I'm really excited to announce a partnership with a long-time Rivals subscriber who has partnered with multiple sites across the network. Andy Luedecke (@Andy MyPerfectFranchise.Net) signed up with Orangebloods—our Texas site in the Rivals network—way back in 2001 and has branched out to other sites for advertising in recent years. Not to mention, Andy spent many summers in the state of Michigan during his younger years so he is familiar with the area.
His business - MyPerfectFranchise.Net - is the new official sponsor of a weekly Q&A/AMA session that we will be doing every Friday from now on. You can ask me, or members of the staff questions about Michigan, funny questions and everything else in between. It will run from noon until whenever the questions die down. Remember, it's going to be a weekly feature so don't worry about missing out!
What we wanted to do today was simply welcome Andy to TMBR as an official partner and allow him to introduce himself and what he can do for you a little better. Here's a Q&A that Andy did with us that we hope does exactly that. In the meantime, please help me welcome Andy and MyPerfectFranchise.Net as an official partner of the site. We are always looking for sponsors/advertisers to help grow the site.
TMBR: Could you give us a little background on yourself?
Andy: I was born in Dallas and grew up in Atlanta and am raising our family in Fairhope, Ala. – which is an amazing town for those that have never heard of it or think that everything Alabama is backwoods-redneck. I grew up a Longhorn fan as all the Luedeckes are from Texas. I have been a Rivals subscriber (Orangebloods.com) since 2001. I am married and have 3 children and am raising them as Horns in a land swarming with Alabama and Auburn fans!
I was working in the corporate world until 2012, when I decided to take charge of my life and exit the corporate rat race. The first franchise I bought (and still own) is a non-medical home care franchise called Synergy HomeCare. It has been an amazing run and allowed me the financial opportunity to diversify into other businesses. Today I own Synergy, Big Red (dumpster company), and a franchise consulting company, My Perfect Franchise, where I help others find franchises that match their DNA, so to speak.
JOL: What inspired you to own your own franchise?
Andy: I was following the corporate career path, living in Atlanta and working for a company based out of Belgium. As our business grew, I started to have global responsibilities, which was fun while single and the first year of marriage. First-class flights everywhere, free drinks, places to stay…was lots of fun until our first child came. Then I started realizing that I was never around for all the important stuff. The first word, step, or when my wife just needed some sleep….I was never home to be a Dad or a husband. Something had to change.
So, that is when I started my search. I didn’t know what I was searching for but I saw something online about franchising, filled out a form and then got linked up with a franchise consultant that helped match me up with a business based on my skill sets and the business characteristics that I was interested in. The process that I followed to find my first business worked so well and was valuable and informative that I decided to help others with the process as well.
JOL: Are there franchise options for me if I have a full-time job and limited time to devote to a hands-on startup in my community?
Andy: Yes, there are 2 types of ownership models: owner-operator and semi-absentee. In an owner-operator system, the franchisors require the owner/franchisee to work full time in the business until it matures. My homecare agency is owner-operator but I now run it semi-absentee, working 5-10 hours a week on the business. In semi-absentee franchises, the franchisors don’t want the owner working in the business but working ON it, scaling the business through multi-unit growth. They want owners to work 10-20 hours a week while letting their manager run the day 2-day operations. Good examples of this are Orange Theory, Supercuts, Massage Envy. You typically don’t see the owners ever in those types of franchises as they are all manager-run.
TMBR: Over the course of a phone call, could you suggest franchising opportunities to me, based on my background, expertise and experience?
Andy: Not one call, as I need to learn a good bit about each candidate I work with and then spend time matching up with franchises behind the scenes. The process works like this:
1) Introductory call - to get to know each other, discuss the overall process.
2) Consultation - about an hour call where I learn about you and your skills, background, etc.…
3) Matching call where I introduce you to franchisors that meet your criteria.
4) Introductory calls with each franchisor ….then the true evaluation process starts with each brand matched with.
And that is when the fun really starts. The franchise evaluation process is not an ‘ask-Google’ session. It is very comprehensive, with multiple calls and webinars with the franchisor learning about Marketing, Operations, Unit Economics, Calls with other franchisees for their feedback.
TMBR: Does looking into owning your own franchise make sense for someone who is in the latter stages of their traditional career and somewhat displaced due to the pandemic?
Andy: Franchise and business ownership is not for everyone. There is a significant risk involved. But where there is a risk, there is also a significant reward. I have unlimited PTO now. I make more money than I ever imagined making in the corporate world. My schedule is mine and I have total flexibility. I eat lunch with my kids, take them to school, coach their teams….all because of the quality of life franchise ownership has given me.
TMBR: Is financing available? What does that look like?
Andy: Yes. Lots of different options there from SBA, 401k rollovers. Right now the SBA is offering a unique stimulus package as well. They are paying the first 6mos of any new or existing loan. In fact, I just bought a dumpster business and was able to condense the loan term from 10yrs to 4yrs and get a huge chunk of principal and interest paid off due to this stimulus package. And I am doing it again to buy another round of dumpsters and porta-potties, so I will get 2 rounds of 6mos of free payments. Very cool deal!
TMBR: What is the typical cost for your services?
Andy: My services are always 100% free! Working with me is a no-brainer for someone that wants to learn about franchise options and business ownership in general. I get paid a commission from the franchisors and in return, they get very qualified, high-level, engaged candidates as I work with my candidates to educate them on franchise ownership and prepare them for each step of the process.
TMBR: As an avid college football fan that was on the outside looking in for the whole Jim Harbaugh to the NFL saga, do you feel he made the right choice returning to Michigan?
Andy: You know, I don’t know what to think about that situation. Harbaugh is an interesting guy and while he does all these interesting/quirky things on the recruiting trial, I just feel his personality is better suited for the pros. But, I think he did Michigan wrong by going on those interviews. What he did this year was just short of a miracle as I have only seen staff rebuilds work at one school, Bama, and that’s b/c they aren’t in team rebuild – coming off losing seasons. Everywhere else, it seems that is the last ditch effort and never works. Texas is a prime example of that. Strong and Herman both rebuilt as a last ditch effort and they were gone the next year.
In the end, I think Harbaugh at Michigan is good for college football and he is an awesome coach, coaching his Alma Mater….so I am glad he is back and hope he stays for a long time with great success.
TMBR: How do you feel NIL will change the landscape of college football?
Andy: I honestly think it will level-set sooner than later. There will have to be some more parameters set around NIL and The Portal. And I also kind of hope that businesses that decided to go big on spending, don’t get their ROI and just don’t offer as much. If NIL and Portal keep up like they are, I think fans will become less fanatical and spend less time consumed by college football. If this is a business and the fans are the ultimate consumer, hopefully, that will also drive some more regulation/tweaks to this craziness.
TMBR: Lastly, you’ve grown up in the state of Michigan spending quality time with your family during the summer months. How did those experiences shape you as the man you are today?
Andy: You know, I’ve never thought of it like that, but I do love me some Michigan summers. For the readers out there, my Mother and her family are all born and raised in Michigan. They lived in Birmingham, MI, and had a place we called ‘the cabin’ but it was WAY more than that. It was/is 150 acres in Columbiaville, MI…near Lapeer. There is a 16-acre natural lake with sunken boats, lily pads and big bass! We’ve found an old Indian canoe in there and the place is just amazing. Anyway, I got to spend a few weeks there every summer, at a minimum, and it is my favorite place on Earth and my best childhood memories. Dipper Lake, Columbiaville, MI….that’s heaven on Earth.
Welcome, Andy! I am looking forward to our new feature starting THIS Friday!
His business - MyPerfectFranchise.Net - is the new official sponsor of a weekly Q&A/AMA session that we will be doing every Friday from now on. You can ask me, or members of the staff questions about Michigan, funny questions and everything else in between. It will run from noon until whenever the questions die down. Remember, it's going to be a weekly feature so don't worry about missing out!
What we wanted to do today was simply welcome Andy to TMBR as an official partner and allow him to introduce himself and what he can do for you a little better. Here's a Q&A that Andy did with us that we hope does exactly that. In the meantime, please help me welcome Andy and MyPerfectFranchise.Net as an official partner of the site. We are always looking for sponsors/advertisers to help grow the site.
TMBR: Could you give us a little background on yourself?
Andy: I was born in Dallas and grew up in Atlanta and am raising our family in Fairhope, Ala. – which is an amazing town for those that have never heard of it or think that everything Alabama is backwoods-redneck. I grew up a Longhorn fan as all the Luedeckes are from Texas. I have been a Rivals subscriber (Orangebloods.com) since 2001. I am married and have 3 children and am raising them as Horns in a land swarming with Alabama and Auburn fans!
I was working in the corporate world until 2012, when I decided to take charge of my life and exit the corporate rat race. The first franchise I bought (and still own) is a non-medical home care franchise called Synergy HomeCare. It has been an amazing run and allowed me the financial opportunity to diversify into other businesses. Today I own Synergy, Big Red (dumpster company), and a franchise consulting company, My Perfect Franchise, where I help others find franchises that match their DNA, so to speak.
JOL: What inspired you to own your own franchise?
Andy: I was following the corporate career path, living in Atlanta and working for a company based out of Belgium. As our business grew, I started to have global responsibilities, which was fun while single and the first year of marriage. First-class flights everywhere, free drinks, places to stay…was lots of fun until our first child came. Then I started realizing that I was never around for all the important stuff. The first word, step, or when my wife just needed some sleep….I was never home to be a Dad or a husband. Something had to change.
So, that is when I started my search. I didn’t know what I was searching for but I saw something online about franchising, filled out a form and then got linked up with a franchise consultant that helped match me up with a business based on my skill sets and the business characteristics that I was interested in. The process that I followed to find my first business worked so well and was valuable and informative that I decided to help others with the process as well.
JOL: Are there franchise options for me if I have a full-time job and limited time to devote to a hands-on startup in my community?
Andy: Yes, there are 2 types of ownership models: owner-operator and semi-absentee. In an owner-operator system, the franchisors require the owner/franchisee to work full time in the business until it matures. My homecare agency is owner-operator but I now run it semi-absentee, working 5-10 hours a week on the business. In semi-absentee franchises, the franchisors don’t want the owner working in the business but working ON it, scaling the business through multi-unit growth. They want owners to work 10-20 hours a week while letting their manager run the day 2-day operations. Good examples of this are Orange Theory, Supercuts, Massage Envy. You typically don’t see the owners ever in those types of franchises as they are all manager-run.
TMBR: Over the course of a phone call, could you suggest franchising opportunities to me, based on my background, expertise and experience?
Andy: Not one call, as I need to learn a good bit about each candidate I work with and then spend time matching up with franchises behind the scenes. The process works like this:
1) Introductory call - to get to know each other, discuss the overall process.
2) Consultation - about an hour call where I learn about you and your skills, background, etc.…
3) Matching call where I introduce you to franchisors that meet your criteria.
4) Introductory calls with each franchisor ….then the true evaluation process starts with each brand matched with.
And that is when the fun really starts. The franchise evaluation process is not an ‘ask-Google’ session. It is very comprehensive, with multiple calls and webinars with the franchisor learning about Marketing, Operations, Unit Economics, Calls with other franchisees for their feedback.
TMBR: Does looking into owning your own franchise make sense for someone who is in the latter stages of their traditional career and somewhat displaced due to the pandemic?
Andy: Franchise and business ownership is not for everyone. There is a significant risk involved. But where there is a risk, there is also a significant reward. I have unlimited PTO now. I make more money than I ever imagined making in the corporate world. My schedule is mine and I have total flexibility. I eat lunch with my kids, take them to school, coach their teams….all because of the quality of life franchise ownership has given me.
TMBR: Is financing available? What does that look like?
Andy: Yes. Lots of different options there from SBA, 401k rollovers. Right now the SBA is offering a unique stimulus package as well. They are paying the first 6mos of any new or existing loan. In fact, I just bought a dumpster business and was able to condense the loan term from 10yrs to 4yrs and get a huge chunk of principal and interest paid off due to this stimulus package. And I am doing it again to buy another round of dumpsters and porta-potties, so I will get 2 rounds of 6mos of free payments. Very cool deal!
TMBR: What is the typical cost for your services?
Andy: My services are always 100% free! Working with me is a no-brainer for someone that wants to learn about franchise options and business ownership in general. I get paid a commission from the franchisors and in return, they get very qualified, high-level, engaged candidates as I work with my candidates to educate them on franchise ownership and prepare them for each step of the process.
TMBR: As an avid college football fan that was on the outside looking in for the whole Jim Harbaugh to the NFL saga, do you feel he made the right choice returning to Michigan?
Andy: You know, I don’t know what to think about that situation. Harbaugh is an interesting guy and while he does all these interesting/quirky things on the recruiting trial, I just feel his personality is better suited for the pros. But, I think he did Michigan wrong by going on those interviews. What he did this year was just short of a miracle as I have only seen staff rebuilds work at one school, Bama, and that’s b/c they aren’t in team rebuild – coming off losing seasons. Everywhere else, it seems that is the last ditch effort and never works. Texas is a prime example of that. Strong and Herman both rebuilt as a last ditch effort and they were gone the next year.
In the end, I think Harbaugh at Michigan is good for college football and he is an awesome coach, coaching his Alma Mater….so I am glad he is back and hope he stays for a long time with great success.
TMBR: How do you feel NIL will change the landscape of college football?
Andy: I honestly think it will level-set sooner than later. There will have to be some more parameters set around NIL and The Portal. And I also kind of hope that businesses that decided to go big on spending, don’t get their ROI and just don’t offer as much. If NIL and Portal keep up like they are, I think fans will become less fanatical and spend less time consumed by college football. If this is a business and the fans are the ultimate consumer, hopefully, that will also drive some more regulation/tweaks to this craziness.
TMBR: Lastly, you’ve grown up in the state of Michigan spending quality time with your family during the summer months. How did those experiences shape you as the man you are today?
Andy: You know, I’ve never thought of it like that, but I do love me some Michigan summers. For the readers out there, my Mother and her family are all born and raised in Michigan. They lived in Birmingham, MI, and had a place we called ‘the cabin’ but it was WAY more than that. It was/is 150 acres in Columbiaville, MI…near Lapeer. There is a 16-acre natural lake with sunken boats, lily pads and big bass! We’ve found an old Indian canoe in there and the place is just amazing. Anyway, I got to spend a few weeks there every summer, at a minimum, and it is my favorite place on Earth and my best childhood memories. Dipper Lake, Columbiaville, MI….that’s heaven on Earth.
Welcome, Andy! I am looking forward to our new feature starting THIS Friday!
