Franchise Founder Says New Firm Pink Zebra Makes Shifting Enjoyable | Franchise Information

After 19 years working Two Maids and a Mop, Ron Holt is constructing a brand new enterprise: Pink Zebra. A shifting firm with a twist, Holt mentioned he desires to disrupt the shifting firm business to be able to create a greater setting for purchasers and movers alike. 

It was a serendipitous encounter with unhealthy movers that gave Holt the concept. His mother-in-law had a horrible expertise, paying rather more than she initially deliberate. Holt acquired to Googling to see if there have been higher choices and shortly realized many shoppers had the identical expertise as his mother-in-law.

“One market after the opposite, it was a fairly widespread takeaway that there have been lots of comparable experiences for shoppers all around the nation, and that was stunning to me,” he mentioned. “Right here was an business that was ripe for disruption and it made me so excited that I began pondering again to my outdated startup days.”

Wheels in movement, Holt set to work. Drawing on his expertise from Two Maids and a Mop, which he stared in 2003 and offered in 2021 to House Franchise Ideas, Holt introduced within the methods that labored. Certainly one of these was a enjoyable setting. 

“We needed to placed on a present earlier than, throughout and after the transfer,” he mentioned. “We noticed the chance to make shifting enjoyable.”

A part of that is connecting with purchasers. Shifting is a hectic course of, and Pink Zebra staff are inspired to speak to purchasers. In actual fact, the aim is to get to know purchasers effectively to be able to give them a few shock items, together with a meal the day earlier than the transfer.

“We would like an actual relationship with folks,” mentioned Holt. “We alleviate lots of unknown pressures.”

Movers may even “create theater,” together with doing push-ups, enjoying music and dancing, and extra. The music is picked out on a company stage to be blissful and “lighten the temper.” The final shock is a field of goodies, hidden within the new house and starting from chocolate and sweet to customized finds for the purchasers, comparable to staff memorabilia. 

“A quick-food idea has to serve 1000’s of individuals a day, so it’s very troublesome to know the whole lot about your clients,” Holt mentioned. “In our world, a handful of shoppers is kicking tail, so we attempt to spend time studying about these people.”

There’s additionally an worker incentive introduced straight from Two Maids and a Mop often called the Pay Enhancement Program. Pink Zebra clients are inspired to charge the work of the movers on a scale of 1 to 5. Relying on the critiques, staff expertise boosts of their pay test.

Granted, not everyone seems to be a pleasant buyer, and staff have unhealthy days. As a way to account for this, the bonus isn’t given per evaluation. As a substitute, it’s averaged out over a time period. This manner, the worker can take a foul evaluation or two a yr and never drop have their compensation endure due to it.

“You’re not going to be completely punished in a means that you simply make minimal wage,” mentioned Holt.

Whereas Pink Zebra is a brand new model, Holt mentioned his expertise working with distributors, purchasers and franchisees means a smoother start-up course of throughout. “We’re an rising model as a result of that’s how we’re outlined, however we actually aren’t as a result of there are twenty years of franchise expertise right here,” Holt mentioned. 

Pink Zebra operates in six markets within the South and Southeast, with a variety spanning from Oklahoma to the Carolinas. The preliminary funding vary for a variety is between $130,706 and $190,597.

Lastly, the necessary and burning query: Why the identify Pink Zebra?

“We needed to be the other of what folks consider because the shifting business, and that was pink,” mentioned Holt. “After that we needed a enjoyable animal.”