The DreamMaker remodeling franchise provides systems and training that boosts margins and quality of life for owners and their families

In 2013, the remodeling industry grew 3.1 percent, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. So how did the DreamMaker remodeling franchise do? Our same-store sales grew more than 23 percent — far surpassing the industry.

The important questions: How did we do it? Is more growth on the table? We’ll answer the second question first. Hanley Wood, which studies the remodeling industry and conducts ongoing research and surveys, expects the remodeling industry overall to grow at a pace of about 9 percent in 2015. We’ll be looking for our franchisees to beat that number.

Here are five reasons we’re confident, and why anyone considering a remodeling business should take a look at a DreamMaker remodeling franchise:

1. Strong Margins

Remodelers often struggle to build enough profit into their job estimates to cover the expense of great carpenters and subcontractors. Instead, they often wind up doing everything themselves — sales, marketing, construction, project management. They wind up working 70-hour weeks and struggling to provide great customer service and keep projects on schedule.

One of the things that makes DreamMaker a great way to start a remodeling business is we work with franchisees to help them maintain strong margins so they will be able to hire excellent people to help them serve their customers. We teach franchise owners how to communicate the value they offer to potential customers.

Most customers are happy to pay a little bit more for a highly professional, worry-free remodeling experience. Strong margins help you deliver that great experience.

2. Quality of Life

Strong margins give you the financial wiggle room to hire a great team, which allows you to hand off certain parts of the business (we can teach you how to keep tabs on what is getting done) and focus on what you enjoy most about owning a remodeling business. Are you an expert craftsman who loves working with materials? Do you enjoy meeting new people, helping them discover their options and guiding them through a sales process? Perhaps your favorite part of the business is the challenge of looking at an existing space and using your creativity to transform it into something new and beautiful.

DreamMaker’s systems help you do the parts of the business that you love and delegate other tasks, while still staying on top of everything happening in your business.

This approach not only lets you do what you love, it also allows you to have more time available for the people you love. Since you won’t have to handle every single detail in your business, you should be able to work much more reasonable hours and have time — and energy — left for your family, church, community, friends and hobbies.

For an example of how converting to a DreamMaker remodeling franchise helped transform an existing remodeler’s business, check out Steve Miller’s story.

3. Proven Systems

DreamMaker’s systems have helped new remodelers become extremely successful. In 2014, four franchisees were named to Qualified Remodeler’s Top 500 list — which highlights the most successful remodelers in the country.

The four franchisees came from a variety of backgrounds: Steve Coombs, who partnered with Brad Stevens to start the Ogden location, is an architect, and Nate Coombs, who recently joined as a co-owner, is a military veteran; Steve Betts, who owns the locations in Lubbock and Amarillo, was a banker; Lee Willwerth and Bob Ender, who started the Ann Arbor location, were software engineers and automotive industry veterans; Everett Gray, in Bakersfield, was a skilled carpenter, while his wife, Patty, who is instrumental to the business, had been a stay-at-home mom.

DreamMaker’s franchisees succeed, first and foremost, because they are great, honest, hardworking people. We provide them with systems that dramatically simplify the process of managing remodeling projects, and we also leverage our joint buying power to help them obtain exceptional building materials at substantial discounts, which helps make strong margins possible.

We provide ongoing coaching to franchisees, and we also encourage and facilitate communication among them, helping them learn from one another and troubleshoot each others’ businesses. We’re a tight-knit group that looks out for one another.

4. Code of Values

We believe if you treat people with respect and integrity, profits follow. Our Code of Values is central to who we are and the way we try to conduct ourselves in business and in life. The Code of Values is not just something that hangs on the wall. It’s a living, breathing philosophy based on biblical principles. At least once a day, we review the values. Some days we recite them as a team, often we share stories from our lives and from our workdays that relate to the Code of Values. We know it is impossible to live them perfectly, but we try to live them with excellence — meaning that when we miss one, we are willing to be held accountable in a respectful way.

Take a look at our Code of Values. It has been a powerful tool for running a great business with excellence and integrity, and it has attracted many franchisees, employees and customers.

5. Family Business with Long-term Value

Steve Everett says one of the things he likes about being part of DreamMaker is knowing he is building a strong asset. He had an independent remodeling business for years and says: “I had tools and trucks, but no real business structure to sell. If I retired, I probably would sell everything and look to get $20,000 to $30,000 out of it. With DreamMaker, I have been able to build a good, solid company that is a tangible asset someone will want to buy, or I will be able to pass on to a family member or a loyal employee. There are systems and support that make it a good investment.”

In fact, our 2014 Franchise of the Year, DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen of Ogden, Utah, is in the midst of a transition. Steve Coombs started the business with Brad Stevens in 2004. They recently renewed their franchise agreement, and Steve’s son Nate became a co-owner in the business.

Whether you intend to sell to another remodeler or pass your business along to a new generation, DreamMaker’s systems and support help you create a legacy from your remodeling business.

Want to learn more?

Entrepreneurs who join the DreamMaker remodeling franchise family become part of a network of three dozen remodeling pros who are dedicated to delivering exceptional service to our customers. To learn more and to start a conversation, fill out a form to download our free franchise report or visit our research pages. You also can read stories about existing franchisees and their customers on our blog. We hope to talk to you soon!