Gen X franchisee Nader Hemmati excels in his second franchise adventure with The HandyForce, equipping years of wisdom along the way
By Stefanie Ucci
Take a moment to stand in your home and look around at all the small details that make it homey and inviting. Now, look for those parts that you’ve always wanted to change but just didn’t know where to start: the original kitchen tiles, that basement bathroom you’ve always dreamed of building, or the backyard fence that’s in desperate need of a repair.
As a homeowner, sometimes you need a helping hand to turn an ordinary house into a cozy home. For the friendly faces at The HandyForce, every day is an opportunity to be that helping hand and turn visions into reality.
Operating with the slogan, “We make home renovations stress free,” The HandyForce is a go-to franchise for homeowners, commercial businesses, DIYers, and more. Offering support for home renovations, handyman services, homecare, and commercial maintenance, the brand has been in the market since 2010 and just recently began franchising around Toronto. Locations are found in the Beaches, Leaside, Cabbagetown, Leslieville, East York, and North York. The latter is owned by passionate and experienced business owner, Nader Hemmati.
All in a day’s work
Falling on the cusp of Generation X at 59 years old, franchising comes naturally to Hemmati. With a background in engineering, Hemmati purchased his first franchise in the home inspection industry 12 years ago, and he still plays double duty as owner of both franchises. Now, he’s owned The HandyForce North York for the past two years. With both being in the home improvement space, the two businesses go hand-in-hand, and branching out to The HandyForce just felt like the right fit.
According to Hemmati, the most important part of being a business owner is getting familiar with every aspect of the business. “I wear different hats, so sometimes I’m in front of the customer as the one who provides a quote for their projects. I also make suggestions for them too. For example, if they want to build a bathroom in the basement, I can help them come up with the best solution. It’s important that I follow the financial aspect of the business and am good with hiring the proper people to represent my franchise.”
So, why The HandyForce for Hemmati’s second franchise adventure? “It’s new in the franchising space, and because it’s a smaller company, they take care of you personally,” he explains. “They don’t see you as a number, which I found as an advantage of owning a franchise with this brand.”
The HandyForce provides interior, exterior, and premier renovation services to Canadians looking to enhance their home with a little extra support from the pros who know homes the best. Their services include everything from drywalling, insulating, roofing, and plumbing, all the way to painting, tiling, flooring, and wallpapering. On the commercial side, the brand caters to realtors, landlords and property managers, and small businesses. In short, it’s all in a day’s work for these hardworking handymen.
And because the HandyForce was Hemmati’s second business, having the years of experience helped him to grow and succeed much quicker than he was expecting to. “I wasn’t blindsided at all because I knew what I was getting myself into. My first franchise was more surprising. But with The HandyForce, I was more prepared and knew what to expect, so I did better in my first year than I anticipated. It was much better the second time around.”
He may sound like a busy businessman, but outside of running his franchises, Hemmati loves to spend time with his daughter, enjoys reading and watching movies to relax, and is an avid player and lover of tennis.
The magic of wisdom
So, what’s the magic in being a Gen X business owner? For Hemmati, the advantages are plentiful and the disadvantages, well … they’re just a part of getting older!
“For me, my biggest advantage is my life experience. People assume that the older you are, the more you know and understand about a business,” explains Hemmati. “I do believe that you understand people much better. And you’re more patient in everything you do. When I talk to people, I can persuade them to go one way over another with their home renovation. They trust me because of my age and experience.” With age comes wisdom, of course.
As for that disadvantage, it’s especially felt in the hands-on homecare and renovation industry. “When your body gets older, you’re not as flexible anymore, not like you were when you were young. But if you take good care of yourself, then it’s all about balance and you can manage it much better. Whether you’re a franchise owner with your own business, or you’re working a 9 to 5 job with a corporation, at the end of the day, the most important part is having balance to restore your life,” says Hemmati.
Know thyself
Looking back many years ago to when he first stepped into the world of franchising, Hemmati reflects on the things he wishes he knew then and that he’s grown to know and appreciate today. First are the financial aspects of owning a business: how to hire a good accountant or bookkeeper and understanding the relevant numbers through and through. The financial side is important in knowing how you’re performing, and will reflect the health of your business.
Second, Hemmati says he’s learned the importance of continuously developing your skills. For example, if you know 30 per cent of the business and don’t develop a target to learn more and strive for at least 80 per cent or 90 per cent of the business, you may fall behind. Hemmati recommends continuously upgrading your skills and knowledge to keep up with changing times and new techniques. He also advises that you know your business inside and out, including those minute details of a job that you may not have thought about, or assumed you didn’t really need to know.
Even with his experience, there came a few challenges along the way. Hemmati explains that at the start of owning his HandyForce franchise, he struggled with quoting projects because he didn’t know how much materials cost for the jobs his team was performing. “It was a challenge for me at the beginning. I had to spend a lot of time in Home Depot!” says Hemmati with a laugh.
His advice for those considering franchising is plentiful. “Know yourself. You know yourself better than anybody else. Sometimes people ignore that and don’t want to face their actual skillset,” notes Hemmati. “I don’t recommend that you go for the money, because it’s not just about how much money you can make from the business. For me, I approach owning a franchise as, ‘What can I do to make this business successful? Do I have enough skills or support from the company?’ All of these factors are more important to me than money.
“You have to know that you’re capable of doing the job that you choose.”
Learn more about franchising with The HandyForce
