Franchisees to Know: John Boynton

John Boynton works out of the office space in his mother’s home. It’s the same place where he and his dad, Frank, began J&F Specialties Inc., in 1995.

Of course, he’s not really around that office too much these days. More often than not, he’s on the road now, traveling throughout Northern Virginia where he where he and his four-person staff keep busy in the remodeling business.

In 2012, Boynton decided to become a Kitchen Solvers franchisee in Northern Virginia, and it’s allowed him the opportunity to operate this business while simultaneously running the company he and his dad started many years ago.

“To me, I recognized that the aspects of remodeling and refacing had some potential, and Kitchen Solvers gave me access to product lines I didn’t have support for—they also helped me market the business, too,” Boynton said. “One of the challenges for me has been my primary business—it kept me busy enough that I haven’t been able to concentrate on the refacing aspect. When I saw Kitchen Solvers, I knew immediately that I could make a living out of this.”

Boynton admits that he had a negative perception of franchises before joining Kitchen Solvers. But everything changed when he talked to the corporate staff behind the brand. He appreciated the fact that they were willing to accommodate his existing business and what he wanted to do, and they were committed to doing everything possible to make sure his business as a whole was successful.

“The Kitchen Solvers support structure is amazing. This is an excellent opportunity for someone who has some skills in installations, but doesn’t necessarily know the ins and outs of running a business. They can take somebody who knows very little about the business and can help them through every aspect,” Boynton said.

“Joining Kitchen Solvers gives you the chance to really create something that has value. Their wealth of knowledge within the franchise, and the people running the business—the corporate structure—they are willing to share every bit of that knowledge with me. And that’s extremely valuable.”

Boynton’s typical day consists of four to five hours of in office-related tasks, with the remainder of his time spent doing site visits. By and large, the majority of his time is spent visiting customers, providing in-home consultations and preparing estimates. And when it comes to Boynton’s secret to success, it all comes down to taking good care of your customers.

“My primary driving force is I can’t afford one unhappy customer. I don’t have any, either,” Boynton said.