Rooter Man Franchise Review: A Home Based Franchise Opportunity
The Rooter-Man franchise has been around since 1970 when it was founded by Donald MacDonald. Although they didn’t begin franchising until 1981, Rooter-Man’s nearly 30 years of franchising experience has resulted in steady growth, even during a harsh economic downturn. Not surprisingly, this has also allowed them a lot of time to perfect their franchise system. They expect to exhibit even greater growth when credit conditions in the economy improve and franchisees have an easier time accessing start-up financing.
Rooter-Man franchisees offer residential and commercial plumbing services ranging from septic work to troubleshooting, maintenance, repairs, flushing, pipe location, leak detection and drain cleaning. They advertise that their drain cleaning equipment is patented and superior to most others on the market. Rooter-Man offers service 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, including holidays, and promotes the motto “To the rescue”.
As of 2009, 481 franchises were reported in the US, up from 461 the previous year, with another 17 franchise units outside the United States. They are currently looking to expand globally and offer exclusive territories up to a population of 125,000. Its headquarters are located in North Billerica, MA. Franchise fees range from $3,975 to $39,750 depending on the size of the territory and the total initial investment is estimated to be between $46,750 and $137,600. Rooter-Man offers in-house financing for the franchise fee and allows third-party financing. for all initial costs and fees. The ongoing royalty fee also varies based on the size of the territory. A net worth of $25,000 is required.
Rooter-Man franchises can be managed from home, offering a unique home-based business opportunity for someone with plumbing experience. They do not require operation by the owner, although 97% are in charge of the owners. It is estimated that 3-5 employees are needed to operate each franchise and 25% of all franchisees own more than one unit, a statistic that suggests multiple units are needed to generate significant revenue.
A 6-week training and certification course is offered at company headquarters. On-site training is also available, as well as cooperative advertising and participation in national and regional advertising campaigns. Before starting a Rooter-Man franchise, or any franchise, one must realize that they will bear most of the advertising and marketing burden. Simply having business and plumbing skills may not be enough to be successful with a Rooter-Man franchise. A significant amount of marketing experience is necessary to be successful in any business opportunity.