Top Franchisee in a Tough Market vs. Weak Owner in a Goldmine: Who Wins?

Franchise Secrets Podcast

What happens when a rockstar franchisee enters a struggling market—and when a weak operator steps into a booming territory? In this episode, Erik Van Horn sits down with Kevin Sill, a second-generation franchisee who helped scale a family-owned Budget Blinds operation to 17 territories and over $20M in annual revenue. But that’s not all—Kevin also made the leap into owning a mom-and-pop flooring business, and he’s sharing the raw, unfiltered lessons from both worlds.

Whether you're a franchisee, an aspiring business owner, or curious about building generational wealth through franchising, this conversation is packed with insights on:

-Scaling in diverse markets (rural vs. metro)

-Building a franchise empire with your family

-Diversifying beyond franchising

-Why customer service is still king

-How great operators outperform weak ones—regardless of market

🔥 Episode Highlights:

-Real talk on underperforming franchisees

-Franchise vs. non-franchise ownership pros & cons

-Leveraging Facebook groups and peer networks

-What Kevin wishes he’d known earlier

-Why being coachable and curious beats being a know-it-all

📌 Resources Mentioned:

franchisesecretsgroup.com

ScalableFranchise.com – Get help growing or buying a franchise

Timestamps:

00:00 – What happens when you put a top franchisee in a weak market?

01:47 – Should you start a business or buy a franchise? Kevin’s journey

04:49 – From accounting to franchisee: Kevin’s background

09:16 – How Kevin scaled to 17 territories and $20M in revenue

11:39 – Comparing markets: rural Iowa vs. inner-city Twin Cities

14:46 – Which territories would Kevin not buy again—and why

18:38 – The power of repeat and referral business

24:55 – Why Kevin bought a non-franchise flooring company

31:05 – What Kevin appreciates more about franchising after owning independently

39:23 – Why curiosity and humility are franchise superpowers

Connect with Erik Van Horn:

🌐 Website - https://franchisesecrets.com/

📷 Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/erikvanhorn/

👍 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/erik.v.horn/

💼 LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/evanhorn/

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https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEEithd54kMle5_OUXiuLbc_UPBtz1vTE&si=uCOgDya1VnnCarDf

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#Franchising #Business #Franchise