What Does a Parmesan Chicken Sandwich and a Leather Sofa Have in Common?

 What does a preparing a parmesan chicken sandwich and repairing a worn out leather sofa have in common? More than you think. Ask Michael Carrigan, franchisee of Fibrenew North Naples. As a former executive chef, Carrigan likens the two art forms as such: “I still work with my hands, making sure the product is nice and perfect and the best it can be so the customer is happy with it. There’s a parallel there, with one difference: I can qualify the customer. In the kitchen you’re removed, but now I can discuss and explain with my customers.”

Making the leap from the kitchen to owning his own mobile leather, plastic and vinyl restoration business with Fibrenew isn’t as far-fetched as it sounds. Carrigan says as a chef, he put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into his work, but what he really wanted was do invest that into something for himself. He had been looking into a several different franchise opportunities when a broker approached him offering assistance. Fibrenew was one of the options presented, and the more Carrigan thought about it the more he was attracted to the low buy-in, low overhead and mobile vs. brick-and-mortar concept.

Carrigan met and spoke to a few other franchisee owners in the south Florida area before attending the Fibrenew Training Program. “The support for franchisees is huge!” he comments. “I noticed that right away. Plus, as a chef I like things neat and organized and clean and tidy — and I could tell by the training facility everything was buttoned up.”

Fibrenew North Naples has a fairly diversified market. Carrigan has dabbled in the marine industry, built quite a following with the classic car crowd, and earned a large portion of the residential market. “It’s a older community, but well balanced. I’ve done golf carts to golf canopies to steering wheels to pontoons boats to couches,” he says. Carrigan suggests to other new franchisees that earning contracts with warranty companies — as he did — is a great way to spread awareness about the Fibrenew brand and fill time slots with revenue-earning appointments.

Carrigan is the first to acknowledge he’s a firm believer in karma, and perhaps this is why his Fibrenew business has taken off the way it has. “I’m not going to lie: I’ve turned down jobs where I could easily just take someone’s money, knowing they could fix it for less themselves. But I don’t want my name to have a blemish. Just be honest, have integrity, show up, return phone calls. Throw it out to the universe and it’ll come back to you.”

Today, as owner of his very own business, Carrigan enjoys the work/life balance he’s settled in to. He hangs out with his son, stays active with jogging and soccer, and tends to his home’s yard more now that he has flexibility in his schedule. Sounds like the delicious balance!

Source: What Does a Parmesan Chicken Sandwich and a Leather Sofa Have in Common?

Losing Her Job Led to Something Better

When Julie Kapugi’s corporate job was moved overseas, she didn’t panic. “You can always control your response to things. I always try to be positive and look forward. Losing a job is not the end of the world,” she says.

In fact, it’s something she wishes happened sooner. The self described extrovert spent 10 to 12 hours a day cooped up in her home office with little to no social interaction. Today she is out in the community making connections with people and growing her business. Kapugi is the owner of Fibrenew Asheville, a mobile leather repair and plastic and vinyl restoration service. She regularly networks with other business owners in her area, but what surprises her the most about her new position is how an everyday conversation with someone can lead to a job. “I just did a quote for my bank teller!” she laughs.

Fibrenew Asheville has a good hold of the automotive and residential markets. The area is considered a destination spot, so it consists of many upscale second homes. Kapugi has been creating relationships with local upholsterers and interior designers in order to grow her referral base with the renovation and design industries. The next phase of Fibrenew Asheville’s expansion will be in the commercial market — being a vacation destination, there are numerous restaurants in the area Kapugi already has her eye on approaching.

Some may think of Kapugi’s leap from corporate consultancy to hands-on leather, plastic and vinyl restoration technician to be a giant shift, but that’s not how she sees it. “Goal setting, scheduling, organization, knowing your priorities for the day … all of that tracks over to owning your own business,” Kapugi explains. With an education in engineering, Kapugi has always enjoyed puzzles and working with her hands, which were two characteristics that led her to the Fibrenew franchise. “It’s the business itself,” she says. “It just resonated. I always think when something resonates with you, listen to it.”

The positive changes in her life were facilitated by the encouragement of Fibrenew head office and other franchisees. “You’re not just thrown out there on your own. I’m so grateful for the support!” Kapugi admits she could not be happier with her decision to become her own boss. Owning a business like Fibrenew Asheville led to the discovery of a surprising perk: it’s better for your health than sitting at a desk all day. “It’s not healthy to be behind a computer for 10 hours a day. I’m moving more and walking more. I no longer have the aches and pains I was having before. I feel great!”

With a renewed sense of purpose, Kapugi schedules family time and is thankful for the flexibility of her business to do so. They regularly volunteer with local charities and community initiatives as a way to meet new people and give back. Kapugi looks forward to growing Fibrenew Asheville one client at a time.

Source: Fibrenew Franchising