According to this former sales and marketing manager of a
dry-cleaning franchise system, he is "pretty handy."
Still, Matt Eggenberger, 45, knew he'd need a lot more than
that if he was going to get his Mr. Handyman franchise off the
ground. Eggenberger opened his franchise near Cincinnati in
February 2001 after leaving his job in January. His division had
been closing, and, with nearly 10 months of warning, he decided to
go into franchising for two reasons: the value of a name brand and
the support franchises provide.
In fact, the franchisor was an indispensable resource during the
earliest days of Eggenberger's business--they taught him
everything he needed to know about fixing stuff. "I've had
to learn about ladders," he says, laughing. "How to
conduct safety meetings, how to maintain Material Safety Data
sheets--I really didn't have to worry about that in my
marketing job."
It was also difficult to adjust to doing everything himself.
"When you're in the corporate world, you can plan your
day," he says. "When you're starting a new business,
everything you do is something new...you have to be the accountant,
receptionist, customer service--everything."
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But the payoff is 2002 sales projections of $1 million.
"It's fulfilling knowing you're building equity every
day," says Eggenberger. "You can see the results of your
decisions."
Originally published in the July 2002 issue of Entrepreneur Magazine
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