On Season 9, Episode 12 of Franchise Canada Chats, Renée is joined by David Everitt, a longstanding franchisee with the UPS Store and a business owner who stands both in the heart, and at the helm, of his ship.
For 31 years, David Everitt has been in the franchising world. His family has been involved with The UPS Store since the company first came to Canada—David’s store was one of more than 285 Mail Boxes Etc. locations that rebranded into UPS Stores in 2005. Since then he has owned multiple units, become an area representative, and acted as a mentor for new franchisees in the system.
Before getting involved with The UPS Store or Mail Boxes Etc., David worked in the hospitality industry with different hotel and restaurant brands across North America. He was even beginning the process of opening his own restaurant in Guelph, Ontario when an opportunity with Mail Boxes Etc. in Thunder Bay arrived.
Thunder Bay was David’s hometown, and his father was looking at a retirement project, and with The UPS Store pulling out of Thunder Bay at that time, they saw an opportunity to open a Mail Boxes Etc. By the end of March 1994, David and his family had opened their store.
At the beginning, he worked closely with his mother at the store, learning how to handle a working relationship with family members to ensure the store’s professional growth.
David went on to take over the store, and throughout his career has owned two units and been an area franchisee. As an area franchisee, he helped sell, develop, and support stores opening in his area (Northern Ontario). Today, he owns one location and continues to act as a mentor in The UPS Store franchise community.
On this week’s episode of Franchise Canada Chats David shares his story and his philosophies in running a successful business. This includes building up a team and setting staff up for success, operating a franchise in a rural area, making connections with other franchisees, and much, much more.
On this episode we’ll discuss:
- The nuances of working with family
- Running a business in a rural area
- Longstanding commitment to a franchise
- Setting up one’s staff for success
- And so much more!
