Buying into an emerging franchise brand means you should expect some bumps, like slow equipment delivery and marketing that needs local tweaks. The trade-off is a real voice in how the system grows, especially when the brand is already proven in another market. It matters most for buyers who want support and still want room to be creative.
Lisa Welko talks with Russ Pitts, a new Gorilla Property Services owner south of Fort Worth, about how a brand at the bottom of his list became his pick. It is an honest look at early bumps and the fear of cold sales.
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What's covered
1:47 Lessons from a first business that struggled
4:25 Why Gorilla started at the bottom of his list
10:14 First cold visit meets a “No Soliciting” sign
12:57 Buying a brand proven in Canada, new in US
How do you choose a franchise when you're not sure what fits?
Lisa looked at what drives him: creativity, problem solving and project management. His market mattered too. South Fort Worth is crowded with franchises, so they focused on up and coming brands and compared at least three.
Gorilla started at the bottom of his list. Other brands asked more than he wanted to give, carried more risk, or lacked owner support. The more he compared, the stronger Gorilla looked.
What if the sales side makes you nervous?
Russ was never a strong networker, so brands with real help on marketing and door knocking rose to the top. Gorilla has an internal business coach to help owners with their goals.
His first stop had a locked door and a “No Soliciting” sign. He tried the next one, met someone interested, and kept going. He also found a surprise niche: retirement homes, which tend to be large, understaffed properties with friendly staff.
“The more relaxed I am, the more relaxed they are.” Russ Pitts
What should you expect from an emerging franchise brand?
Gorilla is well established in Canada but new in the US. That track record mattered to Russ. Still, some marketing and processes don’t carry over one to one, and his van, the core of the business, has been a bottleneck.
Lisa has been with an emerging brand herself and told him it would be bumpy. The upside is the ground floor. Texas owners share what they learn in a group chat, and his retirement home idea is already in other owners’ outreach. When he asked for lighter shirts for Texas heat, the brand said it would adapt. That openness was huge for him.
Not sure whether this applies to you?
That’s the kind of thing a 15 minute call sorts out quickly. No cost, no pitch.
