Alfonso Ferreira’s Long Road to American Entrepreneurship

The dream of owning a business is a lifelong pursuit for many people, and becoming an entrepreneur may not always be the easiest goal to achieve.

Every year, people from countries all over the world come to the United States in hopes of achieving the American Dream of entrepreneurship. One such person, Alfonso Ferreira, found his ideal business opportunity as a Footprints Floors Franchise Owner in California!

Alfonso’s Story

At present, Alfonso Ferreira is a fully-fledged California resident. However, that’s not always been the case. He spent much of his early years in Mexico City, where he was born and completed school.

Following graduation, Alfonso has managed to work in various industries and with several large companies in different capacities. In his journey through the corporate world, Alfonso has worked for a consulting firm for 8 years, followed by one of the largest cereal companies in the world for another 8 years.

His next career move led Alfonso to a company called Mabe, which at the time was the GE Appliances brand affiliate in Latin America, for three years, followed by Walmart’s corporate office in Mexico for a decade. Without knowing it yet, Alfonso was slowly acquiring knowledge and business management skills that are now instrumental in his faith-based, floor installation franchise.

Venturing Into The U.S.

Even as Alfonso was coming to the U.S. a few years ago, he had no idea he would be running his own business. He first came to Los Angeles, CA to work with a U.S. company. Sadly, this arrangement did not work out, leaving him out of work.

At the time, the obvious option was to relocate back to his homeland. However, that would not be. This is because his family was well settled in the U.S. and desired to continue living here. Moreover, his daughter, who is currently a senior in high school, wants to go to college here.

It was now on Alfonso’s shoulders to find a way for his family to stay in the US. Ordinarily, this would involve looking for employment. However, after decades of working for others and recent frustrations, a life of entrepreneurship was calling.

Starting a Floor Installation Franchise

If you spend a few minutes with Alfonse Ferreira, you’d think he’s been in the floor installation business for decades. But it wasn’t even his first choice. As with anyone in such a position, his mind was all over the place. While he had set his mind on franchising, he was not sure with which company, let alone industry.

At first, he thought of either a gym or restaurant franchise. Realizing the importance of making the right decision, he hired a franchise consultant. With an experienced person to guide his choices, the chances of success would surely increase. 

This is especially so, considering he also had a clear vision and his working experience. At this stage, he had come up with some primary requirements for any company he’d work with. These were:

• It’s a fast-growing franchise
• It’s yet to establish franchises in California
• A company that allows him to put his experience in finance to use

In hindsight, it’s such decisions that show why he was bound to succeed. This is because when a franchise is at the growth stage, they’re actively looking for Franchise Owners. And, partnering with a company that’s yet to set foot in California would give him greater franchise location options. 

With such guidelines, it did not take long before his franchise consultant presented faith-based, Christian Franchise Footprints Floors as an option. This was early 2020, and he was soon invited to an in-person Approval Day at our Denver, CO headquarters. It was there that his belief in our floor installation franchise was cemented. By interacting with the team and learning about the company and its vision, his search for a franchise ended.

Some of the things that were appealing include:

• The type of company and what it stands for
• Footprints Floors’ supportive relations with Franchise Owners
• The timing as everything seemed to be on cue
• The financial investment necessary to become a franchisee
• The union would allow him to put his knowledge and expertise to use

A Tale of Commitment and Perseverance

Alfonso had found the franchise opportunity that fit all his needs, and he was ready to sign his franchise agreement! However, the world was about to throw him a curveball: soon after his Approval Day, the nation and world were turned upside down by the COVID-19 pandemic. While it was a challenging period for everyone, it also presented unique challenges for Ferreira. 

This is because for him to set up his home improvement franchise, he would need to work on his application for an E2 investor visa, which enables international entrepreneurs to own and operate businesses based in America. During the time, consulates were closed, bringing the process to a grinding halt. Along with the strict requirements to get licenses in California, he needed a smart solution.

The team from Footprints Floors assisted Alfonso with the hardwood and tile installation licenses he needed. As of November 2020, he had completed training and signed the franchise agreement. However, with consulates still closed, he could not start his business just yet. Or, at least have hands-on involvement.

Interestingly, to navigate this challenge, Alfonso decided to hire a General Manager to start his business for him and handle day-to-day operations until he could be more directly involved. As a result, he was able to launch his home flooring installation franchise in March 2021. It was also at this time that he returned to Mexico to get the necessary documentation from the consulate. This process took five months, causing Alfonso to remain in Mexico until July 2021, when he would finally be able to take the reins to his Footprints Floors business.

Adapting From the Corporate Setup to Running a Business

After his return in July, Alfonso Ferreira has been running his home flooring installation franchise and handling all day-to-day operations. He acknowledges that it’s a bit different from life in the corporate world because he has greater responsibilities that come with owning and operating a business. He attributes his success as a Franchise Owner to his experience with various companies and the project management skills he’s picked up along the way. Over the past few months, his franchise has enjoyed increased revenues. 

Alfonso Ferreira’s journey to starting his floor installation franchise has not been easy. Despite the challenges that would have seen others lose heart, his resolve remained unwavering. This not only shows entrepreneurial resolve but a husband’s and father’s commitment to satisfy his family’s desires. Through Ferreira’s perseverance to achieve his dreams for himself and his family, along with the comprehensive support he has received from our corporate team along the way, he is now a successful California business owner.

It’s not too late to follow your own dream of entrepreneurship! Footprints Floors is currently awarding territories to Franchise Owners across the country.

We’re selling out fast in major U.S. markets – visit our franchise website today for more information.