3 Reasons to Start Your Own Business with a Flooring Franchise Today

3 Reasons to Start Your Own Business with a Flooring Franchise Today

3 Reasons to Start Your Own Business with a Flooring Franchise Today

With the thousands of franchise opportunities across hundreds of industries available in the U.S. today, how can anyone expect to choose the right one for them without getting overwhelmed? While each may offer things like a work-from-home environment or the opportunity to get involved in the community, there are few who offer all that and a successful business model.

If you’re in a corporate job you hate, and you’re looking for a way out, let us recommend an industry you may have previously overlooked – flooring services. Unlike some other franchise concepts that turn out to be fads, the flooring industry will always be in demand, so here are a few reasons why you should consider launching a flooring business and how Footprints Floors home services franchise can help you make that happen.

 

3 Powerful Reasons to Start Your Own Flooring Business

The Industry is Surging

Footprints Floors and other flooring franchises reside within the enormous multi-billion dollar home improvement industry, which is projected to see sales reaching $510 billion in 2024. While some of this growth can be attributed to the massive amount of new builds going up across large and small cities alike across the country, much of it is due to the nation’s aging homes, too. Today, approximately 80% of the country’s 137 million homes are now at least 20 years old, while an even higher 40% are at least 50 years old. This, paired with the uncertain state of the housing market, has forced many people to stay in their current homes and opt to remodel instead of purchasing a new home.

Footprints Floors Franchise Cultivation Map

The portion of Millennials who are now finally buying homes are finding themselves in a financial position that only allows them to buy older homes that need more repairs. Research conducted at Home Advisor showed that Millennials are investing in a greater number of home improvement projects each year compared to any other age group. This demographic is expected to drive billions of dollars of home improvement in the coming years as more Millennials become homeowners and as their incomes and home equity rise, too.

You Can Enjoy a Home-Based Business

While the method you choose to use to break into the flooring industry can affect this, the nature of flooring services typically lends itself to remote work that’s either done from a home office or in customers’ homes. This is especially true of franchises in the home services niche! Even if you were to find yourself in a franchise that required you or your employees to do the flooring installation work yourselves, any equipment can easily be stored in a work vehicle or your home garage.

At Footprints Floors, our Franchisees enjoy low overhead expenses because they can work from home, no matter how large they scale their home flooring business operations. We even take this one step further by having our Franchise Owners rely on subcontractors to do the laborious aspect of flooring projects for them. This means that you’ll never need to own or store any installation or refinishing equipment yourself, and you won’t need to worry about renting an office for your technicians or other W2 employees to work from. 

Services are Recession and Pandemic Resistant

While some home improvement and flooring projects can be classified as luxury, oftentimes, homes need updated flooring for essential reasons like the safety of their family or the structural integrity of their property. Likewise, all new construction requires flooring, making this type of home service incredibly recession-resistant. In fact, home improvement spending nationwide has actually grown at almost double the rate of the rest of the retail sector.

Additionally, the pandemic also increased the demand for home services, with 76% of responders to a Statista survey noting that during 2020 they performed at least one home improvement project, 58% of those being interior renovations. During the third quarter of 2020, the Home Improvement Remodeler Index (RMI) rose to 82, demonstrating how overall, homeowners focused on the importance of their homes for both work and day-to-day life amid the pandemic and its consequences. 

 

Why Footprints Floors is the Flooring Franchise You Should Join

You’ll See Outstanding Revenue Potential

One of the strongest motivating factors new Franchisees point to when they discuss why they want to open their own flooring business is the massive potential for wealth and lasting financial independence. Rather than working to make someone else rich, Footprints Floors gives Owners the opportunity to generate wealth for themselves and their families. Considering that you can start your business for just $78,505, our current financials show how you could recoup your initial financial investment quickly after launching.

Start Your Own Flooring Business - Footprints Floors Franchise

In 2022, when our Franchise Owners followed our long-established and proven business model, our multi-unit Franchise Owners saw Gross Sales of $1,883,332* with a Direct Gross Profit of $850,027.* Single territory Owners saw $1,202,703* in Gross Sales with a Direct Gross Profit of $543,379!*

You’ll Receive Marketing & Lead Generation Assistance

Managing the day-to-day of a business is a job on its own, so when you add marketing to an already full plate, it’s no wonder many business owners don’t have the ability or capacity to grow. When you join the Footprints Floors franchise, you don’t just receive the rights to use the business name and brand in your territory – you also receive all the help you could ever need to market your business and generate new leads for your future.

Today, our corporate team is dedicated to ensuring the success of Franchise Owners by helping each Owner obtain customers, both before your business even launches and on an ongoing basis well into your operation. To do this, we’ve created a variety of tried-and-true marketing strategies to leverage a variety of different platforms that are proven in the home services industry. We create and manage specific online construction portals that our corporate locations have tested, turn on and manage Google Ads, and manage all social media platforms, while our preferred partners design websites specific to each location and complete all the necessary upfront and continuous search engine optimization (SEO) work to help you scale.

Our Call Center Does Much of the Work For You

When you’re a business owner, you want to focus all of your energy and efforts on the customer in front of you, especially when that customer has welcomed you into their home. However, it’s tricky to do that when you’re also expected to field phone calls from other prospective customers that you need to continue maintaining and growing your home flooring business. When Footprints Floors started, our Founder quickly recognized this issue and decided to solve it for his Franchisees.

Today, our corporate team runs a call center to field all customer inquiries and handle the scheduling for all of our Franchise Owners. All Owners need to do is set their scheduling preferences and let our team handle the rest. Not only does this significantly reduce the daily workload for our Franchisees, but it also guarantees that every customer’s first interaction with Footprints Floors is met with extreme professionalism, setting a high standard for every contact after that.

Leveraging Subcontractors Means Minimal Employees Needed

Thanks to our home-based, no-inventory franchise model, our Owners never need to worry about renting any kind of showroom for their home flooring business to grow. With this, Franchisees and their few operations and/or sales employees can work completely remote and oversee the business from a management standpoint while they hire subcontractors to handle all the labor. This means that customers source their own flooring and trust their local Footprints Floors Owner to handle all the installation and clean-up for them.

To learn more about all the benefits of using subcontractors as a home services business, check out our blog on the subject!

You’ll Gain Total Control Over Your Schedule

As we mentioned earlier, Footprints Floors is an entirely appointment-based home services business, and all appointment setting is handled by our call center, with only the few appointments you choose to set in person being the exception. This way, all scheduling is done around each Franchise Owner’s availability and preference, allowing you to create your own hours and enjoy the work/life balance you would never see as a corporate employee. Many of our Franchise Owners were drawn to our business based on the flexibility of the operations and the ability to spend more time with their families – including this husband and wife duo out of Illinois!

 

Whether you’re tempted to break into the home flooring service in your market because of the surging popularity among homeowners or you’re excited about the idea of launching a home-based business that will last through recessions – and even pandemics – Footprints Floors may be the perfect business opportunity for you to finally become your own boss and join the home services industry. We’ve worked with thousands of customers and laid the footwork to ensure our Owners’ success, so all you need to do is decide how big you want to grow your flooring business!

When you’re ready to take the first step towards changing your life and starting your own flooring franchise business, our team will be ready to walk you through the process of becoming our next successful Footprints Floors Franchise Owner. Take our quick, 1-minute qualification quiz to find out if you’re a good fit for our model.

*Refer to 2023 Franchise Disclosure Document Item 19 – Table 3A (High)

The Dos & Don’ts of Joining a Home Improvement Franchise

The Dos & Don’ts of Joining a Home Improvement Franchise

The Dos & Don’ts of Joining a Home Improvement Franchise

Business ownership is a common dream that many people share across the United States, but it’s made significantly more accessible for thousands of hopeful entrepreneurs each year through franchising. While franchisors set up training and support systems to prepare you for the eventual bumps in the road, there are still quite a few challenges that, if you haven’t given them any thought, could do much worse than throw a wrench into the mix. As you prepare to look into franchise investment opportunities, consider the following dos and don’ts of joining a home services franchise to help you ensure you’re successful both after launch and after years of growth.

What to Do

Select the Franchise That’s Right for You

The home improvement industry has grown so much in recent years, and we’ve seen dozens – if not hundreds – of new franchise concepts join the market as a result. However, this doesn’t mean that every home services franchise is built for everyone or that anyone can be successful in any franchise they stumble upon. When you decide to leave the corporate grind to start your own business, you need to take a close look at every franchise brand that piques your interest to ensure it fits you and yourself and that you fit their ideal Owner profile, too.

Dos and Don'ts of Franchising - 1

At Footprints Floors, we’re looking for Franchisees with business acumen and sales or management experience with the ability to connect and communicate with people of all backgrounds. If this sounds like you, and you love the idea of working with homeowners to make their flooring visions come to life, we may be the franchise for you!

Research All Available Territories

One of the first tasks you’ll have to address when you start pursuing home improvement franchising opportunities will be to consider your territory. Typically, a franchise territory is a protected geographic area based on different factors, including household income, home values, the age of the homes in the area, and driving distances. With Footprints Floors, you’ll receive a protected territory with a population of 60K – 120K, but each individual franchise offers territories of all different sizes.

Many new Franchise Owners will, understandably, want the territory that encompasses their home community, but it may not always be available, especially with more established, popular franchises. That’s why we recommend always looking at other nearby territories or “hot markets;” this way, you’ll have multiple locales to choose from, each of which you’ve already considered before the time comes to finalize your decision.

Have Your Growth in Mind

By investing in a home improvement franchise, you’re breaking into an industry that’s seen positive growth for years and is expected to continue this upward trend for years to come. Because of the home services market popularity, your own growth as a business owner may be a given. With this in mind, many franchises will require their candidates to provide a business plan detailing how they expect to grow over their first 3, 5, or 10 years of operation. If you don’t have a clear direction in mind, your sales are more likely to stay stagnant after launch if you’re approved as a Franchise Owner in the first place.

Make Marketing a Priority

No business can succeed without a solid marketing plan – even global giants like Apple and Google marketed themselves in the beginning and still do today. With a well-rounded marketing strategy, your business can get through seasonal slumps or connect you with major clients who never would’ve found you through word-of-mouth.

Dos and Don'ts of Franchising - 2

When you join the Footprints Floors franchise, you’ll have a support team at your side to help you with your marketing! While you’ll still be involved in the various processes that make up your marketing efforts, our team will give you everything you need to hit the ground running from day one. This includes guidance on everything from your website and search engine optimization (SEO), to your customer relationship and brand reputation management, social media marketing strategies, direct mail campaigns, diversifying your lead generation, and more. We’ll even help you with the finer details, like your print marketing materials and vehicle wraps!

For more details on how the Footprints Floors’ team helps our Franchise Owners with their marketing, check out our January blog for a full breakdown.

Be a Capable Leader for Your Team

While you can typically launch your home services franchise on your own, you’ll often grow and recognize that you can’t do it alone. Whether your first few hires are to fill sales positions or to operate as a back-end administrative manager, your role will expand as a result, making you the leader of your team.

However, this doesn’t end with your direct employees. At Footprints Floors, our home services Franchise Owners leverage subcontractors for all labor work, and while they may not be direct W2 team members, the right Franchisee will still recognize the leadership role they hold in these relationships. Not only will you need to build these connections and treat them as valuable contributors to your business and success, but you will also be expected to provide guidance and act as a project lead during your interactions with contractors and their teams.

What Not to Do

Don’t Plan to Sit at a Desk All Day

A “home-based” home improvement business may not require a brick-and-mortar showroom or a physical office, but it doesn’t mean that you’ll be sitting in your home office all day every day, especially with a home improvement franchise like Footprints Floors. While some of your time each day will be dedicated to sitting down at a computer to do administrative work or manage your bookkeeping and financial tasks, most of your time will be spent connecting with people face to face.

You could be providing an estimate to a client in their home one day, connecting with your subcontractors, and chatting with them while at a work site another day. If you’re motivated enough, you could even be growing your network by attending in-person meet-ups or events. So, while you may not need to commute to an office every day, you can expect to still have engaging days away from your desk with the right franchise.

Don’t Forget About Financing

Starting a business can be an expensive endeavor, and many of the expenses you’ll deal with every day are things you typically never consider as a W2 employee, with the initial upfront financial investment being the first expense you can expect. Whether you have this money readily available or not, there are a variety of financing avenues available to you that can take away some of the financial stress or burden, allowing you to focus more on getting to know your chosen franchise and learning the business model.

Dos and Don'ts of Franchising - 3

When you join Footprints Floors, your initial financial investment will start at just $78,505, which is significantly more affordable and approachable than you may see with other home services franchises. However, if you choose to fund your business – both in the beginning and as you’re operating – don’t forget the financing options available to help you get started.

Don’t Neglect Business Insurance

Once you’ve launched a home services business, you’ll find yourself – unsurprisingly – in other people’s homes for everything from estimates to contractor visits. Even though each property owner will have their own form of insurance, you’ll also need to ensure you and your team are protected with your own business insurance. Depending on the circumstances or insurance company, this can cover things including property damage, financial loss and/or medical expenses due to an injury on a work site, lawsuits, and much more. Even if you rarely find yourself submitting claims, on the off chance you need it, you’ll be glad you had it.

Don’t Limit Your Scalability

When you join a home improvement franchise like Footprints Floors, you often have the option of launching with one or multiple territories to start. Regardless of how many communities you decide to service right off the bat, one of the biggest priorities you should have after learning the business model and establishing your presence is your growth. While this could be in the form of expanding into new territories, you could also choose to grow into new segments like corporate clients or expand your customer base within your existing territory by out-marketing your competitors. Whichever path you choose to take, as long as you focus on growing your business, you’ll find success with Footprints Floors.

Whether you choose to lean on a partner for support or you choose to create your own system of best practices, many of the initial challenges you may face when launching your home services franchise can be addressed by returning to these dos and don’ts. Whatever route you take to start your business, remember that you’ll have a support team cheering you on and providing you with the tools you need to overcome any challenge that comes your way!

 

Once you’re ready to pursue home improvement franchise ownership, start – and end – your search with Footprints Floors. As one of the top home-based flooring franchise investment opportunities on the market, you can start a business that helps you break into the profitable home services market with a business model that lets you focus on your customers without ever lifting a tool yourself. A better life can be just a few steps away, so learn more about how you can become the next home improvement Franchise Owner to join the Footprints Floors family today. Take our quick qualification quiz today.

Introducing Our New Franchisee Pair & How Footprints Floors Supports Owners with Marketing

Introducing Our New Franchisee Pair & How Footprints Floors Supports Owners with Marketing

Introducing Our New Franchisee Pair & How Footprints Floors Supports Owners with Marketing

Footprints Floors Franchisee Marketing Support - 1

Many new entrepreneurs choose to go into business for themselves by joining a franchise because of a few key considerations, one of which is the support team they’re connected with to handle some of the things that, if neglected, could mean the end of their business. Marketing is one of these essential but time-consuming aspects that could make or break a new home services franchise location. So, let’s take a look at the kind of marketing support you can expect from the Footprints Floors team, as well as meet our newest Franchise Owners to join the family, Alissa and Daniel Ruiz and their three children, and get to know their perspective on the assistance they’ll soon receive after their launch!

 

The Marketing Support You Can Expect with Footprints Floors

Onboarding & Marketing Training

When you join Footprints Floors as a Franchise Owner, one of the first processes you’ll go through to launch your new business is to go through our training program to learn everything you need to know to successfully launch and run your flooring franchise location. In this training stage, our team will walk you through the systems we’ve developed around our marketing processes and how we develop campaigns. This way, you’ll understand exactly how everything you do each day impacts your marketing strategy, now and in the long term.

Ongoing Support

Once you’re familiar with how your marketing works and why certain marketing strategies are used with the Footprints Floors model, you can expect complete support from our internal marketing team on everything from social media management and website development to print campaigns, educational webinars, and more. This marketing assistance will even include a fully in-house call center to handle much of the initial lead generation for you. Additionally, you’ll have a direct connection to our Founder and leadership team, so you can feel confident that no matter what question may pop up, whether it’s one month or one-year post-launch, you’ll have a subject matter expert close at hand to help you!

Footprints Floors Franchisee Marketing Support - 2

Portal Management

In the construction and home services industry, homeowners have utilized online portals and directories for years, using them to find new service providers as well as review contractors they hope to hire. While they appear streamlined from the outside, these portals, like Angi, require additional time to dedicate to their management and marketing, making it tricky to effectively oversee when you’re also launching your business as a new Franchise Owner. With Footprints Floors, our team will manage your portals for you with a budget you allocate so you can still connect with potential clients on these essential platforms while also ensuring your day-to-day tasks and projects are still receiving the attention they need to run smoothly.

Website & SEO

If there’s one thing that’s essential for a business to find success in the modern, online era, it’s a professional, accessible website. Instead of finding, managing, and paying a website developer yourself, the Footprints team will take care of building your website and invest time into your Search Engine Optimization (SEO) so your business can have an online headquarters for your clients to find you on. Additionally, our team will work on maintaining your website, updating and upgrading it as necessary to ensure your digital presence remains current as you move forward with your growth and scaling efforts with your own Footprints Floors franchise location(s).

Social Media Management

In our modern business climate, businesses are expected to be ever-online and reachable to their customers. Because of this, each Footprints Floors franchise location will receive its own social media profiles on platforms like Facebook and Instagram, all of which will be managed by our in-house team. By managing this, you won’t need to worry about recording complex, long-form videos, constantly taking photos, or maintaining a social media calendar. You’ll be free to contribute only when you want to, rather than being forced into becoming a content creator in addition to a new business owner.

Our Call Center, Direct Mail Campaigns, and More!

Since our business model is a home-based, inventory-free franchise, we supplement our marketing efforts with direct mail campaigns and a dedicated call center to answer all of your calls, follow up on your leads, and schedule appointments for you so you’ll never miss a call just because you’re on a job. Once you’re up and running, you’re never left on your own; the Footprints Floors’ team will take on the responsibility of helping you maximize your revenue, handling as much of the marketing and lead generation as possible so you can focus on sales and operations instead.

Footprints Floors Franchisee Marketing Support - 3

Regular Support Calls & Webinars

At Footprints Floors, our support team’s main goal is to ensure you launch successfully and maintain your success as you grow your business. Through our years of experience in this industry, we recognize that one of the most important things you can do as an entrepreneur is to continue learning, so we offer regular support calls and educational webinars you can attend to expand your knowledge and – ultimately – your business. During this time, you’ll also be able to connect with your fellow Footprints Floors Owners so you can network and learn from others who are running their own flooring franchises, just like you.

Join Us in Welcoming Daniel & Alissa Ruiz, Our Newest Illinois Franchise Owners!

The Ruiz’s Experience at Home & Work

Alissa and Daniel Ruiz have built colorful professional backgrounds on their own, in addition to raising their three children together in recent years. While the family decided to return to the U.S. after living in London and traveling abroad, Daniel maintained his corporate path, working as a Managing Consultant, primarily in the Financial Services and Commercial Real Estate industries. On the other hand, Alissa has focused on her role as a stay-at-home mother, working as everything from a Personal Trainer to a  Real Estate Agent along the way.

Making the Decision to Join the Franchise World

Like many others, Daniel and Alissa saw the prevalence of restaurants and food concepts in the franchising industry and were initially hesitant due to the notoriously high failure rates of these businesses. However, once they saw the service industry’s higher profit margins, lower overhead expenses, and often home-based model, they knew they were moving in the right direction. After connecting with Raintree and getting to know their portfolio of franchise brands, the Ruiz’s were drawn to Footprints Floors and jumped into the education process right away.

Footprints Floors Franchisee Marketing Support - 4

Making the Decision to Join the Franchise World

Like many others, Daniel and Alissa saw the prevalence of restaurants and food concepts in the franchising industry and were initially hesitant due to the notoriously high failure rates of these businesses. However, once they saw the service industry’s higher profit margins, lower overhead expenses, and often home-based model, they knew they were moving in the right direction. After connecting with Raintree and getting to know their portfolio of franchise brands, the Ruiz’s were drawn to Footprints Floors and jumped into the education process right away.

Footprints Floors Franchisee Marketing Support - 4

How the Couple Connected with Footprints Floors

From the beginning, the Ruiz family felt that the Footprints’ model hit many of their top wants in a franchise business, including financial returns, low cost of operations, and flexible work-life balance. With their return to the U.S. after moving home from London, Daniel and Alissa wanted to find a franchise that provided them with a support network that felt like more than just a group of colleagues but like a community they could lean on.

Additionally, Alissa is excited about the assistance she’ll receive via our call center, as well as the dedicated marketing team that will manage her marketing spend and campaign expectations on her behalf, giving her and Daniel even more time with their family. All of these things will offer the Ruiz’s with even more ways to simplify their day-to-day life and allow them to focus on what they do best: sales and project management.

Getting to Know Alissa & Daniel Ruiz

While Alissa and Daniel have their hands full, not just with caring for their young family but with getting trained and prepared to open their new business, the busy couple sat down to chat with our team to offer their insights into the perspective of the Footprints franchise process! Here is a sneak peek into some of the thoughts they shared with us:

Was there anything about the Footprints Floors model that gave you pause? How did your Development Director help you feel more confident?

Daniel & Alissa: “Yes – learning a completely new industry and managing subcontractors, [but our Development Director] talked us through real-life examples. At the end of the day, a lot of people are coming from different backgrounds – often in completely unrelated fields – however, that hasn’t inhibited their ability to become successful Footprints franchise owners.”

What do you look forward to most about owning your own Footprints Floors franchise?

Alissa: “I’m looking forward to being my own boss and bringing a female perspective to a historically male-dominated field. What set Footprints apart for me was the streamlined home flooring business model, community of support, and analytically inclined leadership approach, [and] I think my skill set will combine really well with this model to make me a successful franchise owner.”

What are you most looking forward to about having a flexible work schedule?

A: “I currently don’t work, so in some ways, I’m giving up flexibility. However, I’ve been planning to re-enter the workforce for some time now, and Footprints Floors [will] provide me [the] opportunity to stay active in our three kids’ lives while doing so. If there is an important activity (soccer game, school event, etc.), I will continue to have [the] flexibility to carve out time in my schedule to be there for my kids.”

If something in Daniel and Alissa’s story resonated with you, or if you’re excited about the idea of joining a franchise with comprehensive marketing support, you’re in the right place! When you’re ready to leave the corporate world and start a home improvement business that gives you the work-life balance you’ve been looking for, follow in Daniel and Alissa’s footsteps and join the Footprints Floors home services franchise today. Learn more about how you can become our next Franchisee candidate, and take our quick, 1-minute qualification quiz to get started.

What Makes the Perfect Territory for Footprints Floors & Meeting Our Newest Florida Franchise Owner

What Makes the Perfect Territory for Footprints Floors & Meeting Our Newest Florida Franchise Owner

What Makes the Perfect Territory for Footprints Floors & Meeting Our Newest Florida Franchise Owner

Footprints Floors has grown so much since we began franchising over ten years ago because our model easily translates to most kinds of territories. However, there are still a few areas that may not make the cut and be unable to sustain a new Franchisee long-term. Our support team has talked to prospective candidates from all over the country and looked at hundreds of communities, so we know exactly what a territory needs to be truly successful. In this blog, we’ll also meet the newest Owner to join Footprints Floors and learn all about why he realized he was sitting on prime territory for a new flooring business!

Where You Can Find Your Ideal Client

Once you know who you want to target as your ideal client, you need to familiarize yourself with them even more and consider where these customers may live – and if that’s your prospective territory. Although urban and suburban areas are perfect for sustaining and growing your home flooring business, you may still find great clients in rural areas if affluent people live in those areas of your community. Regardless of why a client may hire you to help with their flooring, it’s important to choose your territory based on the ratio of the population that fits your ideal client persona. This way, you can launch and scale without worry that you’ve already served everyone in your community.

What Makes The Perfect Flooring Franchise Territory - 1

Your Territory’s Demographics

Now that you know exactly who your ideal client is and the types of areas you can find them in, our franchise support team will walk you through assessing your territory’s demographics to ensure they match your new flooring franchise’s needs. This typically involves looking at things like housing types, recent economic growth, age group distribution, and income levels. While flooring isn’t always a need-not-want service, the real estate market has forced more homeowners into remodeling over buying a new home, so Footprints Floors Franchisees should see demand in almost any territory they choose to join.

The State of Your Local Contractor Industry

Footprints Floors’ business model works so well because it leverages 1099 subcontractors to do the installation, refinishing, and other laborious work instead of relying on W2 employees. Because of this, an ideal territory is one that has subcontractors readily available and capable of accepting your clients’ flooring work. If your hiring pool is limited or other businesses in the area have subcontractors held to non-compete clauses, then you won’t have the manpower you need to deliver on your promises and execute projects.

The Future of Your Territory

Finally, the last factor to consider when choosing your franchise territory is the direction you see it moving in. Although immediate success post-launch is the first concern most Franchisees carry, your ability to sustain a Footprints Floors home improvement business will rely entirely on the future of your territory. Certain aspects, like trends in population growth and the type of real estate growth (i.e., industrial vs. residential), will help you figure out if your choice of territory will help you grow and scale your business into an empire, or only give you sustainable success for your first few years.

Welcoming Tom DiPaolo to the Footprints Floors Franchise!

As our newest Owner to join our franchise family, Tom DiPaolo is coming to us after a long, serious look into the franchise industry. Once he made the decision to leave hotels behind, he spent years looking for the perfect new franchise business opportunity until he came across Footprints Floors! Let’s learn more about Tom and how he realized his corner of Florida is the ideal territory for his new flooring business.

Tom’s Background

Our newest home services Franchise Owner has a classic background that makes him a perfect candidate for his own Footprints Floors location: a long history in hospitality. While he moved from retail to hotels, Tom eventually opened his own independent restaurant that was, unfortunately, shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic. He then returned to hospitality to get by, most recently holding a General Manager role for a chain hotel, often wearing many hats and assisting across departments as is common in the hotel industry.

Tom DiPaolo - Florida - Footprints Floors Franchise Owner

However, Tom began to feel the wear and tear of the extremely stressful nature of running a hotel and recognized his quality of life and ability to maintain a personal life outside of work had disappeared. With his work becoming more of a mundane burden than a fulfilling outlet, Tom decided it was time to leave hotels behind and look into franchising for an escape.

“I believe [I have] a strong transferable skill set from my experience in the hospitality industry. [My] ability to empathize and adapt to different people and personalities will be a strength. Other learned skills such as organization, project management, profit analysis, [and my] understanding [of] KPIs and Sales should also transfer well.”

Getting to Know Footprints Floors

Footprints Floors may not have been the first franchise Tom looked into, but once he discovered our brand and model, he ended his search. During his search, he prioritized an affordable entry investment, fast ROI, and a much higher quality of life than what he was used to in the hotel world. Upon passing the first couple steps in our education process, he recognized that Footprints met all his prerequisites – and more.

“I liked the transparency of the company and being able to ask current franchisees questions without limitations. [I was surprised by] how vested the Footprints team [is] in the concept. There were several employees who worked for Footprints and also either owned a territory or used to own a territory. Even my Franchise Sales contact was a Footprints Owner. I felt comfortable with the core values, most notably integrity, [and] I felt the leadership was fully engaged in the success of franchisees.”

Like many others, Tom was attracted to the ROI potential shown in our Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) and the minimal need for employees. However, it was ultimately our work-life balance, simple, zero-waste approach, and Franchise Owner validation calls that encouraged him to take the leap of faith and become a Footprints Floors franchisee! Today, Tom is looking forward to his new future with Footprints Floors and his new ability to make a difference in people’s lives and leave lasting impressions on future clients. In the long run, he plans to consider scaling into an additional territory once he’s dominated his initial territory – a diverse stretch of North Central Florida.

Looking Into Tom’s Franchise Territory

Once Tom had all the reason he needed to move forward with his own Footprints Floors location, his next task was to look into his community and decide which Florida territory he would claim as his own. Tom is currently living in Monteverde, FL, but looked just north of home to Gainesville, Ocala, Leesburg, and The Village. 

This territory will include a mix of rural, suburban, and urban areas, all of which are packed with new construction and retirement communities that Tom plans to target. Although some of this territory is currently sitting undeveloped, he’s confident that the growing population will soon look toward this region and need his flooring solution for years to come!

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Our Q&A with Tom

While Tom is busy with training and preparing to launch his Footprints franchise location, he made time to sit down with our team for a Q&A! This gave us the opportunity to get to know him better and hear all about his perspective on the education and franchisee candidate process. Here’s a sneak peek of what he had to say:

How important was it for you to meet the Footprints Floors team at Approval Day?

Tom DiPaolo: “It was paramount. Relationships are huge for me. Equally important was gaining a strong understanding of what the daily routine of a Footprints Floors franchise owner would look like. I was able to learn all these things as well as develop a sense of trust and confidence in the concept.”

What was the moment you decided to move forward with Footprints Floors?

Tom: “The easygoing nature of the team placed me quickly at ease. Seeing the team in polo shirts, jeans, and cargo shorts at the first meeting felt adaptable. [The] most memorable moment for me was Bryan Park in Crocs; this made an immediate impression. I’m not sure that I had a specific ‘aha’ moment, but the most eye-opening moments for me happened during the validation calls. I probably listened to 10 hours of validations. With few exceptions, most Franchise Owners seemed very happy with the move they made in purchasing a Footprints territory. That spoke volumes to me.”

 

If you have realized your community would be the perfect spot for the next Footprints Floors franchise, or if something in Robert’s story resonated with you, what’s keeping you from taking the next step? Join the other Franchise Owners who have used their new flooring business as the means to leave their corporate job and build a legacy for themselves! Learn more about what it takes to be the ideal Footprints Floors Franchisee candidate, or take our quick qualification quiz to get started.

The Warrens Are Bringing Footprints Floors to Lebanon, Ohio!

The Warrens Are Bringing Footprints Floors to Lebanon, Ohio!

The Warrens Are Bringing Footprints Floors to Lebanon, Ohio!

Who doesn’t love a good romance story? However, instead of star-crossed lovers, this one is about the perfect franchise match that we found in Keith and Shelley Warren and the love they had for our tried-and-true business model. Even with more prime territories selling out each month, we still get excited with each new signing, and we know this latest pair of Franchise Owners feels the same way. Join us while we introduce the Warrens as our newest Footprints Floors franchisees as they get ready to open their home flooring franchise in their hometown of Lebanon, Ohio!

 

Introducing Keith & Shelley Warren, Our Newest
Ohio Franchisees

From Education & Logistics to Current Day

If there was ever a pair of ideal candidates for the Footprints Flooring home improvement franchise, it would be the Warrens! In a previous life, Shelley was a school teacher and stay-at-home mom, but over the last seven years, she has focused her time and energy on homemaking. On the other hand, Keith has a long history of work within logistics, spending over 36 years in the industry across transportation, warehousing, distribution, e-commerce, and more.

However, before Keith ever joined the logistics industry, he spent a couple of years running his own contracting business, focusing on – yeah, you guessed it – flooring. It’s almost like this franchisee relationship was a match made in heaven! His specialty was in flooring and tile installation, so we expect him to feel right at home when the time comes for him to start chatting with customers in his territory.

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Returning to Business Ownership through Franchising

In the business world, no one is a stranger to mergers and acquisitions, and Keith is no exception. This year, after having worked through his second acquisition, he knew it was time to move away from the corporate grind in favor of something that would give him control over his own schedule again. If there’s one thing that can create urgency for change in a career (and quality of life!), it’s a merger.

Once the Warrens decided to take a leap of faith, the couple began their franchise search, working with franchise brokers to learn more about franchising before settling on the home services industry. Footprints Floors caught their eye partly because of Keith’s experience in the industry, but it was our recession-proof services, Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD), and minimal seasonality that encouraged their decision to move forward and attend an Approval Day (or two).

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Getting to Know Footprints Floors

The Approval Day process is usually a one-day affair, but Shelley fell ill the night before. In spite of this, Keith powered through and attended his first of two days on his own. It was there that he had the chance to chat with other prospective Franchisee Candidates and the entire Footprints Floors support team. It didn’t take long for him to fall in love with our home flooring business model and support options.

However, he headed home and – not wanting to push his wife into franchising blind – sat down and scheduled a second Approval Day visit for the two of them. On this second date, it was Shelley’s turn to gush over the Footprints business model; this time, the couple was able to make the joint decision that Footprints Floors was the franchise for them.

The Warren’s Admiration of Our Support & Lead Generation Assistance

Footprints Floors has always worked to uphold our commitment to extensive franchisee support, and that was clear to the Warrens shortly after getting to know us. During both their initial research and their Approval Day visits, Keith and Shelley recognized how thorough we are in our business development with new and veteran franchisees alike. From our CSRs (customer service representatives) and lead generation assistance to our corporate operations support team, Footprints Floors works to ensure every new home improvement Franchise Owner feels support, regardless of the level of prior flooring experience they bring to the table.

“Over the course of my career in the logistics field, I wore multiple hats. The one thing that I just never really liked about the sales hat was cold calls [and] trying to get somebody interested in the front side. I’m really excited about the fact that there are CSRs and [about] the marketing that [Footprints] does. The entire process of lead generation starts way before anything gets into my footprint – no pun intended.” – Keith Warren

Rather than asking franchisees to spend hours cold-calling on the phone each day, only to end 99% of calls with nothing to show for their time, we work hard to walk all customer requests through the sales funnel on the Franchise Owner’s behalf. Plus, with our variety of SEO (search engine optimization), social, and other marketing programs, the Footprints Floors team also aims to generate leads in the first place, leaving home improvement Franchisees to only deal with warm calls and pre-qualified customers.

The Warrens’ Decision to Join the Footprints Floors Family

While the Warrens had committed to joining a franchise after Keith’s exit from his newly acquired company, they had a few options available to them when it came down to their final signing. After two Approval Days, Keith and Shelley felt that our home services franchise resonated with his background and their long-term goals for the future – both their individual goals as well as the hope to turn their Footprints Floors into a family business.

“Because Footprints has been around [so] long, they really have this down to a science. It’s not like we’re trying to reinvent the wheel; we just follow what they’ve already done. [Also], they’re always looking for ways to improve, and I like that they’re not stagnant.” – Shelley Warren

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Keith and Shelley Warren - Lebanon, OH - Footprints Floors Franchisees - 4

Help Us Welcome the Warrens to the Footprints Floors Franchise!

As always, our team sat down with the newest couple to join our franchise family to hear more about their experience with Approval Day, their goals for the future, and everything in between. Here is a little peek into that Q&A to get you excited about Keith & Shelley and their new Lebanon franchise territory.

“Did you have a moment where you knew Footprints Floors was the one franchise for you?”

Keith Warren: “It’s kind of a funny story because there were actually two approval days. We were set and ready to go on the first one, [but] Shelley got sick, so she couldn’t go. I wound up going on the first day and fell in love with it. I came home really excited, but also – because we’re definitely a team operation here, we don’t do anything singly – I wasn’t going to come home and force my thoughts [on Shelley]. I wanted her to see for herself. So, we scheduled another day two weeks later, and both of us went back.”

Shelley Warren: “That’s what [made me feel] comfortable saying, ‘okay,’ and believe it was something that would fit us.”

“Were you interested in the home services industry due to your previous industry experience?”

K: “Yeah, that and looking at all the things that happened with the economy in the past several years, it’s a market that’s going to continue to grow, for one. With this, you’ve got both the new installs as well as the new refinishes and things like that. So, [with Footprints Floors], you’re constantly having some avenue of having some potential income. [And], culturally, it’s a big fit with us. The entire support network and the way the company operates – everything from Bryan to Todd [to] everyone we met really resonated with us well.”

“Sitting here now, what excites you most about launching your Footprints Floors up and going?”

S: “Getting up and going! Getting finished with all this preliminary stuff and actually getting to a point where we’re actually operational is what’s making me excited.”

K: “[I’m excited to] finish the on-site training, getting a better understanding of how we’re supposed to move forward, how the entire process works, and getting in front of customers. [We want to] get that ball rolling and build something of our own that we can manage [where] we’re not beholden to some other manager’s decisions controlling where we’re gonna go in the future. We’ve got a couple of sons in their 20s that might want to jump into the business at some point in time, [so that] gives us an exit strategy and keeps the business in the family.”

While Keith and Shelley finish up their training, we know both they and our entire team are excited to see them hit the ground running with their new home flooring business and introduce Footprints Floors to Lebanon, Ohio! However, their territory isn’t the only region that’s the perfect fit for our home improvement franchise. If you’ve been thinking about jumping into business for yourself so you can take control of your schedule like Keith and Shelley, Footprints Floors is the place for you. Complete our quick, 1-minute qualification quiz to get started today!

Footprints Floors Is Headed to Sugar Hill, Georgia with Franchisee Chip Dunn!

Footprints Floors Is Headed to Sugar Hill, Georgia with Franchisee Chip Dunn!

Footprints Floors Is Headed to Sugar Hill, Georgia with Franchisee Chip Dunn!

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The Footprints Floors home services franchise has come a long way from our humble Colorado beginnings back in 2008. Since offering franchise ownership opportunities, our home state has completely sold out, and our business model has expanded into 34 other states with over 150 territories now in operation – with more territories being awarded every year!

However, despite all this growth in our past, present, and future, we still get excited with each new franchise we award. This time, we’re excited to introduce you to Chip Dunn, a former Retail Operations Manager and excited husband from the Lawrenceville-Sugar Hill neighborhood of Georgia! Let’s take a look at the path Chip took to find us and how he knew we were the right fit for him after meeting our support team at Approval Day!

Coming to Us from Georgia, Let’s Meet Chip

Chip’s Background

Every candidate who becomes a franchisee experiences a moment in their career that encourages them to take a leap of faith and go into business for themselves. For Chip, his sudden job loss from his retail store operations management position is what caused him to begin looking for new business opportunities – and, ultimately, franchising. In addition to managing operations across multiple major retailers, Chip was also a Project Manager for a national commercial security company, where he was exposed to sales and empowered to develop his own accounts.

Also, his residential real estate sales and family office supply business experience helped give him the varied background he’ll leverage as he wears multiple hats in growing his new flooring business.

Why Franchising

While Chip’s initial reaction to being suddenly laid off was to search for another 9-5 position, he eventually shifted to look at franchise business opportunities instead. After being approached by a franchise coach, Chip began to research franchises at the same time as pursuing interviews for traditional jobs. As time went on, franchising became the obvious, most viable option as he became frustrated with the months-long interview processes and the frustrating traditional job offering system.

“Frankly, I felt strongly that God was closing one door and opening another where I could actually realize my dreams.”

During his franchise search, Chip reviewed four franchises before resonating with Footprints Floors and deciding to take the next step in the discovery process.

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Getting to Know Footprints

While it was a franchise coach who facilitated the introduction between Footprints Floors and Chip, it was Chip who took the initiative to move forward with the discovery process and approval day. After researching and chatting with some of our current Franchise Owners, Chip appreciated the home-based model, low initial financial investment, quick ramp-up time, and successful, well-established business model. Additionally, after reviewing our Franchise Disclosure Document, it was the higher earning potential – even in year one – and the territory demographics of his community that sold Chip on the Footprints franchise concept.

Meeting the Team at Approval Day

Approval Day is a chance for potential franchisees to meet with the Executive and Support Team in Colorado, spend a day with them to get to know each other, and see the Footprints Floors business model in action. While not everyone who attends goes on to join the flooring franchise, Chip Dunn was one who liked what he saw and used that experience to make his final decision to become a home improvement Franchise Owner.

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“My decision was 90% made prior to Approval Day, but there were a few things that sealed the deal for me. I was impressed that the executive team made time to load up strangers like myself in their personal vehicles, tote them around to job sites, and make themselves available to answer any questions while providing a ‘day in the life’ overview of a Footprints Owner.”

However, he didn’t attend Approval Day on his own. Although she won’t be directly involved in the business, Chip considers his wife a huge part of any decision in their life, and it was her belief that franchising with Footprints was a viable business option that validated Chip’s decision. Plus, once Bryan Park answered his question on the origin of the Footprints name and its meaning, the Dunn’s felt they had confirmation that this was a company rooted in relatable principles and integrity, and they knew it was a great fit for their life.

His Decision to Move Forward

After returning home from Approval Day, Chip knew that while he was ready to pull the trigger and become a home services Franchisee, he needed the second opinion of the person closest to him: his wife. Together, they saw the unique, proven business model supported by our team and operational systems, in addition to our low initial financial investment, low overhead expenses, and quick ROI. With her careful scrutiny leading to her full support, Chip was ready to take the next step and officially sign on with the Footprints Floors flooring franchise.

Bringing Footprints to His Corner of Georgia

Once Chip decided that Footprints was for him, he looked toward his Georgia territory, which was determined to stretch from Sugar Hill northward to Gainesville, eastward to Athens, south to Monroe, and back west through Lawrenceville and Buford. This market will likely have tremendous revenue potential for both solid hardwood floors and refinishing services, and Chip also suspects tile and laminate surfaces will also be in demand in these neighborhoods.

This territory represents a great mix of existing homes and homeowners who not only plan on renovating and updating their existing properties but also look toward new construction and areas for future development. With a mix like this, it looks like long-term sustainability won’t be hard for Chip to come by. There will also be a vast demographic of middle to upper-middle-class communities within this territory, giving our newest home improvement Franchisee plenty of opportunity to introduce Footprints Floors to Lawrenceville-Sugar Hill, Georgia.

Join Us in Welcoming Chip to the Footprints Floors Family!

The Footprints Floors team sat down with Chip for a Q&A to hear from him what he thought of our discovery process, what about his background has prepared him for this, and what he’s most looking forward to with opening his own Footprints Floors location!

“What was the most surprising thing you learned during the education process?”

Chip: “The Footprints Owners I spoke with during the discovery process were all operating at a much higher level than those in other franchises I investigated. They were much more responsive, they could speak to their numbers, they were mostly consistent in how they operated their business, they were very candid, and there was little to no discrepancy in how they answered the same questions. With other franchise opportunities, these things were absolutely not true. I felt like there was a clear business structure and competence with Footprints Owners that was simply lacking elsewhere.”

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“Why do you believe you will be successful with this franchise?”

C: “[My] years of exposure in a retail environment has uniquely equipped me to run my own business both in terms of a P&L operational aptitude but also from a service-first mentality. The blueprint is already drawn [at Footprints Floors], so it’s literally a matter of duplicating what’s been designed.”

“What are your goals with owning Footprints Floors, and what are your long-term entrepreneurial goals?”

C: “I have a number of personal financial goals I’d love to achieve, but I’m singularly focused on that being a byproduct of serving my customers with absolute integrity and commitment to exceeding [their] expectations. Additionally, I look forward to giving back to charitable causes [that] positively impact children, veterans, and first responders. [My long-term] goal is to build a successful legacy business that can be taken over by my son and perhaps also move into other home service trades.”

“What excites you most about your Footprints Floors location?”

C: “Every Footprints Floors territory is designed to demographics that are proven to be successful. All I have to do is follow a proven plan, and the business is just waiting to be captured. My service area has tremendous growth potential.”

 

As our team works to bring Chip on board in the Lawrenceville-Sugar Hill area, we’re also looking forward to our next new home services Franchise Owner! If Chip’s story resonates with you, or you can imagine yourself in his shoes as he prepares to open his new business, you’re in the right place! To learn more about how you can leave the corporate world behind and join the Footprints Floors family, contact our team to get started!