Andrew August - Freehold, New Jersey
Andrew August grew up in the plumbing business, spending weekends and his time after school working at his father’s plumbing company. In 1990 his father became sick and Andrew took over the business. Sheryl, his wife of only a few months, quit her job as an elementary school teacher and took over the duties of office manager. After a few years they were ready for some expansion. In 1995 they bought a Mr. Rooter franchise and turned it into one of today’s top performing Mr. Rooter franchises. Andrew and Sheryl received the Mr. Rooter Rookie of the Year award in 1996, and Sheryl was named Mr. Rooter’s Woman of the Year in 2005.
What challenges did you face when you first started your Mr. Rooter franchise?
We took all the money we had and used it for a down payment for our franchise. When we placed our yellow page ads, the phone book company required a 50 percent deposit upfront. We had less than two weeks to come up with the deposit, so we sold our 1983 Mercedes convertible. We loved that car but it was worth it, because our business immediately started growing. We actually grew so fast we couldn’t keep up with the business coming our way.
How has your business changed since you became a franchise owner?
When we first operated August Plumbing and even when we opened our Mr. Rooter franchise, neither one of us had any business experience, so it was challenging. But that’s where the Mr. Rooter system helped us. We implemented its established systems and tapped into the Mr. Rooter resources – from other franchisees to the Mr. Rooter corporate staff. Now we have a management team that is top-notch and our franchise runs like a well-oiled machine. We went from operating out of a small room in Andrew’s dad’s shop to building a 12,000 square-foot building with 50 employees. Every once in a while, we give our franchise a tune-up, but we now feel confident and comfortable with running a business.
What is the biggest benefit of being a Mr. Rooter® franchisee?
Hands down, the biggest benefit is the network of franchise owners we’ve met over the years. In most businesses you can’t call your competition and ask for advice. When we would come up with an idea we would call other Mr. Rooter franchise owners to see what they thought. If we were having a challenge with something, the Mr. Rooter franchise network gave us the opportunity to speak with other franchise owners who had come across the same challenge we were facing. Now we mentor other franchisees because we can help guide them through difficult times and let them know they are not alone.
What is it like being a husband/wife team?
We are opposites, which works very well in our business, so we make a great team. Andrew is a great speaker and motivator, so he leads the technician meetings. I am very detail-oriented, so handling the office work suits me perfectly. Andrew makes the major decisions because he grew up in the plumbing industry and holds the plumbing license. He also spends time in the field with the technicians and checking jobsites. We also have a golden rule – we never talk about any challenges of work once we leave the office building. When we’re at home we only talk about our dreams and goals of the business.
What impact does the Mr. Rooter® brand have on your business?
The national advertising campaigns have truly helped grow our business over the years. Whether it’s the
multi-million dollar magazine campaign or the nationwide internet advertising, Mr. Rooter’s name is being branded across the nation. We build off of the national advertising in our local marketing efforts and this drives customers to our door. The Mr. Rooter brand is powerful and this makes our business that much more valuable in the marketplace.
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