Kevin & Leisha Baker are a fast-growing Club Z! franchise in Springfield, MO and our first Franchise Spotlight of 2019! Read more to learn about their insights into the industry, their territory and what excites them about the future.
Q: What is the most rewarding part of owning a franchise?
We love the support we get and the relationships we have built with the Club Z! corporate office. When we started our business, we could hit the ground running instead of figuring out every aspect of running a business.
Q: What were some of your biggest challenges in developing your franchise? How were you able to overcome or solve them?
As with any business, knowing where to spend our marketing dollars was one of the biggest challenges. We now have a better idea of what works best and certainly what does not work. We know our local market much better now! We also had to learn how to manage growth. We now are way more proactive than reactive when our business takes on a growth track. We have to stay ahead of hiring, marketing, and school visits!
Q: What is something you focus on to make your business thrive?
Relationships, relationships, relationships! We want referrals, so we constantly work on better and more consistent follow up with our clients. Our business also took a significant upturn when we hired EC’s to handle consultations. We also keep a keen eye on our financials. We create a detailed plan at the beginning of the year and we use this as our road map for success!
Q: What is your proudest accomplishment as a franchise owner?
The obvious one is student success! We LOVE when a parent calls to share what a difference we have made. We are also proud that we have been recognized twice by our local business journal in their Economic Impact Awards. In addition, we recently won the Better Business Bureau Torch Award for Business Ethics.
Q: What makes you excited about the future?
We believe we have not yet hit our full potential. As we grow, and as additional features come along for Club Z!, we know our future is great!
