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