This Husband-and-Wife Team Was Attracted to the Home-Staging Franchise for its Multiple Services
Showhomes franchise owners Sylvia and Reggie Gholston (above) always wanted to open a franchise together, but they were never quite sure about the exact type of business. They knew fast food wasn’t for them, but aside from that, their main criterion was that they wanted to run the business together. They never considered investing in a home-staging franchise until they were introduced to Showhomes.
Although both Sylvia and Reggie had great careers of their own, (Sylvia, a college professor and Reggie, a mechanical engineer) they had a strong desire to build a business together. They opened their Cobb County, Georgia Showhomes Home Services franchise location in March 2021.
When they learned about Showhomes, it was love at first sight. The home-staging franchise and its multiple services seemed like a great opportunity to grow a business and bring great home services to their community. “We instantly fell in love with Showhomes,” says Sylvia.
Sylvia always loved interior design, and Showhomes has given her the opportunity to flex her creative muscle. She handles all the design consultations for the business and truly enjoys staging and transforming spaces. Although Reggie is still working his day job, he is already engaged in handling the contracts for the business and plans to join the business full time in the near future.
Pleasant Surprises for Showhomes Franchise Owners
Although diversity wasn’t a deciding factor or prerequisite for Reggie and Sylvia, they were pleasantly surprised with the diversity within the Showhomes franchise system. “People from all walks of life have become Showhomes franchise owners and they have an amazing culture,” Sylvia says. The couple loves Showhomes’ inclusive nature and the fact everyone is so welcoming and helpful. “From the corporate team to our fellow franchisees, we can always find someone to offer support and guidance,” she says. “There are lots of cheerleaders at Showhomes who want to see us succeed.”
In addition to design consultations, Sylvia spends time developing relationships in her community with Realtors and other professionals who could potentially refer business. The couple has joined local business networking groups to educate people about Showhomes. “I was surprised to learn that some people don’t even know what home staging is. I thought everyone was as addicted to HGTV as I am,” Sylvia jokes. “We have spent a lot of time educating people about what we do.”
Even though the Gholstons have invested in developing business relationships, their first job came on Day-One of business, generated from a Google lead. “We have been rolling ever since then,” Sylvia says.
Showhomes: A Home Staging Franchise and More
The Covid-19 pandemic led to a spike in home sales and a corresponding demand for Showhomes’ traditional staging work. During this residential real estate boom, Showhomes clients also requested additional services related to selling their homes. Seeing the opportunity to increase revenue streams and income for its franchisees, Showhomes accommodated their requests and expanded its services. Today, in addition to staging homes for sale, the franchise will tackle the following tasks for clients:
- Renovations
- Short-term rental designs
- Furniture rentals
- Interior design
In addition to home staging, the more wide-ranging services that Showhomes franchisees now provide have strengthened their earning potential and differentiated them in the marketplace. Showhomes can be a turnkey solution for clients who need staging and a bit more polish on their residences when homes go on the sales block, giving Showhomes a leg up on the competition because of its one-stop shop appeal.
For more information, visit www.showhomesfranchise.com