Shack Shine Blog

Category Archive: Latest News

1. With franchising, you’re given the roadmap to be successful

   October 27, 2021 12:30 pm Leave a Comment

   

   Carl Zitofsky had already been thinking about making the transition to business owner, but when his position in a corporate job was eliminated, he knew it was time to pull the trigger. For Carl, choosing franchising over starting from scratch came down to the structure and the systems. Find out what motivated this Franchise Partner to run his own business, and what makes him most proud about being an entrepreneur. 

   Q: What made you want to own a business?

   I’d actually looked into owning a business a few times. I’m over fifty, and it was time to take control of my future. I had been working in my previous role through the pandemic, and just as I was preparing for my next move, my position was eliminated. It kind of felt like a sign!

   Q: Why now – what was it that made you take the leap? 

   I’m in a good position financially. After the crash of ‘08, I had started exploring other options. By the time the pandemic hit, I knew it was time to pull the trigger: I wanted to work for myself rather than working for others. 

   Q: In your opinion, what are the benefits of joining a franchise system? 

   Hands down, the structure. I’m entering an industry about which I know essentially nothing. By joining a franchise, you’re joining an operation that has learned what works and what doesn’t. You’re given the right roadmap to be successful. Brian Scudamore often talks about being “willing to fail” – with so many years of experience in franchising, this is a system that will help me avoid these mistakes. Another reason is that I come from a corporate background, so I tend to work better with structure. Franchising also gives you a network of other people that are doing exactly what you’re doing – they’ve done it already, so from Day 1 you’ve got a network to ask questions.

   Q: Why Shack Shine, what made this the right fit? 

   The investment, for one: it was an opportunity that fell within the budget I had. When I first moved here there were hardly any homes; now there’s thousands of them. I didn’t see any other companies doing what we do, especially not any that have over 30 years of franchising experience behind them. 

   Q: What are you most looking forward to about being a business owner?

   My ultimate goal is to become a respected brand in my neighborhood: right now we’re brand new, but I’m looking forward to the day that we’re well known around the community. And then it’ll be about supporting the local community and giving back. There’s also the work-life balance aspect of things, and being able to go on vacations – all of that stems from the success of the business. 

   Q: What are your passions / interests / hobbies – what makes you happiest and motivates you? 

   I’m an avid golfer, as it allows you to meet a whole lot of people but also be on your own at the same time. It’s great for networking as well. I’m also really proud and motivated by 5-star reviews: when friends and neighbours have confidence in you, that’s what makes it all worth it. Being my own boss also allows me the flexibility to be more involved in my kids’ lives, which is incredible.

   Q: Tell us about your territory, what makes it unique? 

   I have most of the northern part of Delaware. I moved from New York to Middletown, when it was very small – a gas station and a few shops, but not much else. Now, there are more schools, more shopping, everything. But, it still has that small town feel to it. It’s been amazing to see how much this community has grown, to witness the transformation. I love living here, and all of the growth has provided more opportunities to live, work, and play in my own backyard. 

   Thank you and congratulations on your business Carl! 

   Find out more about our franchise opportunities here.

2. How fate led this Franchise Partner to Shack Shine

   September 27, 2021 2:51 pm Leave a Comment

   

   After coming across Shack Shine, this family-oriented, animal-loving Franchise Partner experienced what we often call a “lightbulb moment”. Cody Smith had been looking at entrepreneurship for many years, but never found an opportunity that lined up with his value system. That is…until he found Shack Shine. Find out more about Cody’s journey into business ownership below!

   Q: What made you want to own a business?

   CS: I’ve always enjoyed taking leadership, building a team, and having that flexibility to run a business on my terms while learning from the best. I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about what type of business was the best for me and my lifestyle. With franchising, I’ve always been motivated by the idea that you’re not jumping in alone, you’re jumping in with a bunch of people who have the same goal of helping people. 

   Q: Why now – what was it that made you take the leap? 

   CS: I don’t believe in coincidences: everything happens for a reason. I had looked at entrepreneurship for about 7 years, but the opportunities just didn’t line up with my values or my vision for the future. With Shack Shine, I had that lightbulb moment and all the pieces of the puzzle just fell into place.

   

   Q: In your opinion, what are the benefits of joining a franchise system? 

   CS: I left the automotive industry in March of this year. When I was in that industry, I didn’t feel like I was being supported at all. With the franchise model, you’re working with happy people who are always smiling and goal-oriented. Unlike some of my previous roles, I now feel like when I need support or have questions, I have a network of Franchise Partners to reach out to who are willing to help at the drop of a dime. 

   Q: Why Shack Shine, what made this the right fit? 

   CS: Funnily enough, it actually came to me afterwards! Once I was in the business for about a month, I realized that there aren’t a lot of people in the house detailing space. And if they are, they aren’t doing it the way Shack Shine is. My goal is to have happy, repeat customers — to be able to provide a service all year round that’s going to keep people coming back. 

   Q: What are you most looking forward to about being a business owner?

   CS: I enjoy being able to lead, while showing my team a proper way of doing things. I’m also looking forward to the freedom to make choices on how I want to spend my time and live my life — that’s really exciting to me. 

   Q: What are your passions / interests / hobbies – what makes you happiest and motivates you? 

   CS: Family, for sure: my daughter and my partner. We love animals, too! I’m in the outdoors constantly, and when I’m not working I like to do sports: I love going out golfing at least once a week. I spent a lot of time in my 20s not feeling excited for life, so enjoying every day and doing the things I want to do is really important. That’s something I want to be able to bring to other people. Mental health is very important to me, and I want to work to help people with that as much as I can. It doesn’t hurt that Shack Shine plays right into that with the big smiley face! At the end of the day, I’m a dreamer: I like to dream big things even when people tell me I’m crazy — I guess that’s why I love entrepreneurship! 

   

   Q: Tell us about your territory, what makes it unique? 

   CS: The landscape is really unique: we’ve got some densely populated areas but we also have rural parts with huge properties and homes. These are mansions that have so much glass and detail — all the architecture that goes into some of these homes is mind blowing. On the other hand, you can also work on a commercial site — like a condo with many units — so you really end up experiencing both ends of the spectrum.

   Thank you and congratulations on your business Cody! 

   Find out more about our franchise opportunities here.

3. It’s all about building something that you can be proud of

   August 11, 2021 10:39 am Leave a Comment This Franchise Partner had been keeping an eye out for business ownership opportunities for years, but nothing stuck — that is, until he found Shack Shine. From the model’s scalability to the internal culture, Brian Garland knew from the get-go that he had finally found the right fit. Read on to learn more about his journey into entrepreneurship below.  Q: What made you want to own a business? BG: I’ve always wanted to be able to have something that I built from the ground up. I wanted something that could fit into my life, instead of being a part of Corporate America. Owning a business just sounded like the best way to do this: something that I can be proud of and live the life I want to live — not only financially, but in terms of time with my family.  Q: Why now – what was it that made you take the leap?  BG: I don’t think it was anything to do with timing per se. I’ve been looking on and off for the past 5 years, just checking what’s out there. I thought a lot about franchising vs. not franchising too. I didn’t quite find what I was looking for in business ownership, until Shack Shine — it checked all the boxes.  Q: In your opinion, what are the benefits of joining a franchise system?  BG: Business for yourself, but not by yourself. The systems are already in place, and they’re tried and tested — not just with Shack Shine but 1-800-GOT-JUNK?. There’s years and years of experience in terms of what has been proven to work, and I don’t have to invest in software, a booking engine, or anything like that. Since the operations are streamlined, you can get up and running a lot faster.  Q: Why Shack Shine, what made this the right fit?  BG: The scalability of the business was a big deciding factor: to be able to have one location and to scale with vehicles as opposed to with brick and mortar stores. Secondly, it was all the people at O2E Brands — the culture made me feel right at home! Everyone I interacted with genuinely wants you to succeed as a person and business owner, they weren’t just looking at the bottom line. That’s ultimately how I want my professional life to fit into my personal life, with everyone on the same page.  Q: What are you most looking forward to about being a business owner? BG: The fact that I have the opportunity to build an emerging brand. In essence, we are building something from nothing from a local perspective (although we do have lots of support in the background). My aim is that everyone in the community sees the company, and that it’s positioned in the right light and brings a smile to everyone’s faces. I am also excited that I will have more control of my day. I am thrilled to be able to have that flexibility, so that I can spend more time with my kids and family.  Q: What are your passions / interests / hobbies – what makes you happiest and motivates you?  BG: I grew up on a lake in Nebraska, so I’ve always been surrounded by water and boats — it’s still a big hobby of mine. I love spending time with my kids: I have an 8 year old and a 4 year old. Going forward, I want to be able to be involved in their lives as much as I can. The business motivates me because at the end of the day it will allow me to spend as much time as I can with them.  Q: Tell us about your territory, what makes it unique?  BG: Atlanta is certainly unique! And it’s great for Shack Shine specifically: we’re literally a city built out of the forest. We’re located at the base of the Appalachian mountains, so there are lots of single family homes. It’s not super densely populated, and there’s lots of tree cover and standing water — which is great for our business! All in all, it’s a great place to raise a family and run a business.  Thank you and congratulations on your business Brian!  Ready to take the leap? Find out more about our franchise opportunities here.

4. I didn’t want to have to re-invent the wheel

   July 5, 2021 12:52 pm Leave a Comment

   

   Franchise Partner Patrick Wallain was no stranger to entrepreneurship when he first learned about Shack Shine. He’d owned multiple businesses before, but got tired of trying to reinvent the wheel every time. When the pandemic stalled his special events company, he jumped on the opportunity to diversify his skillset. Enter Shack Shine and franchising…the rest, as they say, was history! 

   Read on to find out what Patrick had to say about owning a business, and why Shack Shine was the right choice for him.

   Q: What made you want to own a business?

   I’ve owned multiple businesses before, and I realized early on that I didn’t want to continue to reinvent the wheel. I wanted a system that I could execute on. When I found Shack Shine, I saw that it had great systems in place. 

   Q: Why now – what was it that made you take the leap? 

   Everything was sort of put into place by COVID-19. I own a special events company, which was greatly affected by the pandemic, so I needed to diversify what I did for a living. This opportunity to own a franchise presented itself at the right time in my life: I was ready to move into a new arena in my work. I knew that going from B2B to B2C was going to be a big change, and I was ready for it. 

   Q: In your opinion, what are the benefits of joining a franchise system? 

   The biggest benefit is the playbooks — they already have things that they can recommend to Franchise Partners, systems that have proven themselves to work. You sometimes have to tweak them a little, but in general the playbooks are a huge advantage.

   Q: Why Shack Shine, what made this the right fit? 

   The recurring revenue was a huge motivator. Plus, I was reassured by the fact that this wasn’t Brian’s first rodeo (since he’d already built and learned lessons from 1-800-GOT-JUNK?). The residential home services space is a fractured market, and I saw an opportunity to offer a holistic solution to home services that didn’t really exist yet. 

   Q: What are you most looking forward to about being a business owner?

   The best part of owning a business is the potential. When you own a business, the potential is open and completely dependent on what you put into it. You’re in control of your future. 

   Q: What are your passions / interests / hobbies – what makes you happiest and motivates you? 

   I am an outdoors guy: I love camping. I also really enjoy figuring out the intricacies of business and figuring out what works and what doesn’t, pulling the right levers. I’m an engineer by trade so solving problems is really fun for me. 

   Q: Tell us about your territory, what makes it unique? 

   The Phoenix territory is unique in that it’s a snowbird location. Lots of people are here in the winter, but the population contracts in the summer. During the detailing season it might be more difficult to find customers, but the holiday season is when we will really have the chance to grow. In the area, we’re seeing lots of people with disposable income and overall, the homes are more expensive — so people are motivated to take care of them. Plus, nowhere else will you do an exterior window job in 45 degrees!

   Thank you and congratulations on your business Patrick! 

   Find out more about our franchise opportunities here.

5. Xmas Lights Installation: Helpful How-Tos from Our Industry Experts

   December 4, 2020 3:59 pm Leave a Comment

   With the holidays fast approaching, now is the perfect time to put up your Xmas lights! Every year, people across the country step out of their houses eager to deck the halls with a gorgeous Xmas light display before realizing what a massive undertaking installing Xmas lights can actually be.

   When you book an appointment for our Xmas lights installation service, we make your home the shiniest on the block without you having to lift a finger! There are plenty of advantages to booking our professional Xmas lights installation service, but our expertise easily ranks at the top. We wanted to share a few tips from our experts to help make sure your Christmas display is all it can be!

   Keep the Cords in Mind!

   Our commercial-grade Xmas light bulbs truly capture the spirit of Christmas! The cords on the other hand? Decidedly less so. When planning a light display, you will want to create a concrete plan beforehand to display as little of the cables as possible. When our friendly, uniformed technicians arrive to create a stunning display, we will already have a plan in place to ensure that your display is all Christmas, less cord!

   Test the Bulbs

   Fixing a bad bulb is far easier on the ground than when they are suspended on your home! That is why our friendly, uniformed technicians test all of your bulbs before they start hanging the lights to ensure that your bulbs are all at their brightest.

   Plan for Power

   If you’ve spent an entire afternoon creating your gorgeous display, there is nothing more disheartening than not being able to connect to a power source. When installing Xmas lights, it is crucial to have a plan for where your lights are going to connect to a power source before committing to a design. Our Xmas light installation experts always plan ahead for where the lights are going to connect into your home and how to hide the extension so that it is as out of sight as possible.

   Our Xmas Lights Installation Service: Your Home Will Love You

   Want the light display you’ve always dreamed of? Be sure to contact us and book an appointment for our Xmas lights installation service! Our friendly, uniformed technicians put happiness into every detail of your light display to make your home the shiniest it has ever been. We never get tired of seeing a customer’s face upon revealing their professionally lit home for the first time! 

6. Tools of the Trade: Gutter Cleaning Tools Our Pros Use to Make Your Gutters Flow Again

   June 4, 2021 3:53 pm Leave a Comment

   

   When it comes to cleaning out gutters, our team has all the best gutter cleaning tools of the trade to make your home positively shiny every time! Our experienced gutter cleaning professionals can help keep your home safe and smiling by clearing out any build-up in your gutters that could potentially cause expensive water damage.

   Let’s take a quick look at some of the gutter cleaning tools our friendly, uniformed technicians use to make your gutters spotless. 

   We Love Ladders

   When our friendly, uniformed technicians arrive to clean out your gutters, we supply everything needed for the job—no more having to find or store a ladder! Our team will bring ladders to allow our gutter cleaning technicians to easily access your gutters and provide a deep clean.

   Gutter Scoops and Rags

   Our specialized gutter scoops are built to provide the deepest clean possible. Our friendly, uniformed technicians will make sure your gutters are spotless using a combination of our hands and our special gutter scoops. All removed debris is caught to ensure that when we finish with our one detailed visit, there is absolutely no mess left behind! 

   Gutter Vacuum Systems

   While we believe that cleaning gutters by hand is the best way to provide the deepest clean possible, for gutters that cannot be safely reached, we have our special gutter vacuum system. This system allows us to reach even the most difficult areas and provide them with the detailed deep cleaning that we pride ourselves on. When you book us for cleaning out your gutters, you can be sure that we will make every inch of your gutters positively shiny every time.

   Cleaning out Your Gutters with Shack Shine’s Friendly, Uniformed Technicians

   Shack Shine has got the gutter cleaning tools to make your gutters spotless without you having to lift a finger! With only one detailed visit, we will make your home smile like never before. Contact us today to have our friendly, uniformed technicians clean out your gutters!

7. Let There Be Light! What to Expect With Our Professional Christmas Light Installation

   November 4, 2020 3:40 pm Leave a Comment

   

   Christmas is almost here! Ready to light up your life with a stunning Christmas display?

   When you book an appointment for our professional Christmas light installation service, we truly bring the Christmas spirit to your home! You might be asking yourself, “what makes Christmas light installation ‘professional?’” With our professional Christmas light installation service, it is not just about putting up lights. Our friendly, uniformed technicians go the extra mile to ensure that your display delivers the Christmas cheer your home deserves! 

   Here’s what makes our professional Christmas light installation service the best on the block.

   We Provide Design Consultation

   We don’t just make your home shine—we make your home shine the way you have always dreamed of! Our experienced design consultants know exactly what it takes to make your home shine in a way that captures the Christmas spirit and perfectly suits your home. Have a specific vision in mind? Our design consultants love teaming up with our clients to help bring your vision to life. Let your imagination run wild—our friendly, uniformed technicians can make it a reality!

   We Provide the Best Bulbs in the Business—for You to Keep!

   When you sign up for our Christmas light service, we bring the bulbs to you! Not just any bulbs though, our Christmas lights are commercial-grade, custom cut bulbs that shine brighter and last longer than most store-bought lights. Not only are our bulbs some of the best in the business, but they are also yours to keep after the holidays and feature a two-year warranty! Think of them as an extra Christmas gift for booking with us. 

   One Detailed Visit 

   When you book our Christmas light service, we get it right the first time, every time. You won’t have to worry about making time in your schedule for a follow-up appointment to finish the job; one detailed visit is all it takes to make your home shine. Simply relax and enjoy your day; we will take care of the rest!

   Professional Christmas Light Installation with Shack Shine: Your Home Will Love You

   With our experienced design consultants, commercial-grade lights, and one detailed visit guarantee, our Christmas light service is sure to make your home positively shine, every time. Contact us to book your appointment before the holidays. Your home will love you for it!

8. How Our Professional Gutter Cleaning Service Makes Your Gutters Shine

   March 4, 2021 3:30 pm Leave a Comment

   

   Too old to believe in magic? One look at your gutters after our professional gutter cleaning experts will make you a believer! 😀

   Just because our gutter cleaning services are magic doesn’t mean there is a trick involved! When it comes to gutter cleaning, the only secret is the hard work our experienced technicians put in to ensure your home is positively shiny in just one detailed visit. If you can’t remember the last time you had your gutters cleaned, be sure to give our technicians a call! A clogged gutter can easily damage your home, roof, and gutters. It can even welcome all sorts of critters to call your gutters their home!

   Here are three reasons why Shack Shine’s gutter cleaning service is the best on the block.

   Professional Training

   It might not be wizarding school per say, but every one of our friendly, uniformed technicians are professionally trained in the magical arts of making your home smile! Between a full training course and detailed in-field training, when our team is hired to clean out gutters, you can be sure you are getting a true, bonafide gutter cleaning expert.

   One Detailed Visit Is All It Takes

   When you book a gutter cleaning appointment with Shack Shine, there are no return or follow up visits to finish a job—we make your home shine with just one detailed visit, every time. It’s that level of consistency that makes our gutter cleaning services special. We do the job once, and we do it right—no tricks here, simply passion and dedication to our craft. 

   We Care About What We Do

   In everything from our uniforms to our shiny vans (which are always shiny) and our one detailed visit guarantee, we want to show the world just how much we care about what we do. Your home is important to you, and making your home look its best is important to us. There is no special trick to cleaning out gutters, but we take pride in our work and making your home smile. When you hire us for your gutter cleaning, we always bring the magic.

   Gutter Cleaning with Shack Shine: Positively Shiny Every Time

   Is your home in need of gutter cleaning? Our friendly, uniformed technicians are expertly trained to ensure that your home and gutters are positively shiny every time. One detailed visit is all it takes to have your home positively smiling. Contact us to book an appointment for our professional gutter cleaning today!

9. After running operations for someone else, he was ready to make it on his own

   March 24, 2021 12:56 pm Leave a Comment

   

   Meet Doug Wootten. He spent the last 8 years running operations for a business in which he wasn’t the owner. But when that company was sold, Doug realized he didn’t want to run somebody else’s business anymore. It was time to write his own story. Here’s what he had to say about life as a Franchise Partner with Shack Shine. 

   Q: What made you want to own a business?

   Before becoming a Franchise Partner, I was managing the operations of an accounting firm. But it wasn’t my business. Although I’d started the firm with the owner from scratch and built it over 8 years, I didn’t have any ownership in it. So when he sold the business at the end of 2019, I realized it was time to run my own business. I didn’t want to run someone else’s business anymore.

   Q: Why now – what was it that made you take the leap?

   I have a lot of experience managing people. While running the accounting firm I enjoyed being in all the aspects of the business. The more responsibility I took on, the more I realized how much I enjoyed running the show. I thought to myself, “Why shouldn’t I run my own business?” I really didn’t feel confined to the accounting industry, and felt like I could take my skills anywhere. When the company was sold, that ended up becoming the trigger. It wasn’t even something I was considering until the company was sold, but that’s when I realized I was ready to build something for myself…in a way, I feel like the decision was sort of thrust upon me. 

    Q: In your opinion, what are the benefits of joining a franchise system? 

   Without a doubt, having a company with brand recognition. In general, the franchise model has some brand recognition right away. Not only that, but the fact that I’m given a blueprint of how to run and market a business in which I have no background in. I know how to manage and hire people, and that’s what’s important. With all the processes already in place, it meant I could be up and running quicker. 

   Q: Why Shack Shine, what made this the right fit? 

   I did look at a few different businesses and types of businesses, as well as one in which I would have different roles. I was able to compare and decided what role I wanted first. Once I decided that, it was about looking at franchises where the business model worked — my gut told me that a business like Shack Shine is going to do great in Virginia. Another reason was the history of O2E brands and 1-800-GOT-JUNK?, which made me confident that they know what they’re doing. They’ve had the chance to work out all the bumps along the way, and now the systems and processes have been refined. As well, I think there’s the perfect combination of having that experience but also being a fairly new brand. That’s something that really excites me, because I’m thrilled to be bringing a new brand here to show this city what we can do. I want to take this brand from one that nobody has ever heard of, to make it a household name in Richmond.

   

   Q: What are you most looking forward to about being a business owner?

   Just the pride that’s going to go along with a successful company, not only financially but in terms of reputation. I want Shack Shine to be the best company at what we do here in Richmond. People are going to talk, and I want to hear them saying, “If you want the best, go to Shack Shine.” I also want it to be an awesome place to work!

   Q: What are your passions / interests / hobbies – what makes you happiest and motivates you? 

   I’m an outdoorsy person, so I enjoy riding bikes and kayaking, and love getting out on the river. My two kids are also a huge part of my life. I’m a guitarist, it was a big passion of mine when I was younger, but I don’t have as much time for it these days. 

   Q: Tell us about your territory, what makes it unique? 

   I love my territory. There are plenty of homes that are in neighbourhoods that are 30-40 years old, well established neighbourhoods with lots of trees — meaning lots of gutter cleaning and mildew! My two territories are on the North and South sides of the river that runs through the city of Richmond, Virginia.

   Q: How has the virtual element of the process been – the fact you haven’t been able to visit the Junktion etc.? 

   It definitely has been challenging. It’s tough doing everything on Zoom, because during training I didn’t get to meet anyone face to face. That being said, I got what I needed — it’s just that I missed the human connection. But it was nice doing the virtual onboarding process together with the other Franchise Partners, we all felt like we were on the same boat. Everyone was asking questions and really engaged, which was really great to see. 

   Thank you and congratulations on your business Doug! 

   Find out more about our franchise opportunities here.

10. We chose Shack Shine because they put people first

    February 18, 2021 1:15 pm Leave a Comment

    

    One has always dreamed of being their own boss, the other had never considered it until now. While father and son duo Fred and Ian Shirley hadn’t initially considered franchising, they recognized that the home services industry is currently booming. And when they came across Shack Shine and fell in love with the corporate culture, these partners decided to join forces to build something for themselves. 

    Q: What made you want to own a business?

    Fred: I’ve worked in the oil industry for the past 40 years — but in recent times I’ve felt that the future in the industry didn’t look very promising. In fact, it’s the worst I’ve seen in my life. That’s why I decided to start something new. 

    Ian: I knew I always wanted to be my own boss. I didn’t enjoy working for big companies — doing all the work but seeing none of the fruits of my labour. I decided it was time to take control of that part of my life. 

    Q: Why now – what was it that made you take the leap? 

    Fred: Ten years ago, I wasn’t even thinking about having my own company. My life has always been geophysics, and that’s what I knew. I honestly didn’t really think about not doing this until things got to a point where I didn’t think there was much of a future in it. 

    Ian: I was looking for jobs because I got laid off, and that’s when I was approached by a franchise broker. I knew I always wanted to own my own business but didn’t really consider franchising. But when the broker approached me, I fell in love with the Shack Shine brand and decided to go for it. 

    Q: In your opinion, what are the benefits of joining a franchise system? 

    Fred: For me, it’s really been about the other franchise partners. Everyone helps everyone — it’s not about competition but about helping each other out. It came down to the support: not just from corporate side but from the franchise partners themselves as well. 

    Ian: I’ve never owned a business, so I don’t know the first thing about starting one — from writing a business plan, to running operations, to everything in between. Where you benefit from joining a franchise is that kind of stuff is written out for you. You are handed a formula that works, and all you have to do is follow it. I really do feel that this is a great way for a first time business owner to get into entrepreneurship. 

    Q: Why Shack Shine, what made this the right fit? 

    Fred: The brand just felt like something I understood more than the other franchises. I think one of the biggest advantages was the corporate support, it really made Shack Shine stand out. Another reason was that the house detailing industry seems to be more COVID resistant: you’re in and out quickly, it’s all outdoors, you’re socially distanced, and of course, people are thinking a lot more about their homes nowadays. It just made a lot of sense to me.

    Ian: Shack Shine prioritizes their people, and that’s a big part of their culture. With other franchises, I just didn’t feel like it was all about the people. Plus, the others didn’t really commit to brand image the way Shack Shine does. They didn’t have a creative team, for example, to create a branded ad campaign — you’d have to do all that stuff yourself.

    Q: What are you most looking forward to about being a business owner?

    Fred: Not sure — this is so new to me! It’s really hard to know what to expect. There will be a lot of work to it, so at the end of the day I’m just hoping we can do a good job to get things growing.

    Ian: I like the challenge of it! It’s really motivating know that the work and effort you put into this will directly affect how successful it becomes. There’s a direct correlation, and I like that a lot. I also like the idea that every day is going to be different…really glad I won’t be working in another cubicle!

    Q: What are your passions / interests / hobbies – what makes you happiest and motivates you? 

    Fred: One of my favourites is cycling with my sons. Ian and I have done the MS 150 every year except for the last two due to COVID. I also enjoy yoga and cooking.

    Ian: Travelling, snowboarding, and golfing are bigs ones for me. I’m also a big nerd and love playing video games. Last but not least, I love cycling with my dad — we’ve done MS 150 together eleven times in total.

    Q: Tell us about your territory, what makes it unique? 

    Fred: That was another reason why we went with Shack Shine. We are the first franchise here in Houston, so we could pick whichever territory we wanted. We picked North Houston, which includes the Woodlands and Summerwood, plus all along the west coast of Lake Houston. It’s a great area — lots of really nice homes there — and we were even able to modify the territory a little to pick up a piece that I was interested in. 

    Ian: Houston is one of the largest urban sprawls in the U.S. The city is enormous, so our territory is pretty big. Everybody has a lot of space, so even the cheaper houses are relatively big compared to other parts of the country. It’s kind of a challenge, what with all the travelling, but it means having a wide array of demographics. Houston really is a huge melting pot.

    Q: How has the virtual element of the process been – the fact you haven’t been able to visit the Junktion etc.? 

    Fred: Actually, I’m fine with using Zoom! It’s something that I’m very used to, and honestly kind of prefer it. 

    Ian: It’s been challenging for me, but that’s mainly because I’m mostly a hands-on learner. What I like about the virtual onboarding is that I can still remain full-time employed while I train. That kind of flexibility has been really great.

    Thank you and congratulations on your business Ian and Fred! 

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