For Booster Juice franchisee Jose Miguel Aguila, franchise ownership has been a goal since childhood. “Starting a business from scratch is all about generating an idea and making it marketable and that’s very difficult,” he explains. “As a franchisee, the brand is already established so it mitigates the risks and increases the potential for success.”
With the goal of becoming a franchisee in mind, Aguila completed a business degree with a specialization in accounting. He also gained plenty of relevant work experience while in school, working in food concession services, accounting and even operating a student painting franchise.
[pro_ad_display_adzone id=”2564″ align=”left” padding=”0 0 15 15″]Those experiences not only prepared him for franchise ownership, they also helped him save up for the initial investment. As a result, he was able to open his first Booster Juice franchise just two years after graduating and now owns three locations across the Greater Toronto Area.
One of his favourite aspects of his role is setting his employees up for success. He spends two weeks training each new staff member, showing them how to operate the store according to Booster Juice’s standards and mentoring them on how to interact with customers, something he places a strong emphasis on. “Some employees are shy at first so it’s my job to help mould them into someone who can relay the product to the customer in a friendly, respectful manner.”
The ability to influence people in a positive way is another highlight for Aguila. “When I see customers walking out with a smile, when I see the same customers over and over again, when I see customers and employees engaging in personal conversations, that tells me we’re having a positive impact on our local community,” he says. “It’s rare in North America to go into a store and take the time to talk on a personal level and that tells me we’re going above and beyond standard customer service.”
Having achieved his childhood goal of franchise ownership, Aguila is now enjoying the benefits of being a franchisee and plans to open more stores across the GTA. “I can trust there is an entire network of great people and a great system around me that is working to help me achieve my business goals,” he says. “I would describe my relationship with them as win-win and synergetic.”