Top Franchisee in a Tough Market vs. Weak Owner in a Goldmine: Who Wins?

What happens when a rockstar franchisee enters a struggling market—and when a weak operator steps into a booming territory? In this episode, Erik Van Horn sits down with Kevin Sill, a second-generation franchisee who helped scale a family-owned Budget Blinds operation to 17 territories and over $20M in annual revenue. But that’s not all—Kevin also made the leap into owning a mom-and-pop flooring business, and he’s sharing the raw, unfiltered lessons from both worlds.

 

Whether you're a franchisee, an aspiring business owner, or curious about building generational wealth through franchising, this conversation is packed with insights on:

 

-Scaling in diverse markets (rural vs. metro)

-Building a franchise empire with your family

-Diversifying beyond franchising

-Why customer service is still king

-How great operators outperform weak ones—regardless of market

 

🔥 Episode Highlights:

 

-Real talk on underperforming franchisees

-Franchise vs. non-franchise ownership pros & cons

-Leveraging Facebook groups and peer networks

-What Kevin wishes he’d known earlier

-Why being coachable and curious beats being a know-it-all

 

📌 Resources Mentioned:

 

franchisesecretsgroup.com 

ScalableFranchise.com – Get help growing or buying a franchise

 

Timestamps:

 

00:00 – What happens when you put a top franchisee in a weak market?

01:47 – Should you start a business or buy a franchise? Kevin’s journey

04:49 – From accounting to franchisee: Kevin’s background

09:16 – How Kevin scaled to 17 territories and $20M in revenue

11:39 – Comparing markets: rural Iowa vs. inner-city Twin Cities

14:46 – Which territories would Kevin not buy again—and why

18:38 – The power of repeat and referral business

24:55 – Why Kevin bought a non-franchise flooring company

31:05 – What Kevin appreciates more about franchising after owning independently

39:23 – Why curiosity and humility are franchise superpowers

 

Connect with Erik Van Horn:

🌐 Website - https://franchisesecrets.com/   

📷 Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/erikvanhorn/  

👍 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/erik.v.horn/  

💼 LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/evanhorn/ 

 

Best Franchise Starter Playlist:

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEEithd54kMlgRgsBAo4LWNCMSOthnK0r&si=TD1z25-ie2d23rGm

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEEithd54kMle5_OUXiuLbc_UPBtz1vTE&si=uCOgDya1VnnCarDf

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEEithd54kMk2Kw07KwZGWgF8UTx9N5_T&si=ZldjBOqFanGE-JUL

 

#Franchising #Business #Franchise