Achieving Big Success in a Small Market

Northwest Arkansas Provides Fertile Ground for Resourceful Franchise Owner

"I never work more than 40 hours per week," says Darryl Coons, owner of Handyman Connection's franchise in Northwest Arkansas. "When my wife and I decided to buy the franchise, we promised each other we'd still have a life."

To understand Coons' philosophy, it's important to know his history. At 64 years of age, Coons "retired" in 1996. He and his wife owned and operated a successful commercial plumbing company in Kansas City, Missouri for 25 years. So they knew too well what stress and long hours could do to a person's life. Coons' decision to retire and move to Arkansas was a deliberate attempt to escape the hustle and bustle that had characterized his adult life.

"That didn't last long; I nearly went nuts," Coons says of his short-lived retirement. Not long after moving to Arkansas, Coons signed on to become a craftsman for the local Handyman Connection franchise. While he just wanted to make a little money on the side and occupy some free time, Coons quickly noticed the franchise wasn't doing well. He also began thinking of ways to make it better. "In 1998 I approached the owner and offered to buy the franchise."

The first step in Coons' turnaround plan for the franchise was television advertising. "In a small market, aggressive TV advertising can turn you and your business into local celebrities and help you develop a personal connection with your customers," says Coons. "That's good because home improvement is a very personal business."

Coons also increased the amount of money spent on Yellow Pages advertising. "Our area has a transient population because of several large local businesses, so new people are always scanning the phone book for home repair contractors."

Did the increased commitment to advertising work? "We took a dying franchise and turned it into one of the most successful Handyman Connection franchises in the nation in one year." Shortly thereafter, Coons was named president of the national Handyman Connection Advisory Council, a group of the company's best franchise owners.

In addition to advertising, Coons made a commitment to providing outstanding customer service. "That's the other side of owning a business in a small market - bad news travels fast," Coons says. His franchise now services 400-500 customers per month, more than 50 percent of which are repeat or referral customers. "We followup every completed job and we're very accessible to our customers."

To keep the positive referrals coming, Coons spends a significant amount of time interviewing and training craftsmen for his local network. "I look for good people, first and foremost," says Coons. "A lot of people can do the work, but not everyone is suited to work with our customers."

While Coons credits his construction background for helping him understand the Handyman Connection concept, he doesn't feel it was a necessity. "Someone with good management skills can come into the system and quickly become very successful."

As for that postponed retirement, when does Coons finally see that happening? "If you ask me on a good day, I'll tell you that I never plan to stop doing this," Coons concludes with a chuckle.