Fibrenew Franchise Opportunity Throughout Australia

Does this describe you?

Are you ready to be your own boss?
Do you like to work with your hands?
Do you enjoy relationship selling?
Can you distinguish colours adequately? (not colour blind)

Fibrenew, a recognized and respected global brand:

Since 1987, Fibrenew has been the industry leader with the development of exceptional leather, plastic and vinyl repair products and restoration techniques. The combined knowledge and experience of our 230+ franchisees around the world is unparalleled. We have expanded our global presence to include franchise units in the United States, Canada, Mexico, New Zealand and Australia.

When you are awarded a Fibrenew franchise, you will receive:

An exclusive protected territory
Use of Trade name and Trademark
Access to proprietary products and methods and manuals
Comprehensive training program
Complete inventory and equipment
Stationery and marketing package
Personal website and online marketing support
Ongoing Technical Support via phone and internet
Access to our Technical Library
Continuous education, support via seminars, workshops and conferences

A Fibrenew franchise in Australia offers:

Flat-fee franchise model
Low overhead, home-based mobile business
Cutting edge research & development
Exclusive service and product line
Flexible lifestyle and work schedule – you set your own hours
Being part of winning team with a proven business model

Source: Franchise Territories Now Available Throughout Australia

Couple’s Franchise Success Story with Fibrenew

We recently interviewed Stephanie and Warren Rosenthal, the dynamic husband and wife team behind Fibrenew’s successful Indianapolis Metro North franchise. Stephanie and Warren have been happily married for 23 years. When they’re not busy providing top-notch repair service for a growing, upper market clientele, the couple homeschool their two teenagers, and still find time for weekly outdoor adventures like hiking and kayaking. Joining the Fibrenew family is not this couple’s first entrepreneurial effort either–they previously owned a window cleaning business in the same region. If you wonder what it takes to share the responsibility of running a business as a couple, while retaining the ability to put time with family first, you’ll definitely want to check out Stephanie and Warren’s story:

Finding Fibrenew

 When asked how they first became aware of Fibrenew, Warren recounts how he was in the middle of a career change. He had acquired his real estate licence, and after a little while realized it wasn’t quite the right fit. They were also doing some investing and fixing up rental properties at that point. Approaching their anniversary, they decided to treat themselves by fixing up their torn Natuzzi leather sofa. When the Fibrenew technician came out to service it, they were intrigued and asked lots questions about the business model. Warren dug a little bit deeper with some online research and discovered their region was an available Fibrenew territory. They did their homework and before long it was clear they had a new calling.

Challenges Along the Way
To their advantage, the Rosenthals had an existing knack for running a service-based business from their time working in residential window cleaning. However, taking on Fibrenew’s product knowledge was a bit daunting at the start. There was plenty of information to digest–everything from color matching to organizing their first shipment of supplies. It was challenging, but exciting too, and they got the hang of it all pretty quickly. Warren had received his technical training at this stage, but Stephanie had not. Her training turned out to be of a more direct nature. She learned the trade by observing Warren at work. Now she can readily answer any customer’s question when she’s fielding inquiries and setting up appointments. Read more of the story here!

It’s The Thought That Counts!

 Kids can be hard on furniture, but we’re here for all the moms! Stain removal, re-dyes, or complete restoration – we’ll give you one less thing to worry about.

What our customers say:

“Excellent professional service, that is what we have experienced with Fibrenew’s services. Our first experience in having leather restored and are very pleased with the results.” – Dean S. – Monroe, IA”

“Chad from Fibrenew explained every step in removing a large stain from my leather couch and educated me on what to do to prevent a similar situation from recurring. You can’t go wrong with this company!” – Jackie – Calgary, AB

Fibrenew has 240+ technicians ready to help. Contact us today to arrange a quote

Source: It’s The Thought That Counts!

Finding the Right Franchise Fit

How Fibrenew Has Grown to 240+ Global Locations

We recently caught up with Fibrenew’s Director of Franchise Development, Bob Johnston. Bob joined the Fibrenew family in 2012, and he knows which qualities make a great prospective franchisee. As he tells it, finding the right fit has a lot do to with aligned values–namely honesty, and integrity. Fibrenew’s transparency is a big part of why we’re in the top 15% of Franchise Business Review’s 2017 Top 50 Franchise list. Of course, there’s a bit more to the story. Here’s how we help would-be owners decide to invest in a lifestyle franchise like Fibrenew.

 Getting Started
Finding the right fit starts with scheduling a phone call with Bob or a member of the development team to learn a bit more about each other, including why you’re considering a franchise. We hear from people with a variety of motivations, from a recent layoff, to a desire to be more self-reliant, i.e. ready to be your own boss. Once you’ve had a chance to ask questions, and you’re interested in continuing the conversation, Bob and the team will dig a little deeper to confirm you possess, what he refers to as “5 Essential Qualities”.

5 Essential Qualities of a Fibrenew Franchise Owner

Trait #1: A Tetrachromat
“Tetra-who?” – don’t let the term throw you off, it’s just the technical term for having complete color vision. A significant part of our mobile repair business involves working with color and color-matching, so being color-blind is one of the few things that might stand in your way of being a successful Fibrenew franchise owner.

Trait #2: Handy
Do you enjoy working with your hands? This is a great role if you like rolling up your sleeves and getting your hands dirty on the occasional DIY project or light repair job. Keep in mind you don’t need technical knowhow to do our repairs just yet – that’s what we’re here to teach you about.

Trait #3: Trainable & Coachable
Be open to training and certified coaching. We’ve been fine tuning our processes since 1987. So while you will certainly bring your own personality and strengths to franchise ownership, please respect that we have a proven business model – reinvention of the wheel is not necessary.

Trait #4: In Shape
Doing repair work is going to require some bending and lifting. You don’t need to be a top athlete, but you do need to be in reasonable physical condition, as opposed to having chronic arthritis in your hands, or nagging knee or back issues.

Trait #5: People Person
According to Bob, the most important quality is being a people-person. As he explains, you need to be somebody who “isn’t afraid to introduce yourself, shake hands and go right to showing [before & after] pictures. When people see these pictures, their first words usually are ‘You can do that?’ ” Yes, we certainly can! continue reading!

Furniture Repairman Makes House Calls on Bike Lugging 100 Pounds of Tools

UPPER EAST SIDE, MANHATTAN — It’s possible to have almost anything delivered home in the Big Apple, from Chinese food to Christmas trees to karaoke machines.

Now, New Yorkers can add a new delivery option to the list: a personal home visit from a leather furniture repairman.

Saul Shapiro, a longtime bike enthusiast, travels on his 7-speed from his Upper East Side apartment to any Manhattan location to fix clients’ worn and torn sofas, chairs and ottomans.

He hauls about 100 pounds of equipment, including an airbrush painting system, behind his bike in a trailer he built by combining three carts, road-ready wheels and a strong hitch.

“I’ve had people stop me and say, ‘I love your cart,’” said Shapiro, a former engineer and public relations staffer who opened the city’s first franchise of Fibrenew, a company that specializes in repairing leather and vinyl upholstery.

“One woman stopped to ask me where I bought it because her husband is always trying to drag a telescope around on his bike.” continue reading here!

Franchise Business New Career Opportunity With Fibrenew

Every budding entrepreneur dreams of finding a business opportunity that’s unique in the market, has flexible work hours and of above all, presents the chance to build a dependable cash flow positive enterprise.

If you are looking to break out of the office and be your own boss, enjoy the freedom of a flexible lifestyle and build a solid financial future for you and your family, Fibrenew may be the unique opportunity for which you are looking.

Fibrenew is a market leader in the restoration of leather, plastic and vinyl. We are a home-based, mobile franchise service that caters to the aviation, automotive, commercial, marine, medical and residential markets. There is leather, plastic and vinyl everywhere that becomes damaged through normal wear and tear – in homes, offices, vehicles, hospitals, clinics, gyms, restaurants, hotels and much more.

With all these potential revenue streams and high demand for our services across so many markets, our company and franchisees have grown and thrived through every rise and fall of the economy. That really speaks to the fact that there is always a need for our services. Continue reading!

Aniline Leather Sofa Conditioner

Aniline Leather Sofa Conditioner - You are in a very good position at this time if you're thinking of getting a new leather sofa. Leather sofas are always a very popular item but many times people don't think they could manage them and so this will frighten people away from making this kind of buy. With the recent reduction in costs of luxury leather sofas now could be the perfect time to decide to proceed and get that gorgeous black leather sofa that you have been looking for so long. Or maybe a brown leather sofa works better for your interior, whichever the case might be, a good sofa is not so much from reach.

The amount of leather sofas has long been a problem for furniture shoppers. Many furniture buyers would love to own one of these gorgeous pieces of furniture but on account of the perception which leather-covered furniture is out of their price range, they often do not even investigate the choices available to them in regards to buying a luxury leather sofa. Costs of furniture, generally, have come down quite a bit due to the economy and obviously, the higher-end items have dropped at a higher percentage rate than the regular fabric-covered items.

This places leather sofas well within the cost selection of the regular furniture shopper. I'm sure that it doesn't require much convincing to realize that the caliber of a leather sofa will be much superior to that of a fabric covered sofa. Almost any leather-covered sofa will be more durable and longer lasting than its fabric covered counterpart but there are differences in the quality of the leather that is on the market today. Best grain leather is the maximum quality leather which it is possible to find. It's been exposed to the least amount of conditioning and that Helps to conserve its natural oils also provides it the grain and texture that you would expect from true leather. Click here for more of the article!

But if you need a professional leather repair service to take care of any damage or repair. Simply conduct a search in your telephone directory or online to look for one in your area that can perform the job for you. Also make sure that the company you are going to deal with is a reputable one and be sure to obtain a price quote before confirming whether or not you chose them to restore it for you.

How to keep your boat’s interior in cruising condition

As the temperatures climb higher, boat lovers everywhere will be returning to the water every chance they get. Taking your boat out after a long, cold winter can be extremely refreshing, especially if you have been kept off of the water by the weather. While you’re gearing up for your joyride, remember to pay attention to your upholstery. Summer weather is beautiful, but it can also lead to worn down seats if you don’t properly care for your boat.

(Top) Mildewed seats. (Bottom) Seats looking like new after the Fibrenew touch

The first thing you should do upon exposing your boat to the summer elements is to find out exactly what type of material the seats on your boat are made of. Many seats are made with a combination of vinyl and leather, so make sure you know which category your boat falls under.
Choosing a good leather cleanser is the next preventative measure to take. We recommend using water based cleanser, which has fewer chemicals and is better for long-term use. Wiping down your seats regularly with a good cleanser is an excellent way to prevent major wear and tear as well as keep your leather looking clean and new.

Making sure to cover all upholstery on your boat is another great way to keep it from sun damage. Being openly exposed to the sun all the time will wear on the material and cause serious fading, so make sure to invest in a good cover if you store your boat in an outdoor area. Sun damage can cause cracking and fading, so protection is vitally important to keep the material in good shape. Covering up your upholstery will also help protect from dirt, which can stain, and dampness, which can cause mildew. Be sure to dry out the boat before covering it up. Trapped moisture can cause rotting and mildew of the boat’s interior.

Taking these precautionary measure will help keep your boat in fantastic shape. Prepare to relax and enjoy those long summer rides on the water!

Check out more of Fibrenew’s blog for other helpful tips.

Learning About Leather: Not All Leather is Alike

When considering adding to your leather collection, it’s important to know what you’re looking for. What type of leather is best suited to your needs? To assist in some of the research, we are showing you the pros and cons of the three main types of leather.

Aniline Leather
Aniline leather is considered the most natural looking leather. Some people refer to it as “naked leather” because of how natural it looks. It is known to be very soft and comfortable. A lot of people enjoy aniline leather because it preserves each marking it receives, making each piece completely unique. While this type of leather can be very visually pleasing, it is a material that is easily stained. If you have a busy family or high traffic in your home, this is a type of leather you may want to avoid.

Semi-Aniline Leather
The main difference between semi-aniline and aniline leather is the light protective coat semi-aniline receives. This protective coat is useful because it makes the material more resistant to strain and stains, which helps it to last longer. The color in semi-aniline leather is also more consistent than in aniline leather. The downside to this type of leather is the protective coat leads to less uniqueness; the leather does not retain markings as well with the protective coat.

Pigmented/Protected Leather
The most durable type of leather available, pigmented leather is covered with a polymer surface coating that contains pigments. This coating gives the leather more resistance to scratching, scuffing or fading. Pigmented leather does not have the unique qualities of other types of leather, as the sealant prevents marks from staying on the material. Pigmented leather is an excellent choice for busy families who have high traffic in their homes. Pigmented leather is easy to maintain and makes for an excellent couch or lounge chair material.

As you can see, there are good and bad aspects to every type of leather available. Being informed about which kind works best for your lifestyle is important when purchasing leather furniture. Happy shopping!

Source: Learning About Leather

Found in an Attic: Firsthand Accounts of World War II Experiences

Ken Gorrell of Fibrenew Lakes Region

Ken Gorrell of Fibrenew Lakes Region, grew up in an old New England farmhouse that has been in his family for generations. As a child, he would spend hours combing through the attic in search of lost treasures, convinced that there had to be an old coin, a map or other valuable trinkets waiting to be found. What he ended up discovering was an original manuscript of his grandfather’s cousin and once war-time United Press Correspondent, Henry ‘Hank’ Gorrell. “Eyewitness” as it was originally titled was a firsthand account of Hank’s war experiences from 1936 – 1943.

Ken revisited the manuscript as an adult and decided to take on the job of seeing it published as “Soldier of the Press: Covering the Front in Europe and North Africa, 1936-1943“. First, Ken spent time carefully editing the original manuscript, modernizing the spelling of place names and making sense of sections that had been cut out as a matter of security. He later fact checked the dates, names and places that Hank wrote about and finally negotiated a publishing deal with the University of Missouri Press.

ABOUT THE BOOK
Threatened by each side in the Spanish Civil War with death as a suspected spy, decorated for saving an airman’s life in a bullet-ridden B-24 Liberator over Greece, war correspondent Hank Gorrell often found himself in the thick of the fighting he had been sent to cover. And in reporting on some of the world’s most dangerous stories, he held newspaper readers spellbound with his eyewitness accounts from battlefields across Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.

An “exclusive” United Press correspondent, Gorrell saw more than his share of war, even more than most reporters, as his beat took him from the siege of Madrid to the sands of North Africa. His memoir, left in an attic trunk for sixty years, is presented here in its entirety for the first time. As he risks life and limb on the front lines, Gorrell gives us new perspectives on the overall conflict—including some of World War II’s lesser-known battles—as well as insights into behind-the-lines intrigue.

Gorrell’s account first captures early Axis intervention in Spain and their tests of new weaponry and blitzkrieg tactics at the cost of millions of Spanish lives. While covering the Spanish Civil War, he was captured by forces from each side and saw many brave men die disillusioned, and his writings offer a contrast to other views of that conflict from writers like Hemingway. But Spain was just Hank’s training ground: before America even entered World War II, he was embedded with Allied forces from seven nations.

When war broke out, Gorrell was sent to Hungary, where in Budapest he witnessed pro-Axis enthusiasts toast the victory of Fascist armies. Later in Romania he watched Stalin kick over the Axis apple cart with his invasion of Bessarabia—forcing the Germans to deal with the Russian menace before they had planned. Then he saw twenty Italian divisions mauled in the mountains of Albania, marking the beginning of the end for Mussolini.

Combining the historian’s accuracy with the journalist’s on-the-spot reportage, Gorrell provides eyewitness impressions of what war looked, sounded, and felt like to soldiers on the ground. Soldier of the Press weaves personal adventures into the larger fabric of world events, plunging modern readers into the heat of battle while revealing the dangers faced by war correspondents in that bygone era.

ABOUT THE EDITOR, KEN GORRELL
Ken Gorrell and his wife Holli own and operate Fibrenew Lakes Region in mid New Hampshire. To contact the Gorrell’s, visit their website at: www.fibrenew.com/lakes-region

Top 5 Myths about Leather Repair

You have tried your best keep your leather furniture safe, but accidents have damaged it. Well, it is normal for leather furniture to get destroyed as occasional scuffs, small tears and spills are bound to happen. However, there is no need to worry as leather can be repaired and restored to its original beauty easily.

There are many myths about leather repair, so when you are looking to fix your leather furniture, it is important to keep the myths at bay.

Myth 1:

Leather cuts cannot be repaired: The biggest myth that leather cuts cannot be repaired is absolutely FALSE. Although this is the hardest to repair, it certainly can be fixed. There are numerous leather repair kits available at most leather stores which come equipped with adhesives made especially for leather. If the cuts are big, then you might need to put some padding under the patch to completely mend it, but regardless of the size of the cut, it can be fixed!

Myth 2:

Super Glue can fix the minor tears in leather: Another myth which will ruin your leather furniture rather than repair it. NEVER ever use super glue to fix tears on your leather upholstery. Super glue is not flexible and therefore is not a good solution to fix torn leather. It hardens and causes more damage to it rather than repair it.

Myth 3:

Markers can be used for discoloration: Many old wives tales state that you can use markers to repair discolored leather. However, that is NOT true. Markers cannot match the exact appearance of the leather as it is not made for this purpose, so never use a marker to quickly remove the discoloration. You will only end up creating an irregular look... click here for more of the article!

25 Ways To Destroy A Couch

Repairing furniture for as many years as we have exposes us to a lot of “creative” methods in which couches can be destroyed.  Our leather repair experts have seen it all and them some. To lighten up your week, we thought we’d share our top 25 ways a couch can be destroyed. Keep in mind, not all of these are repairable and don’t try any at home, but even for some of these complete couch destroyers, we can bring the furniture back from the brink!

25 Ways To Destroy A Couch

Take it to an open field, and proceed to destroy it “Office Space”-style.

Plan for a summer bonfire, and use the couch as kindling for your s’mores.

Haul the couch out a window or off of a building (given there are no pedestrians within range).

Shred it like cheese in a sofa shredder.

Buy a set of skis, attach them to the bottom, and find a snowy hill/mountain.

Find an empty parking lot, attach wheels to the bottom of the couch, and pull it behind a truck.  See how many times you can swerve to make the couch hit a light post.

Find a trucker willing to make your couch his road kill.

One word: sledgehammer.

Go bungee jumping, except attach the couch to the bungee instead of yourself.

Nail to the bottom of a pool for underwater fun. For additional ambiance, add a side table and lamp.

Drizzle bacon grease all over the couch, then let your dogs do what they will with it.

Tape ketchup packets over the entire couch and tell your kids to jump on it.

For girls: break the frame underneath the cushions and invite over your significant other. Sit on the couch and act like you broke it, then cry hysterically about how fat you are. Tell him to get rid of the couch immediately.

For a complete Freddie costume on Halloween, use a chainsaw to cut the couch into sections during trick-or-treating.

Tote the couch to a bridge, then dump it off the side.

Donate the couch to a fraternity house.

Give your kids markers and set them loose in the living room.

Go four-wheeling after a rainy day, then roll around on your couch before showering.

Invite your hairy or slobbering dog to take a nap on the couch.

Before declawing your cat, allow him to use the couch as a scratching post.

Play “tug of war” with your couch – attach each end to a vehicle and see who breaks off the biggest piece.

Potty train your puppy on your couch.

Make your couch “outdoor furniture,” and leave it outside during a thunderstorm.

Take your couch on a skydiving trip but don’t pack its parachute right.

Invite your kids to eat their chocolate Easter bunnies on your couch.

If your couch met any of these disastrous fates or is just looking shabby, give one of our leather experts a call to bring it back to showroom condition.
Source:  Fibrenew

Looking for a New Business Opportunity in Salt Lake City?

Salt Lake City Mobile Franchise Business Opportunity

Every budding entrepreneur dreams of finding a business opportunity that’s unique in the market, has flexible work hours and of above all, presents the chance to build a dependable cash flow positive enterprise.

Fibrenew Mobile Service Franchise Business Opportunity

If you are looking to break out of the office and be your own boss, enjoy the freedom of a flexible lifestyle and build a solid financial future for you and your family, Fibrenew may be the unique opportunity for which you are looking.

Fibrenew is a market leader in the restoration of leather, plastic and vinyl. We are a home-based, mobile franchise service that caters to the aviation, automotive, commercial, marine, medical and residential markets. There is leather, plastic and vinyl everywhere that becomes damaged through normal wear and tear – in homes, offices, vehicles, hospitals, clinics, gyms, restaurants, hotels and much more.

With all these potential revenue streams and high demand for our services across so many markets, our company and franchisees have grown and thrived through every rise and fall of the economy. That really speaks to the fact that there is always a need for our services.

ROBUST BUSINESS MODEL

Since 1987, we have built and refined a robust business system. This includes the research and development of a proprietary product line, highly specialized techniques as well as rock-solid support, operations and marketing systems. The strength of our business model, the quality of our products and services and our enthusiasm for what we do all contribute to the success of 240 Fibrenew franchises around the world.

Boring, Normal and Predictable Are Not Part of Fibrenew’s Vernacular

This unique story was submitted to us from our franchisee in Wellington, New Zealand. Andrew Thomas recounts his week-long experience aboard a cruise ship as he refurbished the ship’s leather booth seat couches. This brings new meaning to a working holiday! Enjoy.

Interview With Fibrenew CEO, Michael Wilson

(3 minute read) Fibrenew is a niche service mobile franchise business that specializes in the restoration of leather, plastic and vinyl in the automotive, aviation, commercial, marine, medical and residential markets.

To know and understand the unique culture at Fibrenew is to get inside the mind of CEO, Micheal Wilson. In this sit down interview, he answers questions about his background, Fibrenew’s inception, where the company is today and where it’s headed.

Tell us about the Fibrenew franchise concept.

Michael Wilson: We are a mobile operation that specializes in the restoration of damaged leather, plastic and vinyl. What makes us unique is that we are not a reupholstery service. Our products and techniques have our technicians repair holes, cracks, fades, stains, burns, etc. on any type of leather, plastic or vinyl ‘in situ’. This means that we repair the damaged items without having to remove them. It could be on furniture in a home, office or hotel, it could be on a vehicle’s seats, armrests, dashboard or panels, it could be leather, plastic or vinyl in a boat or plane, it could be medical exam tables or gym equipment, etc. We repair it on location and at a fraction of the cost of replacement.

How and when did you become involved with Fibrenew franchise?

MW: The previous owners of the company were just starting to franchise the concept and I had recently lost my construction company because of the devastating recession that had just happened. In a round about way, I bought my franchise out of an act of desperation – and I’m sure glad I did! It turned out to be one of the best business decisions I’ve ever made. My wife and I then had the opportunity to purchase the entire company in 1994. It was shortly thereafter that we pushed hard to expand the business across Canada, into New Zealand, USA, Mexico and Australia. I was the first franchisee, and today, we now have more than 230 locations in 5 countries around the world.

What was your background prior to joining Fibrenew?

MW: I’ve lived a very interesting life. I was born in New Zealand and grew up there spending most of my youth hiking in the southern alps and surfing the local beaches. After leaving New Zealand I spent 2 years in the outback of Australia, and 3 years in the Canadian High Arctic where I worked as a surveyor. I was an international yachtsman sailing my own boat, which I built in England, and other people’s boats around the world. I was a yacht builder and then I became a house builder, (now I am a company builder). I had my own construction company in Calgary just before I bought the Fibrenew franchise. I operated my own franchise for 7 years before purchasing the entire company and franchising it around the world.

What are some of the advantages in being a Fibrenew franchisee?

MW: The ability to generate a great income and if you work hard and stay focused on growing your business, a great income. I think the fact that we run a flat rate royalty system is a big advantage in the eyes of franchisees as well. This means that you really are your boss because there is no financial reporting, no red tape, etc. You you free to make as much or as little as you wish and you are charged the same rate. We are here to support you and guide you, but ultimately you are in control of your success. Another advantage is the fact that in most markets there is little to no competition. We are an extremely niche business and our franchisees appreciate that.

Who is your ideal franchisee?

MW: There are a few ‘hard-set’ criteria meaning that first, you have to be able to distinguish colour adequately. Matching colour is at the heart of out repair process so this is a must. Secondly, you should like working with your hands and using tools to a certain degree. Third, you can’t be afraid to talk to potential customers about how you can help them. Some call this ‘selling’ but it’s really just having a conversation with your neighbour, your kid’s coach, local business owners, etc. about what you do as a Fibrenew technician. The thing is, everyone has leather, plastic or vinyl in their home, vehicle or place of business. That means there’s a never ending list of people who will need your services. You just have to let them know what you do and how you can help them. Prior business experience is a nice to have but it’s not a show stopper. We will teach you those skills. Our business model and programs have been developed over the past 28+ years – it’s very refined and we know it works. If you stick to our template, there is a very good chance you’ll succeed.

Click here for more of Michael Wilson's interview Fibrenew CEO!

Texan Makes His Move & Purchases Existing Fibrenew Franchise

 

When Elliot Berk took over the Fibrenew Northeast San Antonio franchise, he was prepared to jump in full steam ahead. “It was nice to have built-in business already, but …” he pauses and laughs, “you have to be prepared to play catch up. My advice for people taking over an existing franchise: the first few months you’re going to spend a lot of hours catching up. But the more prepared you are at the start the better off you’ll be in the long run.”

It was inevitable that Berk would become an business owner. He worked years for an oil company, loading and discharging barges. The six-days-a-week, 12-hours-a-day shifts were pretty tough on the Berk family. He also has a diverse background in the hospitality industry, so was looking for a career shift that would allow him more freedom for family time as well as more customer service and one-on-one interaction.

So an online search led Berk to the Fibrenew website, where he was intrigued with the possibility of owning his own leather, plastic and vinyl restoration company. Shortly after filling out some forms, Berk found himself on a ride-along with now fellow franchisee, Craig Burton of Fibrenew Metro Austin. “We were discussing the possibilities to be had with Fibrenew, the demographics, incomes, stuff like that. That was a big seller.” As it turns out, Fibrenew Northeast San Antonio was for sale at the time, so Berk made his move.

The transition also means moving cities: Berk’s wife is still living in Corpus Christi, where he commutes to each weekend, but they will soon be completing the move to Schertz. “San Antonio is the fifth largest city in the U.S. It’s growing leaps and bounds,” Berk remarks of the potential his franchise has. With a large residential market, he’s also breaking into the restaurant and RV industries. “Now that I’ve been doing this for a while, I am actually getting a taste of where I can go with it.”

It’s been a lot of change for the Berks, but it’s all positive. “Everyone I talk to at Fibrenew is just as excited about this as I am,” Berk says. “Every time I call with a question, I get an answer — someone’s always there.” In fact, when reflecting on his training at Fibrenew’s head office in Calgary, Berk says he was impressed with the overall attitude of the entire Fibrenew team. “The enthusiasm everyone has… the belief everyone has for what we are doing, it’s unbelievable. I try to expend that enthusiasm at my level also.” 

Source: Texan Makes His Move & Purchases Existing Fibrenew Franchise

Fibrenew Eyes The Australian Market With A Local Driving Expansion

A career as an accountant and expert in finding value for his clients, led Dean Carroll to what he calls the "opportunity of a lifetime", to launch an international success story, Fibrenew, into the Australian market.

By Glenn Walford

With an experienced and highly committed new Australian Master Franchisee, Fibrenew has its sights firmly set on expansion in the marketplace. This month the company welcomed Dean Carroll on board to spearhead expansion here.

After reporting he had been looking at expansion in Australia for some time, Jesse Johnstone, VP Technology & Marketing, recently announced Dean's commencement. According to Mr. Johnstone, "The missing component was a well- suited local team to lead that charge. We know we have found an exceptional Australian partner in Dean Carroll and we're very excited to grow Fibrenew across the country with him."

Fibrenew specializes in the repair, restoration and renewal of leather, plastics, vinyl, fabric and upholstery within six major markets;

• Automotive
• Commercial
• Marine
• Aviation
• Medical
• Residential

Fresh from several weeks of intense and thorough training in the global headquarters in Carlgary, Canada. Mr Carroll is now on the ground commencing Fibrenew's expansion in the Australian market. With Technical Manager, Luis Moraga, who joined him in Calgary, they are" ...ready to build on the culture of true collaboration and support to achieve the goals and dreams of people who want to get into a proven business, with unrivalled products and services."

Backed by his diverse business experience, from running small to medium sized printing and home improvements type business, as well as his accounting and consulting background, he often became" ... the most knowledgeable person at board level to connect information to opportunities."

This strong pedigree for spotting and growing a good business according to Mr Carroll, was what initially attracted him to Fibrenew after coming across it in an advertisement online. In the lead up to this, he was consulting with varying clients on business acquisitions and valuations, when this opportunity literally jumped out at him.

"After looking closer at the business when I got a bit more information, I could see the business was clearly working in New Zealand, but hadn't quite had the person to get fully behind it in the Australian market. I also went over to NZ and spent some time with the Master Franchisee there, and I was really impressed - people were happy and successful."

"This is an amazing business model that I describe as a win-win. A win for our customers here who can repair, not replace, all types of furniture and items now, which of course saves a significant amount of money. A win for anyone wanting to get into a mobile business model like this with products, support and training all in place to help you succeed. And lastly of course, a win for Fibrenew International on the whole as we grow the brand globally,"

When it comes to the necessary training to run a mobile Fibrenew business. "Everything you need to know in the business - we train you in it!" New franchise owners also get to absorb themselves in the business and learning all the skills and techniques in a thorough, two-week training course in Calgary, Canada as well.

Proving Value to Customers

Getting the end-user customer level offer right, according to Mr Carroll, is what is going to set the brand up for success in Australia, just as it has globally before now. The key driver he explains, is simple, in the replacement cost v repair cost equation.

"If you repair a seat in a private jet for example, compared to the replacement cost, the difference is enormous, and this is the real value that we can give to the marketplace - the return on investment (ROI) calculation of replacing compared to repair. This value builds even further (as a Fibrenew franchisee) as we repair across a board range of industries and item types.

In basic numbers, if you can increase the life of a chair (in a car, hotel, plane etc) from 5 years to 10 years, that is a real saving to the business or that individual - a great ROI. You can certainly build a business around providing that sort of value proposition!"

When asked about what excited him most about the Fibrenew business, Mr Carroll goes further, explaining that "It's such a great fir, and the business ticks so many boxes. It has a unique range of products and services unlike anything else in the world that I have seen. I looked at so many other franchises and frankly, they just bored me. This is a new concept for Australia that has been successful throughout the world - Australia needs this in my view."

"After experiencing the family-like lever of support, training, and desire for me to succeed, I believe in this business so much and can't wait to work closely with our local and international team to grow the business into a global powerhouse for the Fibrenew brand. I am in this 100%, and live and breathe growing this business in Australia."

Source: Fibrenew Franchising Australia

From School Teacher and Engineer to Franchise Business Owner

 

At Fibrenew we are big on supporting one another. In doing that, we would like to share spotlight interviews with our existing Franchises. Today we are looking at Mark Canon and his Fibrenew Franchise in South Orlando, Florida.

Mark joined the Fibrenew family in May of 2012. Coming to Fibrenew from a varied background; he was a Math and Science school teacher in his early to mid 20’s before returning to school and pursuing an engineering degree. Mark worked as a power systems engineer for 12 years before finding the Fibrenew opportunity.

One of the reasons Mark was drawn to Fibrenew was the freedom to control his own destiny and the ability work his own hours. Setting his own hours was important for two reasons. One, the heat and humidity of Florida has Mark out the door so he can complete projects early in the mornings and spend the hot afternoons making follow up calls and knocking on doors to build new connections. The second reason was his children, Mark likes that he is able to be available for school activities, sports, doctors appointments and other things related to his two children. He also appreciates that he does not spend a lot of time behind a desk.

Right now it is just Mark running his Franchise and for now he enjoys it that way, he likes the physical hands-on work that Fibrenew requires. He is not ruling out the potential for a technician down the road, but right now he enjoys working the Franchise alone. “It is good exercise” Mark jokes. He hopes to continue to see his franchise grow, particularly within the small specialty car industry, doing warranty work for local Orlando furniture shops and he would love to add some aviation plastic work to his consistent business... continue reading!

A Successful Fibrenew Franchise Owner Balances Work and Home Life

At Fibrenew, we are big on supporting one another. In doing that, we would like to share spotlight interviews with our franchisees. Today we are looking at Ann Benes and her Fibrenew Franchise in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Ann and her family were looking for a small business franchise opportunity that would help supplement their farming income. Ann’s husband Pat was initially going to be the one running the business. The plan was to use the flexibility of owning and operating a Fibrenew franchise while he continued to operate the family farm. However, over 13 years later, Fibrenew Lincoln is now operated by Ann while Pat works the farm full time. The flexibility factor is still a huge perk for their family as Ann is able to work around the kids’ school and extra curricular schedules and still have plenty of extra family time.

A typical day has Ann seeing her children off to school in the morning before taking her Fibrenew vehicle out to complete various types of Fibrenew leather, plastic and vinyl repairs for her customers in and around Lincoln. Ann structures her schedule so she’s able to be home shortly after her children arrive home from school. This is when she tackles the day’s paperwork and answers emails and return phone calls. For now, it is a successful framework. When asked what the future holds for the Franchise, Ann says she just takes it year by year. As with any small business owner, their goal each year is to see growth. Down the road, one of their children may want to take part in operation or they will look at the possibility of selling the business.

Ann shared with us a story about her favorite Fibrenew project; It was the restoration of two aniline leather chairs in a psychologist’s office. The chairs were originally a brilliant royal purple color but after years of sitting in a north facing window, they had faded to a pale lavender color. The owner had attempted to re dye them himself but was left with more a blue color than the purple he was looking for. Ann says those chairs were among her favorite pieces to restore as they were so unique.

Ann’s advice to possible new and existing franchisees is to never stop learning. She regularly makes time to keep up on all the new techniques and information. She credits that as well as the Fibrenew training and support with helping make her business successful. Her advice to people looking at a Fibrenew Franchise business opportunity is that they persevere through the initial few months to build a successful business, she says it is not an overnight success, but that it is worth it.

Source: Fibrenew Blog

What Goes With Leather Furniture?

If that hide-covered sofa is making you seek decorating solutions, we’ve got just the pairings for you.

Leather chairs, sofas and ottomans tend to be big, comfy and classic — no wonder they’re a popular choice for living room furniture. But too much bulky leather upholstery can make a space look dark, heavy or just … boring. Wondering what to put with all of that brown or black leather? These ideas should help.

Photo by Taylor Jacobson Interior Design - Look for transitional family room design inspiration

1. Rich painted walls and a Moroccan rug. Peacock blue is a bold (but highly livable) choice for walls, especially in a smaller room — the intense hue enhances and uplifts dark leather pieces. Pair it with a goes-with-anything Moroccan rug, an organic wood table and a gallery wall.

Photo by Cory Connor Designs - Browse transitional living room ideas

If you have wood bookcases or cabinetry in the room, consider painting these pieces to match the walls. Or, for a subtler effect, paint only the backs of the bookcases or the interiors of the cabinets. Wild card: peacock blue and orange. Take rich peacock-blue walls up a notch by adding contrasting Hermès-orange accents. Try a pair of footstools or X-benches, or furnish a window seat with bold orange cushions, as shown here.

Photo by Morrison Homes - Look for contemporary living room pictures

2. Black, gray and texture. To keep things interesting in a neutral space, it helps to really play up texture and shine. Try smoky mirrored or reflective furniture (or a mirror on the wall); a soft, low-pile rug; and a plush faux-fur throw. Shades of gray, black and white make easy partners for a brown leather sofa. . . read more!