Moving Cities to Jump From Manager to Franchisee After working as managers at a Two Men and a Truck location in Chicago, Brian Stern and Nicole Wiese moved to Boston to become franchisees of their own location.
By Kate Taylor
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Franchise Players is Entrepreneur's Q&A interview column that puts the spotlight on franchisees. If you're a franchisee with advice and tips to share, email ktaylor@entrepreneur.com.
Working at a franchise before becoming a franchisee offers employees a unique inside look into how a business works. For Brian Stern and Nicole Wiese, working as managers at a Chicago location of Two Men and a Truck convinced the pair to buy their own franchise. To open the location, the duo decided to relocate to Massachusetts. Here's what they've learned as managers and franchisees from Chicago to Boston.
Name: Brian Stern and Nicole Wiese
Franchise owned: Two Men and a Truck, in Boston.
How long have you owned a franchise?
Less than a year.
Related: Why This Franchisee Relocated to Open a Sandwich Shop
Why franchising?
When we started working at Two Men and a Truck, we quickly learned the benefits of being part of a franchise system. Your network within a franchise system is endless. You get perspectives from a diverse group of backgrounds from every aspect of the business. Because of this, we are able to choose what mold fits our business model the best. We are always growing together.
What were you doing before you became a franchise owner?
We worked at the franchise level at a different location of Two Men and a Truck as managers.
Why did you choose this particular franchise?
We see it as a good fit for not only our business values but our own personal values. The franchise system as a whole constantly gives back to each community it is in with every move on both a local and national level.
Where did you get most of your advice/do most of your research?
With the help of the team around us, we have been able to learn and grow within the company. We have very seasoned business partners who have helped us along the way and taught us how to successfully run a business.
Related: How This Ex-Subway Conductor Became an Expert in Franchising
What were the most unexpected challenges of opening your franchise?
I think that the local challenges are things people do not expect. When you move from one state to another, you learn that there are state specific rules and guidelines that you are unaware of. Therefore, when coming into a new market, you have to perform your research to understand how you must operate in a new state.
What advice do you have for individuals who want to own their own franchise?
Go for it! Spend time at the franchise level and know the business. Don't be scared away by the small things, it will all fall into place.
What's next for you and your business?
Growth! We plan to open several additional locations in the metro Boston area. We believe that this will help us better serve our customers in Massachusetts.
This article is part of a series on franchisees who relocated to open a franchise. Click here to check out profiles on more franchises who moved to open their own businesses.
Related: What to Expect as a Pizza Chain's First Franchisee in a New State
