Shelf Genie Franchisee Joseph Choi Finds Success with Help From FranNet Consultants

Joseph Choi always valued hard work. At age 13, he started working at McDonald’s, and throughout high school and college, he often juggled two jobs in addition to school work.

He continued on with that habit throughout his 20s, taking intense jobs on Bay Street in Toronto and in demanding fields like IT. Then, at the young age of 25, he suddenly woke up with half of his face paralyzed—he had Bell’s Palsy. It took Choi three months to recover from the condition, which he believes was triggered by stress. The health scare caused him to take a step back—he didn’t want to be that 40-year-old guy who overworked himself into having a heart attack.

So, during his recovery, Choi reflected on what he really wanted out of life. He moved to Vancouver where he started up an investment firm. When his wife became pregnant, he took on a job at a larger firm, seeking a position that would provide a better work-life balance. But within several months, he was let go. And once again, Choi embarked on another round of soul-searching.

Choi credits his wife—who nixed his idea of launching a startup—for what happened next.

“I realized that a start-up company was just too risky, so I turned to franchising. They can get you up and running with revenue somewhat quickly. This would be my answer to getting out of my comfort zone and finally living out the entrepreneurial dream that was always a part of my DNA,” Choi said.

Not knowing where to start, Choi turned to FranNet for guidance.

“I met with a consultant, Chuck, and we started going through all of the franchise opportunities out there. I realized that this method was so much better than simply attending a tradeshow and not knowing what I’m getting myself into,” Choi said. “Chuck was genuine about wanting to find the right fit for me and the franchisor. He had an algorithm in place, and based on my interests, he was able to identify the right opportunity.”

Choi was presented with 10 different options. Even though his gut feeling drove him toward ShelfGenie, a fast-growing franchise that designs, builds and installs custom-made organizational solutions, Chuck encouraged him to first do his due diligence before making any decisions.

“Chuck got me thinking about this next business venture in the right way. FranNet added this extra level of comfort by introducing this layer between me and the franchisor. With Chuck’s advice, I was able to make a decision that I was completely confident in,” Choi added.

After two short years with the brand, Choi now owns four ShelfGenie territories throughout Vancouver. Most recently, he won Rookie of the Year, which was shortly followed up with an award for being the top-producing franchisee. And as Choi looks toward the future, he has no plans to slow down any time soon.

“I really believe that having the chance to strategize and plan out my future with ShelfGenie helped to determine this path that I’m on now. I owe a lot of that to FranNet,” Choi said. “Whenever you start a new business, you’re taking a chance and there’s a lot of uncertainty about how it’ll shape out. But in this case, I had the opportunity to turn on the lights before diving in. I look back on that day that I spent talking to Chuck and I look at how far I’ve come now—and I can’t help but feel very grateful. It’s been a great journey. It’s exceeded my expectations by a longshot.”