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!

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