Dave Wescott With Transblue

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Lee Kantor: [00:00:32] Lee Kantor here another episode of Franchise Marketing Radio and this is going to be a good one. Today on the show, we have Dave Westcott with Trans Blue. Welcome, Dave.

Dave Wescott: [00:00:41] Good morning. How are you?

Lee Kantor: [00:00:42] I am doing great. I’m so excited to learn what you’re up to. Tell us a little bit about trans blue. How you serving folks?

Dave Wescott: [00:00:49] Yeah, thank you. We are in the construction industry, so we provide residential customers with outdoor living space experience. So anything from a pool to a patio to a deck or a covered, entertaining space on the residential side. And then on the on the multifamily commercial side, we focus on roofing, asphalt, paving, siding, painting, so on and so forth. So a little bit more hardened services on the commercial side, but that’s a little bit about what we do.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:19] Can you share how the the concept got started? Did it start as kind of a mom and pop that organically grew into a franchise, or was it built to be a franchise all along?

Dave Wescott: [00:01:29] Yeah, great question. So I was in the facility management construction industry for many, many years, and in doing that, we serviced just Fortune 500 brands and we worked with anywhere from 7500 subcontractors on a given day, doing millions and millions of dollars in facility management construction. And I happened to be at a snow conference and I was listening to a guest speaker, and he was sharing about the trouble that contractors had and the trouble that they had in business and getting started in business, even if they had been in business for 20 years, you know, they still struggled. They still weren’t doing well with the pal and weren’t doing well with the balance sheet, weren’t able to take vacations and working themselves to death. And I said, No, that’s not my life. That’s not the that’s not the life I live. And I’m in the construction industry and I’m in the building industry and my experience has been great. And so at that moment I said, I’m going to build something that can teach people who want to have their own business and want to be in the construction fields a better way to do things. And through some research and development, I found that franchising would be the the best thing for me to be able to make that happen. And that is what I’m sorry, man.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:55] No. Well, I’ll let you go with that. But the follow up question to that is, when you had this idea conceptually, how did you know that you’d be able to pull it off? Like what gave you confidence that you be able to kind of transfer this knowledge and training and have a kind of somebody execute it without your kind of vast knowledge and expertize?

Dave Wescott: [00:03:20] Yeah. So we’ve made it we’ve made the construction process very simple. You know, what we want to do is really rely on the subcontractor network on that network of expertize to enable the business owner and his team that he builds around him to be successful. For example, if I’ve got an asphalt paving project that’s coming up or a customer says I want to pave my driveway, you know, that owner doesn’t necessarily have to be an expert in every single piece of asphalt construction. But what they do need to do is align themselves with the correct partner. And so by aligning themselves with the correct partner, that partner can come in and properly do the demo and properly do the installation of the asphalt. And so that makes that makes that piece of the business very simple and very straightforward. And then you want to have hired a good staff. You know, I think that the right people in the right seats is something that you probably hear a lot about. But really having a project manager who has experience in the field, you know, helps to measure those KPIs that your subcontractors are working on for the different projects that they’re executing. Does that make sense?

Lee Kantor: [00:04:33] Yeah. So is your ideal franchise candidate and great project manager or do they have to be like kind of have a background in construction to know what’s what or is your training and ecosystem so robust that you have that knowledge? So I don’t have to necessarily know if this guy’s a rock star. You have tools or resources for me to vet this person to know if this guy really is a rock star.

Dave Wescott: [00:05:00] Yeah, that’s a great question. So primarily, we look for franchise owners who are outside of the construction field. We look for guys who have a good executive background. They’re good at managing people because that’s truly what this business is, is it’s managing people. And so once we find that right business owner, we want them to hire the right staff. And I think that’s consistent among all brands and all businesses. You need to put the right people in the right. Seems to be successful. I wouldn’t say that the business is dependent on the on the project manager or the sales person, but you want the right people in those seats so that they can execute properly. And then I would say that it’s 100% based on finding the right team of subcontractors to work with because they are the the backbone of your business. They’ve essentially replaced that front line worker in our brand.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:57] Right. So then this person, the boots on the ground in a given market, has to be able to align themselves with the right people that are doing the actual work, because they’re the ones in someone’s backyard. They’re the ones that are interacting with the owners of the house. So they’re they’re they’re kind of your brand in a lot of ways. So how do you kind of protect yourself from, you know, kind of horror stories that a lot of folks have when it comes to these type of workers, you know, when they’re going with just an individual worker to do a project?

Dave Wescott: [00:06:32] Yeah, great question. So, you know, you want to work with a reputable company and I believe that it all comes down to a culture of compliance. And I think it starts what we call the RFP process when we have a project and we’re and we’re going to take it out to bid, you know, it all comes down to how well did they fill out the paperwork? How well did they communicate with you along the process? Are they licensed, bonded, insured? Right. What is their online review say about them? How do they brand their business? You know, we want to partner in a line with the best companies on the market. And so by doing that, if we can identify from a compliance standpoint that they’re checking off all the boxes, we know that in the field they’re going to execute at a high level. And that is really what enables us to separate ourselves from more of the chuck in the truck versus an established business that’s there to grow and perform and provide excellent customer service.

Lee Kantor: [00:07:28] So you have kind of certain red flags, yellow flags, green flags, and they got to be pretty much all green for you to do business with them. That’s your recommendation to your franchisees?

Dave Wescott: [00:07:40] That’s right. We want to we really want to have all those lights turn green. We want to have you know, we really want them to focus on the compliance side and just make sure all the boxes are checked. You know, it’s easier to do it right the first time, then try to go back and fix it. So if we can conquer that and do that, that really works out well. And there’s a lot of amazing contractors out there doing amazing work. And so we really want to make sure we’re honing our skill and using the right partners in the field.

Lee Kantor: [00:08:09] Now, you mentioned earlier that the ideal franchise candidate isn’t necessarily someone in construction. Is it harder for you to find them because they’re not in construction, so they’re not even considering construction as a franchise? So how do you kind of identify them to even get into your funnel, to have a conversation with them to begin with?

Dave Wescott: [00:08:31] Yeah, I think that a lot of people look at the business that they want to be in and they say, Hey, what’s the best vehicle or what’s the best conduit for me to reach the goals that I want to achieve? What do I want to get to? And I think whether you’re looking at a restaurant, a restaurant or a restoration business or a construction business or whatever it might be, you want to look at that, you want to evaluate it, and you want to put yourself in the best position possible. And I think that we align strategically with a higher level thinker based on the fact that our business is asset light, meaning you don’t have to go out and purchase a bunch of construction equipment to do the work. It’s asset light. And the fact that you don’t have to hire, you know, 50 construction workers to start executing projects, right? You’re going to rely on a subcontractor network. So it keeps the cash flow at home. And the other thing is that it’s quick turn money, right? At the end of the day, you do a project, you collect a down payment and you work on a project. The project is over, you collect your cash. So it’s quick turn on the cash flow, which I think is really exciting for a lot of people. And I think when they’re evaluating the different business opportunities before them, they’re taking those things into consideration and they’re saying, What’s going to allow me to hit those those goals and dreams that I’ve put out before me? And I think trans blue ticks off those boxes for them. And I think that most people look at a variety of different brands when they’re making when they’re doing their due diligence and their research. And I think we’re a front runner for those type of individuals.

Lee Kantor: [00:10:13] Now, have you found a channel or a a a a kind of place to find these folks that’s working extremely well for you? Or is it kind of hit or miss and you’re just trying a lot of things in and, you know, the totality is what’s helping.

Dave Wescott: [00:10:29] Yeah. I mean, I would say that early on we definitely did the shotgun approach, right? Like, hey, let’s let’s join this portal, let’s be on this, let’s use this. I mean, you know, all of the different things. And I think that we had to learn and hone and and grow. And I think that we had to be honest. We had to learn who our ideal candidate was in the beginning, you know, and on day one, you kind of have an idea, but you don’t necessarily know, you know? And so I think we’ve done a good job at honing in on that. And I think that for the most part, we’re driving a lot of of of people through our website, through a lot of SEO work and a lot of work on LinkedIn. I would say that’s primarily the two generators that we’re using to find and locate our candidates.

Lee Kantor: [00:11:17] So how has your franchise growth been?

Dave Wescott: [00:11:22] It’s been good. We had, I think, year one, you know, we started off with three units and then year two we brought on 16 units. This year we’ve brought on three units. So we have a goal of 17 more for the year. So we’re excited of for the growth. You know, we’d love to hit 30 this year, but I think that realistically, you know, we hit that 20 mark and that’s that’s what we’re shooting for. That’s what we’re budgeting for. That’s what our trajectory looks like. So that’s where we’re moving towards.

Lee Kantor: [00:11:56] Now, as the founder, have you been surprised that the things that you’ve learned in this adventure, like has this having these now boots on the ground in multiple markets now, has that kind of helped you create even even better product from learning what they’re doing and what they’re successful at in their local market?

Dave Wescott: [00:12:19] Yeah. I think, you know, the things that we’ve really learned are really diving into the KPI’s. Understanding what they need, what the franchise needs from support, what they need in frequency of touches, what they need, and really trying to help fill those gaps and help them to be as successful as possible. I think that’s that’s the biggest learning lesson, is just putting those KPIs out there and also working with them on those KPIs so that they know, okay, we’re trending towards X this month, so we need to increase sales or maybe we need to back off sales a little bit, but just really helping them to identify where they need to be in their business I think has been a huge and the other thing that I’ve learned along the way is that, you know, they’re not employees, you know, they’re their own business owners. And so they’re going to make decisions a little bit different than they would if they were an employee of Trans Blue.

Lee Kantor: [00:13:20] And can you talk about the importance of giving back as part of trans blues culture and why that’s important and how that helps you maybe even identify the right franchisee?

Dave Wescott: [00:13:31] Yeah, no, that’s a great question. I believe that if you’re in business but nobody knows you’re in business or if if you’re were to close your doors tomorrow and nobody even knew that you existed, what would be the point in being in business? Absolutely. In my mind, no point. Right. So I believe that business has an obligation to make the communities that they’re in a better place. And since this business has been founded, started many years ago, that’s been something that’s been close to my heart and something that’s been very important to me. And I like to give to things that make a local impact so things that can bless the local economy of where we’re at. And and I like to hit a variety of different places. So, you know, we we like to look out for kids. So we support a lot of places that help kids who may have been abused. We serve a lot of places that maybe where women have been abused. We serve a lot of places that focus on drug and alcohol abuse, anything that can make the community better. We focus with a lot of food banks. We over the last, I would say three years, we’ve supported around 135 different organizations. And so that’s really an important thing that we can make that impact locally, nationally and then globally is also an important thing to us in business.

Dave Wescott: [00:15:06] And so that’s kind of the key metrics that I drive by. I think it’s important for company morale and team morale. It’s nice to say, hey, you know, we’re giving to something that’s bigger than just trans blue. I’m working for something that’s more important than just trans blue. Like we’re a business with a mission. And that’s that’s really where we go and what we believe in. And I think that our franchisees, you know, they like that, too. And I think that they’re like minded individuals and they want to make their communities and places better. And I think from a hiring perspective, you know, we’ve we’ve brought on some amazing individuals who work at trans blue who have joined because of how much we give back and because how involved in the community we are. And maybe we wouldn’t have had access to all of those individuals if we weren’t so prominent in our in our local markets. So it’s super important to me as a as a founder, as a business owner, I’ve got a big, hairy, audacious goal, as Jim Collins would say. And I want to put 100 million a year into charities, noble causes, things like that every single year. I may never hit that goal, but if I can work at it one step at a time, then. Then I feel like I’ve done my job.

Lee Kantor: [00:16:26] Yeah, that’s commendable. And I wish that more business owners and founders really embrace that bigger. Why? And really leaned into serving their community. Because I think like you’re finding that that’s really where it pays off. Your business does well. The community does well. Everybody wins.

Dave Wescott: [00:16:46] Yes, sir. It’s it’s very, very true. And you see it, right? You see the fruit of it. Yeah.

Lee Kantor: [00:16:54] And it trickles down. Forget about the money part. It trickles down to, like you said, your people and the people of the community, they root for you. And and business is it’s not easy. So you need all the help you can get.

Dave Wescott: [00:17:07] You know, man, it’s true. The comment that business is not easy is very true. You know, business is tough. And at the end of the day, you have disappointing days. We all do. Everybody every business has things they wish that would have gone better. But I’ll tell you that sometimes on those days, you know, you look at what you’ve given back to or you get a letter from somebody saying, hey, thanks for helping change my life. It makes all of that worthwhile. And it says, hey, man, this, you know, this is why I’m here. I’m glad that that was a tough moment, but this is making my life better and this is what I’m here for. And so giving and being charitable, whether it’s monetarily or whether we’re out there actually working on a property which which we do, you know, it makes you feel great. You know what I mean? It’s like it’s like instant shot of positivity. Right? Right. And so I love that.

Lee Kantor: [00:17:58] Yeah. And that’s why we’re all here. I mean, if we’re all here just to accumulate wealth, then I think that we’re missing something. You know, there has to be a bigger wide than that. And and I think that your goal of wanting to give back and having that that big, audacious, hairy goal of, you know, being able to help more and more people is. Admirable. I mean, the people you’re going to attract to this are people who believe the same thing and that’s what you want. And then everybody benefits by that.

Dave Wescott: [00:18:29] Yeah. You know, we got to have our own brand of crazy, right?

Lee Kantor: [00:18:31] That’s it. I mean, I’d rather have the crazy of helping people than destroying people. So I’m rooting for you. Now, is there any kind of industry trends coming up that gets you excited? That is kind of bullish for your brand and for your business?

Dave Wescott: [00:18:50] Yeah. I mean, you know, building, building and construction has just been it’s been awesome, you know? I mean, you know, going into the pandemic, I’m going to be 100% honest with you. You know, it was a little frightening, like, hey, what’s going to happen? What’s going to happen with construction? What’s going to happen with these mandates? And, you know, everybody went home, you know, and everybody was working from home. And and, you know, everybody said, hey, man, I got to get outside and I got to I got to get out of my house. And instead of spending that money on, you know, a trip to Vegas or a trip to Paris or whatever it might have been or whatever else they were doing outside, they started putting that money back inside their home on the inside and the outside. And, you know, I mean, the work on swimming pools, the work on outdoor living spaces, just extending their home into their backyard, you know, if you can pick up an extra 5500 square feet, if you can cover it and put a pool in it at a barbecue, a seating area, a fireplace, you know, and you can hang out there all summer long or the kids can hang out there and have some fun while you’re working inside. You know, it’s an extension of the home. And so that has been absolutely incredible for our business. I mean, the construction and the it just went through the roof like we’d never seen. And so that’s been exciting.

Dave Wescott: [00:20:08] And to be honest, it hasn’t stopped, you know, and you know, all of these brands that you see out there, Amazon, Google and all, you know, you’ve got all these folks working from home and they’re learning, Hey, man, we can work remote and we can live our life there. And so they’re I believe they’re investing in their properties. They’re investing in their homes. You’re seeing the housing prices increase. And so, you know, it’s been exciting. And when we look at the housing market and you look at the possibility of recession on the forecast, you know, we go back to 060708 when everybody said, hey, we’re in the bubble, we’re in the bubble, we’re in the bubble. You know? Well, you know, we don’t we don’t hear a lot about a bubble. Right. And a lot of this a lot of these investments in these homes are backed by cash. Right. You go into Amazon, someone’s making 350 K a year. Right. They can afford that mortgage. So I think that that’s I think that that’s really beneficial for us. And I think that that that investment in the home always pays off. It always increases the value. So for us, that’s that’s exciting. It’s good. And that’s where we see things going. We don’t we have an optimistic outlook on the future. You know, we’ve been through COVID. Now COVID is starting to wrap up. We’ve got some gas prices and some different things, but that will level out here. And I’m excited about the future.

Lee Kantor: [00:21:33] Amen to that. Now, if somebody wants to learn more about trans blue, about the opportunity, is there a website?

Dave Wescott: [00:21:39] Yeah, absolutely. Trans blue franchise dot com is is the best place to go and that’s got all the information about the business and and how to get ahold of us.

Lee Kantor: [00:21:51] Well, Dave, thank you so much for sharing your story today. You’re doing important work and we appreciate you.

Dave Wescott: [00:21:57] Hey, thank you, man. I appreciate it.

Lee Kantor: [00:21:59] All right. This is Lee Kantor will see you next time on Franchise Marketing Radio.