After working with small business owners for 25 years, Amy Van Wanseele knew how hard it is to start a business from scratch. She'd seen it happen over and over again: entrepreneurs who got pulled away from building their empire because they had to deal with the administrative and backend side of things. With franchising, she never has to worry about things like her website going down - meaning she can focus on what's important: building an incredible culture.
Q: What made you want to own a business?
Amy: Well, I had been working in Corporate America for about 25 years, mostly working with small businesses. I've always wanted to run a business and have the ability to have more control of my future; to be able to build a culture and a team. I want to be someone who can provide a livelihood for others as well as myself.
Q: Why now - what was it that made you take the leap?
Amy: Here's what really drove me to make the leap: I had taken a role where I was travelling quite a bit; once COVID-19 hit I wasn't travelling and it was really nice to be home with my family. As the restrictions began to lift, I found myself travelling again and realized I didn't want to do that anymore. So I started working with a career coach, and he pointed me in the direction of WOW 1 DAY PAINTING. I worked with Adam Winnett [Franchise Development Manager for WOW 1 DAY PAINTING] for about 6 months before I actually did it. The home improvement industry is doing really well right now, and I'm at a point in my life where I'm still still having the energy and the hunger to start a business.
Q: In your opinion, what are the benefits of joining a franchise system?
Amy: I talked to several different franchises throughout very different industries. It was easy to go the franchising route because a lot of the building blocks are in place for me to be successful. I don't have to worry about the website going down and or any of the administrative work - I can focus on building a great culture. Another reason I went straight to franchising is that I'd worked with lots of small businesses in my previous career and I saw how they often had so many everyday things pulling them away from building their own business. With franchising, you don't have to worry about all that stuff - it's taken care of for you.
Q: Why WOW 1 DAY PAINTING, what made this the right fit?
Amy: What really attracted me about WOW 1 DAY PAINTING was the culture. I really didn't find that kind of culture with other franchises. Plus, they have all these systems and the training in place to help you succeed. WOW 1 DAY PAINTING has a team that deals with all the backend stuff, so it's great to have someone take care of that. My strengths are in sales and the production side, so now I'm able to focus on that.
Q: What are you most looking forward to about being a business owner?
Amy: What I know about myself is that I really like building a team and a culture, it's one of my favourite things to do. Being an entrepreneur means there's more flexibility when it comes to creating my own schedule; right now there's quite a bit of work, but there will come a time when everyone knows what needs to be done and has a role. I look forward to that very much.
Q: What are your passions / interests / hobbies - what makes you happiest and motivates you?
Amy: My husband and I love to go camping, boating, fishing - we love the outdoors and travelling! I have a 20-year-old daughter so we like to travel and see different parts of the world. I also like to read and work quite a bit with charity: I sit on two boards for two separate charities, and I volunteer as often as possible (especially with charities that are helping kids).
Q: Tell us about your territory, what makes it unique?
Amy: My territory is the Denver area, on the west side of the city. I grew up in this area so I know the area well. It's a pretty unique area: there's a suburban feel to it, but there are parts that are also close to the mountains. Part of my territory is up in the mountains - it can get a little hard sometimes to get up there in the van in the winter, so fingers crossed!
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