An Experienced Entrepreneur Chooses Franchise Ownership for His Latest Business Pursuit

An Experienced Entrepreneur Chooses Franchise Ownership for His Latest Business Pursuit

Over the past 15 years, Jim Idsardi has found success owning numerous businesses, however becoming an entrepreneur wasn't the career path he originally planned on pursuing, "I studied accounting in college, and I wanted to become a DEA agent but when I graduated there was a hiring freeze. I've always been entrepreneurial, so I obtained a non-traditional, hard money loan and bought a Mobil gas station and auto repair business," Idsardi recalled. "I opened a 76 gas station as well, but I didn't own the land for those two businesses, so I purchased land and built a gas station complete with a store, restaurant and carwash, from the ground up. I started a residential and commercial construction company and I purchased another piece of land where I built a self-storage facility and 12-bay auto repair shop."

With the exception of the Mobil gas station business, which he no longer owns, Idsardi continues to have an active role in all of his other Gilbert, AZ area businesses, "I'm very hands-on, I oversee all of the day-to-day operations," he said. In fact, it was his hands-on approach to his gas station business that led to him opening his latest business, "I was replacing the computer battery back-ups at the gas station all the time. I'd go to the nearby battery chain store and I was intrigued, I liked the concept of the business, but I didn't like that the store always seemed dirty and that the staff was grumpy," Idsardi explained.

Discovering an Impressive Brand

"My Google search for 'battery stores' took me to Franchise.com where I found information on the Interstate All Battery Center franchise opportunity. I knew I wanted to own a battery store, because batteries are a consumable good that power so many high-tech devices, but I wasn't aware of the Interstate All Battery Center concept until I went on Franchise.com…I had never seen one of their stores," Idsardi said. "Franchise.com gave me really good information about the decision I needed to make. Franchise.com is an outlet that provides very useful information."

 "I liked the power of the Interstate All Battery Center brand, it's a big-name company and Interstate products are the best in the industry. The stores have a good look that's very appealing to consumers and the offering was really sharp. I also liked the people who run the company they're a nice group and they want you to succeed," Idsardi said of his decision to become an Interstate All Battery Center franchise owner.

Gearing up for Success

Idsardi recently purchased his Interstate All Battery Center franchise and is currently in the process of building-out the space for his retail location. "Interstate All Battery Center franchisees can initially focus on B2B sales from a home office and have 10 months to open their retail location, but I'm opening mine right away because I have existing space available at my storage and auto repair business," he noted. "The spaced previously housed an ATV store, but with the economy, people stopped buying ATVs a few years ago, so my Interstate All Battery Center store will go into the space where the ATV business used to be...I've actually been selling Interstate batteries at my auto repair business for 15 years. My goal is to have my Interstate All Battery Center retail location open in time for the holiday season."

Idsardi believes his professional background will serve him well, "I have a lot of experience in retail sales and running businesses. I understand the dynamics of what needs to be done. When I start a new business I'm there all the time and then I turn it over to someone who is capable of managing it, so that I can go around the city checking on all of the businesses. Once the Interstate Battery Center business is up to full speed, I think I'll have five employees working at that business," Idsardi said.

The Rewards of Business Ownership

While Idsardi's responsibilities as an owner of multiple businesses can translate into long days, "I do have autonomy," he pointed out. "As long as everything is running well I can go to the gym, go hiking, or schedule meetings. I like working for myself and the opportunities that business ownership provides. The more you put into it, the more you get out."

A Complete Business System that's on the Cutting-Edge of Technology

"I would definitely recommend the Interstate All Battery Center franchise opportunity to motivated and driven individuals with good customer service, organization and sales skills. I think that the tools that Interstate All Battery Center provides franchisees with are better than the competition. The three-week training was very informative and fun, and the support from the home office has been wonderful," he observed. "The entire program is very well put together, it gives you a much greater chance of success and the business puts you on the cutting-edge of technology."