After Four Years as a FISH Franchisee, Cole Robinson Continues to Set and Meet Higher Goals
After her first year of business, Fish Window Cleaning franchisee Cole Robinson (above, second from left) earned the distinction of being named “Rookie of the Year.” Four years into the business, she continues to set and meet higher goals for her Tampa, FL franchise.
It didn’t take excessive hours or tremendous sacrifice to reach that level of success. In fact, Robinson says that she always takes the weekends off and is always home in time to pick up her daughter from school. Her evenings are free to spend time relaxing with family. “I have a great work-life balance and take vacations multiple times a year,” she says.
It wasn’t always that way for Robinson. Prior to owning her franchise, she worked for a small business where she wore many hats and put in more hours than she preferred. “I was too committed to my previous employer. I worked long hours and it was interfering with my personal life,” she says.
Robinson’s less-than-ideal work situation prompted her to do some soul searching. She realized that her experience with her previous employer gave her the skills needed to run her own business. When Robinson found FISH, she knew it was a perfect fit. “With every discovery and validation call, I felt like it was meant to be,” she says.
“I have shown my daughter that she has an opportunity to be an entrepreneur.”
Robinson opened for business October, 2017 and dove right in. “It was exactly what I expected. There were no surprises,” she says. Now, with three vans and eight employees, she has her sights set on steady growth. “The business model leaves room for more growth where I can promote employees into management roles,” she says.
Robinson’s community involvement has helped her develop relationships with local business owners and grow her commercial client base.
She is an active member of the Chamber of Commerce, works with non-profit groups and serves on the board of a local leadership group. Wherever she goes, she wears her FISH swag. “People know me as the woman in red,” she laughs.
Being a young woman in a male-dominated industry has been a non-issue for Robinson. In fact, in some cases, it has helped with customer confidence. “Many customers believe women pay more attention to detail,” she says.
Possibly the best part in Robinson’s experience has been serving as a positive role model for her daughter. “I have shown her that you shouldn’t settle. Now she knows that she has an opportunity to be a business owner on her own terms,” she says.
Why Fish Window Cleaning?
In addition to a great work-life balance, Cole Robinson enjoys the many benefits that come with FISH franchise ownership:
- Residual income
- Low overhead
- Fast break-even
- Niche market
- Strong corporate support
- Family-like
corporate culture - Low investment
- Huge growth potential
- Minimal number of employees
- High customer retention
- Established brand: More than 40 years in business
- b2b and B2c
- Lifestyle business