Learn more about this kitchen remodeling franchise.
Kitchen Tune-Up specializes in 1-5 day kitchen updates. We offer solutions to every project and budget and utilize our customer service Trustpoints to make the experience fun, with little to no hassle for homeowners.
Kitchen Tune-Up appeals to entrepreneurs transitioning into business ownership from corporate backgrounds
Kitchen Tune-Up appeals to entrepreneurs transitioning into business ownership from corporate backgrounds. The standout remodeling concept offers personalized service and incredible results. Everyone has a kitchen, and kitchens are the heart of the home. Our belief is that you don’t have to spend a fortune or be displaced from your home for weeks in order to improve your living space. Kitchen Tune-Up offers multiple options to update kitchens including 1-day wood restoration, cabinet painting, cabinet redooring, cabinet refacing and custom cabinetry.
Questions and Answers
1. How did the franchise get started and what is the background of your executives?
Dave and Cindy Haglund founded Kitchen Tune-Up in 1988. Dave owned a cabinet store in Aberdeen, SD and after getting his car tuned up, he thought how great the car was running – almost like it was new. He remembered how some of his clients had asked him how to keep their cabinets “looking like new” and he saw a connection. Could he “tune-up” a kitchen so it looked and ran like new? His high-energy style had him experimenting with a few different products and creating a checklist of items that you could do to make a kitchen “look and run like new.” He called it Kitchen Tune-Up. He started advertising this unique service and the phones started ringing. As Dave told the story of his tune-up, he got a very similar response each time, “Wow, I could use that in my kitchen.” He decided the best way to grow the business would be to franchise it. As the customers’ needs changed, so did Kitchen Tune-Up. He added more and more services to update and improve the kitchen.
Kitchen Tune-Up’s current President, Heidi Morrissey, joined the company in 2003 at the urging of her father, Dave. She spent 16 years as Vice President of Sales and Marketing before taking over as President in 2017 so her dad could retire.
1. What are you goals for Kitchen Tune-Up in the next 5 years?
In the next 5 years, we fully except Kitchen Tune-Up to become a household name in the home improvement sector. We want to increase the volume coming from all of the owners as well as double, or even triple, the number of franchises in operation.
We envision expanding into Canada as well.
2. What is the best thing about being a part of Kitchen Tune-Up?
The Kitchen and Bath industry is a $177 billion industry that continues to grow year after year. Every home has a kitchen and kitchens are the heart of the home. It’s special to be a part of updating the most important room in the house.
The best part about being a part of Kitchen Tune-Up is the culture you will feel from day 1 from the Home Office and your fellow franchisees, or Tunies, as we like to call them. We pride ourselves in the support we offer, and the best part of our day is when the phone rings and a franchisee is looking for help. Our franchisees take that family feeling across the country and invite new franchisees to train with them, neighbors embrace new neighbors, and they constantly help each other out with our extremely active Facebook group. Need some advice or run into an odd situation? Post your question and you’ll have several responses in just a few minutes!
Oh, and by the way, our Gross Profit Margin of 55% is not bad either!
3. Can you describe a typical day of a franchise owner?
No two days are alike for a Kitchen Tune-Up franchisee! You could be a home-based business or open a retail space. You may be a single unit owner, multi-unit owner or even a developer. You may live in a rural area or a large metropolitan area. You may have a small employee base or several employees to manage.
4. Can you describe an ideal owner for Kitchen Tune-Up.
Our owners come from all industries and backgrounds, but we look for owners who are: process-driven
Customer service
Detail oriented,
Like to manage people
Growth-oriented
Want to deliver an exceptional service to their customer.
It is not about age but about curiosity, adaptability resilience and ability to learn.
5. Do you offer any funding?
Yes, we offer partial in-house financing to those who qualify. Since Kitchen Tune-Up is on the SBA registry, a number of owners have been able to secure SBA Express Loans along with 401k rollover financing.
6. Tell us a little about Kitchen Tune-Up support and training program.
We begin your training with a 4-week home study course, which is followed up with our all-inclusive, 8 day in-class training at our Home Office in Aberdeen, South Dakota. You will learn how to run, manage, market and sell your products and services. After the in-class training, you will be assigned a coach and will have weekly calls while you also complete your 12-Week Action Plan which helps you hit the ground running with your business. We work together to ensure your growth as a business owner and as an individual. But remember, this is only the beginning.
Our philosophy at Kitchen Tune-up is that training and learning is an ongoing process. Our industry is growing with new ideas. With this in mind, we’re always striving to keep you the most informed and trained consultant in the home improvement field. Your knowledge will keep expanding with our weekly emails, monthly newsletters, online owner’s forum, National Reunions, webinars, internal podcast, owner's resource site, and more!
7. What kind of input will I have in marketing and advertising?
Our marketing team works hard to bring you the best vendors in the marketing space covering everything from social media to pay per click and beyond. You have the choice of which partnerships vendors you would like to work with, but our marketing team works closely with you to make suggestions based on your needs and budget. We have a National Advertising Fund that keeps our online presence and brand awareness strong across the country. You get to decide how to market to your own market, whether that’s advertising in newspapers, magazines, direct mail, Facebook ads, online ads, sponsoring local events, and the list can go on. Our marketing team is always a phone call away to discuss new ideas and changes to your marketing plan. Our talented graphic design team also helps create custom items for your needs at no additional cost.
8. Do I have to own a brick and mortar location? If so, can you tell us a little about that.
70% of our owners work out of their home and 30% have a retail space.
70% of our owners work out of their home and 30% have a retail space. We predict by the end of 2020, the number of retail spaces will increase to 40%. We are the mobile kitchen experts, meaning we bring everything to the homeowners during the in-home consultations. If franchisees work out of their home, they usually have a storage facility to prep and stage jobs and receive larger shipments, like for a custom cabinet job. Our retail spaces usually have a small consumer facing footprint for samples and displays as well as a meeting area. They also have one or two offices for themselves and employees. The largest space is usually reserved for the back warehouse so they can receive shipments, prep and stage jobs, and stay organized.
9. Can you describe what a candidate will experience while researching Kitchen Tune-Up?
A candidate will experience a very dedicated Franchise Development team who are excellent communicators and will walk you through the process at your pace.
Interested in learning more about franchise opportunities? Contact us below.
SSB Franchise Consulting offers one-stop shopping when you are searching for a business to call your own. We help you save time by working with you to learn your likes and dislikes and style of doing business then matching you with prospective Franchisors at no cost to you. To read more on if we're a good fit go to https://www.ssbconsulting.us/faq 208.724.1731
Ready to get started? Schedule your free consultation today!