Every day, Fully Promoted franchisees Jeff Gross and Lily Yin are using their business to help others promote their own services and wares
by Daniel McIntosh
Ties. Camera cases. Tape dispensers that look like toilet seats. These are just a few of the obscure widgets that Jeff Gross has branded and produced over the years. As a Fully Promoted franchisee, Gross’ Oakville, Ontario, location supplies brands with product customization and embroidery, as well as screen-printing services for everything from staff uniforms and drinkware to automotive tools.
“It’s hard to pick,” says Gross when asked about his favourite knick-knack he’s printed and produced over the years. “It’s hard to remember every order that you’ve done.”
Fully Promoted piqued his interest in franchising in 2007. During a franchise trade show, he and his wife, Lily Yin, approached the company, then called EmbroidMe and focusing strictly on custom embroidery. At the time, they were looking for a business to call their own and operate independently. EmbroidMe was later rebranded as Fully Promoted when the company expanded its offerings to include all kinds of custom branded apparel and promotional products.
“They had a booth with an embroidery machine doing demonstrations,” recalls Gross. He, a machinist at the time, and Yin, an engineer, were drawn to the technological aspect of the operation. “We said, ‘This looks like it’s for us.’ We’ve always been around machines. We liked everything we saw, the entry level was in our budget, and the type of business was attractive to us.”
At the time, the couple were entertaining several franchise options, from food retailers to gas stations and coffee shops. “What really put us over the line with Fully Promoted was the hours.” Other franchises would require them to relocate or devote themselves to intense hours. The ability to provide custom work to local businesses was another attractive factor.
Fully Promoted franchisees choose their own hours of operations and typically don’t work on weekends, except by appointment. For Jeff and Lily, the average weekday starts around 8:30 a.m. and the shop stays open until 6 p.m. and is open on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. when needed.
Gross recalls that there was a learning curve in the beginning. “You’re going to put more time into things, but I’d say after three to five years, our routines pretty much settled into the business hours.” He adds that’s they’re fortunate to not have to bring work home very often.
A tailor-made opportunity
Although launching during the onset of a financial downturn worried Gross, he says his operations have been stable since the start, with no cuts or setbacks during the worst periods.
“Since 2011 or 2012, we’ve had the same employees with us. Having long-term employees that are experienced and knowledgeable, it’s a boon. We’ve grown organically over the years.” In fact, operations have grown so much that during peak seasons, the duo brings in additional part-time employees.
The fact that both owners have technical backgrounds means they can work to find solutions for even the most radical printing needs. A lot of challenges of the business, he says, boil down to fitting clients’ custom requests with the possibilities and limitations of what their business can offer. “Unforeseen things will come up, like a fabric that doesn’t take a specific decoration method like you thought it would,” says Gross.
Delivery is another matter of concern, and juggling clients’ important deadlines is a matter of technical and customer service prowess. “When someone puts an order with you and says ‘I need it for next Friday,’ you can’t be late.” Franchisees who can’t prioritize overlapping production times run the risk of losing clients.
Gross says that after nearly 20 years in the business he and his team are attuned to handling last-minute requests and can capably ensure that no jobs come down to the wire. But in some cases, there’s simply no choice.
“If somebody calls me today and needs something tomorrow, then you need to move,” says Gross. “That’s where our experience comes into play—it doesn’t stress people out.” That’s a benefit, he adds, because thinking clearly saves them from mistakes, which can be especially costly in the printing business.
Promoting more than products
Although Gross originally entered the franchise with his design and drafting background, he quickly realized that he needed other skills to succeed in the business. “The training that we received changed my mind from ‘You’re going to be around the machines’ to ‘You need to be doing sales.’ That’s still my role, doing sales.”
The initial training for Fully Promoted is conducted over two weeks at the company’s corporate headquarters in Florida with a heavy focus on sales and additional criteria for operations and production. Then there was an additional two-week training component after they opened their Oakville store that was pure and simple sales training. “A trainer came up from the States and basically got us on the right foot,” says Gross. “I like to tell people if I hadn’t had that, it probably would have made the difference between success and failure.”
While Fully Promoted’s Oakville location has found its footing through hard work and tenacity, Gross gives credit to the franchise system and its benefits. One is the group pricing that locations receive from suppliers. “If you’re on your own as the independent shop, you wouldn’t get those same discounts.”
Another benefit is the base of franchisees at Fully Promoted themselves, “in terms of knowledge and getting back to the custom nature of the business,” says Gross. If a franchisee is seeking advice on creating a custom product or printing on an obscure textile, they can send a callout to the group and source opinions, knowledge, and advice.
The third benefit Gross cites is Fully Promoted’s ever-growing brand awareness. “As the franchise system matures, we’re adding more locations.” Gross concedes that while the company isn’t at the level of McDonald’s, more and more people in the corporate world have heard of Fully Promoted. “I couldn’t say the same thing 10 years ago, whereas now, there is brand recognition out there, which is great.”
As for the benefits of franchising, Gross still gets excited for the same reason he sought out a franchise in the first place, all those years ago. “I like being my own boss. You’re answering clients, and you’ve got a lot of responsibility, but you’ve also got a lot of freedom.”
In addition, Gross says working alongside his wife has been rewarding as well. “You have days where it can be pretty stressful, but it’s been great to share the experience with her.”
Honing the necessary skills
Although both had existing technical experience from the outset, Gross says it isn’t a necessity for Fully Promoted franchisees; the most important characteristic is a simple drive to succeed. Also, don’t come in undercapitalized. Gross recommends that new Fully Promoted franchise owners have coverage for at least six months to a year of expenses. “I would always say a year or two years, because you never know what will happen.”
Case in point: the Great Recession that came shortly after their franchise opened. “When the recession hit, we were already [in operation]. It wasn’t like we weren’t getting any sales, but you never know what will happen,” recalls Gross. “So, you want to have a bit of cushion if possible.”
Incoming franchisees should also be somewhat outgoing and able to make connections to build clientele. “You need to be willing to get out of your shop, have conversations, and meet people. If you’re able to do that, you should succeed.”
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