Why a Plumbing Franchise is a Best-Bet: Q&A with bluefrog Plumbing + Drain CEO Gary Findley
Visionary CEO opens up about how he helps franchisees thrive and the tremendous potential of the plumbing industry
If Entrepreneurs interested in owning a home services business knew how dynamic, interesting, and potentially lucrative the plumbing industry truly is, more entrepreneurs would be on the path to financial independence. The plumbing industry may not be sexy, but it is one of the only recession-resistant opportunities in the home services space. When a homeowner has a plumbing leak, that issue needs to be addressed immediately.
The best part? You don’t have to be a plumber or have any knowledge about the plumbing industry to succeed with bluefrog Plumbing + Drain. Our culture is about teaching people to thrive in business. We get up every morning and we go to bed every night driving revenue and asking ourselves, “how do we drive more revenue to our franchisees?”
This culture is the result of our visionary CEO Gary Findley. As an experienced franchisor, Findley has helped propel Restoration 1 to become the fastest-growing restoration franchise in the nation, and now he plans to help bluefrog Plumbing + Drain rapidly expand across the nation.
In this interview, Findley dives into how his own upbringing has affected his career in franchise development, the unseen value of the plumbing industry, and much more.
How would you differentiate bluefrog Plumbing + Drain franchise from other franchises?
Findley: We’re a very non-typical franchise company with me as CEO. I grew up in the country and I’m all about work. I’m not about sitting in meetings with suits and ties on; I think the last time I had a tie on I was at a funeral and and that’ll be the next time I have one on as well. So we work, that’s what we do. When they had the Houston floods, my staff went down there. They took a boat and got in the middle of it and that’s what we’re all about. It’s worked for us and it’s worked very well for our business.
Where does your passion for helping businesses and business owners come from?
Findley: This goes back to back to my roots of how I grew up in the country. There were 23 people in my graduating class and I knew everybody in town. I was related to most of the people in town and I married one of the people in my class — still with her today. My roots are about community, about people helping each other. It’s very important to me to watch other people have the opportunity to build a business and succeed. I think it’s just who I am.
What does it mean to you to be a successful franchisor?
Findley: Franchising is supporting your franchisees. Taking care and putting systems in place, teaching them to become better, and how to drive revenue for them. Helping your franchise owners drive their own revenue. It’s a relationship business and it’s about customer satisfaction. Your franchise owners are your customers and you need to make sure they’re happy and that they’re succeeding in their businesses.
Why is the plumbing industry a great business model?
Findley: It is recession-resistant because if you have a problem in your home, if you have a toilet back up, if you have a pipe break, if you have roots growing up in your yard that bust your pipes, it has to be fixed. It is a bit of a sleeper business — a true business with great opportunity in high volume. What we do (at blueFrog Plumbing + Drain) is we actually help them find their plumber. There’s a need for somebody with a plumber’s license and we provide that. There’s nothing sexy about being a plumber, but if you want to build a business or an organization that can grow and make money, that’s what this is. It’s about structuring an organization.
Why should anybody invest in bluefrog Plumbing + Drain franchise?
Findley: Now is a great time to invest in a blueFrog Plumbing and Drain because in the past five or six years plumbing has changed and so we are taking the staffing that I have found, I think some of the best of the best in the industry, put them here and created a business model. The service industry and franchising have never been hotter.
What’s the biggest thing you’ve learned in your experience in the franchising industry?
Findley: If I’ve learned anything over the past 30 years it is that the real bread and butter is that you’ve got to have good training and you’ve got to have support. If you don’t do that, if you just focus on selling franchises, what’s going to happen over time is that franchisees are not going to be making the kind of money they need to make.
Bring a new and secure plumbing business to your community today
A blueFrog Plumbing + Drain franchise is a low-cost investment opportunity offering high growth potential Join this fresh new brand as it spreads throughout the nation in 2019 and beyond. Standard franchise costs range from $109,730 to $361,015 — or $37,230 to $203,515 for a conversion franchise — much less than the usual plumbing franchise brands due to the lack of brick and mortar expenses.
For in-depth details about the blueFrog Plumbing + Drain franchise opportunity, fill out our free franchise information request form. You also can learn more by calling 877-699-2637