For more than 14 years, Kevin Koelsch worked as a specialty contractor, installing interior finishes and industrial insulation for corporate clients. It was a career he once enjoyed but eventually outgrew. With no solid path forward, Koelsch began to explore other options. By Jessica Jones
For more than 14 years, Kevin Koelsch worked as a specialty contractor, installing interior finishes and industrial insulation for corporate clients. It was a career he once enjoyed but eventually outgrew. With no solid path forward, Koelsch began to explore other options.
“I was no longer happy with the work and was simply unfulfilled,” Koelsch said. “I felt I had lost control over my own future, so it spurred me to look into franchising.”
Koelsch was seeking a good business plan, a concept that was already in place that he could follow to the letter.
“I didn’t have a great business idea or invention of my own, so I was looking for someone who did,” he explained. “I’m very good at procedures and following rules; if you show me the path, I can follow it. I just needed to find a franchise that was the right fit.”
Koelsch signed on with a popular yoga brand in the summer of 2019, but within a few months, COVID-19 hit, and he was forced to temporarily close his business. While his yoga studio was closed, he searched for something a little more resilient.
“Because I came from a construction background, it was comforting for me to fall back into a service-based industry,” Koelsch said.
In November 2020, he signed on with Honest Abe Roofing; his Kansas City franchise launched in April.
“The yoga studio is still limping along, and I have confidence that business will propel there in the next few months, thanks to the vaccine rollout and overall positivity that this pandemic is nearing an end,” Koelsch said. “But I am truly ecstatic and confident about the Honest Abe model, because it is an extremely resilient and essential business.”
Honest Abe Roofing, an Indiana-based franchise that has been installing, repairing and maintaining residential roofs across the country since 2005, has a track record of success – an annual sales average of $2.8 million per location. The brand offers weekly training webinars, a dedicated franchise liaison, and weekly key performance indicator checkup calls.
Koelsch said it’s that assistance and support that inspired him to sign on with the franchise.
“The sales training and leadership development offered by Honest Abe are second to none, even better than the training I received in the corporate world,” Koelsch said. “And the product offerings are powerful; the company is focused on providing the best materials available and offers a guarantee on their work.”
For Koelsch, it’s that type of brand pride that has given him faith in his career change.
“I know this was 100% the right move,” he concluded. “The leadership training at Honest Abe has encouraged me to work on myself, focus my mindset, and prepare for the challenges ahead. I feel very prepared to dive into this new endeavor.”
For more information about Honest Abe Roofing products and franchising opportunities, visit honestaberoofing.com.
– Jessica Jones