Winner of “Franchisee of the Year” award opens up about his life in business with fastest-growing wood refinishing franchise
N-Hance franchise owners are empowered to have their voices heard, to become meaningful collaborators with the executive team on initiatives, and to share their best practices with their peers. As a result, N-Hance is rapidly growing across the country. More and more entrepreneurs realize that N-Hance not only has a bright future as the premier wood refinishing franchise in the nation, but also works to help franchisees establish their businesses quickly.
Early this year, N-Hance opened our 500th franchise location, and the celebration continued at our annual franchise conference in February. At the conference, we announced several forward-thinking initiatives, such as our consumer financing platform, new products and service offerings, and most importantly, we were proud to honor our franchise network for remarkable success in business.
This year, we named Trevor Kaftan, owner of an N-Hance franchise location in upstate New York, as our Franchisee of the Year. Kaftan has been in business with N-Hance since 2012, and his significant experience in business, his passion to provide his customers with affordable and beautiful solutions for kitchens and floors, as well as his enthusiasm for the future of the N-Hance brand have made him one of the most successful franchisees in our system.
This is his story:
What attracted you to join the N-Hance franchise in 2012?
Kaftan: I was attracted to N-Hance for the market opportunity. I had been selling refacing and kitchen remodeling services on my own for three years, and I kept getting pushback from customers who didn’t have a budget in the $10,000 to $20,000 range. When I found out about N-Hance and what they offered to consumers, I knew there would be a market for the services that N-Hance provides. People want to remodel their kitchens without having to spend a large amount of money.
How does the technology N-Hance uses differentiate you from the competition?
Kaftan: There simply isn’t a way on your own to do the quality of work that N-Hance does. The Lightspeed® UV technology — you would have to spend a fortune in your own business to try and replicate that. The machinery, the products, are all much less expensive through N-Hance, and N-Hance has an entire team focused on ensuring that our technology is up to date and cutting-edge.
How has being a part of the N-Hance franchise network helped your business grow?
Kaftan: As we’ve grown, I’ve been lucky to find the right people. A lot of the systems we’ve implemented have allowed us to grow into a profitable business much quicker than we had anticipated — and they have been the result of connecting with franchisees who have been in the system a lot longer. They share their best practices, they offer help and support — and that is the strength and power of the N-Hance franchise network.
Do you have more time for your family as an owner of an N-Hance franchise?
Kaftan: As a business owner, you have the opportunity to set your own schedule and do everything you want to do. I have a young child, so it’s great to be able to go to his school plays and carve out time to spend with him. At the same time, it’s a good feeling that I can still be professional and run a growing business while taking care of my family.
N-Hance recently launched a National Brand Marketing Fund. How do you think this advertisement effort will help your business?
Kaftan: The brand marketing fund is going to be helpful for the brand long-term, because it’s setting us up as the go-to company for wood refinishing services. There’s a lot of companies that have really great services and products, but no one knows about them because they don’t advertise on a national level. By advertising on a national level, we’re going to be able to brand ourselves as the go-to company for cabinet refinishing and floor refinishing, and that’s an exciting thing to be a part of.
What excites you about the future of the N-Hance brand?
Kaftan: What makes me feel good about the future is not only the products we have, but also that our product team works behind the scenes to ensure that the products we’re using are top of the line. You can’t get that as an independent owner. We’ve just launched our redooring program, and that is something I predict will add between 10% and 15% to my overall revenue next year.
What advice do you have for entrepreneurs looking into N-Hance franchise ownership?
Kaftan: Make sure that this is something you want to do and you can do on your own. Look at the area you’re going to invest in so that you understand it from a marketing perspective. Look at the best way to advertise and connect with customers the right way, so you’re not doing that when your business opens and you can focus on growing your business.
Learn more about the N-Hance franchise opportunity
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