When my brother Ryan and I were starting out in our company that would eventually come to be known as The Brothers That Just Do Gutters, neither of us had extensive experience in the home improvement industry, or as business owners in general.
At the time, I was a teacher who did gutter work during the summer and Ryan was in-between graphic design jobs.
While we didn’t have the experience, what we did have was an unwavering drive to succeed, and the ability to adapt to an evolving marketplace. Trial by fire essentially shaped our humble one-truck operation into the well-oiled machine and national franchise organization it is today. Today, 20 years later, we still continue to thrive in the Hudson Valley, New York market we cut our teeth in. But we now also are able to help others find prosperity through The Brothers That Just Do Gutters Franchising opportunities.
While motivation and man hours invested by our franchisees is certainly essential, our proprietary systems, technology, and ongoing support have played an undeniable role in the success of our franchise locations. These resources have helped to, not only build business owners who are new to the industry, but also help existing gutter business owners find a clear path to their financial goals and the lifestyles they’ve always dreamt about.
At The Brothers That Just Do Gutters, we’re committed to identifying the most efficient way to conduct business and sharing these operational systems with our franchisees. That’s why we’ve gone paperless in nearly every aspect of our operation. We utilize cross-platform software systems to streamline daily tasks, produce and analyze reports, and manage accounts. Even our field installers have gone completely digital with iPads on each truck that allow techs to access important information in real time, foster reviews in the field, take before and after photos, etc.
Lead generation and conversion is at the heart of any successful business. At The Brothers That Just Do Gutters, we help our franchisees realize this truth with our in-house marketing staff. This department ensures individual franchises are seen by the right people with proven web marketing techniques including targeted Google Ad Words campaigns, as well as generating organic traffic through content production, SEO strategies and best practices. By partnering with web development professionals, we build aesthetically pleasing and high functioning webpages for each franchise. We even set up their location’s Facebook, as well as assist with management. Working with a traditional PR firm also allows us to take advantage of additional media platforms like newspapers, magazines, podcasts and trade publications as well.
Our comprehensive procedures guide provides franchisees with the information needed to succeed that we personally had to learn the hard way. Our operation manual delivers systemized instructions for transforming a one-truck outfit into a multi-crew, million-plus dollar revenue generating enterprise. Suggestions for time management include weekly tasks, like leaving Wednesday open for office activities, such as taking inventory and ordering supplies, as well as daily activities, such as how to balance time spent in the field with time spent in the office. This document also includes a ‘cookbook’ to track revenue and costs in an organized and visually intuitive format.
An especially strong element of our program is the continuous and thorough training we offer our franchisees. We personally visit new franchises within their first few months of operations to shadow their procedures and ensure they are employing viable installation techniques, sales strategies, customer service efforts, safety procedures and more. Franchisees also visit our corporate location for two weeks of classroom style and hands-on instruction on topics including sales call, making estimates, drawing blueprints, and hiring practices as well.
One of the most important aspects of a productive franchisee – franchisor relationship is communication. Our partners enjoy open lines of communication with everyone in The Brothers That Just Do Gutters organization from marketing staff, to other franchisees and of course, Ryan and me. Franchisees are encouraged to contact us directly by phone or email whenever the need for guidance arises. This is an anomaly in the franchise industry, where it is not unusual for individual franchise owners to go an entire career without speaking directly with a CEO. When Luke Smith, our Chattahoochee Valley, Georgia franchise owner, first began looking into our system, his friend and Lynchburg, Virginia franchise owner, Jerimiah Boles instructed him to simply call me directly, to which is responded with surprise that he could “just call the owner.” It’s that kind of accessibility that makes our system special.
Monthly peer-to-peer online conference calls give our franchisees an opportunity to share with each other their progress and valuable insights they’ve acquired through firsthand experience and the ability to benchmark with their peers. Ryan also facilitates a field operation meeting to providing expert advice and provides all Field Operators to benchmark, while sharing their successes and challenges. Separate, but similar, forums are held for sales staff and office administrators as well. A professional business coach who meets individually with each franchisee every month to review their budgets vs. actuals, offering personalized strategy, coaching and encouragement.
Our lines of communication are far from limited to remote interaction. Before even deciding to become a partner, individuals visit our Hudson Valley Headquarters location to meet with us face-to-face and discover exactly what running a The Brothers That Just Do Gutters franchise entails. During this visit, they are allowed the opportunity to shadow every aspect of our operation in the office, on our trucks, at the job site and more. This time also provides Ryan and I an opportunity to assess if a prospect is a good fit for The Brothers That Just Do Gutters.
The Brothers That Just Do Gutters Story
The Brothers That Just Do Gutters was born out of Ken Parson’s vision for a better contracting service than the ones operating in his market and beyond. While working as a gutter installer for another company summers between teaching History in 1996, he determined exactly what qualities such an operation should embody. In 1999 his plans were solidified with the opening of what is now called The Brothers That Just Do Gutters.
After extensive campaigning, Ken was able to recruit his brother, Ryan to join him as the co-owner and Chief Solutionist© of their growing operation. The sibling essentially threw their higher education into the gutter and haven’t looked back since.
Fast forward to 2019. Ken and Ryan have helped dozens of other motivated individuals, partners and couples realize the American Dream by opening The Brothers That Just Do Gutters franchises of their own. Today, there are 10 Brothers Gutter franchise locations from Florida to New Jersey and even across the county in Seattle. Their proprietary system enables quick growth and ample return on investment with direct training, ongoing consultation and shared exposure.
Explore the Brothers Gutter system for yourself at www.brothersfranchise.com, call (845) 554-5896 or leave a message through their contact page.
