Smooth Moves
This franchisee got his big break when an opportunity showed up on his doorstep.
By Jodie Carter
Mike Moran wasn't looking to start his own business when
opportunity came knocking on his front door-literally. Moran had
been working in the freight industry for 12 years and was wondering
how he could break into a new field, when his former college
roommate, Andy Hoiland, showed up on his doorstep offering the
perfect solution: an existing
Jet-Black franchise for sale in Moran's hometown of St.
Paul, Minneapolis. Nine years earlier, in 1988, Hoiland and his
brother, Doug, had co-founded Jet-Black, a niche business
specializing in driveway sealcoating and repair.
"When Andy came to my door, I really wasn't in a
position to [invest in a business], but I did it anyway. It was a
no-brainer," says Moran. After witnessing Jet-Black's nine
years of growth, Moran couldn't let the opportunity pass him
by. "I already saw the success Andy and Doug had. I knew that
if I just followed their system, I would have great success with it
as well."
Not wanting to take on too much risk at once, Moran, 40, started
his Jet-Black franchise in 1997 while working days as a manager at
FedEx. After two years of working double duty, he quit his FedEx
job to focus on his growing Jet-Black franchise."What I saw
[in Jet-Black] was an opportunity to improve my quality of life.
Instead of being married to a job, I'm dedicated to my
business," says Moran.
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He learned a great truth about being a successful franchisee:
"Sometimes, [good business] means going way out of your way
for a customer," says Moran, who has done everything from
moving rocks to washing driveways after a rain shower so
sealcoating doesn't stick to customers' shoes.
That dedication to detail and commitment to making sure every
customer is 100 percent satisfied has paid off. In the six years
since he started, Moran's sales have tripled; he expects this
year's sales to reach $200,000.