Meet a Restaurant Pro Who Made a Complete Career Change with Gutter Shutter
Matt Whisenant is convinced that he picked a winner in investing in his Gutter Shutter business, which represents a complete career change for him. Whisenant, formerly an area director in the restaurant industry, opened his Gutter Shutter of the Triangle in Raleigh, N.C., this past March.
He zeroed in on Gutter Shutter following a long, intensive study of various business opportunities. “After a lot of research and after having a ton of conversations about franchises and reviews of franchise disclosure documents — plus a deep dive into the best type of business for me personally — it became clear that home services was the best genre,” Whisenant says. “Then, after narrowing down a ton of the remaining options, four or five companies stood out in moving on to the next phase of the search.”
Gutter Shutter and Partner Businesses
Whisenant says his visit to Contractor Nation, a network partner to Gutter Shutter that helps home improvement and service contractors thrive, and to Klaus Roofing/Gutter Shutter headquarters in Connecticut ended up being the trump card in his decision. “The choice was made pretty quickly after that. There was an immediate connection to what [Klaus Roofing Systems Vice President] Stephanie Pelizzari and her team wanted for their dealers, which is setting a path to success and having each department keep in touch to help guide the dealers on that path.”
Another attraction, Whisenant says, is that “for Contractor Nation founder Larry Janesky and Contractor Nation to have success, the dealer needs to have success.” That symbiosis “was completely the vibe” he found while doing his due diligence, he says. “As expected, it has become a great partnership.” Whisenant believes it’s vital for prospective business owners to do their homework, and part of that is to “always meet the folks you’re going to be partnering with. Discovery Day for any brand is very important to get to know the full story.”
Paying it Forward
As his Gutter Shutter business grows, Whisenant will pay it forward in a couple of ways. One is by nurturing his employees: “I built my career in the restaurant business by developing folks and showing them a path to success that led to 80-plus promotions over my last 10 years in that industry, and I’ll follow that same train of thought with my Gutter Shutter employees.” Whisenant also plans to embark on a community service program, although he says he hasn’t determined a specific beneficiary yet because the business is still so new.
The Raleigh business has three employees, a two-person installation team and Whisenant himself. His tasks vary day to day. “No one day is like the next one. I run point on all sales, marketing and admin right now until we grow and add a few members to our team. One of the main reasons I got into this business is that our area of North Carolina is growing so rapidly that there will always be work. The more we grow, the more opportunity there is for all of my team to grow with me, which is exciting.”
Whisenant says he “could not be happier” about the three-way partnership of Contractor Nation, Klaus Roofing and Gutter Shutter. “The support, which is available anytime, is impressive. We never feel like we are on an island having to solve problems on our own. It’s a huge benefit to be able to draw on the knowledge of so many other talented folks.”
Why Choose Gutter Shutter?
- Gutters are a Growing Industry: The gutter industry will be a $6 billion industry by the end of 2022, and gutter protection systems are the fastest-growing sector.
- A business opportunity with many perks: Gutter Shutter offers exclusive territories for its dealers. After the dealer agreement and equipment purchases, investors are ready to begin. Even though Gutter Shutter is not a franchise, the company offers training and support from an experienced team that has been in the business for more than 30 years.
- Working with Contractor Nation: Gutter Shutter dealers work exclusively with Contractor Nation, a network created for home improvement and service contractors to grow and thrive.
For more information, visit www.guttershutter.com