-Written by Erik Sargent
Running your own business can be tough (or a challenge), often times testing your mental and physical boundaries as you strive to run the best operation possible while still enjoying a personal life. This requires an incredible amount of balance and learning how to delegate your time between work and family.
Sometimes, you find a great fit within a company or make it a priority when you start your own, that work-life balance doesn’t seem like an unreachable feat, it’s a natural occurrence. TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® was founded with a family-like atmosphere when Founder Mary Ellen Sheets began the company with her two sons, Jon Sorber and Brig Sorber, more than 30 years ago. Since then, the company has expanded to over 350 locations in the U.S., and that family feel has remained a focal point of the brand.
“Sometimes, we get so consumed with building an amazing business, that we put ourselves on the backburner,” said Ashely Anderson, a multi-unit franchisee with locations in Mid-Michigan. “Balance is truly an art. Learn to balance, and learn to say no, because it’s ok to say no.”
Our franchisees not only devote their time to building successful businesses, but also understand the importance of giving themselves breaks from time to time, and this has transcended all the way down to their team members.
“You have to make time for rest, fun, habits, and daily inspiration so that you have the energy and an optimistic mindset to conquer each day, run your business, and keep your family first,” Anderson said. “Try taking yourself on a date once in a while – I try to go to the movie theatre once a month. This is where I truly ‘shut it down’ for two hours. The key is to be good to yourself, and in turn, it will make you better for your family and business.”
Along with setting aside personal scheduling to be more available for family, it’s important to our franchisees they hire team members who are trustworthy and that can take some of the pressure off of day-to-day tasks or even opening a new location.
“I would recommend not opening a franchise in an area without a managing partner who is familiar with the area,” said Janelle Dowley, a multi-unit franchisee with four TWO MEN AND A TRUCK locations in Florida. “You have to expect the first three years are going to require a lot of work, and having a general manager from within the TWO MEN AND A TRUCK system [helps].”
As one of the top rated moving companies in the country, we have built an impressive business model with more than 94 months of consecutive growth across our system. But what sets us apart from other moving companies and keeps us going strong is our commitment to our people, and helping them exceed both personally and professionally.
This starts with our core values, and translates to the people we hire – we want our franchisees to carry a family-oriented mindset into their franchises, and we work to provide all of the tools to make this possible.
“There are two categories where TWO MEN AND A TRUCK occupies the best of the best in franchise brands. The first is family business,” said Nick Powills, CEO of the public relations firm No Limit Agency. “Many businesses operate as rich businesses, meaning the lifestyles of the family is most important, followed by the success of the franchisees. Clearly, TWO MEN AND A TRUCK is different. While the founding family deeply cares about the success and is involved, they are also invested in the team members. This is absolutely a standout brand.”
We have multiple territories available across the country for new franchise locations, and are ready to provide you with all of the training and support necessary to get you started.
For more information on joining the TWO MEN AND A TRUCK family, click here.
TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® is the first and largest franchised moving company in the United States. Let us move your career forward. We are proud to be part of the VetFran network! If you are interested in learning more about franchising with TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® visit, franchise.twomenandatruck.com.
