Tim Fettig Builds a Thriving Business Through Dedication and Daily Involvement
In 1993, then-college student Tim Fettig did production, deliveries and cleaning as a Verlo Mattress employee in Grafton, Wis. “I was not looking for a franchise opportunity then. But after seeing the lifestyle of the franchisees I worked for, I was very inspired and hoped to get a chance to become a franchisee myself.”
He approached that goal in stages. “I worked my way into sales, moved up to store manager and finally general manager before the opportunity to become a franchisee was presented to me.” Today, Fettig gowns two units: Verlo Mattress of Greater Sheboygan opened on April 27, 1997, in Manitowoc, Wis.; his second location opened on Oct. 1, 1998, in Sheboygan, Wis.
A Typical Day
Fettig’s day-to-day tasks are similar to those of many business owners. “I normally start with a little bit of accounting to recap the previous day. You do have to keep a close eye on the numbers. Then I spend quality time with the staff. This may be in the production area, building some mattresses, or joining in while loading a delivery truck. Or it could just be in the showroom talking about life. Great employees are a business’ most valuable asset, and they need daily attention — I call it Tim Time,” he quips. “After that, I’m focusing on raw materials, production, the supply chain, deliveries, marketing, advertising, social media, the sales process and, of course, customers.”
One inescapable priority is staying ahead of other mattress brands, Fettig says. “The mattress industry is very competitive, so one of the biggest challenges involves continually improving our products, advertising and marketing to meet and exceed customer expectations, and to make sure they know about it.”
The success of his Verlo Mattress stores has helped Fettig and his family achieve financial peace of mind. “When I first started out, I thought we would need millions in the bank somewhere to feel financial independence. What I have found is that independence comes from being able to have the financial resources to pay all of the bills with money left over.”
It is so gratifying to be able to help make people’s sleep — and by extension, their lives — better.
Winning Proposition
His appreciation and respect for the Verlo Mattress franchise isn’t limited to the bottom line, however. “One unique difference with Verlo is the way we can take care of our customers even years after the original sale. Since we manufacture and assemble our mattresses, we have the ability to adjust the comfort for customers in a way that no one else is doing. If a customer calls and their mattress is too firm or too soft, we take materials and add a firming layer or softening layer to their mattress right in their home. It is so gratifying to be able to help make people’s sleep — and by extension, their lives — better.”
Verlo thrives on pleasing those customers as well as franchisees such as Fettig, who says he “would absolutely invest again. Owning a Verlo Mattress franchise has provided an amazing lifestyle for my family.”
The Verlo Differences
Verlo Mattress stores appeal to both customers and franchisees because:
- Mattresses are tailored to each buyer’s preferences and sold directly to consumers, with no middleman markup.
- Franchisees do not need mattress-industry experience and may run the business as an owner-operated or manager-operated store.
- Verlo’s Lifetime Comfort Guarantee allows technicians to adjust mattresses to a customer’s evolving needs for as long as they own it.
- The average customer ticket is $1,441, and franchisees average $1.6 million in annual sales.
- Only four full-time employees are needed for the factory-retail store model; one to two employees for retail, showroom-only locations.
For more information about the Verlo Mattress franchise, visit www.verlo.com/franchise.
