Since its founding in 1988, Floor Coverings International® has established itself as a powerhouse in the flooring industry. The company prides itself on being a disruptor, changing the once tedious and time-consuming process of selecting flooring exclusively in a showroom into a mobile and convenient in-home experience. By prioritizing innovation, the company has changed the flooring purchasing experience with its mobile showroom and an extensive selection of samples. By Kelsi Trinidad
SPECIAL SECTION: MOBILE + HOME-BASED FRANCHISING
Since its founding in 1988, Floor Coverings International® has established itself as a powerhouse in the flooring industry. The company prides itself on being a disruptor, changing the once tedious and time-consuming process of selecting flooring exclusively in a showroom into a mobile and convenient in-home experience. By prioritizing innovation, the company has changed the flooring purchasing experience with its mobile showroom and an extensive selection of samples.
FranServe consultant Brian Beers had the chance to visit top franchisee Jeff Bell at his showroom in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. Bell went from racing horses to building a $10 million per-year business with Floor Coverings International. When he entered the industry, he was selling out of his garage, but Bell quickly discovered that the margin in the flooring business was quite high.
Eight years later, Bell’s initial franchise was bought by Floor Coverings International. He had the choice to go independent, but he decided to stay on as a franchisee. At the time, he was making about $1.5 million a year, and since then, his business has grown massively.
“If you’re getting a pool, a fence, waterproofing done, someone’s got to come to your house,” said Bell. “People’s time nowadays is just a little too precious, so we come out to the house, we measure, and then on the spot, we give them an estimate. If they’re happy with the estimate, they sign the tablet, and we order the material the next day. Within 10 days, they have new flooring. It doesn’t get any easier than that.”
According to Beers, 80% of Bell’s business comes through referrals, and he’s established an impressive network of clients including a builder that brought in about $500,000 last year. Beers attributes Bell’s success to his ability to build relationships.
“Advertising in any service is very difficult, and the ability to have a source of income that’s purely relationship-based – and not related to marketing – is a huge benefit,” said Beers.
By leveraging a scalable franchise model and growing a large network of returning clients, Bell has built one of the top-earning franchises in the Floor Coverings International family.
Kelsi Trinidad