“I received overwhelming support from PuroClean as well as thorough training. Thanks to their help, I surpassed my projection for the first year in four months.” – Sadiq Isu
Sadiq Isu is one of our newest franchise owners. He opened his PuroClean office in October 2019 and has had a strong start in the restoration business. As part of our efforts to highlight our franchise owners, we recently conducted an interview with Sadiq — here’s what he had to say.
1. What inspired you to become a franchise owner, and why did you choose PuroClean for your entrepreneurial journey?
Sadiq: PuroClean helped me during my time of need, and that experience inspired me to help others in the same way. In 2017 while my wife and I were on vacation, I received a call from the fire department about our newly purchased home. The neighbors had seen water coming out of the windows and called them to turn off the water, which was flooding our house while we were gone.
My wife and I cut our vacation short, called the insurance company and went home. The first thing I saw was a PuroClean van in front of the house. PuroClean kept me calm and cool-headed during a very stressful time for our family. It was an unforgettable experience, but having professionally trained restoration experts to fix the problem eased the burden and gave my family hope for the future.
When I decided to begin my own entrepreneurial journey, I researched for six months before ultimately choosing PuroClean. I wanted to provide restoration and remediation services to help others who felt the same helplessness that I had, and I wanted to make sure I was choosing the best opportunity for me as a potential business owner. After endless reading and interviewing, I knew the best option was to become a PuroClean franchise owner.
2. How has PuroClean supported you as you started and grew your business?
Sadiq: PuroClean has been the best option for several reasons, especially because of the unparalleled support it extended to its franchise owners. I already knew how to run a business, but PuroClean educated me on the important details that matter in the restoration business. The training program and support system went above and beyond to ensure I succeeded in my business.
On top of that, every PuroClean franchise owner I talked to was willing to talk to me and help me come to a decision. The community and servant leadership I experienced, as both a customer and potential franchise owner, really sealed the deal for me.
3. What was your background/skill set in prior to becoming a franchise owner with PuroClean?
Sadiq: Before I became a PuroClean franchise owner, I worked in the corporate marketing world. I began my career as Marketing Manager of Nokia in West Africa before coming to the United States to do marketing for Cardenal Health, the largest distributor of pharmaceutical and medical products in the US. I then worked as the Marketing Coordinating Manager for Kroger.
4. What was the scariest part of becoming a franchise owner on Day 1?
Sadiq: I was already in a well-paying corporate job that I enjoyed, and I was leaving that behind to start a new career. I had done six months of research, but I didn’t know what to expect from my new journey as a PuroClean franchise owner. Luckily, PuroClean had all the right systems in place for me to build a successful franchise location. I received overwhelming support from PuroClean as well as thorough training. Thanks to their help, I surpassed my projection for the first year in four months.
5. What was performing your first job like?
Sadiq: I enjoyed my first job, because of the hands-on training PuroClean provided. I knew exactly what to expect and, thanks to PuroClean, knew the best methods to solve the problems in front of me.
6. Have you reached out to other franchise owners for help? If so, what did you ask them for help with?
Sadiq: The community of PuroClean franchise owners is unique for the genuine support they extend to each other. Many PuroClean franchise owners have become friends of mine because we’re always willing to help, encourage and support each other.
7. What marketing resources and tools do you find most helpful in growing your business and network?
Sadiq: I’ve found the digital marketing tools and resources to be most helpful for me. It drives the most business in my experiences, more than any other kind of marketing.
8. After working in your business, do you feel that people should view this industry as a “dirty job” or do you feel like the job is less about the disaster, and more about helping people? Explain:
Sadiq: As a PuroClean franchise owner, my job isn’t just to repair homes; it’s to restore hope to the homeowners. When people call me, they’re in a stressful and unexpected situation. My job is to go in, restore their smile, restore their house and restore their hope in humanity. It’s the best part of my job to work with people and make an impact on their lives, just by taking care of their home with a true servant’s heart.
9. What additional people/positions have you hired on your team to help you build/grow your business?
Sadiq: I started with two employees at my business. Thanks to the growth of the business in its first year, I was able to hire more people. We have a team of 8 people all in the first year.
10. What is your 2 year goal in business?
Sadiq: Right now, my goal is to make sure we’re prepared for growth. I surpassed the goals for my first year in business more quickly than I expected, so I went back and revised my projections. I hope to reach the projections I had in mind for my third year of business.
11. What would you tell other people looking to get into business for themselves? And in business with PuroClean?
Sadiq: The most important thing is to do your research. It might take more time, but it truly pays off once you start your entrepreneurial journey.
At the same time, don’t let the importance of research hold you back from making a decision. Once you know what you want to do and once you realize your dreams, you should follow it without waiting.
Lastly, I would advice people looking to get into business for themselves to choose a business that is recession-proof. That is a large part of why I chose to become a franchise owner with PuroClean, because restoration and remediation is a recession-proof business.
12. Anything else to elaborate on or a story about helping a homeowner or community?
Sadiq: One day, a man named Michael Smith called me on a Sunday at 7 p.m. No one else was willing to drive to him and help him with the water damage at his house. He lived there with his three daughters and his elderly mother, whose immune system was already compromised. It would take me more than 2 hours to get there, but I got in the car and drove to Michael’s house with my life. I got there at 9:30 p.m. and worked there until midnight, making sure that his house was safe for his family and no one’s health would be at risk.
Since then, Michael has become a friend of mine. That day created a personal bond between us, because I was the only one who was willing to go and help him. To this day, he calls me regularly to go out for lunch or catch up with one another. To me, that’s what being a PuroClean franchise owner is: bringing hope to people in their times of need.
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If you are looking for more information about this opportunity, read more about Why PuroClean.