Twelve franchises which share the burden of not being familiar names have banded together to push into the Greater Hartford market.
Either the franchises already have a presence in Connecticut, have excellent sales from limited locations and want to expand; or the franchises exist in far off places and are lured by the promise of higher incomes and positioning between Boston and New York.
“Connecticut is a great area with a lot of stability,” said Peter Riggs, vice president of franchise development for the Idaho restaurant chain Pita Pit, which has 300 locations in North America but none in Connecticut. “There is great stability in the economy of that area compared to the rest of the country,”
The other 11 franchises include Wireless Zone, which sells Verizon products, and We Do Lines, a parking lot striping company.
Those outside Connecticut include Georgia food delivery service Steak-Out; New Jersey landscape service provider Lawn Doctor; California supplement provider Max Muscle Sports Nutrition; Nebraska senior care provider Right at Home; Home Team Inspection Service and repair service provider House Doctors, both Ohio-based; Missouri-based Guier Fence; California-based Fetch! Pet Care; and New Jersey dog care provider K-9 Resorts Daycare & Luxury Hotel.
“Connecticut is definitely a targeted market,” said Greg Haskett, vice president of House Doctors and Home Team.
Home Team has 175 franchises in North America, including some in Connecticut. None of House Doctors 90 franchises are here, Haskett said.
The company wants to expand both brands into the state, particularly in New Haven, Hartford, East Hartford and Fairfield County.
To maximize their ability to enter the Connecticut market, the 12 franchises started offering webinars two months ago for would-be franchisees to learn about the various businesses and see what all is involved in starting up a company.
Not all franchises are perfect for every franchisee, so the webinars offer the brands the ability to use their collective strength to stir interest among the right people, said Steve Beagelman, CEO of SMB Franchise Advisors, organizer of the webinar.
The sessions are open nationally, but the marketing for them is targeted regionally. The Northeast is high on the list, Beagelman said, because its large, wealthy population is recovering from the economic recession faster and is a growth market for all 12 franchises.
Pita Pit started in 1999 on the concept of locating near college towns. In recent years, the brand pursued young professionals into new markets,Riggs said, figuring college students still would want pitas after graduation.
“I hope we come to Connecticut soon,” Riggs said. “Connecticut is one of those places; it just feels pleasant.”
Wireless Zone has 470 franchises, including 47 in Connecticut, more than any other of the franchises working with the webinars.
The company wants to expand in the Northeast because the stores in the region perform well, said Sean Fitzgerald, vice president of franchise development.
“The webinars are great because they bring together a lot of people,” Fitzgerald said. “It is just finding the people with the right fit for the right concept.”
Wethersfield is the top performing store among Right at Home’s 210 nationwide locations, and the company just added new locations in Darien and Danbury.
Right at Home wants to add 10 more stores in Connecticut, said Eric Little, vice president of franchise development. The state has an aging population that will still want to stay at home, and the company sees large growth for its industry.
From New Jersey, the K-9 Resorts brand targets the New York City executive who works long hours in the city, makes enough money to travel a lot and pays for luxury pet care, said co-founder Steven Parker said. In expanding beyond two locations, the company wants to enter the suburbs of New York City.
“Connecticut is a wonderful market. It is one of the highest income markets in the country,” Parker said. “This business would work anywhere in Connecticut.”
After two months and four webinars, the 12 brands have generated franchise leads but no new locations. The typical approval process for a new franchisee is at least 90 days, Beagelman said.
Both House Doctors and Home Team have put Connecticut residents in their pipelines, Haskett said.
“Some of these guys very much want to get into a franchise,” Haskett said. “It is just a matter of finding the right fit.”
