Episode 13: Erik Hilger Shares His Secrets to Running a Successful Franchise

My guest on today’s podcast is Erik Hilger. Erik is the owner of The Glass Guru, a national franchise of professionals who specialize in glass repair and replacement glass of windows, doors, screens, mirror showers, and more.

What’s unique about Erik though, is the diligence not only he put on himself, but also the corporate franchisor. And the time he was able to spend in research and study of the franchise model, taking the greater part of one year, that enabled him to realize this franchisee opening was a fit, and both parties were committed well before he said yes to taking on the franchise opportunity.

In this episode, we talk in depth about:

• The importance of staying on top of marketing as the key for new business, even though The Glass Guru is a national brand with a strong marketing background
• The impact low interest rates have had in homeowners refinancing to renovate their homes, allowing Erik to have a record year even with the Covid-19 pandemic
• How the experience of wearing so many hats as owner has allowed Erik to see more clearly what it is he wants to do at work and delegate the rest
• And the impact technology has had on the operations side of the business, but at the end of the day, nothing beats a good old tape measure when it comes to the front stage of being in the glass repair business.

And be certain to listen to the end, where Erik shares how goal setting has allowed him to stay flexible enough not to lose sight of his long-term vision of the business while dealing with inevitable day-to-day hurdles.

I hope you enjoy this episode of The Retiring Entrepreneur Podcast with Erik Hilger of The Glass Guru.