Success with ShelfGenie does not mean you need to have a degree in Interior Design, or any kind of installation or construction experience. In fact, most of our most successful ShelfGenie Franchise Partners didn’t have ANY prior design or installation experience before joining the ShelfGenie franchise family and they are seeing great returns on their investment – building a sustainable and profitable business in custom, pull-shelving.
The ShelfGenie franchise model functions beautifully when enterprising and entrepreneurial franchise partners approach it as an executive model (as opposed to an owner-operator business), where the role of the owner is to work ON their business, not IN their business. As those franchise partners will attest, it’s crazy how a little wooden box can change your life…even without design and installation experience!
Here are three things these successful franchise partners do that help them make the most of the ShelfGenie franchise opportunity:
1. Work On The Business, Not In It
You may be wondering what this means, exactly. How can I not be IN the business I own? This means, as the franchise owner, you focus on developing a team of Installers and Designers who do the work for your business. They become your specialists.
It’s crucial for franchise partners to understand the role Designers and Installers play. As a partner, you want to be recruiting, training and mentoring great teams.
2. Building a Great Team
Designers and Installers for each ShelfGenie location go through extensive training to ensure they are the experts and represent the brand effectively. It is important to pick great people for these positions – they are the building blocks of your business (here’s how it works).
Designers attend ShelfGenie University to access content-rich lessons, including sales and design processes. In the training courses, new designers will apprentice with veterans on your staff – building mentorships under your guidance. Our unique 3D design process is self-taught with templates and programs ShelfGenie has developed to make it easy to draw 3D versions of projects. The training accessed through ShelfGenie University is vital as these employees could be your customers first face-to-face interaction with your franchise. Designers are taught to make the most of their time in a client’s home, which is the most impactful part of the design and sales process.
You’ll need to pick top-notch candidates as Installers who already know their way around a toolbox. We will build on their existing skills with a three-day mandatory training class. These craftsmen learn time perfected techniques to measure and install all ShelfGenie products properly and efficiently, supporting our Lifetime Warranty.
Part of choosing an effective team means you aren’t focused on each designer or installer appointment because you want the bird’s eye view of your business – knowing that the key is picking the right people for your team, those who can connect with your clients and pinpoint their organizational needs. This will result in client referrals, allowing you to grow and scale your business with Designers and Installers who do their jobs impeccably.
3. Focus on the Big Picture
As a ShelfGenie owner, you can understand why running too many design appointments can take you away from your ultimate goal – building your business in that territory. If supported by a great team, franchise partners can scale a substantial business by spending their time managing the books, participating in community events, building partnership/referral relationships, and focusing on the big picture.
Unlike some franchises, a ShelfGenie franchise partner shouldn’t run their territory as an owner-operator business model. The company culture is franchise partner focused – that is what makes us special. We hope you are inspired by the executive business model and eager to take on an entrepreneurial challenge with ShelfGenie!
Interested in learning more about the ShelfGenie franchise opportunity? Download the free franchise information report here.
