Franchise owner, Kevin Krull, has a special relationship with 1-800 WATER DAMAGE. He owns two territories in Ann Arbor, Michigan, the same city where the company’s headquarters is located. By Elice Morgenson
Franchise owner, Kevin Krull, has a special relationship with 1-800 WATER DAMAGE. He owns two territories in Ann Arbor, Michigan, the same city where the company’s headquarters is located. This proximity provides Krull with unique opportunities to supply his vehicles for trainings and even participate in onsite training exercises, such as the flood house where new franchisees take their recent 1-800 WATER DAMAGE instruction and apply it to real-world scenarios.
Krull shared some advice he would offer to incoming franchisees. “This is an industry that is growing quickly, and there is a great need for honest, hard-working insurance contractors. Being part of the BELFOR family, our brand is steadily growing, he said. “We are becoming big national players with a lot of the large insurance carriers. Get in while the company is still growing and be prepared to work really hard. It is hard work but extremely rewarding. This is a career where you can have a sense of accomplishment and make a great income. My last advice is to be sure your significant other is involved with the process. This is a very important venture and will benefit from both partners being onboard.”
1-800 WATER DAMAGE is part of the BELFOR Franchise Group, one of the world’s largest business franchises in the restoration industry. Franchise owners refer work to one another, and BELFOR also helps make connections between franchise owners that need each other’s services. “The reasons we have had so much success are multifaceted, but it all boils down to the relationships between the franchises in the BELFOR family. The resources that BELFOR gives us. Our trainers are 20-year veterans with the company and have created the standards we are trained with. You have connections with the BELFOR franchise group and the other franchises they own that do ductwork, carpet cleaning, mitigation work, and a whole network of companies that can help and benefit each other.”
Krull has been a franchise owner for several years and is at a stage in his business where he now has a team of trained restoration experts who are able to go out and provide repairs. His favorite aspect of the company: “I can really focus on the development of my team. We have three core values within our office here: hard work, respect, and development. Development looks like several different things for us – developing our skills and training and also developing relationships with my employees and their families to make the career work for them. I also love the marketing aspect, knocking on doors and talking with clients, because there are three opportunities with every repair to make new connections. The first connection is the client themselves. The second connection is their insurance agent, and finally the insurance adjuster. Every positive repair we do connects our reputation with future clients.”
Krull said he is especially excited about one recent development: “We have a new franchise group that relates directly to us in 1-800 WATER DAMAGE, Blue Kangaroo Packoutz. When there is a water or fire loss, all contents must be removed, cleaned, and restored before they can be returned. BELFOR saw there was a major need in the industry and formed this franchise with top-notch training. This is the perfect add-on to a 1-800 WATER DAMAGE. You are already touching the contents, so this service directly benefits us. The ability to assist people with the preservation of their belongings is also personally rewarding. One example is the time we worked for a woman who had her basement flood. She had family photos of a son who had passed, and they were ruined. A pack-out company restored the photos, printed them out and gave them back to her. To be able to do that for someone is the coolest and most rewarding way to give back to our clients.”
For more information regarding franchising opportunities with 1-800 WATER DAMAGE, visit 1800waterdamagefranchise.com or call 866-278-3905.
– Elice Morgenson