Have you considered the possibility of becoming your own boss? Are you curious about franchising? Do you wonder what a day in the life of a franchise owner is like?
Have you considered the possibility of becoming your own boss? Are you curious about franchising? Do you wonder what a day in the life of a franchise owner is like?
As you consider your franchise options, a crucial part of your research should include the perspective of current franchisees. At The UPS Store, franchisees enjoy extensive training and support, along with an established and celebrated brand name to help them grow their business.
Here are some of the top reasons UPS franchise owners love franchising with The UPS Store.
No. 1: Brand identity
Established more than a hundred years ago, the UPS brand is world-recognized and has a trusted reputation. UPS is synonymous with shipping services, the most well-known offering of The UPS Store. Consumers know that when they need to ship a package, they can rely on The UPS Store. Similarly, franchisees leverage the brand’s reputation to build trust with their local customer base.
When researching multiple franchise systems, The UPS Store franchise owners out of Louisiana, Jerry and Marie McKinney, “knew we wanted a brand that was strong and reputable, and that we could be proud to be a part of.” The UPS Store satisfied this requirement, among other criteria.
Heidi Morris, franchise owner out of Colorado, agrees with the sentiment. We are “successful because of the UPS brand, and what it tells our customers and what type of service they’re going to get within the stores.”
No. 2: Comprehensive training
With a dedicated franchise development team, new owners have confidence knowing they have the best training resources available. All new franchisees complete a comprehensive four-phase training program, which begins with web-based training to provide a strong foundation of store operations and business acumen on which to begin the in-store training.
Franchisees then move on to train in-store at a The UPS Store Certified Training Center to build on that foundation of knowledge. Phase three includes a university workshop focusing on human resources, marketing, operations, sales and financial management, as well as hands-on print services training on equipment, software, techniques and in-center production to manage and grow print services. The last phase of training covers store operations, technical systems and print services.
With this comprehensive training program, franchisees are set up for success from the beginning. Beyond initial training, The UPS Store franchise network also provides ongoing support, covered in the next point.
No. 3: Ongoing support system
The UPS Store corporate philosophy is “You’re not alone,” according to Jim Hillquist, VP of Operations at The UPS Store. “We believe we need to support our franchisees because when they’re successful, we’re successful. We want to give everybody an opportunity to be very successful.”
Sandy Scandrett, franchise owner out of Wisconsin, agrees with this sentiment. “Luckily, I have not had a lot of problems, but when I have, there’s someone there who can help me. They have a lot of resources for the store owners,” says Scandrett.
The UPS Store franchisee Paul Erchinger out of Texas, seconds the notion. “Everything from training to advertising and marketing, to purchasing, I just feel like whatever need I might have, there’s somebody I can call or email if I need that support.”
In addition to corporate support, The UPS Store franchisees are in resounding agreement that their network of other store owners plays a critical part of their success. Franchisees have a multitude of tools at their disposal and can rely on each other to help achieve their business objectives.
“The support you receive from fellow franchisees, from the network, from headquarters, is a definite plus for any franchisee that wants to get into this business,” says Hamo Gharibian, franchise owner out of Ohio.
Franchise owner Naresh Bhatt, who owns UPS franchises in Washington, Illinois, California and Ohio, agrees. “I feel the franchise/franchisor support system is excellent. The operations, marketing, sales, support, technical support, it’s pretty awesome actually.”
“The backend systems, the training, the technology…I think my favorite part of being part of The UPS Store network is the camaraderie with other franchisees. It’s a great group of people, all have a business acumen that’s there, but there’s also a relational element that everybody loves to help everybody else,” says Jim George, franchise owner out of Illinois.
No. 4: Community involvement
The UPS Store franchisees take immense pride in what they do and the services they offer. They integrate themselves into their communities by participating in their local Chamber of Commerce and individually supporting local organizations and charities. They build relationships with other business owners and residents within their communities, which in turn contributes to their likelihood of success.
In addition, the company and its network of more than 4,700 The UPS Store locations across the U.S. are the exclusive sponsors of the Toys for Tots Literacy Program, which provides books and educational resources to economically disadvantaged children.
No 5: Revenue opportunity
It goes without saying that a successful franchise must have the ability to provide revenue for its owner. Hard work, a commitment to training and a strong work ethic contribute to revenue potential and the ability for franchisees to meet their financial goals.
As Greg Murray, franchise owner out of Florida, was researching his franchising options, one of his top requirements was the opportunity to be financially successful. “If you’re providing value to your customers; if you’re being inventive and creative, you are rewarded with profitability. And so, if you pick a good location for The UPS Store and you put time and effort into it and deliver good customer service, it can be financially rewarding.”
While the base is the shipping service, The UPS Store offers many other services to its customers that can drive profitable returns for franchise owners.
No. 6: Variety of services for UPS franchisees
You may already be familiar with the printing and shipping services offered by The UPS Store, but did you know they also provide small business services like business cards, letterhead, posters, flyers and direct mail? What about mailbox services?
“The interesting thing about The UPS Store is that when the customer walks through the door, there’s an extremely high probability that they’re coming here to do something important to them: they have a precious item that they’re depending on you to pack correctly and ship somewhere and not get it broken – and get it there on time. They’re in there to get a will notarized or power of attorney notarized, or they are overnighting a critical document, or they’re looking at opening a mailbox for their new business,” Murray says.
No. 7: It’s challenging
With so many service offerings, the day-to-day operations of a location can vary greatly. Owners never know what to expect, in terms of customers and their specific needs or projects, so they are learning something new every day. Franchisees share a can-do attitude and commit themselves to helping their customers - even when confronted with a new project they’ve never experienced.
In addition to customer challenges, franchise owners are also faced with the matter of leading a team of associates – sometimes for the first time in their careers.
“I’ve gone from being an employee of someone else, to now, I’m an employer of my associates. It’s a big responsibility, but it’s exciting every day,” says franchisee Laura Griffin out of Florida.
No. 8: Franchising with The UPS Store is fulfilling
While operating a franchise has its challenges, owners agree that their personal fulfillment makes it all worthwhile. “I never have to drag myself out of bed, I love going in every morning,” says Scandrett.
Ashwin Narayan, franchise owner out of Ohio, relates, saying “making money is great in this business, but I think the actual feeling you get from helping a customer out is just very fulfilling – you know that you’ve helped someone succeed. You’ve passed on that entrepreneurial spirit to somebody, and that’s the greatest feeling in the world.”
“When customers bring in an idea on a sheet of paper and then we can sit down and design and make that product for them and print it out and see the smile on their face, it brings satisfaction to me,” says Matthew Wood, franchise owner out of Kentucky.
The ability to build a business, work for yourself and help customers, are all factors that contribute to franchisees’ sense of fulfillment.
No. 9: Flexibility and freedom
The UPS Store franchisees love being their own boss and managing their own schedules. They run the daily operations on their own, but with the added support of a well-established, successful brand.
As franchisee Greg Murray puts it:
“What The UPS Store has done for us is given us a lot of flexibility, a lot of control. We hire the types of people we want to hire. We motivate them the way we want to motivate them. We reward them the way we want to reward them. We get to treat our customers exactly the way we want to treat our customers and get rewarded or not rewarded depending on how well that goes. So unlike corporate America where you’re kind of ‘in a box,’ when you’re running a The UPS Store, you really have a lot of flexibility and control over what you do, and that’s one of the things we enjoy the most.”
“(Owning a The UPS Store center has) allowed me to dream bigger and think outside of the box,” says Wood.
No. 10: Customer relationships
Last, but certainly not least, is the result of providing great customer service. Helping a customer proves not only to be fulfilling, it also builds trust and a loyal customer base. Here’s how Murray puts it:
“Invariably, you’re going to have people coming into your store that are just not happy - they’re not happy in life, they’re not happy right then, something has gone terribly wrong, and they’re just not pleasant people. We like ‘turning’ them. We like giving them enough service and keeping them happy and solving the problems to the point where they become our most loyal customers. They come back time after time, and they tell all of their friends. People who come in with the biggest problems and the biggest issues, if you turn them and you keep them happy, they are your biggest fans and your biggest advocates and your greatest supporters. The first thing is customer service; the other stuff is a positive side effect coming out of that.”
Franchise owner Joy Batchelor with UPS franchises in Washington and Idaho sums it up. “What makes it worthwhile at the end of the day is the customers. The customers treat us like we’re family.”
Interested in learning more about what it’s like to franchise with The UPS Store? Contact our franchise development team today!
