Why This Long-Time IBM Executive Invested in a TruBlue Total House Care Franchise

TruBlue Total House Care, the 80-unit home maintenance franchise, has carved out a lucrative niche as the only franchise brand focused on providing maintenance services for seniors aging in place and busy families. TruBlue believes that aging in place starts with a safe home, and the company offers ongoing in-home support to help seniors remain at home for as long as possible. Now, with the senior population growing and the demand for home services skyrocketing post-COVID, more and more savvy investors are signing on to bring the concept to their community.

Michael Holton, for example, recently signed on with the brand in Winter Garden, Florida, a town right outside of Orlando. Before franchising, Holton spent 22 years with IBM, focused on executive project management. This past year, Holton says he was ready to leverage his operations background to start his own business — one that would allow him to support his community. When he heard about TruBlue Total House Care, everything clicked.

“I own a home, and I am a busy adult, and I know that the experience of being a homeowner can be very difficult if something goes wrong,” said Holton. “You have to go find the right person to fix the right thing, and it always seems to be a different person for each job. I knew there was a better option to serve homeowners. And when I saw TruBlue, they had come up with a solution. I had even started building a business plan around this same concept, so when I saw this franchise, it met all my needs.”

TruBlue services

TruBlue offers a full portfolio of handyman and home care services, no matter how big or small. Additionally, TruBlue's recurring service offering, Home Care Plus, allows homeowners to stay on top of routine maintenance, offering a range of services that are scheduled throughout the year. By staying on top of small, often overlooked home projects, TruBlue helps homeowners, particularly seniors and busy families, avoid costly repairs or issues in the future.

Additionally, Holton says his grandmother was looking to age in place around the same time he was looking for business opportunities, but her home wasn’t properly set up for it. “My parents were really struggling with keeping her safe in her home,” he said. “She unfortunately passed in April, but what I realized was that my parents will get to that age at some point, and I need to be prepared. That is the second thing that TruBlue brings to the table — aging in place, making seniors' homes safe. I knew this was something I wanted to be a part of.”

Whether performing a home safety assessment to ensure the best living environment, installing safety bars in the bathtub, cleaning the house, changing the air filter, or handling emergency repairs, TruBlue offers ongoing help and support for seniors living at home.

Growing demand

Holton says he also recognized a steadily-growing demand for these services in his community, especially with the massive senior population in Florida. “I see that all my neighbors are either busy adults or they are getting to that older age where they may struggle to stay in their homes,” he said. “I see the need around me and want to help.”

When it came to the TruBlue business model, Holton says he knew he had the skill sets needed to thrive and successfully provide these in-demand services to his community. “Managing the operations, finding the right people, providing the service — I knew I could do that from an owner perspective,” he said. “Also, without the need for a storefront or high costs that are required real estate, I knew I could get open faster.”

As an entirely mobile franchise opportunity, TruBlue franchise owners can dive directly into business following training rather than dealing with the setbacks and slowdowns that come with brick-and-mortar locations. Additionally, low startup costs mean that more franchisees can afford to start their own business, while lower overhead costs allow owners to be on the road to positive cash flow and profitability right away.

Holton officially signed on with the brand in July and says he hopes to have a soft launch by the fall. From there, he says the sky's the limit when it comes to growth.

“I want to continue building the business and bring it to an enterprise-level franchise, which means $2 million in revenue,” said Holton. “I am also considering expanding to a second territory or growing my portfolio.”

Sean Fitzgerald, TruBlue’s President, says he is thrilled to have Holton joining the team. “The senior population is increasingly in need of our trustworthy house care services, which is why TruBlue has been expanding rapidly over the past few years,” said Fitzgerald. “Looking ahead, we are excited to continue partnering with qualified franchisees like Holton in every major market across the country.”

TruBlue has identified Orlando, Miami, Jacksonville and Naples, Florida, as well as Dallas and Austin, Texas, as key development markets.

Leveraging over two decades of operations experience, Michael Holton signed on with the home maintenance franchise to give back to his community and support his neighbors.