Q&A with Multi-Brand Franchisee Trey Powell

Name: Trey Powell
Title: Franchise Owner
Brands and Units: Wonderly Lights (3) and Mosquito Joe (2)
Years in franchising: 25

Why did you choose to franchise with a service brand?

I didn’t necessarily seek out a service brand. I was first a customer of Mosquito Joe and liked it so much that I decided to look into buying into the brand. That franchise concept led me to Wonderly Lights.

How did you choose the sector and brand you did?

For Wonderly Lights, I was originally looking for a way to keep my 20+ Mosquito Joe employees busy year-round. Installing Christmas lights seemed to fill that off-season gap perfectly. It worked out way better than I expected, and I only wish I had started sooner, especially now that Wonderly Lights is a year-round brand on its own.

What different skill sets are required for franchising with a service brand?

I believe you will do best when you are good at recruiting a great team and you focus on helping customers solve their problems. Sales skills are helpful with marketing and creating excitement within your community. Networking is always a good skill.

What are the advantages of choosing a service brand?

Americans are growing more and more dependent on home services of all types. The days of DIY are going by the wayside in many places. With more dual-income families and more disposable income, people want to spend their free time doing things they enjoy and pay others to do the service jobs for them. Plus, it is not something that will be replaced by AI anytime soon.

What are some keys to being able to operate multiple franchises at the same time?

You must have great people. You can only do so much yourself, and if you find yourself working in the business in any way, then no one will be running the business, and everything will suffer.

For instance, we are now a year-round business with Wonderly Lights and have hired a full-time year-round manager to run the business. This helps a lot, especially during the holiday light season, to have someone who is solely focused on lighting and not having their focus split between both companies. We easily added another $200,000 in this first year with our year-round permanent and landscape lighting service, and now we are poised for additional growth.

What are some of the top ways in which you have been able to market and promote your business?

Our number one source has always been referrals. In addition to significant paid advertising in direct mail, radio, yard signs, etc. We are also very involved in the community, local chambers of commerce, BNI, etc. Not only do we show up at every event, but we are also always involved in leadership. From being an ambassador to my current position as chairman of the board of the Greater Lexington Chamber of Commerce, I can serve my community and promote my businesses.

What would you recommend to anyone considering a service brand?

Never forget that you are in business to help people. People are willing to pay more for exceptional service. Service should not be a commodity. Find ways to differentiate yourself from your competitors. Provide great services that no one else does. Be insistent that your entire team is better than your competitors in every way and deliver on that. Your goal should be to charge more and be worth it. When you are the highest price in your market, and your brand dominates the market, and customers don’t leave because they know they will never get this kind of service elsewhere, you’ve got it right.