Collaboration, Support and Positivity Make for a Winning Culture at Home-Staging Franchise
Most people look at the bottom line when investing in a business. The dollars and cents have to make sense, after all. But there are other intangibles that come into play that are equally important: work-life balance, fulfillment and corporate culture to name a few. Franchisees often describe their company’s culture as family-like because within most franchise systems, people help and take care of each other, just as families do. That’s exactly how franchisee Leannne Gemma (above left) describes Showhomes.
The unique thing about investing in a franchise is that you’re entering a network of people who all have the exact same business as you — except there’s no competition. Franchisees help each other and share in each other’s successes. When franchisees in a system are successful, everyone wins.
Gemma is a great example. Opening a business in March of 2020 was not an ideal time for anyone, but the support Leanne Gemma received from the Showhomes Home Staging franchise network made all the difference. “Family-like” is how she describes her relationship with her fellow franchisees. “Everyone is kind and helpful and shares ideas,” she says. “It’s a very positive culture.”
“With Showhomes, there are a lot of different ways to do and build business, so collaboration with people who have already been there is priceless.” With a dedicated operations person always available for her, Gemma felt fully supported during the worst of times, and is now looking forward to running her business in a more normal environment. These days, Gemma is able to dig deeper into building her business by developing those all-important relationships in her community with agents and builders. “In this business, face-to-face networking is really important,” she says. Gemma runs her Greater Raleigh Showhomes location with her full-time business development manager (Tara Reynolds, pictured above right) and a team of design assistants.
Showhomes was a Perfect Fit
With several revenue streams from four services (home manager staging, home staging, home restyles and home updating), Gemma says her business gives her everything she wanted in a new career including flexibility. The former software product manager was always interested in real estate, but wasn’t sure how to transition her career into the industry. She says with Showhomes, she is able to use her background and skills and combine them with her love of real estate. “Showhomes has been a perfect fit for me. It’s both interesting and challenging, and has the added benefit of an extended franchise family,” Gemma says.
For more information, visit www.showhomesfranchise.com.