As a senior national franchise recruiter for 1-800 WATER DAMAGE, Steven Olson helps potential franchisees explore all that the brand has to offer. He recently discussed the opportunities available with the property-restoration franchise. By Lizzy Yeserski
Q&A With Steven Olson,
Senior National Franchise Recruiter
As a senior national franchise recruiter for 1-800 WATER DAMAGE, Steven Olson helps potential franchisees explore all that the brand has to offer. He recently discussed the opportunities available with the property-restoration franchise.
What makes 1-800 WATER DAMAGE so powerful?
Our franchisees get to help people every day and build a profitable business while doing so. Doing well while doing good, if you will.
Why is the future so exciting for you?
Property restoration is a recession-resistant industry. While storms and hurricanes make headlines, it is the daily challenges of life that really drive our business, e.g., appliance failure, human error, etc. Water-related claims are the largest and fastest-growing segment of homeowners’ claims. Over 40% of homeowners will experience a water-related issue with their property at some point.
Our franchise group is now 14 service brands and growing; that will create many opportunities for all our franchisees.
What advice would you give to someone starting out?
Have a servant’s heart, focus on customer service and communication and market your business relentlessly. Follow the system!
How does the BELFOR Franchise Group (BFG) impact operations for 1-800 WATER DAMAGE?
By providing all the training, support and resources – that only the world’s largest property restoration company can provide – that franchisees need to build a great business. The BFG, now 14 brands strong, is the world’s second-largest service provider. That means strength and resources that other companies simply cannot provide.
What are the different paths an entrepreneur can take?
Within the BFG, there are many opportunities for entrepreneurs. They can choose to develop a business with just a few employees or scale a business with multiple territories, adding crews and assets as they grow. We have franchisees that have added additional brands from within the franchise group as a strategy as well.
What’s something our readers should know about 1-800 WATER DAMAGE?
Our customers love us! 1-800 WATER DAMAGE is the highest-rated property-restoration company in the U.S., averaging 4.91 stars according to three major review tracking sources. We had the highest percentage increase in revenues of anyone in the industry in 2021. Our systemwide revenue grew by over 62% in 2021. And we were just recently listed as one of the “40 Smartest Growing Brands” by a major national franchise publication.
Lizzy Yeserski