After three decades as a banker, this new drywall repair franchise owner realizes his dream of being his own boss
THE PATCH BOYS franchisee Jonathan Payne spent 30 years as a banker helping thousands of people realize their dreams of small business ownership. But deep down, it was Payne himself that wanted to be his own boss.
“I always wanted to own my own business,” Payne said. “But I guess that comfort level being a banker and being good at what I did, I just never stepped out.”
But when Payne and his wife recently moved to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, he knew it was time to take the plunge of small business ownership. As one of the fastest growing residential development areas in the U.S., with an expected 500% increase in residential growth in the next 10 years, Payne knew Myrtle Beach was the perfect location to start a drywall repair company, and specifically, THE PATCH BOYS franchise.
“We’ve got all these developers building, and no one wants to go out and do the little 4×4 hole in the wall repairs or popcorn ceiling removal,” he said. “So the more I dug into THE PATCH BOYS, the more I realized there was a huge market for their services here.”
Payne went to THE PATCH BOYS training facility in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and got a hands-on education of the company’s specialized repair techniques. He also was given the structured training system that includes a strategic timeline to keep franchises on track for quick openings. “THE PATCH BOYS training is second to nobody,” he said. “It’s that good of training.”
And he still takes part in weekly meetings for assistance on things like marketing.
“I’ve always said you can never over meet, because I think it’s very important to speak to somebody on a weekly basis about where you’re at and what are you doing this week,” he said.
By his second month in business, Payne’s location was already booked out for three weeks. What makes THE PATCH BOYS stand out, Payne said, is crews are bonded, insured and licensed, which gives confidence to the customer. “We are a franchise and we are a part of the BELFOR Franchise Group, which is a major difference from the mom and pops,” he said. “People recognize the BELFOR name.”
And, Payne said THE PATCH BOY’s accessibility is especially important to customers, many of whom are calling with a crisis on their hands.
“I get people who say, “ I can’t believe you’re answering your phone on a Saturday,’” he said. “But I don’t care if they call me on Sunday. I’m going to answer my phone. That right there has earned the respect and trust of many customers.”
Long-term, Payne hopes to expand his territory, and he’s even open to the idea of starting similar franchises, such as a complimentary plumbing company. “But right now, what I’m really trying to focus on is building this territory. I want to be the name that whenever you say ‘drywall repair’ you’re calling THE PATCH BOYS.”
After helping countless people finance and attain business ownership, Payne said now is the time to act for any aspiring entrepreneurs.
“Right now is probably one of the best times that you could invest in a company because there’s so much money circulating,” he said. “And new homebuyers don’t want to spend their time fixing a hole in the wall. More people are saying, ‘let’s pay to have this service done.’ And that’s also why I think it’s a great time to invest in this company.”
Want to learn more about how to start a drywall repair business with THE PATCH BOYS franchise?
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