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One of the best things about owning a UCC TotalHome® franchise is the knowledge that you are selling an honest service that really helps people, according to UCC Detroit North owner Kevin McGuire.
“Someone can sign up and eight, ten years later you can still look him or her in the eye and both you and they seem to feel it was a win-win situation,” he says.
It was the UCC product that drew Kevin and his wife, Char, to the company years ago while he was managing a country club and working as an executive chef. He started by managing corporate-owned centers, and then purchased his own center a year later.
“I was looking to make some more money and wanted the freedom that owning your own business allows you,” Kevin says. “UCC TotalHome® has afforded me a generous income and a substantial amount of time with my family, and that was real important while we raised our kids.”
In August 2000, the McGuires celebrated their tenth anniversary of owning the Detroit North center. But the Detroit center was not the first experience the McGuires had with UCC -- they also ran UCC centers in Colorado Springs, Norwalk, Conn., and Detroit East.
Kevin says he learned how to run a business and how to recruit, train and lead people during his previous work experience, and those experiences helped him understand how the franchise ran, he said. However, in order to avoid spending an extensive amount of time working at the center, he decided to delegate his responsibilities.
“Hire people who can do it better than you can,” he said. “Some owners don’t want to give up that power and financial gain, but it was worth it for me. That way I was able to work in a successful family life.”
Running a UCC franchise takes hard work, commitment and determination, but you do not have to do it alone. There is always another franchise owner just a phone call away, Kevin says, as well as a team of professional Field Sales and Service representatives available at the Corporate Support Center to help with any problems that may crop up.
“UCC seems to be a close-knit group of people and we’ve developed some life-long friendships as well as business associates,” Kevin says. “All the owners, through the years, have been able to give up their time and energy to help new franchise owners succeed. That’s probably pretty unique.”
It’s important to spend adequate time in training and preparation before opening the franchise, he says. It’s too risky to try to learn “on the playing field,” he adds. Make sure you are understand all the aspects of the business and are effective in each area before you open your doors.
Once you do open your franchise, Kevin says, the corporation does a lot to keep you and your employees on track for success. The conferences and incentive trips the company offers, as well as a healthy competition encouraged among centers, for example, do a lot to motivate owners and employees. In their time with UCC, the McGuires have traveled to Bermuda, Lake Tahoe, Ireland, Acapulco and the Bahamas with the company, won the UCC Founder’s Award and were honored with club of the month status numerous times.
“The conferences and getaways are well-done, well-planned and focused on helping everyone do better -- owners and support staff,” Kevin says. “There’s no question that those events are constructive and helpful and employees feel like they’re part of a bigger picture.”
Owning a successful UCC franchise takes enthusiasm about what you’re doing and enjoyment in working with and developing young people into sales professionals, Kevin says. If you are looking to grow personally and would enjoy the freedom that owning a business offers, a UCC franchise may be for you.
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