Developing leadership skills and having fun were chief reasons a junk removal and moving franchise appealed to these entrepreneurs
Spend five minutes talking with many corporate employees, and you’ll find entrepreneurs with big ideas. That’s why so many, like Lisa Tully, are eager to start a College Hunks Hauling Junk franchise. She and her husband, Bryan, a law-enforcement professional, saw a way to put their leadership training to work. They now are building their own business while helping Jacksonville, Florida, residents de-stress and declutter their lives.
What were you doing before College Hunks Hauling Junk?
Lisa: Bryan retired from law enforcement in California four years ago and was working part-time as a road ranger here in Jacksonville, while I had a lengthy career as an IT executive.
What made you want to operate your own business?
Lisa: I was tired of corporate life and have always wanted my own business. Not just to be my own boss, but to have the opportunity to use my leadership skills in developing others and having fun doing it.
Why College Hunks Hauling Junk?
Lisa: College Hunks Hauling Junk struck a note for both Bryan and me. All of the organization’s core values really resonated. “Building Leaders” is something I have prided myself on throughout my career.
Bryan: I identified with “building a fun and enthusiastic work environment” the most. We researched several franchises, and College Hunks rose to the top in each of the categories that were important to us. While we certainly wanted earning potential, the culture had to be right, and the franchisor support had to be right. For us that meant a proven process, but also the freedom to run our own business.
What sets your College Hunks Hauling Junk franchise apart from other moving and removal companies in your area?
Lisa: It’s no contest. First, there is no other national brand that performs both services. Additionally, no other moving or removal service has a company culture that attracts, retains and develops a team that consistently delights their clients. While we are all independently operated, we also benefit from the years of experience in the industry from our brethren franchise owners.
Do you see yourselves as mentors for your employees?
Lisa: We absolutely see ourselves as mentors, and we see that as one of our primary roles. It’s the one that we are most eager to exercise. Even if our employees are not enrolled in school, we want to work with people who are students of “life-long learning” who can benefit from our experiences, and we can benefit from theirs.
How do you plan to get the word out about your business?
Lisa: It’s already begun. I was featured on a local news station “Scam Alert” a few weeks ago when I alerted the media to a small-business scam. Since we got our first truck in January, we have been “parketing” (driving the truck and parking in visible locations).
We also have initiated a direct-mail campaign, and once we have additional staff we will be guerrilla marketing in key areas throughout Jacksonville. Of course, we will also be making ourselves very accessible online. Our goal is to develop relationships throughout Jacksonville and become a greater part of the community.
What do you need to do to be successful in this franchise?
Bryan: Service and quality are first and foremost. That said, we must remain diligent to our marketing activities or we won’t have the opportunities to “wow” clients.
What are you hearing from clients?
Lisa: Our clients appreciate the type of service we provide; our HUNKS are Honest, Uniformed, Nice, Knowledgeable and Service-oriented. Our clients want to have a stress-free experience, and that’s what our teams are designed to provide.
What do you like about the business?
Lisa: I love that each day we have the opportunity to mitigate the stress in people’s lives, whether that be because we are removing clutter or safely moving their valuables. Even if just for a brief moment, we get to touch people’s lives, and we have the ability to turn a stressful situation into a positive experience.
Would you recommend this franchise? Why?
Bryan: We would absolutely recommend this franchise, and there is a long list of reasons why we would do so. I will start with what many would see as the most pragmatic, which is the opportunity to make real money. The company culture also was a deciding factor for us; the fact that the founders, headquarters operations and the franchise owners actually live that culture is a rare thing to find.
Lisa: The franchisor support from headquarters has been great, as has the support from other franchise owners — we all live the brand and want College Hunks to succeed across the nation. This franchise has values that matter; an energy that is contagious and a culture that absolutely rocks!
Here’s an example of what I mean: While walking near the College Hunks Hauling Junk headquarters when we were in Ybor City for a meeting, we were looking up at the signs just down the street. A young man approached us to see if we needed help finding something. We didn’t need help, but we did notice the shirt he was wearing — can you say ‘always branding?’ — had the College Hunks Hauling Junk logo prominently displayed.
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