Deciding to leave the comfort and the seemingly safe world of the known for the uncertain world of the unknown can be frightening. For Rebecca Preston, owner of the Creative Colors International franchise of Fort Worth, Texas, even the known world was a little scary! 
“My dad got laid off when he was 55 years old. He’d been working for the same company since he was 18. He never could find another job,” Preston remembers. “I always had that fear in the back of my mind. At the time, the place where I was working was doing layoffs left and right.”
A solid work ethic was always a part of Preston’s makeup. After completing an engineering degree at Purdue University, she spent around 20 years working for some of the top companies in the manufacturing and defense industries. Still, her father’s experience was never far from Preston’s mind. She started doing her research into self-sufficiency and particularly franchising!
“I had always wanted to own my own business, but I didn’t know what I could do. I only knew what I liked to do,” said Preston. “I like to do things with my hands. I like fixing things. I like to get to the root cause of a problem.”
When Rebecca learned about Creative Colors International, it seemed like a perfect fit! Many potential franchisees worry about having no experience in the automotive, marine, or RV service industries, but CCI offers a training program of up to three weeks. CCI teaches sales and marketing techniques, financial controls, and of course, our upholstery coloring, restoration, and repair methods. CCI even has field representatives work with new franchisees for a week when they open their own business.
Taking that leap to the unknown wasn’t easy. But Preston found that the CCI family worked hard to make the transition less frightening. “They were very welcoming on discovery day, and I found they were very nice people. The company seemed honest and down to earth,” Preston remembers. “You begin developing the trust very early.”
Now a part of the CCI family since 2013, Preston has found that buying her own franchise has been the catalyst for realizing her dream of moving back to Texas. As part of her research, she knew the area of Texas she wanted to live in was full of RVs. Discovering a franchise that showed her how to fix and repair RVs – as well as the rest of CCI’s full range of services and industries – made for an obvious winning choice. “When you do your due diligence, know your community. Know what’s going on. If I hadn’t known that there were RV dealers in this neck of the woods, then I wouldn’t have all the business that I have,” Preston advises. “Know your area!”
Her work speaks for itself. Now RV manufacturers call Preston and ask her to travel all over the state of Texas to make repairs to linoleum and upholstery. Rebecca Preston is happy to do it, and even more happy that she made the decision to take that leap into the unknown.
“It’s scary to leave something that you know, but life is too short not to live the way you want. I don’t want there to be any regrets.”
Making a change doesn’t have to be overwhelming. It all starts with educating yourself on potential business ownership opportunities and finding the right match for your skill set and idea lifestyle.
If Creative Colors International sounds right for you, as it did for Rebecca, get started on your path to franchise ownership here.
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