The Great Franchisee: Boris Okong, 360º Painting, Arkansas

Born in the West African country of Cameroon, Boris Okong moved to the US in 2010 and spent 17 years building a career in the energy industry. But Okong has long been interested in owning a business for himself. This year, Okong turned that interest into a new career path as one of the newest franchise owners with 360º Painting, the 120-plus unit residential and commercial painting franchise.

Okong opened his Central Arkansas-based 360º Painting in early April and says he was immediately busy fielding inquiries for service. We spoke to Okong to learn more about his path to franchise ownership.

Boris Okong: I spent 17 years in the energy sector, specifically in oil and gas. I worked basically all around the globe. I’ve worked in the UK, US, Angola, Nigeria, Cameroon and Chad. In those 17 years, I worked as an engineer then moved up to line management as an operations manager with responsibility for customer service and managing a team of 60 people. I was always traveling and always going to different locations, which kept me from my family.

Okong: After 17 years working in energy, I started to do some homework. I read a book on how to start a business, and it presented three options: starting yourself, buying a business or franchising. I had never thought of franchising. I felt it gave the best of both worlds: owning my business and using a system that was proven to work. I looked at resources on franchising, and that's how I started my first business.

Okong: I worked with a franchise consultant, who helped me through the process for about two or three months on finding a good fit for me. Through the consultant, I became more comfortable with the concept of franchising.

Okong: I did a lot of research by calling the owners and comparing franchises by their financial records over 5 years. I tried to get a feel of how they were and had been doing. I also got a consultant who was independent of the franchises I was looking at.

Okong: I looked at three companies, and they all were in the home service industry. I called current owners and found that the 360º Painting owners were more positive and upbeat about the brand. The connection with the owners and corporate team made it work for me. It’s possible to earn $500,000 to $1,000,000 in annual gross revenue. It’s an easy business to scale up, and I can provide direct customer service.

Okong: I hope in the next five years to be able to have a business that is over a million dollars in revenue and at a strong profitability level. In five years, I want to have a group of employees who receive the best benefits packages. I want to give back and help through my business.

I am very optimistic about the future. We are in the second month of operation and it is already getting busy. We are doing projects throughout the central Arkansas area and getting positive feedback from our clients. I am excited about these initial results and believe we will succeed and grow the business.

Okong: Don’t let your fears overcome you. With individuals coming from corporations, it can seem like a big jump. Just go for it and once you do it, you will discover it’s not as hard as you originally thought.

Okong: I have two daughters, ages 7 and 10. I wanted to have that family time back with them. Now, I can control my own schedule and spend time with my kids. We like sports and spending time together at home. We are also part of a church community. It’s great to be my own boss and prioritize my family.

Charlottesville, VA-based 360° Painting is one of the nation’s fastest-growing residential and commercial painting franchises offering comprehensive and personalized painting services with an approach founded on quality, responsiveness and customer experience. Founded in 2005 by parent company Premium Service Brands, 360° Painting has received major industry recognition by Entrepreneur magazine’s 40th Annual Franchise 500 list as No. 1 in the painting category for three consecutive years.

360° Painting has also placed on Franchise Times’ Top 200 list, which recognizes brands for their growth over the past 18 months. Since it franchising in 2006, the brand has grown to over 120 units nationwide with plans to award 30 more locations by the end of this year.