From carpets and doors to closets and everyday repairs, we explore companies that take the pain out of making your home the most it can be
By Rachel Debling
Home improvement is so much more than tearing down walls and slapping on a new coat of paint. By elevating one’s surroundings, people can find comfort, solace, stress-relief, and so much more. In fact, you could say that for some, home care is the new self-care!
These brands are helping Canadians from coast to coast find peace in their homes with every service call and product order. Whether you’re in the market for a household update or are searching for a business opportunity that matches your personal interests, these four companies will deliver.
Door Gurus
Let’s face it: doors aren’t necessarily the most stimulating of topics. It’s a fact even those closest to the subject matter will admit.
“It’s not sexy, but it’s necessary,” jokes Kim Hiebert, half of the duo, along with her husband Darren, who have brought Door Gurus to the franchising scene after perfecting their knowledge of the construction and installation industry over 45 years. “My husband is the face of the brand, I’m the business behind it.” He brought a wealth of hands-on expertise in both product installation and the training of technicians, while she had amassed years of experience as a former business owner, franchisee, and social worker. The latter career path has had much overlap with her current one, as she’s found it valuable to be able to gauge the disposition of staff and customers, and to react accordingly.
“It’s super helpful in building our own teams,” she says of her social work experience. “Understanding how to build capacity in people, not just in numbers. You as a human being have to be able to manage the growth you want. Building your financial capacity also goes along with building your personal capacity for growth.”
Door Gurus came to fruition after Darren retired from business ownership in the door service industry. To keep busy, he started fixing residential doors, rather than the large industrial work he was used to. That’s when he realized that there was a gap in the market.
“He was like, ‘I can teach people how to make great money off this,’” Hiebert recalls. “And not by [overworking] themselves.” This stemmed from his personal history of working 80 to 90 hours a week—“Our kids never saw him,” Hiebert says—and his desire to ensure this didn’t happen to others. Teaching people how to build their own legacy, while still making good money and having time for their families, was the ideal retirement plan for the couple.
And thus, Door Gurus was born.
One thing that sets their offering apart from others, aside from the wide variety of jobs that they specialize in (companies that service front doors often don’t know what to do with garage doors or have the ability to do both residential and commercial work, for example), is the quality of their service people. Hiebert recalls having technicians come to the house when she had a young family; they were often unkempt, dirty, and sometimes rude. Which is why Door Gurus prides itself on its uniformed, skilled, friendly staff made up of people you would be happy to let into the sanctity of your home.
“We are a premium service brand,” says Hiebert. “But we deliver on those results, and we are serving a niche in the residential and commercial community that is really overlooked.” The brand is looking for investors who have the all-important growth mindset and are willing to scale alongside the company.
“We are the first in the door market to franchise a fully comprehensive door repair/service company in Canada, serving both residential and commercial property owners, so we’re really excited about that,” she says. And the future looks bright, even though the thought of tackling a new challenge may not be everyone’s ideal retirement plan. And the best part for Hiebert? Being the supportive backbone her crew needs.
“I lean more to the team support and development—what does the team need—and really creating a team that feels good when they’re delivering their job. Being a part of us. And so that’s my favourite part, watching people expand.”
Learn more about franchising with Door Gurus
End of the Roll Flooring Centres
Since the boom of DIY home renovations in the early aughts, nearly everyone fashions themselves a modern-day Bob Vila. Where in-house touch-ups can fail, there are, thankfully, plenty of brands that specialize in supporting household projects meant to freshen and rejuvenate dated interiors.
Take End of the Roll Flooring Centres, a well-recognized name in Canada’s flooring supply sector. A lot has changed since the company was founded nearly 40 years ago, but it has been able to keep up with the rapidly changing industry in which it operates, and even surpass expectations.
“The world has changed a lot, especially in the world of home improvement,” says Mark Baese, End of the Roll’s national marketing director. “And specifically with flooring, the way people buy flooring and do home improvement today is much different than it was even a decade ago.” Baese points to its online tools, such as the spatial visualizer which allows customers to “insert” flooring into their room on their phone, that ensures the clients of franchisees are happy with the outcome, before laying down a single strip of carpet, tile, wood, laminate, or vinyl.
For long-time franchisees of the system, these innovations can mean a lot. But it’s not the main reason that many End of the Roll location owners remain in the system for decades: it’s the level of care that the franchisor shows its franchisees. Plus, notes Baese, in the End of the Roll system, franchisees are given a bit more flexibility and creative space to make their location and their business truly their own. Even within the brand’s franchise agreements, he notes, it’s recognized that every store will operate and look a little bit different—a fact that he feels only strengthens the value proposition for incoming franchisees. “If they’re more comfortable doing things a certain way, we don’t necessarily restrict it, as long as it doesn’t go against the brand, and the end result is the same,” he explains.
One such franchisee is Alison Elliott, who owns End of the Roll’s Regina location with her husband, Lee. They came aboard in 1997, after Alison took a job at a location in Edmonton, where she had just finished her chemistry degree. The idea of ownership piqued her interest, and when a location became available in Saskatchewan, she and her then-fiancé, who was originally from the province, jumped at the chance—and never looked back.
“My mother was right,” laughs Elliott when asked if she regrets not using her degree. “I was always meant to be in numbers and business.”
As an added bonus (and though it may be seen as “cliché,” as Elliott admits), the network of franchisees across the province is exceptionally close, bordering on family, with some even going so far as to hop on a plane at a moment’s notice to cover for another owner when disaster strikes. Elliott herself has been on both sides of such a transaction, accepting help when needed and coming to the rescue without being asked.
That intense level of friendship extends to her store’s staff, some of which have been on the team for nearly two decades.
“One person has been here for 18 years, one lady has worked here twice, left to go try real estate, and she’s back,” says Elliott. “And I have had two other salespeople that have left to try something else and then come back on different occasions. I think that that speaks to the overall culture here.”
With such solid foundations and strong support, it’s no wonder that both Baese and Elliott marvel how much time truly flies when you’re having fun.
ShelfGenie
When people step into your home, it’s not the trendy wall colour or a unique antique lamp they notice first—it’s the presence, or absence, of clutter. Short of upgrading to a larger space, the best way to manage clutter is with a well-organized closet or cupboard system. That’s where ShelfGenie, a Neighbourly company, comes in.
ShelfGenie was founded on the belief that, with the right organizational approach, any house can be more functional and, in turn, more beautiful. The mission to change lives through organization was one of the reasons that brand president Tony Ditzler was interested in the company in the first place.
“What initially drew me to ShelfGenie was its immense potential to transform people’s lives,” Ditzler shares. “It’s not just about shelves; it’s about enhancing the experience in the most personal space—your home.”
The company communicates this belief by creating and installing high-quality, durable custom Glide-Out shelving units tailored to fit any area of the home.
Known for their ease of use and lasting quality while being easy on the eyes, these shelving units offer a premium experience that stands apart in a market often filled with short-term solutions, making them one of the brand’s key differentiators.
“In a market full of quick-fix solutions, ShelfGenie offers something lasting,” says Ditzler. “Our solutions are not just custom—they’re tailored down to the millimetre, ensuring every customer receives a product that fits their unique needs. This level of customization sets us apart, providing solutions for every corner of the home.”
For its franchise owners, ShelfGenie offers the opportunity to lead remarkable projects unlike any they’ve seen before. Recently, one of their U.S.-based location franchise owners completed a residential project outside of Austin, Texas, that not only included a much-needed Glide-Out pantry solution but also a custom bar system for entertaining, including a conversation-starting Designer Wine Rack Glide-Out, showcasing the brand’s versatility and aesthetic appeal.
ShelfGenie franchise owners also benefit from ongoing support in everything from marketing to training in the latest industry technologies. Being part of Neighbourly’s extensive network has its perks, too. As Ditzler points out, Neighbourly provides its franchise owners with access to the nearly 30 other home-based services in its roster to help reduce costs while improving the customer experience. With no need for a physical storefront, franchise owners can enjoy lower overhead costs and a business model that supports work-life balance.
“Our ideal franchise owners are innovators who understand that small changes can make a big difference,” says Ditzler. “They’re passionate about delivering excellent customer service and unafraid to challenge the norm.
“Our franchise owners are not just business owners; they’re partners in building a brand that leaves an unforgettable mark. At ShelfGenie, we don’t just build shelves. We build better lives.”
The HandyForce
The saying goes, “Jack of all trades, master of none.” That’s why marketing a company as the best at everything can often backfire—unless you have a solid team of techs waiting in the wings.
The HandyForce was built on that belief when in 2010 founder Paul Switzeny and his wife bought a “fixer-upper” condo. They had no difficulty finding companies that would gladly take on the big renovation work, but problems arose after the service was done and paid for.
“Inevitably, there were things that weren’t totally done correctly, and they wouldn’t come back, or there were other little pieces that maybe weren’t a part of it,” he remembers. Realizing he needed a tradesperson to smooth over the rough edges and finish these jobs, he started searching but was unable to find someone to fit his standards for professionalism and reliability.
“I thought, geez, if I need this, there’s going to be other people who need it too,” he says. “And so I started the company on Craigslist, posting two ads: one looking for a handyman to hire, and the other saying I had a handyman for hire.” He connected the two, and 14 years later, The HandyForce is a full-fledged operation that recently entered the franchise industry, in an effort to expand even further and ensure an influx of high-quality technicians.
“Sometimes you get a guy that has the skills but a bad attitude,” or vice versa, he says of the challenges in finding the right fit. It’s a facet of the business that Switzeny is passionate about: the company works with high schools to help train and bring in talented students who are looking to enter the workforce right after graduation. Many of these students aren’t interested in college, he explains, and teaching them hands-on skills will help them secure well paying jobs in specialist fields, hopefully with The HandyForce.
But it’s not just Switzeny who’s steering the ship. Corporate project manager Justin Mohammed is one of the main supports for franchisees at The HandyForce. In his role, he sees all sides of any given project, from managing the staff of corporate locations and material sourcing to finding quality subcontractors and ensuring customer satisfaction. For the company’s franchisees, he serves as the point person for operations, helping them search for technicians and stock. He knows first-hand the support their partners receive.
“The biggest benefit [of the system] is the knowledge and experience that you get,” explains Mohammed. “Plus, there’s the flexibility you have—that you can take a young kid from not knowing anything to becoming someone that has a promising career, especially putting them through the Master Handyman program [the certification created by The HandyForce].”
Nader Hemmati, the company’s first franchisee, shares this enthusiasm. After searching for a business opportunity for quite a while, he stumbled across The HandyForce.
“It’s the kind of business people need,” he says of his choice to become a location owner. Homeowners often look at the big-picture jobs, like redoing a kitchen or bathroom, but they don’t ever want to think about the smaller jobs, such as that leaky drain in the laundry room—until it becomes necessary to address it.
“People need this service regardless of inflation, or the economy,” Hemmati notes. “Things are going to break! Things are going to need to be upgraded. It will never end.”
Paired with a marketing strategy that includes everything from organic web traffic to guerilla tactics and a behind-the-scenes team that truly cares about the services they provide, The HandyForce’s perennial business model is an option for those looking to balance their work life and home life. Better still: the relationships that will undoubtedly develop, and the effect one can have on people’s lives.
Switzeny recognizes this privilege all too well. “Things like, ‘I need my toilet to flush’ or ‘I need my roof to stop leaking,’” he says. “Those are essential things, but also things that really, really matter.
“We had a family not too long ago that was pregnant, and they needed to convert one of the rooms to a nursery for their child. That’s a really, really significant thing that we got to be part of.”
And for The HandyForce, it will certainly not be the last.
