DreamMaker Remodeling Franchise

DreamMaker makes an extra effort to reach out to customers on a personal level. We don't just take orders for jobs, we ask detailed questions and get to know people so that we are able to truly enhance their lives with the work we do. That commitment to the person, not just the job, is really encapsulated in our Code of Values. I've heard several of my clients tell me that when they were looking for a contractor, they had guys come in, ask what they wanted and just take measurements. When I come in, I ask about them and their family, and they tell me that no one else has done that, and it made them take notice of me as someone who cares. Another advantage is that DreamMaker, being a franchise, has a aura of size and legitimacy. We're not just one standalone company in your community, we are part of a bigger network of companies that has preferred vendors and ongoing training. And of course, it's great to be able to get advice from another owner. As an independent, if I had tried to call my competition down the street for advice, they would've looked at me like I was crazy. How does DreamMaker help you stand out? The marketing help is huge. Before DreamMaker, I did almost no marketing - it was mostly word-of-mouth referrals. DreamMaker offers a marketing system that covers the gamut of any kind of marketing you can think of - everything from yard signs to websites. They also teach you how to build recognition by using a thorough marketing plan, which keeps you at top of mind. If you are getting ready to remodel and you have driven by DreamMaker yard signs 10 times, seen an ad in the newspaper, seen a headline online, seen a Google search result, you are going to give us a try. How do you develop your marketing plan? Each franchise owner has a coach who helps with that, and you can also call people at corporate who can help you develop your marketing plan. And they give you ways to track your marketing to see what is working and what isn't, and understand where your leads are coming from, so you can adjust and get the best return. It's an ongoing process. How important is previous remodeling experience? I personally think it's important to have some kind of experience in construction, but it really depends on who you surround yourself with in your company. If you are a very good businessman who has a competent person he trusts who knows remodeling, you could put him in a place of prominence in the company. They really have a very well-rounded business model that covers every aspect of running a remodeling company. It sounds overly simplistic, but if you plug yourself into the system and run the system, it's incredible. I think the mistake I made early on was trying to take the systems and add them to my company rather than using the systems to run my company. These systems are like a road map. How has DreamMaker impacted your life? I am more profitable - that's the big one. Because I'm not working so much, I have a much better quality of life. And my name is also better known. People didn't know my business before, but in the five years I've been with DreamMaker, people now recognize my business. That's all part of the good branding. I also now have a couple of employees, and this business supports them and their families, too. I have a nice standalone office that I go to every day instead of a messy home office. And the DreamMaker mentality of serving the community has really made me feel like I'm having an impact. I wasn't just put here to make money and retire some day. I was put here to make a difference in people's lives, and DreamMaker helps me do it. How do you feel like you improve lives? We have a sector of the business that we call Independence by Design, which helps people with mobility issues. We will redo bathrooms or kitchens to help them live in their house rather than having to move to assisted living or something. It's been said that the bathroom is the most dangerous room in your house, but it doesn't have to be. We're getting ready to build one for a 98-year-old lady who is recovering after she fell down the steps, and we are going to make her a nice walk-in shower where she can sit down and be comfy and not worry about falling and slipping. Helping people like that is the biggest thing. You mentioned you're able to work a lot less. How has your life changed? Before, I would get up real early in the morning and start working around 6 a.m., go get materials for jobs, meet guys on jobsite at 7 a.m., work until 4, then grab a bite to eat at home and run back out to run a sales call. Then, I'd go back to work in my office until 9 or 10 p.m. Now, if there was something special going on with the kids, I wouldn't work, but otherwise, I worked all the time - including Saturdays. I used to like to do woodworking and camping and bicycling and canoeing, but I was always consumed by work. I wasn't making time for myself, which I needed. Now that I have embraced the systems and am operating more efficiently, my hours are more 7-4 or 7-5. I do occasionally work a couple of hours in the evenings, but I went from 80 hours a week to probably 50-55 hours a week - and it's not the hard physical work that I was doing before, it's more thinking and sitting at my desk. I actually have the energy to do the things I enjoy doing when I get home. I used to be completely exhausted. That's one of the reasons I was ready to buy a franchise. I was in my mid-40s, and being a carpenter for 25 years takes a toll on your body. I couldn't see myself doing it when I was 55, 60, 65 years old. I needed to change what I was doing to something that would keep me in one piece! Also, I had tools and trucks, but no real business structure to sell. If I retired, I probably would sell everything and look to get $20,000 to $30,000 out of it. With DreamMaker, I have been able to build a good, solid company that is a tangible asset that someone will want to buy, or that I will be able to pass on to a family member or a loyal employee. There are systems and support that make it a good investment. Now that you have more time for fun, what are you doing with it? My wife, Pamela, and I have four kids and four grandchildren, and I have time to travel and take our camper nice places. We just discovered a nice beach called Sandbridge Beach (near Virginia Beach), and have plans to camp in the mountains. I'm also doing more gardening and have started to get into solar power. I like to tinker. I'm also planning to get into woodworking again. When my dad retired, he started doing woodworking and selling knick-knacks at craft fairs, and he made pretty good money at it. I have his original plans for toys and other things, and I look forward to making those things again. I also plan to start making furniture. It's nice to have time to do those things again.