Latest / The SmallBizChat with Melinda Emerson / How to Franchise Your Business Overseas with Angela Williams

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How to Franchise Your Business Overseas with Angela Williams · The SmallBizChat with Melinda Emerson

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  Three, two, one, zero.
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  Ignition.
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  Lift off.
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  Ending small business failure.
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  Welcome to the Small Biz Chat podcast with the number one small business expert, Melinda
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  Emerson.
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  Melinda's goal is to end small business failure, and she'll give you the information
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  you need to succeed and live the life you dream of.
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  Now here's your host, the small biz chat lady herself, Melinda Emerson.
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  Have you subscribed to the small biz chat podcast?
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  Well, it's time.
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  Every Wednesday, we offer listeners bite sized actionable tips to start and grow a successful
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  small business.
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  In just twenty minutes or so a week, you can get a ton of insight and resources to propel
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  your business forward.
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  Be sure to subscribe to the Small Bitch Chat podcast today.
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  Angela Williams is president and co founder of Detail Experts Franchise Systems LLC, an
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  innovative eco friendly mobile cleaning franchise redefining automotive and commercial
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  cleaning.
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  They are a fast growing mobile detail franchise with more than 90 units, and she has deep
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  expertise across finance, technology and operations, and she's leading the company
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  towards an ambitious goal of over a thousand franchisees.
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  For more information, you can go to www.detailexperts with an x, not an e.net.
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  So Angela, welcome to the Small Bitch Head podcast.
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  And please tell us, you know, how did start?
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  Like, how did Detail Experts start and how did you guys get to the point where you wanted to
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  franchise?
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  Thank you so much for the opportunity to share.
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  I'm so excited to share.
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  Detail Experts was actually the idea of our son when he was eight years old.
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  He said to dad, my husband, Emmanuel, why don't we start a business cleaning cars with steam?
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  I mean, why is the eight year old thinking about that?
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  I don't know, but it was a great idea.
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  So Emmanuel, who's totally fascinated with steam and everything mechanical said, I don't
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  know if I can or not, but let me see.
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  So he twirled around with it for two years and then eventually he said, I got it.
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  I figured out a method to clean the extra portion of vehicles with steam, and we
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  submitted a patent at that time.
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  Now my role, being counter that I am, and I said, all right, well, if you figure that part
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  out, then I will begin to help you market the business.
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  So once we got our operations solid, we brought in a consulting team that helped us put the
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  franchise system together.
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  So we've been franchises since 2008, which is absolutely exciting.
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  But if you think about what was happening in 2008, it probably wasn't a great time to start
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  any business, let alone a franchise.
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  So we were fortunate in that we learned a lot and we were able to franchise internationally
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  in Dubai and Abu Dhabi before we franchised in The U.
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  S.
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  So we're super excited, helping franchisees provide cleaning services using our eco
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  friendly patent pending STEAM method.
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  Alright.
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  So help me understand what in the world made you franchise outside of The US before you
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  franchised in The US?
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  Like, that seems like the harder way to do things.
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  So help me understand how you did that.
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  You know, I wish I could say it was planned, but sometimes in business, especially for
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  entrepreneurs, you have to go with where the opportunities lie.
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  We were actually contacted by the Royal Family of Dubai and Abu Dhabi asking us about our
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  system.
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  They were excited because it used less water and what they said to us at that time, hey, we
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  have all the money, we have great luxurious vehicles, but we don't have water and this
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  system could work.
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  So soon after doing all of our investigation, etc, we flew over to Dubai for three weeks and
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  there we were.
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  We were in international waters even before we had begun to expand the franchise here in The
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  U.
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  S.
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  Wow, so talk to us about what were some of your early challenges with that though because it
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  couldn't have been like easy peasy lemon squeezy, right?
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  Oh, absolutely not.
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  Now remember, they are on a two forty system in The US.
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  We're on a 120, so you have to think about the electrical outlets, etc.
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  But more so than anything, it was understanding that not only did they not have water, they had
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  a sand problem.
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  So it's not as easy to keep a Rolls Royce looking nice and shiny with this wonderful top
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  coat and their sand blowing around.
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  So if there was a sandstorm, that was an issue.
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  But I would say the most complicated thing is they were so far away.
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  So thank goodness long time ago, we just used Skype.
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  We didn't do all of this podcasting stuff, but we were on Skype sharing, and it was easy for
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  us to build a connection that easy over Skype.
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  So how did you so from when you kinda figured it out, how how fast did you grow from when you
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  started in 2008 from, you know, to where you are now?
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  How fast did your franchise systems grow?
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  Like, was it like 10 more franchises a year?
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  Like, like how did you grow?
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  What was your plan for that?
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  Yeah, so what was exciting, we had our very first franchise November 2008, and to this day,
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  he's still a franchise owner.
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  Then we had our second franchise in 2009.
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  That was a family, a young family of franchise owners.
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  And then it was that point, I would say the financial or financing industry was kind of
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  slowing down.
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  So people were holding on to the money that they had or they could not get the financing
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  that they needed.
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  So for us, it was twenty eleven, twenty twelve when we started the conversation
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  internationally.
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  So that's when it really blew up because we were able to sell a master franchise, so
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  multiple franchises at once.
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  Then I would say after that, it was when the economy started to come back in twenty
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  fourteen, twenty fifteen.
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  There were new opportunities for financing, so therefore we were able to expand and literally
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  it grew so fast in twenty fifteen-twenty sixteen-twenty seventeen.
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  It's one of those things where be careful what you ask for because you just might get it.
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  So tell us a little bit about your franchise.
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  So what is the buy in?
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  What is the all in?
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  Like, what do you like, tell us what it if I wanted to raise my hand and be a detailed
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  expert franchise today, like, what what is involved in that?
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  Yeah, so the financial investment and I'm going to do simple.
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  Of course, with any business, you need to have operating capital.
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  So it's 70,000 that you need to have to get into the franchise.
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  35,000 of that is the initial franchise fee and roughly 35,000 to get the business going
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  marketing your vehicles, signage, etc.
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  It's a mobile business, so therefore there's not a lot of overhead for building.
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  We've since offered options where they can have a stationary location as well.
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  But the idea is 70,000.
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  Then if you want to add multiple units, it can go upwards of 180,000.
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  So 70,000 basically to get in, plus the ability to scale that business.
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  All right, all right, but the good thing about it is sort of like once it gets set up you just
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  put your open light on and you go out there and get you some customers, right?
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  Absolutely, absolutely.
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  Okay, so now tell us about where you are now, right?
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  So you're at 90,000 franchise units now?
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  Yep, 90 franchise units now.
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  So what's exciting is all of these years of experience, we have been able to help our
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  franchise system understand the dos and don'ts.
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  And with any business, it's a proven system.
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  So we know exactly from your marketing what you need to do every day to make sure you're out
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  there.
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  A closed mouth obviously is not going to get fed.
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  So it's important that our franchisees follow the system and follow the model.
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  As we look at where we are right now, I would say we have transitioned to more of a
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  relationship based franchise.
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  And what I mean by that is, is repeat clients.
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  We primarily service business to business clients.
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  So the Ryder, the Snyder, car dealerships, etc.
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  We're providing services for them that two weeks later we're providing that same service
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  to them all over again.
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  So you have that repeat business.
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  It gives you an opportunity to be able to not only meet your financial obligations, but
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  you're building a deeper relationship with that client.
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  I love it.
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  So, but tell me now, when you think about what keeps your business tight, what are some of the
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  culture markers that have been key to your growth?
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  Like it seems like everybody might not be cut out to do this.
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  So how can you how do you sort of like what kind of systems do you have to maintain the
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  culture of your organization?
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  Well, I'm glad you said that because once you start growing the business, that is a big fear
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  that culturally it could change and I would say that's for franchise system or a family
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  business in general.
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  We meet with our franchise owners often so they are immediately signed a coach and that coach
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  meets with them on minimum once a week And then we meet as a group, all of the franchise owners
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  on a monthly basis.
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  Then we have wonderful conferences that can be delivered in person.
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  And during COVID, we did a lot on Zoom and that type of thing to keep individuals connected.
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  And then we also go out and visit.
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  Maybe that wasn't so prevalent during COVID, but now we go out and visit the franchise
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  owners to see what struggles they may be having, what kind of support they may need,
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  etcetera.
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  So it's that ongoing communication, having a dedicated person to each one that matters.
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  Now how big is your team?
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  Everyone gets assigned a coach.
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  How big is the team that sort of like operates home office if you will?
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  Yeah so there is 17 individuals in home office and each coach could work with up to 15
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  franchise units.
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  Oh, wow.
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  Okay.
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  Okay.
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  So now tell me something.
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  Let's just talk about franchising in general.
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  What do you think makes the franchise model more attractive for entrepreneurs than just
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  starting a business?
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  Yeah, it's really one of those things where you get a jumpstart.
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  A lot of the processes, a lot of the marketing, a lot of the standards that would be needed in
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  the whole system.
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  It's not just one thing.
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  It's the whole system is already set up.
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  It's a proven system.
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  So if you can follow the system and you are coachable, you work along with your coach, then
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  you can achieve that success when you start from scratch, you're kind of figuring it out
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  all by yourself.
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  Not to suggest that in franchising there is not a learning curve because just like you start a
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  new job, there's a learning curve, but in this, the learning curve is shortened because there's
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  a system already laid out.
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  What do you think are some of the biggest misconceptions people have about franchise
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  businesses?
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  Yeah, I think this is probably true anytime you're working with someone in business and
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  that is so when I buy this franchise, I'm automatically going to be successful, right?
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  No, no, that is a myth.
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  You still have to do the work.
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  You have to do the work.
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  So part of our marketing strategy is you have to be out in the community because we don't
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  want this to seem like a corporate franchise from over there.
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  You are local.
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  You are the local representation in your space, so therefore you need to be out.
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  Another misconception is I'm going to be able to make all the money I made in my corporate
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  job tomorrow.
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  No, that's not how it works.
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  I mean, definitely you can get there and that is the goal for most.
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  If we can help most of our new franchise owners get to a standpoint of what they were making
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  previously, they're happy campers, but part of that is the ramp up and you do, any
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  entrepreneur, you're gonna have to spend more hours building your own business, let's say,
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  than you were working for yourself, period.
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  So we kind of help franchise owners get over the fact that this is not just another job,
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  this is something that you are building for your own legacy.
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  So a lot of times I have heard people in the franchise industry, especially when I go to
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  franchise shows because I'm involved in the franchise industry certainly because I teach
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  people who buy franchises how to sell.
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  What my business is.
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  But one of the things that I hear when I'm on the floor listening to people is they talk
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  about this concept of absentee owner.
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  Like you can buy this business and hire you a manager and you know you go off and do what
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  you're doing.
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  What do you think about that?
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  True or no?
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  I think there's some truth to it but but but but but and this is a big but.
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  To be a absentee or semi absentee owner, you have to trust the team that you've hired.
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  If you have a lot of experience in that, and the people that you are putting in front of the
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  day to day to grow your business have experience in doing that, that's one thing.
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  But you cannot say, I'm gonna let my brother-in-law do it.
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  And you know what?
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  He knows nothing about this business.
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  He'll figure it out as he goes.
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  That I think that there will be a lot of disappointment.
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  Semi absentee can work, meaning the franchise owner is involved in the business development,
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  perhaps they're involved in the marketing, and there is someone that manages the operation of
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  the business.
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  But to totally remove yourself from the business operations, I would say is a no no.
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  If you spent money on this business, you need to be there to grow it and if you can't, just
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  have enough money to hire a team of individuals that can make sure your business grows.
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  Okay, well I think that's fair.
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  I just feel like here's what I know after twenty six years in business.
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  If you think you're going to buy a business and be an absentee owner right away, you're giving
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  somebody a license to steal from you and they'll be able to do it before you realize
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  they did it.
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  And so I'm like, I'm not saying that you can't work yourself out of having to be involved
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  heavy in the day to day, but you gotta plan on a year or eighteen months being in there doing
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  the work every day.
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  Like I just, I hear all these people all the time that say all these ridiculous things and
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  I'm always like, look, if you don't know the business, you gotta make sure you know the
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  business before you hire somebody else.
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  That's why I always get in my team's face when somebody wants to tell me how hard it is to do
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  something or how long it should take to do something and I have to remind people that
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  before I had all of y'all I used to do all these jobs.
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  Yes.
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  So I'm very much like I call BS sometimes on people that want to tell me why it took them
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  four hours to do something that could take an hour, right?
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  So I think that it's important to give people a realistic idea and that doesn't say that you
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  can't, you know learn the business and you know become a multi unit holder and have multiple
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  things going on but you got to know how this business runs, yes?
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  Oh absolutely and I would say one step further even if you are going to be semi absent from
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  the business, you have to know how to do the business just in case.
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  You need, let's just take it like this, we have customers where you have to access their
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  facility.
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  If you are a absent owner someone doesn't show up, can you even get in?
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  Ask yourself that.
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  If the answer is no, then I would say that's probably not the right model for you.
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  And then also too, right, employees sometimes don't show up.
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  Yes.
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  That's a real thing.
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  That that is an absolute real thing.
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  I would love to say, oh, no.
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  AI is gonna fix that.
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  That's not one thing that AI is gonna fix.
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  Not early.
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  So if you had someone that was interested in a franchise, not necessarily your franchise, but
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  a franchise, what is the best piece of advice you could give them?
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  The best piece of advice is find something that you can get excited about.
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  And I'll give you an example.
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  One of our early franchise owners, his name was Kurt, and Kurt was a high level executive at
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  one of the food delivery service.
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  And his thing was, know, hey I'm not really a blue collar person but I can figure it out.
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  An exciting part about Kurt, he has exceptional leadership skills.
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  He had the ability to get people to do more than they even imagined that they could do and
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  for that reason he was able to run a very successful business that he was able to grow.
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  So my advice is find something that you can get excited about even if it's not something that
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  you've done in the past, but you can totally get excited about.
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  Be willing to learn the business itself and once you learn the business definitely have
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  leadership skills enough to attract the right people to help you continue to grow that
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  business.
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  Love it.
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  All right, last question for you.
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  What is the best business advice anyone has ever given you?
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  The best business advice I've ever gotten is you need to be prepared to be a business owner.
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  I didn't know what that meant, but it's what she was really saying, her name was Monica, and
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  what she was saying to me is you need to get your ducks in a row.
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  This is not a situation where I'm going to get a business because I have no money at all.
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  It is because I have stacked away and I know I have access to resources over and beyond the
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  cost of getting to the business.
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  Without doing that, I think it's just too stressful.
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  It's one of those things where you don't even know if you can pay your mortgage or your rent.
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  You can't really operate a business from that state in a successful manner.
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  So get your ducks in a row.
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  That was the best business advice, and I tell everybody that every time I can.
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  I love it, I love it.
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  Thank you so much Angela Williams.
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  She is the President and Co Founder of Detail Experts.
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  You have been a wealth of information and knowledge today and we really appreciate you.
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  I am so excited to invite all of you to the NEXT ACCE CEO Summit, which is taking place
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  January.
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  If you are a woman who is 45, who has been out of work, looking for work, girls stop looking
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  for a boss.
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  It's time for you to become the CEO and I can't wait to show you how.
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  So if you want information, you want to grab your tickets, head over to
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  smallbizladyuniversity.com/nextactceosummit because I want to help you become the CEO and
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  build wealth that will change your life in ways unimaginable.
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  So with that, I leave you all, and this is always true.
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  You never lose in business.
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  Either you win or you learn.
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  I'm Melinda Emerson, your host.
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  God bless everybody.
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  Thanks for listening to the Small Biz Chat podcast with Melinda Emerson.
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  Subscribe to this podcast wherever you listen to podcasts, and join us next Wednesday for
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  more fantastic information and interviews.
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  You can find more sources and small business success strategies by visiting Melinda's
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  website, succeedasyourownboss.com.
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  Thanks again for listening, and we'll see you next week.