Franchise Success Often Begins with an Open Mind

Before becoming the FranNet Consultant for Western Canada, Grant Bullington worked in franchise sales and then franchise development for 1-800-GOT-JUNK, rising to the rank of Franchise Development Department Head at the company.

“Like many 5-year-old boys, I wanted to be a garbage man, but outgrew those aspirations,” Bullington said.

He didn’t think he would ever work in the field in any way, but the reputation of the company appealed to him. The franchise had been named one of the best employers in British Columbia for several years, and he was drawn to the company culture.

“During my time at 1-800-GOT-JUNK, I placed nearly 100 people into their own franchise business,” Bullington continued. “It can be a lucrative field and I saw many of them become very successful.”

Bullington is reminded of his time there every day at FranNet. It taught him the importance of being open to opportunities, as well as how fields that may not be top of mind can present profitable and fulfilling careers. These are lessons he now uses as a consultant, helping others find the right franchise opportunities for them.

He works daily with individuals considering business ownership, matching them with franchises that are a good fit on many different levels, including experience, goals, risk tolerance and financial background.

Following his initial assessment, Bullington presents clients with three or four franchise businesses that he recommends they investigate. He then assists them through their discovery process.

“After we begin looking into specific opportunities together, I often have to act as an ambassador on both sides of the table,” he said.

Bullington is often presenting clients with business opportunities they never would have considered on their own, and presenting franchisors with prospects they may have ordinarily overlooked.

One client Bullington reflected fondly upon is Todd Coupal, a former retail industry buyer. Coupal came to Bullington in 2012 knowing he was ready for business ownership, but having no idea what type of business would be best for him.

“Because Todd had such an open mind, the initial options I presented him with were widely varied,” said Bullington.

With Bullington’s help, Coupal ended up landing on Pop-A-Lock as his winning choice. The locksmith franchise had very little presence in Canada at the time, giving Coupal the opportunity to develop an entire market.

“There’s a geeky aspect to locksmithing and a high-tech element,” Bullington said. “If this is your business, you need to recruit and hire talented locksmiths, but obviously you can’t do that until you develop the business. It’s often not something people walk into my office looking for. However, if you’re willing to hustle and put in the work to build it up, it can be an incredible business.”

Bullington has taken great pride in watching Coupal grow his business in Vancouver. This year Coupal was able to land exclusive contracts with both Vancouver International Airport and the City of Vancouver, incredible strides toward a very prosperous future for Coupal and his staff.

However, hesitation can exist on the franchisor side, as well. Some franchisors have a very specific profile they’re looking to fill when it comes to new franchisees, but in ignoring those that don’t quite fit the mold, Bullington says they may be overlooking their best prospects.

“I have a client who came to me after spending years managing nearly 1,800 McDonald’s franchise locations,” Bullington said. “He wasn’t the owner, but he oversaw all of the daily operations. I knew Pinkberry was talking to new prospects, but their franchise development team was specifically looking for those who were already multi-unit franchisees.”

Eventually Bullington convinced Pinkberry’s franchise development team to meet with his client. The brand and Bullington’s client immediately hit it off and struck a deal.

“It was one of their most successful grand openings to date,” he said. “I was so excited to stop by on the big day to see he had 400 people waiting in line for the doors to open. It’s in these scenarios where I am giving myself high fives. He is now one of their favorite franchisees.”

In cases where an unanticipated match is made, Bullington said he is pleasantly reminded of his daily opportunity to keep people’s minds open and help guide them to their own greatest achievements.