How We Grew To 127 Locations And Got Featured On A TV Show
This is a follow up story for Bio-One. If you're interested in reading how they got started, published over 5 years ago, check it out here.
Hello again! Remind us who you are and what business you started.
Hello readers, this is Nick-Anthony Zamucen again. I have created four franchised organizations, working on the fifth as I type this. I have sold two of those organizations to private equity companies for an 8x multiple and frankly, after the second sale, I don’t have to work another day in my life, but how boring would that be?
The reason for living is giving and creation and I love to do both. Plus, I enjoy showing aspiring Entrepreneurs actually how to be successful and not become Wantrepreneurs. Success breeds success.
Tell us about what you’ve been up to! Has the business been growing?
One of my favorite franchises I’ve created is Bio-One Inc., the world's most recognizable crime and trauma scene company. Bio-One crossed the century mark last year and as of today has I believe 127 locations nationwide.
This year Bio-One Inc. franchises are featured on seven episodes of the A&E hit TV show Hoarders.
We were the Season 11 opener last week and will be featured on six other episodes throughout the season. I believe there were only 9 shows filmed, so we ended up being featured on almost all of them. They have asked us to exclusively be on season 12 in 2021, but I haven't decided if it’s the right move for the company. Sometimes, even good press can have questionable outcomes.
Television is a funny thing. It’s truly smoke and mirrors. While the press can be great for branding and the nationwide coverage is nice for credibility and recognition, not being able to perform the jobs your way, the right way due to production complications, overages, etc. can hurt company integrity. Be very sure that when and if you choose to do TV, it’s a good fit for your brand and brand integrity. Once integrity is lost, it’s very hard to get it back.
My other franchised group, Best Option Restoration (better known as BOR) has been steadily growing as expected. We only take 4-5 new franchisees a year, so to ensure proper franchise development and proper support. Again, it’s an integrity thing. You have to make sure your franchisees are healthy, happy and their job flow is consistent. One of the biggest mistakes you can make in franchising is growing too quickly and not being able to support those who’ve spent their hard-earned money, trust, and put faith in buying your system. You simply can’t let them down.
What have been your biggest lessons learned in the last year?
When I decided with the management team I hired to run Bio-One to sign on with Hoarders Season 11, I had thoughts of showing the world how great our Bio-One franchises are. Well, we were great and the clients sent droves of thank you cards to our franchisees and corporate, but we felt we could have done more.
One of the biggest mistakes you can make in franchising is growing too quickly and not being able to support those who’ve spent their hard-earned money, trust and put faith into buying your system.
The reason I don’t work for someone else is that I want to do what I want, with whom I want, when I want. The show did not allow for my way of being. My free spirit of businesses and life was not met with open arms. There are a certain way and timing to the show that just didn’t flow with mine. To get me wrong, the show wasn’t a bad experience, it just wasn’t up to Bio-One standards. Again, they have shots to film, a deadline to make, and people’s reactions to getting, but I would have liked to take over the shows a bit and get more done, in an efficient manner.
When you are running your own business, you know the tricks of the trade. The ways to speed things up and the attitude to convert your visions. Make sure no one stifles that. Don’t ever give up your spirit for a paycheck.
What’s in the plans for the upcoming year, and the next 5 years?
Bio-One will continue to tick on and grow at a rate of 20+ franchisees a year. A well-oiled machine with a great management team.
BOR is slow and steady like Bio-One used to be. Again, you need to be able to intentionally grow, not by chance, but through proper planning. The next five years will be filled with growth and leadership changes. Once any of my franchise systems hit 30-35 franchises, what I call the base, I begin my search to hire the next great management team to run it. Within the next five years, I will have removed myself from BOR operations and on to the next things.
To be a successful entrepreneur, you need to know your strengths and weaknesses. My strengths are planning and executing a vision for the future. I like the start-up challenges, not the day to day bullsh*t. I get bored easily and once things become easy, I must move on. I’ll let someone else grow my company for me and then sell it down the road.
Advice for other entrepreneurs who might be struggling to grow their business?
One of the things I often self reflect on is my “Why”. Why exactly am I doing this or that? Why is it important to me or the company. Why do I want to accomplish this or that? By asking a great set of empowering questions, you tend to gain greater and more productive answers for your why’s. If you ask yourself questions like, why is this happening to me or why can’t I seem to do this. Your brain will tell you because you’re not smart enough, everyone was right. Your system or plan is a failure.
Asking yourself a better type of question inevitably leads to better answers. Be careful of your self-talk. Self-talk can lead to self-doubt and destruction. Being aware of where your thoughts go and controlling those thoughts are vital in business. Ask the right questions and win.
Where can we go to learn more?
- Bio One Inc, BO Restoration
- Bio One Inc Facebook
- BO Restoration Facebook
- Nick Zamucen Twitter
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Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
