Gregg Prescott worked with Motorola for 10 years, five years
designing and selling two-way radio systems, then five years
distributing the company's products. During that time,
Prescott, 37, and his partner, Steve Brodack, 37, were looking for
a business of their own and found the ideal opportunity in
commercial cleaner Jan-Pro's master franchisee program. As
master franchisees, they're responsible for selling individual
franchises, coordinating training and providing support services to
franchises in a specific geographic territory. The partners
currently have about 80 franchisees in their Delaware Valley
system, which covers southern New Jersey and southeastern
Pennsylvania.
We spoke with Prescott about what it takes to be a master
franchisee and why he loves it.
Franchise Zone: Why did you want to be a master
franchisee?
George Prescott: We were looking for a service business that
was sales- and marketing-driven, as both of us primarily have sales
experience. The Jan-Pro master program was exactly what we were
looking for.
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What does being a master franchisee entail?
Basically, we divide [responsibility] into two parts--my partner
handles outside sales and oversees our sales department, and I
handle franchise sales and the daily operation of the business. We
secure contracts for [our franchisees], and train them on handling
those contracts and performing the actual services. Then we help
manage and follow up with them and their customers to make sure
everything is going the way it's supposed to and [that] the
customers and franchisees are satisfied.
What were some challenges in starting up the
business?
Our biggest challenge was that we didn't know too much about
the janitorial business and franchising when we started, which is
why we went to a master franchise type of plan. Jan-Pro provided
all that information for us, so we could just focus on growing the
business. Our challenge was just [facing] the unknown [of] when you
start a new business and aren't exactly sure what to expect,
but it's been strong since we started and it continues to be
so.
Do you have any prior managerial experience that helps you as
a master franchisee?
Absolutely. I have a background in sales management and general
management. That definitely helps, from an administrative
standpoint. The main focus of the business is sales, selling
franchises to people who want to own their own business.
For you, what are some of the highlights of being a master
franchisee?
The biggest reward is really getting to have an impact on
people's lives. We are able to take somebody who would not
necessarily be able to get into their own business, and make them
successful with our program. We've done that time and time
again with people who have limited capital and working knowledge of
how to operate a business, but have the desire to own their own
business. You can take people like that and really help them grow a
good-sized business that supports their family. That's the best
part of this business.
What do you do in a typical day?
I meet with franchise owners--either existing franchise owners or
prospective franchise owners--follow up with customers and just
take care of the business, making sure the bills are paid and
people are where they're supposed to be.
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