With me today is a great, longtime friend, Mark Titcomb, VP of Franchise Development with First Service Brands to talk about some of the sexiest franchising brands and why flooring and paint are some of the sexiest brands in all of America today. Mark unravels his past from when he first stepped into the painting and how that streamlined into franchising:
“I started as a kid, and it’s been twenty-seven years. I started outside of Boston and parlayed that into equity. Since then, I’ve had equity, where I’ve written checks. I have also owned five of our own independent businesses. So, both franchising and independent start-ups. So, I can appreciate the power of franchising, having had those five independent experiences as well. One day, I asked myself, “Why am I going to work hard building someone else’s dream, when I could begin working hard to build my own? So, I started with College Pro Painters. I managed kinds, and we painted 78 homes were in 14 weeks with that franchise. I then moved to Connecticut and did that on a grander scale. We built this half-billion-dollar franchise on service. Our only point of disruption was to serve the homeowner better. We have Home Depot and Lowe’s leading the charge in that flooring space. And once you get out of that big-box, good luck. I mean, imagine them trying to serve you in your home. So, that’s been another exciting frontier for us, is disrupting the big-box concept, kind of like what Amazon’s been doing. I am now at Floor Coverings International. As we’ve put forward a service approach, which is first service brands, all of us as homeowners know, service is pretty miserable. When you get work done around the home, communication’s terrible. We’ve changed that with CertaPro Painters as we built a half-billion-dollar franchise, and we’re doing the same thing here at Floor Coverings International. We have built a half-billion-dollar company on service.”
Mark discusses stepping out of comfort zones, to which he refers as “dragons and dreams”:
“Folks have to figure out first, their dream. Figure out what it is for and what’s important to you and your family. What will you have done over the next six to eight years following smart, measurable goal-setting? What will you’ve done, where you know you’ve lived that’s going to inspire you to battle and vanquish those demons and dragons? Demons and dragons are simply fear itself, false evidence appearing real. It’s going to appear very real to you when you’re facing big opportunities and changes in our life. Begin with your dream. Make them goals, make them reality to motivate you!”
Mark addresses the reason why he may refer a candidate and their characteristics should they not be the perfect fit for his business:
“Life’s about who you’re doing it with, especially with whom we choose to spend our lives in franchising. Leadership’s a big deal. We need to be working with folks across our brands that are interested in building a business that they can work on. The more mature franchise systems are going to anticipate them and help you through them. Maybe a little more ahead of the curve, yet still, you need to have grit, you know, with that dream and ability of building a team.”
People will often ask me, “Are you going to tell me if I’m not the right fit for this?” I say, “You know what? I’m not.” Nineteen years of wisdom have taught me that I cannot predict who is going to be successful in a franchise. The number one predictor of success in a franchise is you, the owner. How much do you want it? It’s what you wake up and do with that system. We know the plan works, but we don’t know is how well are you going to work the plan? And that’s going to determine whether you’re successful or whether you’re not. People often ask me, “Well, what are your statistics, Kim? What are your success rates?” I say I don’t own any success rates. I’ve helped thousands of people, hundreds to become business owners. But I don’t own their success. I don’t own their failure. What they do with the moment when they show up with their franchise, it’s one hundred percent on them, and so, it’s on you.”
If it’s your first time owning a franchise, you will have to face the “dragons” of fear and uncertainty. That’s why I’m here! This is to help you understand the process and what you’re up against, and coach you through it.
For further information on First Service Brands, visit them at http://fsvbrands.com or comment below and I will be glad to make a personal introduction to Mark Titcomb. I hope you’ve enjoyed our conversation, and I hope that your mind is open to some of those unsexy brands that a consultant may bring to you!
Please e-mail me now to schedule your free consultation, and don’t forget to like and subscribe to The Daly Coach YouTube Channel!