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Name: Cristina Romero
Title: Franchisee
Brands: Bath Tune-Up (2 territories), Kitchen Tune-Up (2 territories)
Units: 4
Years in franchising: 2
I was drawn to a service franchise because I knew I wanted to be a business owner and entrepreneur with an established brand. My husband and I are both from Ecuador and our background is in project management. Choosing a service franchise enabled us to approach the brand in a way that felt familiar and aligned with our experience. I also knew that an established service brand could provide the structure, resources, and guidelines necessary to be able to provide great service to our customers.
When we were looking into franchise opportunities, we explored many types of industries but ultimately decided to pursue bath remodeling because we knew we could apply our project management skills to the design and process of the build-out and treat each consultation as a project. It just so happened that Bath Tune-Up had territory availability right in our area, and we were thrilled with the prospect of serving our neighbors and working locally and becoming business owners in our own backyard.
After finding success with Bath Tune-Up, we decided to grow our business by purchasing two additional Kitchen Tune-Up territories. This allowed us to utilize the skills and services we’d mastered for bath remodeling and enter a whole new part of the house – something that not only helped us but also helped our customers. Of our two territories, one overlapped with our existing Bath Tune-Up service area, so we already had an established trust that we could continue to build upon.
Communication is one of the most important skills you need to have when you are working with customers inside their homes the way we do with our businesses. With bath and kitchen remodeling, the work is happening inside their space, and sometimes clients can get anxious or really involved in the process, so clear communication is something we prioritize to keep our homeowners updated and comfortable. We also pay special attention to our clients’ needs so that they feel taken care of not just by completing the project itself, but by also being there with them every step of the way to ensure their vision is brought to life.
Within our system, we have a very supportive network of women that spans from our brand president and leadership to the franchisees because we know what it’s like to be women in construction and home services—two primarily male-dominated industries. At our annual Home Franchise Concepts convention in February, we had a breakout session for women in our network to meet as a group and share tools and resources to help us grow our business and foster success. As a woman and a franchise owner, having that support system of other women in the Kitchen and Bath Tune-Up network is great because we can relate to and learn from one another.
Setting goals and staying organized with my schedule is what helps keep me on track and ensure I accomplish everything I need to get done. In my office, I have a board that allows me to schedule my projects and stay on top of next steps, which is especially helpful as a multi-brand owner. Knowing the status of our bath and kitchen remodels daily is important to me and my organization.
As a mother, I also take note of my children’s schedules and keep track of their school events and sports practices to make sure I am available and present for them at important times. Being mindful of how I manage my time daily has been the best tool to balance my responsibilities as both a parent and a business owner.
Referrals and reviews have been a great source of leads for us, along with pay-per-click and Facebook ads. Plus, all our cars are branded, so that’s kind of like having mobile billboards around town. We also like to promote with local businesses and have found value in networking locally, which has helped us build a presence in the business community of North Dallas.
Trust, discipline, and organization. You can’t control everything and do everything on your own, you need to trust that your team is there to help you and provide support along the way. You also need to be very disciplined and very organized to grow a multi-unit, multi-brand business. All three factors play into each other and have been essential to our success.
I think franchising is a great opportunity for women seeking business ownership because franchising provides a proven business model that is less risky than starting a business from scratch. I also think that if you do decide to franchise, you need to be able to manage your time and maintain a work-life balance that works for you.