There are many benefits to purchasing a small business franchise, including ongoing training and immediate access to negotiated rates from suppliers, as well as marketing and branding resources. However, entrepreneurs may want the flexibility of working from home and avoiding the pressures and expenses that come with operating a brick-and-mortar location.
A home-based franchise doesn’t require some of the hard costs associated with many in-person retail franchises. In the home improvement trades, those benefits deliver immediate reduced operating costs and conveniences to the owner. Additionally, home-based franchises allow you to be anywhere and stay on top of the business.
One: A Home-Based Franchise Cuts Down on Overhead and Startup Costs
Investors looking for a franchise opportunity typically assume the only option is to buy into something like a fast food or retail business. However, the franchise landscape has changed quite a bit in the past decade.
Unlike, say, a Taco Bell or UPS Store, home-based franchises allow you to operate (exactly as the name implies) primarily from your residence. A home-based franchise also gives many of the same advantages and resources of purchasing into a business with a track record, from suppliers to financing. Another advantage? You don’t have the additional physical overhead to keep up, including:
Commercial rent
Janitorial and cleaning services
In-person customer service staff
Skilled cooking and kitchen personnel
Point-of-purchase systems
Outdoor/landscaping maintenance (snow and leaf removal, etc.)
Exterior maintenance (painting, roofing, glass/windows)
When you invest in a home-based franchise, you can start working the minute you finish your training. Without the hassle and pressure of a physical location, you’re ready to hit the phones and start selling on day one, providing you with a faster ROI.
With a home-based roofing franchise, all of your materials can be drop-shipped directly to the customer’s home, saving you potentially thousands on space and insurance. Investing in a roofing franchise also includes the training you need along with marketing support, experienced installers, and negotiated pricing agreements with suppliers.
Two: Home-Based Franchises Are Exactly What They Sound Like They Are
Imagine waking up and jumping right into the workday without having to get into the car. During the pandemic, the work-from-home shift became an unfortunate and necessary pivot. Today? Many more people are simply interested in keeping their “work-from-home life” in the long run. A home-based franchise offers you the convenience of working from home without the expense and risk of building your brand’s reputation from scratch.
While there are always hard costs associated with any business, you save yourself considerable earnings when you don’t have to travel to the same physical location every day. According to estimates from Bankrate, a daily commute can cost upwards of 19% of a worker’s annual income.
Today, home-based franchises are more convenient than ever due to advantages like high-speed internet and smartphones.Your customer won’t know that you’re at the grocery store or in your living room when you answer the phone on the first ring.
Yes, construction and home trade professionals need to travel to job sites to bid and execute work. But consider that you may have colleagues who can work with customers closer to where they’re located as the business expands. If you’re worried about travel time, limit your geographic service area to help you save money and time on the road.
Three: Home-Based Franchises Offer Better Flexibility
Home improvement and construction trades offer a unique opportunity for entrepreneurs. Why? Because you conduct the majority of your work in a potential customer’s home no matter where the business itself is based.
Roofing contractors start the sales process at the customer’s house. All of the estimating and presenting is conducted where the job will be executed. Just like plumbers, painters, and electricians, roofers do need a space to store materials, but can do the rest of the work from the comfort of their own home.
Today’s consumers and homeowners are busy, and are equally comfortable with electronic communication, including emails and text messages for critical scheduling and pricing questions. You or someone else on staff can bring samples of roofing materials with you prior to the start of the job, so a showroom isn’t necessary.
This is clearly more convenient and typically more cost-effective than scheduling and training staff for a brick-and-mortar location.
Four: A Brick and Mortar Comes with Extra Costs
Hiring and training a new employee is expensive, especially full-time staff. It can cost anywhere from $1,000-$5,000 to onboard new staff, and that doesn’t include the cost of management and supervision. In short: Full-time, in-person staff is expensive. Franchise owners of in-person retail locations typically work at the store or visit their businesses regularly to inspect the premises, meet with staff, etc.
With a roofing franchise, you automatically offset those costs by only having to visit a job site to do the installation or when you’re bidding a new job. Also, your customers don’t have the same expectations of visiting an in-person location for many home improvement trades today.
Investing in a home-based improvement franchise often includes providing you with access to trained staff so you don’t have the same cost burden of hiring, training, and insuring workers.
Five: A Roofing Home-Based Franchise is Evergreen
Roofing is a growing business and that’s not likely to change any time soon. A roof is typically a chief concern for homeowners. Unlike other upgrades like a new appliance or vehicle, a new roof is nearly always viewed (or should be) as a top priority. Homeowners may put off buying a new refrigerator or a new car, but if the roof starts to leak (or if they know it needs to be replaced) that usually happens sooner than later.
While the roofing business is constantly evolving with newer materials and technology, the trade itself isn’t going anywhere. Buildings will always need a reliable roof. With more and more homeowners expected to enter the market, the space will remain competitive for the foreseeable future.
Where Can I Find More Information about Investing in a Home-Based Roofing Franchise?
Honest Abe Roofing has revolutionized the home improvement and roofing industry with our best-in-class roofing franchise business. We’re celebrated in the industry for offering both our franchisees and customers with the same level of excellence that’s led to our success: Trust, value, and quality.
Our cost-effective, in-house financing model provides you with an affordable way to start a business. Whether you want to make extra income during your golden years, or are looking for a home-based franchise that you can call your own, reach out to our team today to discuss our opportunities.