Franchise News

When it comes to success, Chris Shefts is proof that hard work and determination pay off! Shefts has worked in the Chicago area for the Waitekus franchise location for 21 years now, and he continues to exceed and succeed! He’s been the number one technician for Creative Colors International (CCI) in the U.S. and in Canada, motivated by love of his family and the philosophy of his father.

What brought you to CCI?

My buddy. His parents owned the very first franchise. I was impressed with the money a 19-year-old kid was making, and I saw an opportunity to make that kind of money as well.

Twenty-one years is a long time to stay with a company.   What keeps you with CCI?

It’s a tough job, but I found my niche in the system. I specialize in the auto industry. When they realized they could sell cars online they realized they could sell cars anywhere! The auto industry is a continuously growing entity. They face a lot of competition. The more they can sell and get off the lots, the more we can make.

Why do you think you’re so successful at it?

I think our (CCI) reputation helps us in a competition. I think that CCI is the best at what they do, by far. Other companies might lowball, but these dealerships know that it’s worth spending the extra cash to fix their cars right.

What motivates you day-in and day-out?

To me, money is a tool, and I am motivated by the tool that is money. I love my family and use that tool to provide for them. And I guess I am a person who competes against himself. I am not looking around at anyone else. I just try to top myself. And like my dad said, “If you’re gonna go to work, you might as well make it worth it.”

Do you ever consider owning your own CCI franchise?

If it’s up to me, I’d own the entire thing!

If you’re interested in working in a lucrative career as a Creative Colors International technician, we can get you started! Visit us at https://www.wecanfixthat.com/about-us/employment-opportunities/.

Business ownership runs deep in Tim Bush’s family. Growing up in Upstate New York in the village of Lowville, Tim first went to work in the family’s retail oil business. He would travel the roads winding through the Black River Valley, repairing furnaces and delivering propane, diesel and coal to help keep families warm during the long Lewis County winter. But, by the time his family sold the business, Tim realized the idea of working for someone else was leaving him cold.

“My parents sold the business in 1998 — 100 years after it was started by my great-grandfather. I stayed in the business, going through many ownership changes over the years,” Bush says. He ended his career as a Commercial Energy Salesman, traveling through northern New York over to western Vermont.

“As the stress of working for a large company began to get to me, I watched my uncle go through the process of buying and running a franchise. I liked the fact that he had time to do what he wanted to do — and had a much less stressful life. He was successful. It was what made me decide to look into franchising.” Since then, Bush hasn’t looked back. He used his desire for self-employment to help him overcome his fears.

Tim was introduced to Creative Colors International by a savvy franchise consultant, who saw the opportunity for a good fit. “The process of becoming a franchisee with Creative Colors International was very easy. They were very friendly and helpful, and always ready to listen and guide me through the process.”

Tim had no prior experience in the repair and restoration industry, but that didn’t matter. CCI has partnered with franchisees from nearly every background and skill set.

The three-week training program is designed to teach new franchisees everything from sales and marketing techniques and financial controls to upholstery coloring, restoration and repair methods.

“I completed my training with CCI at the end of January 2016 and had my grand opening the first week of February 2016,” Bush says. “Living in rural northern New York means fewer people. We have had to think outside the traditional business model of CCI.  I was, and continue to be, surprised at the amount of help and encouragement we have received from the entire CCI family.”

Tim’s life is a little different now that he is self-employed. Always family and community oriented, Tim now has time to enjoy those things without the stress he once felt. From serving as a member of the volunteer fire department to helping his community through various non-profits, Tim still has the time to enjoy being with his wife and three daughters and enjoy the great outdoors of northern New York. His partnership with Creative Colors International helps make it all possible.

“I have met so many great people through CCI. Everyone involved in the company, from the president to the techs in the field, is there to help with anything they can. They are not only there, but willing and happy to help any way they can. It is so refreshing to have that as a tool. I am very happy that I made the decision to join the CCI family.”

If you’re interested in joining the Creative Colors International family, visit our website to learn more information. It’s easier than you think.

Industry-Leading On-Site Repair and Restoration Franchise a Good Fit for Veterans and Business Innovators

 (MOKENA, Ill. – November 2nd, 2018) — Creative Colors International, the nation’s leading on-site repair and restoration franchise, was recently named one of the Top Franchises for Veterans and one of the Top Innovative Franchises by Franchise Business Review. The company is one of only 80 franchisors to make the veterans list and one of only 100 franchisors to make the innovative franchises list.

Creative Colors International (CCI) is a unique mobile repair and restoration franchise business specializing in the repair, reconditioning, protection and color restoration of leather, vinyl, fabric, plastic and carpeting in the automotive, furniture, commercial and residential markets.

Franchise Business Review is a franchise market research firm that performs independent surveys of franchisee satisfaction. They provide the only rankings of franchises based solely on actual franchisee satisfaction and performance. Franchise Business Review publishes the rankings of top franchises in their annual Guide to Today’s Top Franchises. Quarterly reports throughout the year rank the top franchises in specific sectors.

Creative Colors International (CCI) was named one of the Top Franchises for Veterans and one of the Top Innovative Franchises after first being researched by Franchise Business Review and then rated by their own franchisees — the real franchise experts! Hundreds of veteran franchise owners were interviewed about their franchise experience and asked about their experiences. Veterans who own CCI franchises gave the company high marks in owner satisfaction. CCI also received high marks when franchisees were asked about the creativity and innovation of their corporate franchise team, as well as strength of leadership and vision.

“Creative Colors International is a company defined by family values and proven processes,” says Mark J. Bollman, President of Creative Colors International. “As a family business, we try to lead by example at the corporate office so each of our franchise partners will embrace the same values as they grow their business. We are thrilled our franchise partners applaud our innovative approach and we couldn’t be prouder of the praise from our veteran franchisees. They’ve already given so much of their time to help our country, it’s an honor to be the franchise they choose to help take care of their own families.”

For more information on Creative Colors International repair and restoration services, please visit https://www.wecanfixthat.com/.

For more information on the Creative Colors International franchise opportunity, please visit https://www.creativecolorsintl.com/.

About Creative Colors International

Launched in 1991, the Creative Colors International (CCI) franchise system was created through its affiliate, J&J’s Creative Colors, the original industry leader in refurbishment techniques and systems. Today, both companies continue to be family-owned and operated by the second generation. Catering to the abundance of upholstered items in every home, business, and vehicle, CCI is the ultimate in on-site repair, restoration, cleaning, protection, and dyeing of leather, vinyl, plastic, and fabric. Through proprietary technology, CCI restores damaged material at a fraction of replacement costs, saving customers up to 90 percent. CCI repairs are stronger than the original area and are nearly invisible to the naked eye. In the Automotive, Furniture, and Commercial Markets, CCI offers on-site repair and restoration to all types of leather, vinyl, fabric, plastic, and carpeting by repairing and re-dyeing holes, cuts, tears, burns, scrapes, fading, and discoloration. For more information on CCI’s services and franchise opportunities, visit www.wecanfixthat.com.

About Franchise Business Review

Franchise Business Review (FBR) is the only independent market research firm that specializes in benchmarking franchisee satisfaction based exclusively on ratings and reviews from franchise owners. FBR publishes free and unbiased franchisee satisfaction research reports throughout the year online at http://www.FranchiseBusinessReview.com.

Media Contact

Graham Chapman                                                                        Terri Sniegolski

919-459-8157                                                                                800-933-2656

gchapman@919marketing.com                                               terri.sniegolski@creativecolorsintl.com

For Immediate Release:

Industry-Leading On-Site Repair and Restoration Franchise Ranking in Prestigious Franchise Times Top 200+ List

(MOKENA, Ill. – October 26, 2018) – Creative Colors International, the nation’s leading on-site repair and restoration franchise, was ranked as one of the top franchise systems by Franchise Times. Creative Colors International (CCI) earned a spot in the 2018 Franchise Times Top 200+ list, coming in at number 492.

“We are honored to earn a spot on the Franchise Times Top 200+, one of franchising’s most credible and well respected lists,” said Mark J. Bollman, President of Creative Colors International.   “Our franchise partners deserve the credit for helping the Creative Colors International family achieve the performance and growth required to make this list.  We look forward to building on the momentum in 2019 and earning a higher ranking next year!”

The Franchise Times Top 200+ is an annual ranking of the 500 largest franchise systems in the United States by global system-wide sales. The rankings are based on the previous year’s performance, along with five months of research and reporting, providing consumers with the most credible and objective franchise rankings available.

Creative Colors International is a unique mobile repair and restoration franchise business specializing in the repair, reconditioning, protection and color restoration of leather, vinyl, fabric, plastic and carpeting in the automotive, furniture, commercial and residential markets. The company was also recently named a Top Franchise for Veterans as well as one of the Top Innovative Franchises by Franchise Business Review.

For more information on Creative Colors International repair and restoration services, please visit https://www.wecanfixthat.com/.

For more information on the Creative Colors International franchise opportunity, please visit https://www.creativecolorsintl.com/.

About Creative Colors International

Launched in 1991, the Creative Colors International (CCI) franchise system was created through its affiliate, J&J’s Creative Colors, the original industry leader in refurbishment techniques and systems. Today, both companies continue to be family-owned and operated by the second generation. Catering to the abundance of upholstered items in every home, business, and vehicle, CCI is the ultimate in on-site repair, restoration, cleaning, protection, and dyeing of leather, vinyl, plastic, and fabric. Through proprietary technology, CCI restores damaged material at a fraction of replacement costs, saving customers up to 90 percent. CCI repairs are stronger than the original area and are nearly invisible to the naked eye. In the Automotive, Furniture, and Commercial Markets, CCI offers on-site repair and restoration to all types of leather, vinyl, fabric, plastic, and carpeting by repairing and re-dyeing holes, cuts, tears, burns, scrapes, fading, and discoloration. For more information on CCI’s services and franchise opportunities, visit www.wecanfixthat.com.

 Media Contact

Graham Chapman                                                                        Terri Sniegolski

919-459-8157                                                                                800-933-2656

gchapman@919marketing.com                                               terri.sniegolski@creativecolorsintl.com

The concept of making something new — or new again — is very familiar to John Rozsypal, “Rozy” to his friends.

John Rozsypal, CCI of Southeastern Michigan

The old-school architect, based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, is accustomed to using the fine point of liner pens and drafting pencils to hand-sketch custom homes, additions and renovations. But after 45 years in the design business, Rozy and his wife Mary — a former marketing executive for multi-billion-dollar companies in corporate America — are building something new for themselves. They are building what they hope will be a monopoly in southeast Michigan in the leather, vinyl, plastic and fabric goods repair industry, through their Creative Colors International franchise business.

The nation’s leading on-site repair and restoration franchise is giving the Rozsypals a late-in-life career (she’s 59 and he’s 67) that hits all the right marks. No more cross-country and overseas travel. No more sitting in an office all day. No more working on someone else’s schedule. No more working for Wall Street. As a bonus, Creative Colors appealed to the couple’s creative side; and gave them an opportunity to work side by side, with their hands, in a business model with great potential.

“We hit the jackpot with this,” said Rozy. “It’s an art form that really drew me in. There is instant satisfaction, unlike in the house building business.”

Rozy recalls the moment he was sold on Creative Colors. He was at “Discovery Day” at the home office in Chicago to learn more about what makes CCI so special and discovered what he called “the magic.”

“It was that ‘aha!’ moment when I saw them take something that looked beyond repair, bring it back to life and look like new again,” Rozy explained. “Now I do that, and people are amazed every day at what we can do. They say, ‘Are you some kind of magician?’ It’s the magic of the repair process. And everybody loves magic!”

Executive-Style Owners

The Rozsypals started with one van, as Rozy hit the road to build a loyal customer base with his repair work. Now he gets booked for service a month in advance and gets calls from 3–4 hours away. That’s how good he is.

“He is very good at making repairs and making them look superb,” Mary boasts of her husband. “He is an artist and a perfectionist and has really developed a reputation as being the best.”

Although Rozy enjoys getting out and building relationships and gaining the respect of his clients, he also has bigger plans — more growth as an enterprising executive-style owner.

In the first year, the Rozsypals added a second service van and technician and have plans to add a third soon. They aspire to be executive-style owners who gradually build up their fleet of vans and technicians and even add new territories.

“It’s exciting. We are moving toward the place we want to be in building the business. Within a few years, we hope to be at the level where we can step back and just manage the business,” said Mary.

In the meantime, Rozy strategically schedules his days and is working on developing programs with customers for routine service calls so that he has the flexibility to schedule some long golf weekends.

Just another perk of being your own boss in the Creative Colors International franchise family.

If you would like to learn more about franchise opportunities available in new and expanding markets, visit us today to learn how you can build a thriving business at CCI.

At Creative Colors International, our employees come from varied backgrounds and industries. There is no one “right” type of experience or education that makes our workers a great fit with our company. However, there is one “right” attitude — self-motivated, service-oriented, and superior results-driven.

When Mark Miller made a career change 13 years ago, from running a full-time DJ/entertainment business to becoming a technician at Creative Colors International, he brought all those qualities and more.

This month, we shine our employee spotlight on Miller, who has been faithfully serving the eastern counties of Indiana for more than a decade, and helping build CCI’s reputation as the go-to for RV repair and restoration in the RV Capital of the World!

Why did you leave the rock-n-roll world DJ biz to become a technician at CCI?

I really enjoyed my work as a DJ. I did it for 21 years, but I was gone a lot of nights and weekends. Weddings, school dances, nightclubs, you name it, I played it. I was pulled away from my three daughters a lot, and my wife and I were like ships passing in the night.

My brother-in-law was a technician at CCI, and he invited me to ride along with him. As I watched him work with customers and do repair work, I thought, “I could do this.” I’ve always been a guy to watch and learn and figure things out. I made the switch, and within one year it replaced my DJ business salary. Within a few years, I was doing better at CCI than I had done after 21 years in the entertainment biz. Plus, my quality of life improved. I went from not spending time with my daughters on the weekends to buying a boat and spending our weekends together on Lake Michigan. It was the best career change I could have made!

How has CCI supported your work and your growth, specifically in the RV industry?

What I like about CCI and my boss, Dick Neff, is that they are there when I need them and leave me alone when I don’t. I like that independence. I also appreciate that they are open to new ideas and pursuing new markets. We live in the RV Capital of the World (80 percent of RV’s are manufactured in this region) and that is a huge opportunity. Sixty percent of the work I do is linoleum repair in RV’s (learn more about why RV dealers love CCI). I have focused on growing my knowledge on linoleum repair and coming up with new techniques. So, now CCI has had me teach a few classes on linoleum repair and they send new techs to ride with me, so they can see how it’s done. I enjoy that, too.

What do you enjoy most about working at CCI?

It’s taken care of me and my family for 13 years. I get the opportunity to meet new people and learn new things every day. There’s no resting on your laurels, which is a good fit for me. The ability to control my days and my life is huge, too. I leave early in the morning, so I can be home by 2:30 p.m. and not be out during the hottest part of the day. And of course, having the means and the time to hit the water in our boat or hitch a trailer with camping gear to the back of our Yamaha Tour Deluxe and hit the road with my wife is a great way to live. We enjoy our life. I have no plans of going anywhere. Actually, I have plans to go lots of places, and CCI helps make it possible.

Are you interested in learning more about a rewarding and fulfilling career working as a Creative Colors International technician, just like Mark? If so, please visit https://www.wecanfixthat.com/about-us/employment-opportunities/ to get started!

There is no question the franchise industry is enjoying unprecedented growth. It has grown consistently for the last eight years, and 2018 is no different. Thanks to a combination of deregulation, tax reform and a generally robust economy (which our President, Mark J. Bollman, recently described in a Daily Signal OpEd on Tax Reform), the franchise sector is projected to increase by more than six percent this year, to hit $451 billion in gross domestic product.

Here at Creative Colors International, we appreciate the current economic climate but know nothing lasts forever. Bollman has been with the company through four recessions in the last 26 years, and the company has continued to grow and thrive. Even during the Big Three Bailout of 2008, when automotive customers — our bread and butter — were lost and others consolidated, CCI weathered the storm. We prefer the term recession-resistant to recession-proof because there will always be economic factors beyond your control.

Here are three key elements to consider when searching for a recession-resistant franchise opportunity.

Diversify

Farmers do it with their crops, and we do it with the industries we serve. Diversify. Although the automotive industry, both new and used car dealers, is a key business segment, they are by no means our only customer base. Boats, planes, trains, really any form of transportation, as well as furniture, office spaces, restaurants, and hospitals can all use our restoration and repair services. Incidentally, service businesses are generally considered recession-resistant when they can offer customers the option of repairing over buying new. That puts us in a pretty sweet spot, as CCI can offer most clients an 80–90 percent savings in repairing over replacing. We have seen first-hand that when orders with some industries sag, others will spike. Because CCI serves a diverse number of industries, our overall portfolio remains balanced, even in cyclical valleys. After all, there are very few places you can go where you are not sitting on or touching leather, vinyl, fabric or plastic. In every community, there will always be a need for our services.

Multiply

We’re talking about revenue streams here. It takes diversification one step further. At CCI, we have made a concerted effort to create additional revenue streams by going after two different markets, B2B and B2C. In our B2B segment, we have created several programs to work as a subcontractor for companies who interface directly with the consumer. We make a product look new for their customer and they get the credit and a good profit, thanks to our special business pricing. Long-standing relationships with warranty companies have proven to be another great partnership. We even offer customized logo floor mats to auto dealerships as an add-on product.

Our B2C market is growing, too, because, well, who doesn’t want to save money? In the past, we have been behind-the-scenes, but now, with an aggressive social media presence, we have found ways to create and capitalize on awareness with end-users. If we can save them hundreds of dollars on a repair of their couch or favorite recliner, they will be repeat customers. We offer leather care kits and have started upselling our own certified reconditioning programs — all additional sources of revenue. Our reduce-reuse-recycle business philosophy and use of “green” water-based products also resonates with today’s consumers.

Go Mobile!

It’s not just for cell phones. We are an on-the-move society, so having an on-the-move business is a great choice. At CCI, the van is our mobile office. It comes delivered to our franchise owners fully stocked and outfitted. Right off the bat, you save a big chunk of change by forgoing rent, utilities and all the expenses associated with a brick and mortar storefront. That’s more money in and less money out. Another reason service businesses are thriving today is that more and more of them are going with a low-cost mobile business model and reaping the rewards of being able to go directly to the customer instead of waiting for busy consumers to walk through their door. The businesses that offer convenience and comfort in addition to quality and value will be the ones that get repeat business and word-of-mouth referrals that will weather any economy.

The keys to making it through a recession begin in an up-economy, like now. Keep your eye to the future and begin building that diverse customer base. When you lose one customer, challenge yourself to replace it with three new ones, and try to make them from different sectors. It is not uncommon for our CCI franchisees to serve upwards of 70 different vertical markets. Even in a recession, people will still have needs and if you can be there for them and save them money, your business is sure to experience more peaks than valleys.

Are you interested in learning more about joining the CCI family and taking advantage of this recession resistant business model?   If so, get started by visiting https://www.creativecolorsintl.com/franchise-opportunities/request-franchise-information/.