Top Franchisee in a Tough Market vs. Weak Owner in a Goldmine: Who Wins?

What happens when a rockstar franchisee enters a struggling market—and when a weak operator steps into a booming territory? In this episode, Erik Van Horn sits down with Kevin Sill, a second-generation franchisee who helped scale a family-owned Budget Blinds operation to 17 territories and over $20M in annual revenue. But that’s not all—Kevin also made the leap into owning a mom-and-pop flooring business, and he’s sharing the raw, unfiltered lessons from both worlds.   Whether you're a franchisee, an aspiring business owner, or curious about building generational wealth through franchising, this conversation is packed with insights on:   -Scaling in diverse markets (rural vs. metro) -Building a franchise empire with your family -Diversifying beyond franchising -Why customer service is still king -How great operators outperform weak ones—regardless of market   🔥 Episode Highlights:   -Real talk on underperforming franchisees -Franchise vs. non-franchise ownership pros & cons -Leveraging Facebook groups and peer networks -What Kevin wishes he’d known earlier -Why being coachable and curious beats being a know-it-all   📌 Resources Mentioned:   franchisesecretsgroup.com  ScalableFranchise.com – Get help growing or buying a franchise   Timestamps:   00:00 – What happens when you put a top franchisee in a weak market? 01:47 – Should you start a business or buy a franchise? Kevin’s journey 04:49 – From accounting to franchisee: Kevin’s background 09:16 – How Kevin scaled to 17 territories and $20M in revenue 11:39 – Comparing markets: rural Iowa vs. inner-city Twin Cities 14:46 – Which territories would Kevin not buy again—and why 18:38 – The power of repeat and referral business 24:55 – Why Kevin bought a non-franchise flooring company 31:05 – What Kevin appreciates more about franchising after owning independently 39:23 – Why curiosity and humility are franchise superpowers   Connect with Erik Van Horn: 🌐 Website - https://franchisesecrets.com/    📷 Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/erikvanhorn/   👍 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/erik.v.horn/   💼 LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/evanhorn/    Best Franchise Starter Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEEithd54kMlgRgsBAo4LWNCMSOthnK0r&si=TD1z25-ie2d23rGm https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEEithd54kMle5_OUXiuLbc_UPBtz1vTE&si=uCOgDya1VnnCarDf https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEEithd54kMk2Kw07KwZGWgF8UTx9N5_T&si=ZldjBOqFanGE-JUL   #Franchising #Business #Franchise