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Franchising Opportunity, Own a Garage Door Depot® Business

Garage Door Depot Franchise Opportunity
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The Garage Door Depot® has a strong competitive edge in that the management team has over 75 years combined experience in the garage door industry and the franchise industry. Our franchisees will learn from the best and be the most up-to-date and best trained in the industry. We are here to help you along the path to business success.

Canadian Franchise AssociationThe mission of The Garage Door Depot® is to put in place an international Garage Door Franchise network made up of individuals who want to make the garage door industry a rewarding and meaningful career. This network will be the first of its kind in the industry. Our corporate goal and vision is to have a Garage Door Depot® partner in hundreds of locations throughout North America.

The franchise network will be comprised of both conversion and start-up franchisees. There is a huge opportunity for both in all markets as we grow across Canada and into other markets.

In the spring /summer of 2010 we will start a very aggressive and comprehensive marketing campaign as well as a public relations campaign in order to bring on, over the next four to five years, approximately 40 franchises in locations across Canada. At the same time our goal is to enter the US market in 2012 and into other countries shortly after.

As we penetrate various regions and markets, The Garage Door Depot® will enter into various forms of joint promotion with affiliated construction companies and form working alliances with them. Our goal like theirs will be to drive business to the front door.

"The garage door is the new front door!"

Enquire about Franchising today by filling out the form on the right or email us at

What You Can Expect as a Franchisee

We are adopting a rapid but controlled growth strategy to ensure the quality and consistency of our program and provide a strong support base for our franchisees.

As a franchisee, you will receive:

  • The use of the Garage Door Depot® name, trademarks and reputation
  • A comprehensive initial training program
  • A complete set of manuals, which includes pre-opening manual, policy and procedures/operations manual, checklists, agreements, and forms
  • A listing of your franchise territory on our corporate website
  • Ongoing support
  • Garage Door Depot® will provide the vehicle wrap and decals

What We Look For in a Franchisee

We strongly believe that the success of our franchisees is based on our franchisee-selection process and your desire to succeed. We consider that one of the most important attributes is your commitment to listen and learn and make constant improvements in the way you operate your franchised business. In choosing franchisees, preference will be given to applicants who:

  • Appreciate the benefits of working on a team and within a proven system of operation
  • Are disciplined self-starters with a high level of personal integrity and have the desire to build and maintain long-term client relationships
  • Demonstrate good interpersonal and communication skills
  • Are familiar with and involved in the community where the business is located
  • Will actively work in and manage the business
  • Have the funds to invest in the business, as well as the financial ability to survive the start-up phase while drawing only a nominal salary
  • Have the ability to get started within 120 days

The Mutual Investigation Process

We have developed a “Mutual Investigation Process” which allows both parties to exchange information in a sequential manner and proceed at their own pace. During this process you will be asked to provide adequate information for us to evaluate your potential as a Garage Door Depot® franchisee. At the same time, you will be receiving sufficient information from us about the franchise opportunity that will allow you to decide if you wish to move forward at each stage of the application process.

Steps

Step 1. The Initial Enquiry

The first step is to thoroughly read the information above. If you are still interested in pursuing a Garage Door Depot® franchise, you should complete and submit the Initial On-line Enquiry Form located at the end of this section.

You will receive an introductory email with more information, and a phone call to:

  • Explain the total level of investment and minimum cash requirement
  • Determine your preferred territory
  • Discuss your time frame to opening

Step 2. Franchise Application

After we have a conversation to determine that you meet our criteria, you will be invited to complete our Confidential Personal History Report and forward it to our Corporate Office for our review.

Step 3. Discovery Day

If you are qualified, you will move forward in our evaluation process and be invited to a Discovery Day at our corporate office in Coquitlam, B.C. This will give you the opportunity to meet with our senior management team, give you a better sense of whether our franchise opportunity is a good fit for you, and have all your remaining questions answered.

NOTE:

This Mutual Investigation Process has been designed to assist the franchise applicant in determining if a Garage Door Depot® franchise meets their requirements. The profile contains all of the necessary introductory information to help you in assessing a Garage Door Depot® franchise; however, it does not contain any detailed financial information. Once an application has been submitted, and an applicant has passed the initial qualifying process, more detailed information will be released.

We reserve the right in our sole discretion to change and amend the sequence of events without notice.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How long does it take to get started?
From the time of initial contact to the start of actual daily franchise operations can be as little as 90 days.
2. What is the average garage door sale?
This will depend on the market however a typical complete garage door installation package with a motor would be approximately $2100. The range however in garage door prices is wide since there are so many options. Some doors can be considerably more and some slightly less.
3. What tools do I need and or equipment other than trucks?
As a new franchisee you will need to have your own basic hand and power tools. There are some garage door specific tools and these will be provided to you as part of your start-up kit. In terms of your truck, you will need an overhead rack to carry doors and materials and side bins for your parts and tools. The specific needs and approximate costs will be provided in the franchise start up kit we provide you.
4. How many doors can one expect to do in a day?
From a sales perspective, you typically attend 4-6 sales consultations per day and from an installation perspective, a trained franchise installer can expect to be able to install 2-4 garage door and opener packages in one good work day. Of course this will depend on other factors such as size and complexity of the door and the location of install.
5. How much of my business will be install (garage doors) and how much service?
30% service, 30 % garage door openers and 40% garage door installs in the first year of business.
6. Where do I get most of my leads from?
Most franchisees will get there leads initially from local contacts and networking. That said, your best source of business leads will come from local Yellow Page directories, direct marketing, your truck, the Garage Door Depot website, national lead generation programs and your own development of local business and small builder accounts.
7. At what time do I need another installer and or truck?
Depending on your rate of growth, most franchisees will want to start training a 2nd installer in month 5 or 6 with the expectation they will be installing on their own in month 8.
8. Are there other services we can do for a customer?
The core business is sales, service and installation of garage doors however as your business grows you will have the opportunity to add a number of new products and services to augment your sales without changing your primary business and source of revenue.
9. How do service contracts work for me as a franchisee?
Your customers are yours for life and all garage doors and operators need regular service. By affixing your service sticker to all your work you are assuring yourself that in the future you will get the call for service. Some commercial customers may want more regular service for their doors and as such you can offer a well defined Preventative Maintenance Program to them. This is great for ongoing regular service revenue and is good customer service.
10. How long is the training and what is the cost?
The initial training program is 6 days and is a combination of in-class and practical training in the field. There is a follow-up training program that franchisees can attend after 30 days to further expand their technical abilities. Other training will be made available every quarter and will cover a variety of topics. The Garage Door Depot will provide the training at their expense however travel is at the expense of the franchisee. Where possible some corporate assistance may be provided for lodging, etc...