All in the Family

Besides running three franchises in the Columbus, Ohio, area, Angel and Craig Pendleton, 36 and 34, respectively, also home-school their four children. Luckily, the franchises are a great way to teach their kids important life lessons.

Follow your heart: While in their twenties, the pair worked as House Doctors employees, doing home repairs. They enjoyed the work but wanted something more. "We just wanted to be able to call the shots," says Angel. So they followed their instincts and bought one of their employer's existing locations, under the name House Medic, in 1998.

Never give up: "Our business has had a lot of highs and lows," says Angel. Over the years, the two drifted away from the House Doctors franchise model by doing big remodels to compete with larger companies. Now, with the franchisor's guidance, they're refocusing on their niche--the small handyman jobs bigger businesses won't do.

Give back: Angel visits Girl Scout troops to show them how to do home repairs. She also participates in school career days to teach kids about owning a business. And because giving also means receiving, the Pendletons' community involvement also serves as an effective marketing tool for their businesses.

Though running a franchise has meant some hard-learned lessons for the Pendletons, sales have reached as high as $400,000 a year. "This was probably the smartest thing I ever did," says Angel. "I just love owning a business."

This article was originally published in the March 2008 print edition of Entrepreneur's StartUps with the headline: All in the Family.