Hey guys!
I'm really excited to announce a partnership with a long-time Rivals subscriber who has partnered with multiple sites across the network.
Andy Luedecke (@Andy MyPerfectFranchise.Net) signed up with Orangebloods - the Texas site in the Rivals network - way back in 2001 and has branched out to other sites for advertising in recent years.
(Yeah, yeah, he’s a Texas fan. To be honest, I give him credit for being brave enough to reach out to us considering the recent results in the series.)
His business - MyPerfectFranchise.Net - is the new official sponsor of @AlexTrader’s weekly Recruiting Roundup and he'd love to help any and all members of the ‘Bert develop their entrepreneur and business skills.
But there's plenty of time for that. What we wanted to do today was simply welcome Andy to HawgBeat as an official partner and allow him to introduce himself and what he can do for you a little better.
Here's a Q&A that Andy did with us that we hope does exactly that. In the meantime, please help me welcome Andy and MyPerfectFranchise.Net as an official partner of the site. As you’ve seen previously with CJ’s Butcher Boy Burgers and Wright’s BBQ, we are always looking for sponsors/advertisers because they're a huge help to the site.
****
HawgBeat: Could you give us a little background on yourself?
Andy: I was born in Dallas and grew up in Atlanta and am raising our family in Fairhope, Ala. – which is an amazing town for those that have never heard of it or think that everything Alabama is backwoods-redneck. I grew up a Longhorn fan as all the Luedeckes are from Texas. I have been an Rivals subscriber (Ornagebloods.com) since 2001. I am married and have 3 children and am raising them as Horns in a land swarming with Alabama and Auburn fans!
I was working in the corporate world until 2012, when I decided to take charge of my life and exit the corporate rat race. My first franchise I bought (and still own) is a non-medical homecare franchise called Synergy HomeCare. It has been an amazing run and allowed me the financial opportunity to diversify into other businesses. Today I own Synergy, Big Red (dumpster company) and a franchise consulting company, My Perfect Franchise, where I help others find franchises that match their DNA, so to speak.
HawgBeat: What inspired you to own your own franchise?
Andy: I was following the corporate career path, living in Atlanta and working for a company based out of Belgium. As our business grew, I started to have global responsibilities, which was fun while single and the first year of marriage. First class flights everywhere, free drinks, places to stay…was lots of fun, until our first child came. Then I started realizing that I was never around for all the important stuff. First word, step, or when my wife just needed some sleep….I was never home to be a Dad or a husband. Something had to change.
So, that is when I started my search. I didn’t know what I was searching for but I saw something online about franchising, filled out a form and then got linked up with a franchise consultant that helped match me up with a business based on my skill sets and the business characteristics that I was interested in. The process that I followed to find my first business worked so well and was valuable and informative that I decided to help others with the process as well.
HawgBeat: Are there franchise options for me if I have a full-time job and limited time to devote to a hands-on startup in my community?
Andy: Yes, there are 2 types of ownership models: owner-operator and semi-absentee. In an owner-operator system, the franchisors require the owner/franchisee to work full time in the business until it matures. My homecare agency is owner-operator but I now run it semi-absentee, working 5-10 hours a week on the business. In semi-absentee franchises, the franchisors don’t want the owner working in the business but working ON it, scaling the business through multi-unit growth. They want owners to work 10-20 hours a week while letting their manager run the day 2 day operations. Good examples of this are Orange Theory, Supercuts, Massage Envy. You typically don’t see the owners ever in those types of franchises as they are all manager run.
HawgBeat: Over the course of a phone call, could you suggest franchising opportunities to me, based on my background, expertise and experience?
Andy: Not one call, as I need to learn a good bit about each candidate I work with and then spend time matching up with franchises behind the scenes. The process works like this:
1) Introductory call - to get to know each other, discuss overall process.
2) Consultation - about an hour call where I learn about you and your skills, background etc.…
3) Matching call where I introduce you to franchisors that meet your criteria.
4) Introductory calls with each franchisor ….then the true evaluation process starts with each brand matched with.
And that is when the fun really starts. The franchise evaluation process is not an ‘ask-Google’ session. It is very comprehensive, with multiple calls and webinars with the franchisor learning about Marketing, Operations, Unit Economics, Calls with other franchisees for their feedback.
HawgBeat: Does looking into owning your own franchise make sense for someone who is in the latter stages of their traditional career and somewhat displaced due to the pandemic?
Andy: Franchise and business ownership is not for everyone. There is significant risk involved. But where there is risk, there is also significant reward. I have unlimited PTO now. I make more money than I ever imagined making in the corporate world. My schedule is mine and I have total flexibility. I eat lunch with my kids, take them to school, coach their teams….all because of the quality of life franchise ownership has given me.
HawgBeat: Is financing available? What does that look like?
Andy: Yes. Lots of different options there from SBA, 401k rollovers. Right now the SBA is offering a unique stimulus package as well. They are paying the first 6mos of any new or existing loan. In fact, I just bought a dumpster business and was able to condense the loan term from 10yrs to 4yrs and get a huge chunk of principal and interest paid off due to this stimulus package. And I am doing it again to buy another round of dumpsters and porta potties, so I will get 2 rounds of 6mos of free payments. Very cool deal!
HawgBeat: What is the typical cost for your services?
Andy: My services are always 100% free! Working with me is a no-brainer for someone that wants to learn about franchise options and business ownership in general. I get paid a commission from the franchisors and in return they get very qualified, high-level, engaged candidates as I work with my candidates to educate them on franchise ownership and prepare them for each step of the process.
HawgBeat: What are your thoughts on Texas’ - and Oklahoma’s - impending move to the SEC?
Andy: I am SUPER EXCITED!!! Yes, I know Texas sucks right now and we would be middle of the road at best right now, but to play relevant teams every week in cool college towns, that happen to all be much closer to me…that’s a huge win for me and my family!
HawgBeat: It probably won’t reach its SWC-level, but do you think Arkansas-Texas can become a rivalry again in the SEC?
Andy: I certainly expect it to. I guess how they set up the divisions/pods and the schedule will dictate it, but the rivalry is still there in some capacity and being in the same conference will highlight that again, I hope. Hell, Texas needs any extra motivation they can get for games these days.
HawgBeat: How do you think the transfer portal is changing the landscape of college football?
Andy: Why don’t you tell me, Drew Sanders and Latavious Brini!!! Congrats on those 2 huge pickups and direct recruiting wins over Texas in the portal.
The portal is crazy and adding a totally new layer of recruiting strategy within - and outside - the program. Within, you now have to re-recruit all the players you want to keep each year – that haven’t come to you via the portal. I say that as after that first transfer, the players are going to stay where they are until they become graduate transfers to not get penalized. At least for the most part they will.
When I say outside the program, you’ve got to jump on these players in the portal IMMEDIATELY and then lure them in with a kickass package of scheme fit, NIL opportunity, and maybe even educational opportunity? I think you need a guy on staff fully dedicated to mining the lower ranks, keeping feelers out with old high school coaches, maybe letting those coaches know about said package for kids?
Bottom line is I don’t love the portal or NIL right now and hope that it all levels out over the next few years or we might be seeing fans become less fanatical about their team and college football in general.
Lastly, thanks to all that read this far! As a member of Rivals for over 20 years now, I’m ready for the bashing I might take as a Longhorn fan. I really look forward to having fun with you all and hopefully adding value to the board with some off season entrepreneurial talk.
I'm really excited to announce a partnership with a long-time Rivals subscriber who has partnered with multiple sites across the network.
Andy Luedecke (@Andy MyPerfectFranchise.Net) signed up with Orangebloods - the Texas site in the Rivals network - way back in 2001 and has branched out to other sites for advertising in recent years.
(Yeah, yeah, he’s a Texas fan. To be honest, I give him credit for being brave enough to reach out to us considering the recent results in the series.)
His business - MyPerfectFranchise.Net - is the new official sponsor of @AlexTrader’s weekly Recruiting Roundup and he'd love to help any and all members of the ‘Bert develop their entrepreneur and business skills.
But there's plenty of time for that. What we wanted to do today was simply welcome Andy to HawgBeat as an official partner and allow him to introduce himself and what he can do for you a little better.
Here's a Q&A that Andy did with us that we hope does exactly that. In the meantime, please help me welcome Andy and MyPerfectFranchise.Net as an official partner of the site. As you’ve seen previously with CJ’s Butcher Boy Burgers and Wright’s BBQ, we are always looking for sponsors/advertisers because they're a huge help to the site.
****
HawgBeat: Could you give us a little background on yourself?
Andy: I was born in Dallas and grew up in Atlanta and am raising our family in Fairhope, Ala. – which is an amazing town for those that have never heard of it or think that everything Alabama is backwoods-redneck. I grew up a Longhorn fan as all the Luedeckes are from Texas. I have been an Rivals subscriber (Ornagebloods.com) since 2001. I am married and have 3 children and am raising them as Horns in a land swarming with Alabama and Auburn fans!
I was working in the corporate world until 2012, when I decided to take charge of my life and exit the corporate rat race. My first franchise I bought (and still own) is a non-medical homecare franchise called Synergy HomeCare. It has been an amazing run and allowed me the financial opportunity to diversify into other businesses. Today I own Synergy, Big Red (dumpster company) and a franchise consulting company, My Perfect Franchise, where I help others find franchises that match their DNA, so to speak.
HawgBeat: What inspired you to own your own franchise?
Andy: I was following the corporate career path, living in Atlanta and working for a company based out of Belgium. As our business grew, I started to have global responsibilities, which was fun while single and the first year of marriage. First class flights everywhere, free drinks, places to stay…was lots of fun, until our first child came. Then I started realizing that I was never around for all the important stuff. First word, step, or when my wife just needed some sleep….I was never home to be a Dad or a husband. Something had to change.
So, that is when I started my search. I didn’t know what I was searching for but I saw something online about franchising, filled out a form and then got linked up with a franchise consultant that helped match me up with a business based on my skill sets and the business characteristics that I was interested in. The process that I followed to find my first business worked so well and was valuable and informative that I decided to help others with the process as well.
HawgBeat: Are there franchise options for me if I have a full-time job and limited time to devote to a hands-on startup in my community?
Andy: Yes, there are 2 types of ownership models: owner-operator and semi-absentee. In an owner-operator system, the franchisors require the owner/franchisee to work full time in the business until it matures. My homecare agency is owner-operator but I now run it semi-absentee, working 5-10 hours a week on the business. In semi-absentee franchises, the franchisors don’t want the owner working in the business but working ON it, scaling the business through multi-unit growth. They want owners to work 10-20 hours a week while letting their manager run the day 2 day operations. Good examples of this are Orange Theory, Supercuts, Massage Envy. You typically don’t see the owners ever in those types of franchises as they are all manager run.
HawgBeat: Over the course of a phone call, could you suggest franchising opportunities to me, based on my background, expertise and experience?
Andy: Not one call, as I need to learn a good bit about each candidate I work with and then spend time matching up with franchises behind the scenes. The process works like this:
1) Introductory call - to get to know each other, discuss overall process.
2) Consultation - about an hour call where I learn about you and your skills, background etc.…
3) Matching call where I introduce you to franchisors that meet your criteria.
4) Introductory calls with each franchisor ….then the true evaluation process starts with each brand matched with.
And that is when the fun really starts. The franchise evaluation process is not an ‘ask-Google’ session. It is very comprehensive, with multiple calls and webinars with the franchisor learning about Marketing, Operations, Unit Economics, Calls with other franchisees for their feedback.
HawgBeat: Does looking into owning your own franchise make sense for someone who is in the latter stages of their traditional career and somewhat displaced due to the pandemic?
Andy: Franchise and business ownership is not for everyone. There is significant risk involved. But where there is risk, there is also significant reward. I have unlimited PTO now. I make more money than I ever imagined making in the corporate world. My schedule is mine and I have total flexibility. I eat lunch with my kids, take them to school, coach their teams….all because of the quality of life franchise ownership has given me.
HawgBeat: Is financing available? What does that look like?
Andy: Yes. Lots of different options there from SBA, 401k rollovers. Right now the SBA is offering a unique stimulus package as well. They are paying the first 6mos of any new or existing loan. In fact, I just bought a dumpster business and was able to condense the loan term from 10yrs to 4yrs and get a huge chunk of principal and interest paid off due to this stimulus package. And I am doing it again to buy another round of dumpsters and porta potties, so I will get 2 rounds of 6mos of free payments. Very cool deal!
HawgBeat: What is the typical cost for your services?
Andy: My services are always 100% free! Working with me is a no-brainer for someone that wants to learn about franchise options and business ownership in general. I get paid a commission from the franchisors and in return they get very qualified, high-level, engaged candidates as I work with my candidates to educate them on franchise ownership and prepare them for each step of the process.
HawgBeat: What are your thoughts on Texas’ - and Oklahoma’s - impending move to the SEC?
Andy: I am SUPER EXCITED!!! Yes, I know Texas sucks right now and we would be middle of the road at best right now, but to play relevant teams every week in cool college towns, that happen to all be much closer to me…that’s a huge win for me and my family!
HawgBeat: It probably won’t reach its SWC-level, but do you think Arkansas-Texas can become a rivalry again in the SEC?
Andy: I certainly expect it to. I guess how they set up the divisions/pods and the schedule will dictate it, but the rivalry is still there in some capacity and being in the same conference will highlight that again, I hope. Hell, Texas needs any extra motivation they can get for games these days.
HawgBeat: How do you think the transfer portal is changing the landscape of college football?
Andy: Why don’t you tell me, Drew Sanders and Latavious Brini!!! Congrats on those 2 huge pickups and direct recruiting wins over Texas in the portal.
The portal is crazy and adding a totally new layer of recruiting strategy within - and outside - the program. Within, you now have to re-recruit all the players you want to keep each year – that haven’t come to you via the portal. I say that as after that first transfer, the players are going to stay where they are until they become graduate transfers to not get penalized. At least for the most part they will.
When I say outside the program, you’ve got to jump on these players in the portal IMMEDIATELY and then lure them in with a kickass package of scheme fit, NIL opportunity, and maybe even educational opportunity? I think you need a guy on staff fully dedicated to mining the lower ranks, keeping feelers out with old high school coaches, maybe letting those coaches know about said package for kids?
Bottom line is I don’t love the portal or NIL right now and hope that it all levels out over the next few years or we might be seeing fans become less fanatical about their team and college football in general.
Lastly, thanks to all that read this far! As a member of Rivals for over 20 years now, I’m ready for the bashing I might take as a Longhorn fan. I really look forward to having fun with you all and hopefully adding value to the board with some off season entrepreneurial talk.
