This week on Eye On Franchising, we're joined by Audrey Lewis, a successful franchisee of Batteries Plus. Audrey and her husband became interested in the franchise when their truck broke down on a family trip and they had to get a new battery. They were impressed with the service they received and decided to invest in the franchise. They now own multiple locations.Audrey discusses why she decided to become a franchisee of Batteries Plus and how the company-Audrey Lewis's journey to becoming a franchisee of Batteries Plus-How they decided on their franchise-The importance of finding the right fit when choosing a franchise-How Batteries Plus is a proven, successful brand-The importance of following the process when opening a new franchise-The culture of Batteries Plus-The importance of finding the right location for a store-How veterans make great franchisees KEY POINTS Approximately mentioned @ 00:04:25 Audrey, a military veteran, is an amazing example of success in franchising. She has owned and operated her Batteries Plus Bulbs store for over a year, and has plans to open three more stores in the near future. Veterans are passionate and mission-oriented, which makes them a great fit for franchising. Black History Month is a great time to remember that franchising is an opportunity for everyone. Approximately mentioned @ 00:07:33 This year, we decided it was time to take the plunge and start our own business. We looked at several franchises, but ultimately decided on batteries plus. We loved the idea of building a legacy and being our own boss. Approximately mentioned @ 00:15:14 Batteries Plus is a retailer that specializes in batteries for a variety of devices and vehicles. Approximately mentioned @ 00:16:04 The fact that I didn't have any prior experience in the battery business didn't matter to me. I knew that with the help of the great team at Batteries Plus, I could do anything. Approximately mentioned @ 00:17:29 Audrey Lewis always wanted to be her own boss and have the American dream. She went to college and got multiple degrees. But it wasn't until she and her husband's truck broke down on a family trip, that she realized that she wanted to invest in a Batteries Plus franchise. Approximately mentioned @ 00:23:18 Audrey's decision to invest in a Batteries Plus Bulbs franchise was based on the supportive culture she experienced when her truck broke down. The brand's commitment to training and guidance gave her the confidence to open her own store, which has been successful in its first year. Have you heard the news? We are officially on YouTube. Come check out a few videos have have and give me a follow! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwoAdrkPZmveJt5AQRDk8WA --- Lance Graulich Franchise Consulting Services from ION Franchising Eye On Franchising
This week on Eye On Franchising, we're joined by Audrey Lewis, a successful franchisee of Batteries Plus. Audrey and her husband became interested in the franchise when their truck broke down on a family trip and they had to get a new battery. They were impressed with the service they received and decided to invest in the franchise. They now own multiple locations.
Audrey discusses why she decided to become a franchisee of Batteries Plus and how the company
-Audrey Lewis's journey to becoming a franchisee of Batteries Plus
-How they decided on their franchise
-The importance of finding the right fit when choosing a franchise
-How Batteries Plus is a proven, successful brand
-The importance of following the process when opening a new franchise
-The culture of Batteries Plus
-The importance of finding the right location for a store
-How veterans make great franchisees
KEY POINTS
Approximately mentioned @ 00:04:25
Audrey, a military veteran, is an amazing example of success in franchising. She has owned and operated her Batteries Plus Bulbs store for over a year, and has plans to open three more stores in the near future. Veterans are passionate and mission-oriented, which makes them a great fit for franchising. Black History Month is a great time to remember that franchising is an opportunity for everyone.
Approximately mentioned @ 00:07:33
This year, we decided it was time to take the plunge and start our own business. We looked at several franchises, but ultimately decided on batteries plus. We loved the idea of building a legacy and being our own boss.
Approximately mentioned @ 00:15:14
Batteries Plus is a retailer that specializes in batteries for a variety of devices and vehicles.
Approximately mentioned @ 00:16:04
The fact that I didn't have any prior experience in the battery business didn't matter to me. I knew that with the help of the great team at Batteries Plus, I could do anything.
Approximately mentioned @ 00:17:29
Audrey Lewis always wanted to be her own boss and have the American dream. She went to college and got multiple degrees. But it wasn't until she and her husband's truck broke down on a family trip, that she realized that she wanted to invest in a Batteries Plus franchise.
Approximately mentioned @ 00:23:18
Audrey's decision to invest in a Batteries Plus Bulbs franchise was based on the supportive culture she experienced when her truck broke down. The brand's commitment to training and guidance gave her the confidence to open her own store, which has been successful in its first year.
Have you heard the news? We are officially on YouTube. Come check out a few videos have have and give me a follow!
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwoAdrkPZmveJt5AQRDk8WA
---
Franchise Consulting Services from ION Franchising
Lance Graulich 00:00:02 Welcome to Ion Franchising. Are you looking for business opportunities? Well, you are in the right place. We represent over 650 franchises and business opportunities. We will help you find your perfect franchise for free. We even have a free assessment on our website that will help us determine what the best businesses is for you based on your investment level mindset, skill set, and life experiences. This is Ion Franchising, where we share our vision for your franchise future. I'm your host, Lance Graulich. Each week we will speak to fascinating folks from the world of franchising, franchisors and founders, franchise funders, and franchisees. Are you looking to find your perfect franchise? Or perhaps you are an independent business owner looking to grow and scale your business by setting up a franchise. Either way, our team can help you eye on franchising, where you will learn the A to Z's of franchise.
Lance Graulich 00:01:07 Hello everyone, and welcome back to another fabulous and this is really going to be a super fabulous episode with an amazing franchisee. So, welcome back, Eye on Franchising. Lance Graulichtoday, let's, talk about a truck breaking down on a family trip. And somehow, some way, that led to a, uh, franchise investment sometime later. But it led to a franchise investment. So their truck broke down. It turned out it was a battery. They found a great retail shop with amazing customer service. They loved the concept, got the truck back on the road. So today I'm welcoming to the show ms. Audrey Lewis. She's a franchisee going to be a multi unit franchisee of, batteries plus. Welcome, Ms. Audrey.
Audrey 00:02:02 Thank you. Thank you, Lance. It's good to be here.
Lance Graulich 00:02:06 I am so glad you're here. And such, a crazy story. I always wonder how people decide on a franchise, what franchise? And in your case, you guys broke down, use the service of this particular franchise. We're kind of blown away by it and like, I think it's fate, right?
Audrey 00:02:29 Absolutely. We were on a family trip, a family vacation to Virginia, and the truck yes, uh, it actually broke down. The battery died. So my husband, he went on this mission to get it fixed and he came back a few minutes later, like maybe about 30 minutes later, and he said, honey, oh my goodness, you will not believe this place where I've gone. It's fabulous. I love it. I was in and out in like 30 seconds. They helped me. They were so polite. So I said, well, what is the name? He said battery plus.
Lance Graulich 00:03:08 You thought he found like Disneyland, right?
Audrey 00:03:10 Absolutely.
Lance Graulich 00:03:13 So that was how long ago?
Audrey 00:03:15 Audrey it was actually about six years ago.
Lance Graulich 00:03:19 It was that long ago. Wonderful. So let's hold there and let's go back a little bit further because I already gave it away. You're a, uh, franchisee of Batteries Plus, but how were you looking at investments? I mean, you went to high school, you went to college, you have an incredible story in college of all the different things that you've done and all the things that you've learned and, you know, so why be your own boss? What led up to that?
Audrey 00:03:51 I think it's the American dream.
Lance Graulich 00:03:54 The American dream. All right.
Audrey 00:03:56 Perfect American dream that we all have. And, uh, it's funny. I was looking at a Ted Talk, and it was on franchising, and he said the reason why I wanted to become, uh, an entrepreneur and a franchiser was because I make my own hours. I could go on vacation whenever I want to. I can just relax, which he was really being facetious, because this is a lot of hard work, and you can't make your hours and your hours actually turn into more hours and longer hours. But I believe that there is a passion, at least there's a passion in me and in my family, to be able to leave a legacy behind, to be able to pass it on and say, we did this for the family and it belongs to us, which is something that it's great and everyone benefits from it. And you can look at it and then have a feeling of pride. This is something that you have accomplished, you and your family. I think that's why we did it.
Lance Graulich 00:04:55 And when did that start? But just take us back, because so many people listening that at any point, 70% of America wants to be their own boss. But most people don't act on it because either they're scared, they're nervous, they don't know where to start. They don't necessarily have the money, or they don't think they have enough money. They don't know what's right for them. They don't think they have the skills. So for you, let's talk about what you've done. Let's talk about your degrees and what were you initially looking to do with your life.
Audrey 00:05:29 Okay, so I was actually born and raised in the Bronx. I went away to Syracuse for schooling. After that, I felt the desire to go into the military, so I signed up. Army. Yes.
Lance Graulich 00:05:46 Go army. Go Yankees, too.
Audrey 00:05:48 Go army. I actually ended up going to Desert Storm, so I'm a combat soldier. My fault for my country. I'm proud of that.
Lance Graulich 00:05:57 Thank you for your service.
Audrey 00:05:58 You're welcome. You're welcome. With an honor. My honor. And then after that, I actually came out. I went back to school again, and I had majored in counseling, so I have my counseling degree. At the time, I wanted to continue to pursue counseling as a Christian counselor, and then I actually went back to school to get my degree in divinity. So I have my master's degree in divinity, and I did a little bit of human resources. So my goal was to really go into the human resource field and to grow in that field and talk a.
Lance Graulich 00:06:33 Little bit about Victor, because this was your vision. Well, you were in college. When did you and Victor get married? And how did that path go? Because, again, listeners want to understand, here's this amazing woman. How did she get here? Where did that bridge, this divine intervention, so to speak, with a battery, needing a battery and going from here you were in college to here you are today.
Audrey 00:07:03 Right. Okay. I met my husband, actually in the military.
Lance Graulich 00:07:08 Oh, wow.
Audrey 00:07:09 Yeah, he actually was a, uh, veteran, also army veteran. And when we came out of the military, that's when we started dating and we got married and had a beautiful family, of a beautiful family, three lovely children. He was working, actually, on Wall Street for many years. He then retired and went into the ministry. We're very much on fee, as you can tell. He was doing that. But then in the midst of that, he and I used to have these conversations of, uh, becoming an entrepreneur, of having our own business, looking at different franchises that were out there. So we did that for several years, and it was funny. Whenever we go on road trips, we may stop it like a restaurant and say, oh, that's a franchise. What do you think?
Lance Graulich 00:07:58 So what were some of the ones that he brought to your attention, that you brought to his attention, that you had an interest in?
Audrey 00:08:05 Okay, um, let's see. Chickfila.
Lance Graulich 00:08:08 Of course. Chickfila.
Audrey 00:08:10 Exactly. We loved Cracker Barrel, so we considered doing that. We considered Audrey.
Lance Graulich 00:08:17 I just have to laugh, though. The first two you named, you talk about go big or go home.
Audrey 00:08:24 If you're going to do a big, you got to do it. If you're going to be a bear, be a grizzly. Yes, exactly. So, yeah. So we were entertaining the thought for several years. We weren't really getting serious about the conversation until maybe about two years ago. That's when we said, you know what, it's finally time to do this. Let's start acting on the things that we were talking about.
Lance Graulich 00:08:52 Love it. Yeah. And you know what? In my world as a franchise broker, uh, we have a saying that we call it three trips to the rodeo. And the first time anybody went to the rodeo, which is kind of like exploring franchises or business opportunities, and you're kind of dabbling, you're taking a look, and then the second time you're getting even more serious. And the third time could be years later, you're really serious. Like, okay, I'm really going to pull the trigger on something. I need to be my own boss. We are doing this, right?
Audrey 00:09:27 Exactly.
Lance Graulich 00:09:28 On your third trip to the rodeo, you were ready to pull the trigger on something, and it was batteries plus.
Audrey 00:09:34 Yes, it was, uh, how did that.
Lance Graulich 00:09:36 Enter your consciousness from all those years before?
Audrey 00:09:40 You know what? I believe that, like you said the first time, it was a seed that was planted. It starts off as a seed, and as, uh, we just continued to talk and to look at different franchises and to look at where we want it to be in the future. It only made sense.
Lance Graulich 00:09:58 Yes. Building that legacy.
Audrey 00:10:01 Exactly. And the wonderful thing about me and my husband is and I would encourage everyone to do this is every year we would make a huge challenge. We would step out on faith and say, this is what we're going to do this year. And then we would just do it. It was like just stepping off the mountain and just gliding.
Lance Graulich 00:10:21 So let me get this straight, because I love this. This is not a resolution that you do every year in January. This is actually sort of like a family challenge. What are we going to do? Is it, what are we going to do this year? Or is it more long term than that? How does this challenge work for the family?
Audrey 00:10:39 So what we do is we sit down and we come up with a goal that the family wants to accomplish together. And then at that point, we're like, okay, let's start. How do we build this? How do we do it? ABCD. What do we need in order to accomplish this faith walk or ah, this goal that we're trying to accomplish. So usually that's what we do, and we usually accomplish it in that particular year, unless it's a long term goal. But that's usually how it works.
Lance Graulich 00:11:10 I love it. So you have three kids. Some are even active in the business. Obviously, at some point you and Victor decided to, uh, with the kids. I'm sure you all agreed, okay, batteries plus is going to be it. Did you narrow it? Was there anything else, really, that was a contender?
Audrey 00:11:31 No, there was not.
Lance Graulich 00:11:32 And tell me a little bit, tell the audience about the process, because a lot of people wonder. I had a guy literally the other day, well, uh, I'm not really ready to talk to any Franchisors yet. I don't know how serious I am yet. And I said to him, um, mike, nobody's going to just swipe your credit card after the first phone call. This is like a coffee date. It's literally having a conversation about you and your goals. They talk about their goals. If that matches, there's another date, so to speak. And it gets a little more serious. Just literally like dating. So talk about your process and how it was for you and how this because the kids might have been like, no, I want a chickfila, I want bojangles. Kids, uh uh, always want food, is what they want. We know that.
Audrey 00:12:26 Yes, they do, actually. They really do. And like you said, you are correct. It's like a date. You're dating. Pretty much. And the reason why we did is because we want to decide, do we want to marry this person and have a lifetime relationship with this person and live with this person and know their personality and who they are. Um, it's the same thing with going into a franchise as well. So my husband, he initially made the phone call and he was talking with a gentleman named Victor and they were going back and forth on several occasions and they just hit it off. And the gentleman, Victory, spoke to the representative of, um, Batteries Plus. He was very informative, he had a lot of knowledge, very polite. He talks about the brand, he talked about the family, because that's what Batteries Plus is, we're family. And then at some point, my husband was comfortable enough to bring me into the conversation as well. And we had that conversation, said, well honey, I've been speaking to a franchiser, Batteries Plus, one of the representatives, and the conversation is going pretty well, I would like for you to meet him. So at that point, that's when I kind of stepped in. We had that Zoom meeting and, uh, the interviews and that's what pretty much began the process. So it started off just with one person and then we met with a team member and then we met with a full team and we were interviewed because, you know, they have to make sure, uh, just like we have to make sure it's the right fit also.
Lance Graulich 00:13:54 Because we're carrying it's a two way street, right?
Audrey 00:13:57 Yes. Like marriage. It is, it's a two way street. They had to make sure that we were going to represent the brand in an excellent manner. Being professional, being kind, having that. When people see Batteries Plus, they'll smile and they'll know who we are. And it'll be a happy, encouraging thing.
Lance Graulich 00:14:19 And one thing we should share with the audience, you're better suited to share this than I am. Um, but tell the audience what is Batteries Plus for those of you that are watching? Uh, now, uh, um, when it comes out, a replay. And you can see the Batteries Plus background behind Audrey for those that are, uh, watching on YouTube and other replays. But it's a retail shop, so Audrey, why don't you describe what Batteries Plus is? Obviously there's a lot of batteries.
Audrey 00:14:46 There are a whole lot of batteries. So what I usually do my part in Batteries Plus is commercial, and in that I also do a lot of networking. So when I network and I have to introduce myself, the first thing I ask the audience is when I say battery, what comes to mind? And everyone will start, begin to start throughout different kind of batteries. They'll say cell phone batteries and Alkaline batteries and AAA and triple A. And then they'll say generator. Batteries and motorcycle and marine batteries. I'll say, yes, the Darn battery for.
Lance Graulich 00:15:23 My remote control that I can never find when I need it.
Audrey 00:15:26 We got that. Batteries plus. The plus is amazing. It's just when people come into my store, they're like, they would never believe what we carry, but we carry every single battery on the planet? Just about. We make battery packs. We have lithium batteries, the Ups, the backup batteries. In addition to that, we do lighting as well. And Lance, you mentioned resale, but there is an entire commercial side to us as well, so it's huge. And then in addition to that, we do keep up. Who would figure that? And then we also repair your phone, your cell phone repair. So you go into Batteries Plus, and you were just inundated with anything and everything that has a battery. Yeah.
Lance Graulich 00:16:15 I had a friend recently say, where can I get a key fob? Because I don't want to go to the dealership. They're going to charge me ten times what it really should be.
Audrey 00:16:23 Absolutely.
Lance Graulich 00:16:25 Batteries plus. There's your answer.
Audrey 00:16:28 Absolutely. I had the other day, Johnson walked into my store, and he stood in the center of the aisle and he said, I love this place.
Lance Graulich 00:16:39 It's Disneyland again.
Audrey 00:16:42 It's a Disneyland battery world. It's fabulous.
Lance Graulich 00:16:46 I love it. Fantastic. So tell us the story as you progressed in this. There was some sort of meet the team day or Discovery day. I don't know what Batteries Plus calls it, but most brands call it one of those meet the Team day, discovery Day. You might have had to go somewhere in person to corporate to meet them. Is that what you had to do as part of the process?
Audrey 00:17:09 So actually, we did not.
Lance Graulich 00:17:11 It was more a virtual thing.
Audrey 00:17:13 It was a virtual thing, yes, it was a virtual thing. It was a discovery day.
Lance Graulich 00:17:18 Yeah, because you guys got involved at the tail end of the pandemic. So everybody was used to virtual by then.
Audrey 00:17:23 Got it. Absolutely. So I remember we set up a long table in my living room. It was my husband, myself, and my three children so they can meet us and interview us, and they introduced themselves and each personnel and what their role in Batteries Plus was, what the expectation was. They told us about the company itself, which has over 700 stores throughout the United States, and we're continuing to grow.
Lance Graulich 00:17:51 Which is absolutely over 700 stores. For those of you listening, if you don't have a Batteries Plus near you, this is a very successful, proven brand. So, uh, great concept.
Audrey 00:18:04 It is. It absolutely is. Yes. We had about two Discovery Days where we went through the entire interview process. Yes.
Lance Graulich 00:18:15 And they obviously loved you. Okay. And did you say, well, I need you to train the kids. I'm not going to work in the store? The kids are just going to do all this?
Audrey 00:18:29 That was a great thought. Only a thought.
Lance Graulich 00:18:34 Didn't work like that.
Audrey 00:18:35 It absolutely did not work like that. Me and the children, we actually packed up. We went to Wisconsin for, um, a three week intensive intensive training.
Lance Graulich 00:18:49 So wait, who went who exactly went to training?
Audrey 00:18:52 So it was myself, my three children, and my son's. Fiance.
Lance Graulich 00:18:57 I, uh, didn't know that all the kids went, that is fantastic.
Audrey 00:19:02 Absolutely. And because it was virtual Joshua after class, he was doing homework virtually, which was great. Yes, yes, yes. But yes. So we went away. It was for three and ten weeks where we became certified with, you know, the certified with the cell phone repair. We learned how to cut keys. We learned the entire process fixing iPads. How do you test the battery so you have voltage in batteries. So it was an intensive training. Yes.
Lance Graulich 00:19:32 At some point, huh? Everyone that's going to become a franchisee of any brand is thinking to themselves, is this brand right? For me, I don't know anything about this. Did that cross your mind? Did that matter to you? What was the thoughts on that?
Audrey 00:19:51 Absolutely.
Lance Graulich 00:19:54 I didn't train my whole life to do this.
Audrey 00:19:57 Absolutely. I guess I don't want to say because I'm a woman. However, my husband always changed the batteries, test the batteries, dip the tires, even dip pump the gas. So it's like, how would I do this? So, yes, it did cross my mind, but as soon as it crossed my mind, it went out of my mind. Because we can do everything well.
Lance Graulich 00:20:21 Women we know are far smarter than men. I know that for sure. I've been surrounded by strong women my entire life. But, uh, on a really serious note, for the listeners out there, this is something that comes up every day in my conversations with people that want to get into their own business. And they always ask me, but Lance, I don't know anything about that business. Fill in the blank. That business. And the answer is, that is exactly why you invest in a franchise. Because they want the right attitude, the right aptitude. I mean, look at you, Audrey. Uh, look at your incredible background and your beautiful smile, your brains. I mean, everything that's on display today, you can do anything in franchise, literally anything, because the right brand will train you and you will be successful by fitting in that concept. So I love that.
Audrey 00:21:19 Absolutely. And one thing I want to say also is being trainable teachable is so important. The knowledge will come, you'll eventually learn it. I mean, uh, they have training modules that you can always go to, to look up, to give information, batteries. Plus, they also will offer different classes virtually where you can sit in, you can get a certificate. There's always some type of training. In addition to that, they give you the proper support. The proper individuals will be able to assist you with any type of questions that you have. So the guidance and the support is already in place. All you have to do is be teachable and willing to do it and just be passionate about it and don't give up. And they will literally walk you through the process, because they walked me through the process from starting the franchise with my husband. In the midst of that, I uh, lost my husband. But through that I had to do the SBA portion of that as far as the financial piece. And it was so many times when I was able to get on the phone and say, can you help me? Can you guide me? What does this mean? And they absolutely walked me through the entire process to opening the store. Everyone from Wisconsin, they came up, they celebrated me, they celebrated my family opening the store, the marketing piece. So it's really just turnkey pretty much they've already done it. Um, so it makes it very easy and it makes it easy enough for anyone, whether you have the knowledge or not, that you'll be able to do it as long as you follow the process.
Lance Graulich 00:23:05 Yeah, I tell people all the time, you have to trust the process and you follow the blueprint, follow the roadmap. And I am sure we didn't rehearse this. Somebody asked this, we didn't rehearse anything. But uh, when it comes to all the things you just described and all the support that you get from corporate per se from the franchise, or I would imagine there's quite a bit of collaboration from existing successful franchisees as well.
Audrey 00:23:36 Absolutely. So prior to us, when we were in the process of opening the store, my son and my daughter, they actually went to it was like a, uh, training. What they did was the seasoned franchisers, they had an event in which new one, new people per se would come and sit and ask questions. And my children, they were able actually to network with a lot of successful franchisers, franchisees who taught them. Exactly. And then what happened when they came back, they gave me the information I was actually able to get on the phone and to speak to some of them as well. So it's a huge network and all you have to do is be willing to make that phone call and say, hi, this is Audrey from Long Island Batteries plus, can you help me with this question? And they will everyone know.
Lance Graulich 00:24:29 And that is something a lot of people forget about that, ah, you don't just have because when you start a business all by yourself, you're truly by yourself, unless you're hiring people and paying them, hopefully they know more than you because you're starting a business. In this case, you have the entire community of uh, the most successful and seasoned franchisees that came before you and you truly get to follow in their footprints.
Audrey 00:24:57 Mhm, absolutely. And you actually sit it on the nail. It is that community.
Lance Graulich 00:25:06 And you already did an amazing job talking about the culture which got you, you recognized and Victor recognized the culture the day your truck broke down.
Audrey 00:25:16 Right.
Lance Graulich 00:25:16 And then following through to the process to make a decision that this is the right brand, you felt comfortable from, again, a cultural standpoint that, holy cow, this could be our brand.
Audrey 00:25:30 Right? Absolutely.
Lance Graulich 00:25:32 And here you are. So, April 2022, not even a year ago, you opened the first store.
Audrey 00:25:39 Absolutely.
Lance Graulich 00:25:40 Talk a little bit about that support and how that went. And you have, uh, kids working in the store. It's truly a family business. And you have more stores coming.
Audrey 00:25:49 Yes, we're scheduled to open up three stores total. So we have the first one, and the next one should be coming soon.
Lance Graulich 00:25:57 And the first one is where? On Long Island?
Audrey 00:25:59 It's actually in Huntington Station.
Lance Graulich 00:26:02 Huntington Station.
Audrey 00:26:03 Uh, it's a great location. We're right across the street from the mall.
Lance Graulich 00:26:09 Perfect. Talk a little bit about that. I'm assuming there were some people that came from Batteries Plus corporate and to support you in the opening. I know myself from opening my first wing stop, from opening the first Krispy Kreme doughnut shop. As a franchisee, you always feel like a deer in the headlights because you've never done this before.
Audrey 00:26:32 Right.
Lance Graulich 00:26:33 Now, uh, you probably feel like a pro. Bring on store number two, right?
Audrey 00:26:39 I wouldn't say all that. I wouldn't say all that. Absolutely. In the process of looking for the real estate, there was actually the director of real estate, and he was great. Uh, my husband and I, we were driving around and we would have our camera on our cell phone, and we're like, okay, what do you think about this location? What do you think about this location? And they'll take a look at the area, and then they'll come out and they'll scout the area with you and tell you this might be a great location. Check this location out. So, yes, as a matter of fact, with the real estate piece, it was quite easy. They came out on several occasions to help us to find that location where it would be optimized for us.
Lance Graulich 00:27:21 Yeah. And, um, you bring up a great point about real estate. Most people don't realize this, but all franchise brands, especially the bigger ones, like Batteries Plus, they have the benefit of such a rich history. They know exactly where the highest volume stores are, and they take all that data and they put that into a computer program. There's a lot of companies that do that in the real estate space, and it kind of spits out an overlay of the entire United States and said, select that Long Island store. So good. Where are the other spots in the US. That mimic those features? The traffic counts, the population, the household income, commercial, residential blend, whatever. It's pretty powerful. So on your own, you can't afford all that. But as part of a franchise system, they want to make sure you're successful.
Audrey 00:28:14 Right. And they want to, uh, make sure that we're successful. So they're successful as well.
Lance Graulich 00:28:21 Exactly. Which goes back to that partnership. Everybody has to be successful.
Audrey 00:28:27 Absolutely.
Lance Graulich 00:28:28 So, Audrey, I don't know if you know this, but as a veteran, you're part of an amazing community because the franchise world, last I checked, about 14% of franchise owners are veterans. Uh, it's amazing to me because the general population doesn't have that many veterans, right. So here you are in a community. Clearly there's something to be said. Uh, whatever people might like about the military, specifically the organization, uh, the path, the roadmap, that is what franchising shows as well. So I, uh, didn't know if you knew that, but 14% of franchise ownership is, uh, veterans.
Audrey 00:29:12 That's excellent. I didn't know that percentage, but it's excellent. I know with veterans, we're always looking for that next level, that next step, where to go. Uh, veterans are very passionate. They are very mission oriented. Exactly. And it's a good fit for us.
Lance Graulich 00:29:36 And we said it earlier, it's a major collaborative environment, just like the military is. Uh, everybody has their job, their parts, their roles and responsibilities. And that's franchising as well.
Audrey 00:29:50 Exactly.
Lance Graulich 00:29:51 And it's also Black History Month, so that's another amazing thing. Uh, here you are, there are people out there that wonder, how can I do this? And Audrey is amazing at all levels, I can tell you that. And I congratulate you on your amazing success. Any other final thoughts or words of wisdom for people out there on, uh, not only your experience, but franchising in general?
Audrey 00:30:19 What I would say is franchising is excellent. And, um, there are several reasons why. One thing is the brand awareness. So everyone already knows the brand. So you're not having to go back and start introducing this is who we are. When you say Batteries Plus 99, 95% of the people already know who Batteries Plus is. You have that support, you have the guidance, you have the blueprint, which many people how do I do a business plan? Well, you know what, they have the business plan there already. You just have to plug things in. They have the human resources available there. So you just have to tap into that. In regards to funding, they have, like, resources that you can go to. So it makes it very easy to do it on our end. As a franchisee, there has to be just the dedication, the commitment you have to push. It's not going to be easy all the time. It's going to take hard work, it's going to take dedication. But if I can do it, and so many other people can do it, believe in yourself and you can do it. We will celebrate you and your accomplishments.
Lance Graulich 00:31:27 Believe in yourself. Uh, it's mind over matter, isn't it?
Audrey 00:31:32 It absolutely is, yes.
Lance Graulich 00:31:35 Audrey, thank you so much for being here. You're amazing. I wish you nothing but tremendous success in the future, continued success. And, uh, please keep me posted on your progress. I can't wait to visit store number one and two and three.
Audrey 00:31:49 Absolutely. Thank you so much, Lance.
Lance Graulich 00:31:52 My pleasure.
Lance Graulich 00:31:53 Thank you very much for. Listening today. Please like, follow and subscribe. This is Lance Grallick. Until next time.