Veterans Find Profits In Franchises
Paul R. Jefferson:
Throughout his military career, Derek Dingess had the innate ability to take things apart and put them back together. 5 years after he re-entered civilian life, Dingess‘ continues to put his talents gained in the military to use as he operates an appliance repair franchise. To customers on both sides of the state border, Dingess is Mr. Appliance, the name of the franchise operation he bought into after his 20-year career in the Air Force. Though his work office is based at his home, in reality his office is the open road – and residences throughout Brunswick and Horry counties.
Dingess is one of hundreds of vets nationwide who started their own businesses by taking advantage of incentive programs and discounts offered ex-military personnel. According to the International Franchise Association in Washington, D.C., more than 500 veterans in 45 states have purchased franchised small businesses through the association’s Veterans Transition Franchise Initiative, known as VetFran. More than 200 franchise members participate in the program, said Amy Bannon, IFA media relations manager.
In the Air Force, Dingess, 43, attained the rank of technical sergeant and worked in aircraft maintenance, specifically working on radio and radar equipment for much of his career. ‘It helps you to be able to delve into things and know how they work. Take them apart and put them back together. I did a lot of that, am still doing it,’ he said. He ’stumbled’ upon Mr. Appliance on the Internet after googling ‘franchises’ and finding the IFA Web site, then started inquiring about a franchise.
Dina Dwyer-Owens, is chief financial officer and president of The Dwyer Group, owners of Mr. Appliance and 5 other franchises. She said Dingess is the prototype franchisors look for in prospective small-business owners. ‘People in the military are accustomed to systems, and they have the discipline to follow those systems. If they do what’s expected, then they are likely to have success,’ she said. Mr. Appliance is a franchise particularly close to her heart because it was started in 1996 by her father, Don Dwyer, a veteran of the I Gulf War. The elder Dwyer, an IFA board member, also created the VetFran concept targeting special incentives and assistance for veterans.
Dingess said he used some savings for a down payment on the Mr. Appliance franchise. ‘Then the vet franchise program got some knocked off (a $4,000 veteran discount), and then they financed the rest. You could say I started the business for less than $20,000,’ he said.
In addition to financial assistance getting started, VetFran franchisers are supported by full-time franchise managers, like having a business counselor at their service, he said. ‘They can steer you to different franchisees and can help you with marketing, paperwork, you name it,’ he said.
Repairing refrigerators, dryers, ovens and other household appliances has kept Dingess very busy for the past three years. A mix of customers, both individual and commercial, fills each workday. ‘A typical day is leaving the office at home around 8 a.m., and usually it’s a 10 to 12 hour day because of the travel involved. We just do in-home repair; we don’t sell anything,’ he adds, then corrects himself to use the singular. ‘I say we, but I work by myself.’ The growth of his customer base, however, has Dingess looking to hire an extra hand, preferably another veteran, although anyone who has the skills can qualify.
He said the work is challenging. ‘You think on you feet.’ And continuing education is a must because appliance manuals are constantly changed and updated. Dingess and his wife, Marla, have 4 children – 2 grown up and out of the house, 1 attending West Brunswick High School and 1 at Shallotte Middle School. ‘We used to vacation here when I was growing up, and I always knew this is where we were going to end up,’ he said.
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