Please join me in welcoming Andy to the site! As I have said before, I am willing to take on new features as I have someone to sponsor them. Well, Andy has stepped up and agreed to sponsor a weekly Q&A article, which I'll share (probably every Friday) on the site.
Andy is an expert in connecting folks with franchises. He's not here to "sell" anything to anyone, but, if you're stuck in the corporate rat race or looking to diversify, Andy can be a tremendous asset for you and can help. He'll be around checking in on the board, so feel free to reach out to him here or privately and he's happy to be a resource. He's a friendly guy and I've found it very easy to connect with him.
So with that, here is an introduction to Andy. Feel free to ask questions in this thread.
Chris: Gives us a little background on yourself:
Andy: I was born in Dallas and grew up in Atlanta and played tennis in college at a small private school called Birmingham-Southern College. After college, I traveled all over the Southeast taking various corporate sales jobs before settling back into Atlanta in an executive role with a Belgian-based company with US headquarters in Atlanta. In 2012 we decided to leave Atlanta, start a franchise, and raise our family in Fairhope, AL – which is an amazing town for those that have never heard of it or think that everything Alabama is backwoods-redneck. I am married and have 3 children (Acker 11, Percy 10, Catherine 4). My first franchise I bought (and still own) was a non-medical homecare franchise called Synergy HomeCare. It has been an amazing run and allowed me the financial opportunity to diversify into other businesses. Today I own Synergy, Big Red (dumpster company) and a franchise consulting company, My Perfect Franchise.Net, where I help others find franchises that match their DNA, so to speak.
Chris: What inspired you to own your own franchise?
Andy: As I mentioned, I was following the corporate career path, living in Atlanta and working for a company based out of Belgium. As our business grew, I started to have global responsibilities, which was fun while single and the first year of marriage. First class flights everywhere, free drinks, places to stay…was lots of fun, until our first child came. Then I started realizing that I was never around for all the important stuff. First word, step, or when my wife just needed some sleep…. I was never home to be a dad or a husband. Something had to change. So, that is when I started my search. I didn’t’t know what I was searching for but I saw something online about franchising, filled out a form and then got linked up with a franchise consultant that helped match me up with a business based on my skill sets and the business characteristics that I was interested in. The process that I followed to find my first business worked so well and was valuable and informative that I decided to help others with the process as well.
Chris: Are there franchise options for me if I have a full-time job and limited time to devote to a hands-on startup in my community?
Andy: Yes, there are 2 types of ownership models, owner-operator and semi-absentee. In an owner-operator system the franchisors require the owner/franchisee to work full time in the business until it matures. My homecare agency is owner-operator but I now run it semi-absentee, working 5-10 hours a week on the business. In semi-absentee franchises, the franchisors don’t want the owner working in the business but working ON it, scaling the business through multi-unit growth. They want owners to work 10-20 hours a week while letting their manager run the day 2-day operations. Good examples of this are Orange Theory, Supercuts, Massage Envy. You typically don’t see the owners ever in those types of franchises as they are all manager run.
Chris: Has the pandemic led to any "buy-low"-types of opportunities with franchisors offering sweet deals to prospective franchisees?
Andy: No doubt the pandemic brought unique opportunities. Some franchisors were reducing royalties, delaying royalties, and offering unique incentives to become a franchisee now. Those deals really aren’t available anymore as most franchise systems are back to business as usual. Real Estate has softened and tenant improvement money (TI) is higher than ever and that should only get better as retail is getting hit hard right now. On the flip side, construction costs have increased recently as well.
Chris: Over the course of a phone call, could you suggest franchising opportunities to me, based on my background, expertise and experience?
Andy: Not one call as I need to learn a good bit about each candidate I work with and then spend time matching up with franchises behind the scenes. The process works like this:
1) Introductory call - to get to know each other, discuss overall process.
2) Consultation - about an hour call where I learn about you and your skills, background etc.… 3) Matching call where I introduce you to franchisors that meet your criteria.
4) Introductory calls with each franchisor …. then the true due diligence process starts with each brand matched with.
And that is when the fun really starts. The franchise due diligence process is not an ‘ask Google’ session. It is very comprehensive, with multiple calls and webinars with the franchisor learning about Marketing, Operations, Unit Economics, calls with other franchisees for their feedback.
Chris: Does looking into owning your own franchise make sense for someone who is in the latter stages of their traditional career and somewhat displaced due to the pandemic?
Andy: Franchise and business ownership is not for everyone. There is significant risk involved. But where there is risk there is also significant reward. I have unlimited PTO now. I make more money than I ever imagined making in the corporate world. My schedule is mine. I eat lunch with my kids, take them to school, coach their teams…. all because of the quality-of-life franchise ownership has given me.
Chris: Is financing available? What does that look like?
Andy: Yes. Lots of different options there from SBA, 401k rollovers. Right now, the SBA is offering a unique stimulus package as well. They were paying the first six months of any new or existing loan, now through September it is three months.
Chris: What is the typical cost for your services?
Andy: My services are always 100% free! Working with me is a no-brainer for someone that wants to learn about franchise options and business ownership in general. I get paid a commission from the franchisors and in return they get very qualified, high-level, engaged candidates as I work with my candidates to educate them on franchise ownership and prepare them for each step of the process.
Chris: I know you have strong ties to Tennessee having gone to school in Chattanooga. How crazy has it been to see Nashville change so much in the last decade or two?
Andy: I did go to McCallie, in Chattanooga but really didn’t get to know Nashville until college and after. I remember when I was in college (94-98) Nashville was known as the town with the Honky Tonk bars. I was in the KA fraternity in college and we would go to Nashville for Old South and hit those bars and have a blast, especially the red necks in my fraternity. These days Nashville has turned into the best big city in the South. I have an aunt in law that explained Nashville as the recession proof city due to all the various industries that have big presences in Nashville. Anyway, I love the city and just got back from there a few weeks ago, after spending a week up there.
Chris: Speaking of Nashville, how closely have you followed what’s gone on with Vanderbilt athletics in recent years, and particularly the rise of the baseball program?
Andy: I’m a HUGE college baseball fan and have absolutely watched the empire that has been built at Vandy. My 11yr old son has too. In fact, he’s a smart kid and we always tell him we would love to see him as a student there. Well, he’s got his dreams set on playing college baseball at Vandy now. He’s a huge Texas fan too, but due to all the love my wife and I give Vandy, the proximity to us, and the success of the baseball team, it’s his dream school as of today!
Can I also say that I thought what happened to NC State kind of took the luster out of this years CWS though? That was tough.
Chris: You’re a Texas fan. How excited are you about Texas joining the SEC, and what do you see the Longhorns bringing to the league—not just in wins and losses, but what Texas adds to the culture and passion around the league?
Andy: Well, Texas will travel well first of all. Texas fans are super excited to have road trips to cool college towns and meaningful games. Waco, Ames, and Manhatten, KS aren’t on anyone’s priority list for a road trip!
Texas is known to have a very well-mannered fan base that isn’t quite as ruthless as some big SEC programs. Some refer to that as our ‘t-sip’ mentality. ‘T-sip’ is short for ‘Tea Sippers’….and the aggies love calling us that. And to that, I think you will find a pretty polite fan base traveling around. At home, we aren’t a fanbase that makes the environment too rowdy, that’s for sure. Hopefully more meaningful games will light the flame for some of the fans.
Chris: So, what are your favorite college sports memories?
Andy: So many, but today the top 4 come to me like this….
Andy is an expert in connecting folks with franchises. He's not here to "sell" anything to anyone, but, if you're stuck in the corporate rat race or looking to diversify, Andy can be a tremendous asset for you and can help. He'll be around checking in on the board, so feel free to reach out to him here or privately and he's happy to be a resource. He's a friendly guy and I've found it very easy to connect with him.
So with that, here is an introduction to Andy. Feel free to ask questions in this thread.
Chris: Gives us a little background on yourself:
Andy: I was born in Dallas and grew up in Atlanta and played tennis in college at a small private school called Birmingham-Southern College. After college, I traveled all over the Southeast taking various corporate sales jobs before settling back into Atlanta in an executive role with a Belgian-based company with US headquarters in Atlanta. In 2012 we decided to leave Atlanta, start a franchise, and raise our family in Fairhope, AL – which is an amazing town for those that have never heard of it or think that everything Alabama is backwoods-redneck. I am married and have 3 children (Acker 11, Percy 10, Catherine 4). My first franchise I bought (and still own) was a non-medical homecare franchise called Synergy HomeCare. It has been an amazing run and allowed me the financial opportunity to diversify into other businesses. Today I own Synergy, Big Red (dumpster company) and a franchise consulting company, My Perfect Franchise.Net, where I help others find franchises that match their DNA, so to speak.
Chris: What inspired you to own your own franchise?
Andy: As I mentioned, I was following the corporate career path, living in Atlanta and working for a company based out of Belgium. As our business grew, I started to have global responsibilities, which was fun while single and the first year of marriage. First class flights everywhere, free drinks, places to stay…was lots of fun, until our first child came. Then I started realizing that I was never around for all the important stuff. First word, step, or when my wife just needed some sleep…. I was never home to be a dad or a husband. Something had to change. So, that is when I started my search. I didn’t’t know what I was searching for but I saw something online about franchising, filled out a form and then got linked up with a franchise consultant that helped match me up with a business based on my skill sets and the business characteristics that I was interested in. The process that I followed to find my first business worked so well and was valuable and informative that I decided to help others with the process as well.
Chris: Are there franchise options for me if I have a full-time job and limited time to devote to a hands-on startup in my community?
Andy: Yes, there are 2 types of ownership models, owner-operator and semi-absentee. In an owner-operator system the franchisors require the owner/franchisee to work full time in the business until it matures. My homecare agency is owner-operator but I now run it semi-absentee, working 5-10 hours a week on the business. In semi-absentee franchises, the franchisors don’t want the owner working in the business but working ON it, scaling the business through multi-unit growth. They want owners to work 10-20 hours a week while letting their manager run the day 2-day operations. Good examples of this are Orange Theory, Supercuts, Massage Envy. You typically don’t see the owners ever in those types of franchises as they are all manager run.
Chris: Has the pandemic led to any "buy-low"-types of opportunities with franchisors offering sweet deals to prospective franchisees?
Andy: No doubt the pandemic brought unique opportunities. Some franchisors were reducing royalties, delaying royalties, and offering unique incentives to become a franchisee now. Those deals really aren’t available anymore as most franchise systems are back to business as usual. Real Estate has softened and tenant improvement money (TI) is higher than ever and that should only get better as retail is getting hit hard right now. On the flip side, construction costs have increased recently as well.
Chris: Over the course of a phone call, could you suggest franchising opportunities to me, based on my background, expertise and experience?
Andy: Not one call as I need to learn a good bit about each candidate I work with and then spend time matching up with franchises behind the scenes. The process works like this:
1) Introductory call - to get to know each other, discuss overall process.
2) Consultation - about an hour call where I learn about you and your skills, background etc.… 3) Matching call where I introduce you to franchisors that meet your criteria.
4) Introductory calls with each franchisor …. then the true due diligence process starts with each brand matched with.
And that is when the fun really starts. The franchise due diligence process is not an ‘ask Google’ session. It is very comprehensive, with multiple calls and webinars with the franchisor learning about Marketing, Operations, Unit Economics, calls with other franchisees for their feedback.
Chris: Does looking into owning your own franchise make sense for someone who is in the latter stages of their traditional career and somewhat displaced due to the pandemic?
Andy: Franchise and business ownership is not for everyone. There is significant risk involved. But where there is risk there is also significant reward. I have unlimited PTO now. I make more money than I ever imagined making in the corporate world. My schedule is mine. I eat lunch with my kids, take them to school, coach their teams…. all because of the quality-of-life franchise ownership has given me.
Chris: Is financing available? What does that look like?
Andy: Yes. Lots of different options there from SBA, 401k rollovers. Right now, the SBA is offering a unique stimulus package as well. They were paying the first six months of any new or existing loan, now through September it is three months.
Chris: What is the typical cost for your services?
Andy: My services are always 100% free! Working with me is a no-brainer for someone that wants to learn about franchise options and business ownership in general. I get paid a commission from the franchisors and in return they get very qualified, high-level, engaged candidates as I work with my candidates to educate them on franchise ownership and prepare them for each step of the process.
Chris: I know you have strong ties to Tennessee having gone to school in Chattanooga. How crazy has it been to see Nashville change so much in the last decade or two?
Andy: I did go to McCallie, in Chattanooga but really didn’t get to know Nashville until college and after. I remember when I was in college (94-98) Nashville was known as the town with the Honky Tonk bars. I was in the KA fraternity in college and we would go to Nashville for Old South and hit those bars and have a blast, especially the red necks in my fraternity. These days Nashville has turned into the best big city in the South. I have an aunt in law that explained Nashville as the recession proof city due to all the various industries that have big presences in Nashville. Anyway, I love the city and just got back from there a few weeks ago, after spending a week up there.
Chris: Speaking of Nashville, how closely have you followed what’s gone on with Vanderbilt athletics in recent years, and particularly the rise of the baseball program?
Andy: I’m a HUGE college baseball fan and have absolutely watched the empire that has been built at Vandy. My 11yr old son has too. In fact, he’s a smart kid and we always tell him we would love to see him as a student there. Well, he’s got his dreams set on playing college baseball at Vandy now. He’s a huge Texas fan too, but due to all the love my wife and I give Vandy, the proximity to us, and the success of the baseball team, it’s his dream school as of today!
Can I also say that I thought what happened to NC State kind of took the luster out of this years CWS though? That was tough.
Chris: You’re a Texas fan. How excited are you about Texas joining the SEC, and what do you see the Longhorns bringing to the league—not just in wins and losses, but what Texas adds to the culture and passion around the league?
Andy: Well, Texas will travel well first of all. Texas fans are super excited to have road trips to cool college towns and meaningful games. Waco, Ames, and Manhatten, KS aren’t on anyone’s priority list for a road trip!
Texas is known to have a very well-mannered fan base that isn’t quite as ruthless as some big SEC programs. Some refer to that as our ‘t-sip’ mentality. ‘T-sip’ is short for ‘Tea Sippers’….and the aggies love calling us that. And to that, I think you will find a pretty polite fan base traveling around. At home, we aren’t a fanbase that makes the environment too rowdy, that’s for sure. Hopefully more meaningful games will light the flame for some of the fans.
Chris: So, what are your favorite college sports memories?
Andy: So many, but today the top 4 come to me like this….
- Vince Young and his Rose Bowls (and all his domination throughout his UT career)
- Ricky Williams breaking the rushing record while running into the endzone with aggies on his back
- Kick 6 by Auburn over Alabama
- Bo Kimble shooting a free throw left-handed in the tourney in memory of Hank Gathers
