Franchise Owners need to be passionate about their businesses and very involved. But this doesn’t necessarily mean doing all the day-to-day work.

Tiffany’s brother-in-law coming on board to handle the daily, more hands-on work meant that she could become a semi-absentee Franchise Owner without sacrificing her important time at home with family.

“We were all hanging out for our son’s 13th birthday, and Dan was talking about his job, and how he just wanted to do something different,” Tiffany says. “Everything clicked into place within a couple of weeks! We’re just amazed at how everything lined up perfectly.”

Thanks to her close relationship with Bryan and Kelli Park, Tiffany knew quite a lot about Footprints. But we still put her through our structured, New Owner education process. It’s designed to teach new Owners the ins and outs of running a flooring franchise, give them a roadmap for growth, and get them started quickly. 

“We did everything the way everyone else would. We definitely knew a little bit more about it, but Nate and I didn’t know the actual day-to-day [responsibilities]. Finding out the day-to-day of how to run this business just got us way more excited!” Tiffany says.

“The massive amount of support we have is amazing. Every time I learn more, I’m blown away. I just got a call this morning when I was driving my kids to a school program, about Angie’s List leads and things like that. All this stuff is already set up for us, so we really just kind of jump in and go.”

Own a Flooring Franchise With Outstanding Support

Those leads were generated by our corporate support office. Our industry-leading call center is one of many ways we support Franchise Owners and help their business grow. 

Not having to be on-site to do her own business development is one of the things making it possible for Tiffany to be a semi-absentee Franchise Owner.

“We’ve owned rental properties in the past. We’ve looked at doing a franchise before and it just wasn’t a great fit, or we didn’t love the model. We just like that there is so much support with Footprints! I know Bryan and Kelli’s vision behind wanting to be involved and to be mentors, not just sit back and collect a paycheck. We really appreciate the heart behind that.” Tiffany says. 

“My husband has a very entrepreneurial mindset, and he doesn’t ever like to put all his eggs in one basket. I’ve always tried to stay sharp on some level so that if something ever happened, I’d be able to help support our family. So, we’ve always looked at other opportunities,” she added.

The Matthews family has been ready to take this step. They only needed a business opportunity that was practical and feasible for their lives.

Until her family is ready to move to Tampa, Tiffany can keep an eye on things from her home in Colorado. 

“I prefer more of what Dan is doing. But our seven children are still being homeschooled and we’re raising them,” Tiffany says. “We’re still trying to figure out life between Colorado and Florida, how this looks for now, how we can support the business from afar, and how to be there to support in person when we can.”

We Make it Easy to Own a Flooring Franchise that Doesn’t Own YOU!

This is still Tiffany’s franchise. She might not be pulling up to homeowner consultations or overseeing subcontractor crews right now, but she can do quite a bit from afar.

“When I’m in Florida the plan is that I’ll be doing sales and stuff with Dan when I can. We’re just trying to figure out how that looks. A lot of the numbers, bookkeeping, and things like that will be done here, remotely in Colorado,” Tiffany says.

“Dan’s already down in Florida. He’s coming back to Colorado to do more training for a couple of weeks before we officially launch, but they just closed on their house and moved their family out there. And we’re just finishing up the last couple of things before we officially launch.”

Tiffany can take things over whenever she’s ready. Until then, a semi-absentee franchise investment in a different location is the perfect way for her family to prepare for their long-term future.

And after devoting almost two decades to raising her children hands-on, it’s a change that she’ll enjoy.

“I absolutely love construction. My parents were general contractors and were building homes and so I kind of grew up around the housing construction and stuff, and I just love it,” she says. “I love the HGTV channel, I love watching home improvements, and I love everything that has to do with it. It’s my dream to be able to work with my hands and do housing stuff.”

Tiffany isn’t sure when that will happen. But in the meantime, she’s thrilled to be joining her close friends in their business.

“It’s huge to be joined with the company we so strongly align with. We align with their morals, beliefs and everything Footprints stands for.”

“We know the people we’re essentially working with and that’s huge to us,” she adds. “We don’t have fears with them, especially after being there firsthand through the years. We know the nitty-gritty and we’ve talked about it prior to being Owners.”

“Nate and I are actually pretty similar in age to the Parks. I just look at my friend Kelli and have to say how proud we are of them with the company. It’s so great seeing the explosion of the company,” Tiffany added.

“And it’s pretty exciting to be able to hitch our wagon to theirs and just run together. It’s kind of surreal.”

Are you ready to invest in one of our exclusive flooring franchise territories but not ready to do all the daily management yourself? A semi-absentee franchise opportunity might be right for you.

Please visit our franchise website to discover how you can secure your flooring franchise today.

AWARDS AND RECOGNITION: