From a Series of Fortuitous Events a 1-800-Got-Junk? Franchisee is Born
After working at Ford Motor Company for 12 years, Brent Glotzbach was ready for a change. So when the company began offering buyout packages to employees he jumped at the chance to fulfill his longtime dream of being self-employed. Though he knew he wanted to work for himself, he wasn’t exactly sure which industry to pursue. “I wanted a challenge and to have the freedom to do things later in life and not be tied to someone else’s schedule. I wanted to have freedom down the road“ Glotzbach said.
On Franchise.com he found exactly what he was looking for. “Franchise.com got me going and gave me enough information to know that I wanted to pursue this. There’s a wealth of information on Franchise.com. You can find anything you want to find about franchising on the site…and just about any franchise you’re looking for is on there. I browsed through the franchises looking for what would fit me best and came across 1-800-Got-Junk? and thought it’d be a good fit for me,” he said of discovering the world’s largest junk removal services company.
Coincidentally, shortly thereafter he saw 1-800-Got-Junk?’s founder, Brian Scudamore profiled on MSNBC. His mind was made up. “I went back to Franchise.com and called about becoming a franchisee,” Glotzbach recalled. In early 2008 he purchased his franchise and his location will open in less than two weeks.
Surefire Success
As the clutter consumers amass grows, so does the need for junk removal services that help them reclaim their space. Glotzbach’s role will involve promoting those services to local homeowners and businesses in the southern Indiana and Louisville, Kentucky area. “I never had sales experience, but they (1-800-Got-Junk?’s corporate office) have such a great system in place, I can call or email them with any questions I have. I also have a business development coach who is guiding me. I don’t feel like I’m in this by myself.”
Glotzbach continued “Their business plan is so good. When I met with them I was very impressed, it was clear they thought everything out…they are well organized and have good people in place…they’re not going to let you fail unless you are destined to fail. They want you to succeed.”
A Business that Echoes Personal Values
“I always liked being outdoors and working with people,” Glotzbach said. “1-800-Got-Junk? appealed to me because it helps people take their space back, gain more control of their lives, and improve their lifestyle. When there’s clutter around a house or a business, it spills into other aspects of life.”
“I also liked that 1-800-Got-Junk? recycles 60% of the items they remove. I wanted to be part of the eco-friendly movement. We don’t just take it to a landfill, we have a list of local recycling facilities and some of the items like furniture are donated to charities,” he explained of the two trucks that will initially operate out of his facility.
“Ultimately, in four to five years I’d like to have four to five trucks and 15 employees, that’d be my goal,” he said. As a franchisee, “I see myself handling the sales, meeting with people, business owners, drumming up business and keeping the trucks rolling…and helping people reclaim their space of course.”
