Before launching the very first Groutsmith franchise nearly three years ago, Craig Chapman found himself tirelessly trapped in the stressful world of restaurant ownership.
Working long hours with little time to relax and spend time with family, Craig began searching online for new opportunities that could afford him a more balanced and healthy lifestyle. After stumbling on The Groutsmith’s website, Craig was intrigued by the industry and opportunity being offered and decided to reach out for more information.
Almost immediately after submitting his request for more information, he was on the phone speaking with Jonathan directly. After getting his preliminary questions answered, the two met in person the next day to discuss the next steps Craig needed to take to get started with a Groutsmith business of his own.
“Jonathan invited me right into his office and answered every question I had. When I got to talking to him, I could tell immediately that he was honest and sincere about what the opportunity could offer. I realized very quickly that what he was doing with The Groutsmith was working.”
Not long after that, Craig was on his way to becoming the first Groutsmith franchisee with a home services business he could call his own in central Florida.
Since then, Craig says the response from customers and the community has been outstanding.
“Response has been great. We’re at the point where we’re getting a lot of referrals from people reaching out needing work done after seeing what we’ve done for their family, friends, and neighbors.”
In addition to local word-of-mouth, Craig says the response online has been fantastic too.
“We’ve only been in business for about three years now, and we’ve already won awards on Angie’s List two years in row.”
His team’s outstanding professionalism on-site is another common response Craig is particularly proud to hear from customers.
“People love our service––especially the attention to professionalism. ‘Your guys are so professional. Anything I asked for, they took care of.’ I love hearing feedback like that, and we started hearing it on day one.”
Talking about the on-boarding and training process he went through prior to opening the business, Craig said he came away from Discovery Day and The Groutsmith’s training sessions with all the tools and knowledge he needed to start the business right away.
“Training was phenomenal. They set us up for success immediately. Everything Jonathan said was going to happen, happened and happened on time. Not only do they completely set you up to start building the business the moment you get home, the phone line is always open whenever you have a question or have an issue.”
Craig’s life has changed dramatically since starting his Groutsmith business years ago.
“I went from 70 hours a week to about 30-40 with a business I can call my own.”
While running his restaurant, Craig said vacation and off time amounted to little more than Christmas Day and Thanksgiving. Now, he has the time to devote to his family; and as a grandfather, having the opportunity to do so while growing a successful business he plans to one day pass onto his son is something he says couldn’t have worked out any better.
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