by John Stevens
August 21, 2012 9:39 AM
Zippy Shell is working with Franchise Clique to find entrepreneurs who are looking for a new franchise opportunity. Together, they are creating a campaign to target those entrepreneurs.
"Zippy Shell is a great franchise concepts," says Franchise Clique CEO David Schwartz. "It combines the standard do-it-yourself moving model with the ease and convenience of having a trained professional do the moving or the storing for you."
Their efforts are starting to pay off. Stephen Fischbach, the President of Wayne Portable Storage Concepts signed a franchise agreement with Zippy and will open a Zippy facility in Passaic County, New Jersey, in early October.
For many years, Fischbach ran a successful textile manufacturing business. However, the textile industry is in a state of decline. In 1987, Burlington Industries employed 43,000 people. By 2002, they employed only 11,000.
Those in the textile industry feel that the recent KORUS trade agreement will undercut their industry. This agreement removed tariffs on Korean goods but would allow Korean companies to flood the US with their products. Those in the textile industry are worried that countries such as China or Vietnam would take advantage of the agreement and send their products to the US through Korea.
This bleak outlook in the textile industry is what caused Fischbach to look for another business to transition into. He wanted one that was growing and had good long-term viability. He found that with Zippy Shell. He now has the first Zippy Shell franchise in the Garden State.
"The core members of the management team have known each other and have work together for more than twenty years. That really impressed me. They are willing to do whatever it takes to put things in place to allow the franchisees to be successful", said Stephen. "We are so excited to get our doors open and to begin providing the residents and businesses of Passaic County with an incredible service. We understand that putting your things in storage can be stressful. Our goal is to remove the stress and make storage easy."
Have you ever thought about getting into a franchise in the self storage industry? If so, there are several things to keep in mind. Of course you want to look at the brand. The brand of the franchise is critical to the success of your business. Is it a new brand? Has it been around for a long time? Is the brand widely known in the market place? Answers to these questions will impact the success of your franchise.
Another thing to consider is the systems that the franchise has in place that can help you grow your business. Do they have systems for things such as marketing, purchasing, and technology? When a franchise has these types of systems already in place, it is much easier for a new franchise owner to get his business up and running.
What about support? Does the franchise have people that can provide support and help? New franchise owners need to have access to people who have practical experience in that franchise. New owners need to be able to ask questions and get help from people who know the ins and the outs of the franchise. This really shortens the learning curve for the new owner.
Sources Used:
"Mobile Self Storage Hopes to "Move" New Entrepreneurs with Franchise Clique." PR Web; 18 August 2012.
"Zippy Shell Mobile Self Storage Franchise Set to Open in Passaic County New Jersey." Zippy Shell Franchise News; 15 August 2012.
"The Decline of the Textile Industry." YES Weekly; 9 November 2011.
"What criteria to look at when choosing a franchise." Rick Del Sontro Blog; 9 July 2012.