The Rooter-Man franchise has been around since 1970 when it was founded by Donald MacDonald. Although they didn’t begin franchising until 1981, Rooter-Man’s nearly 30 years of franchising experience has resulted in steady growth, even during the harsh economic downturn. Not surprisingly, this has also given them a lot of time to perfect their franchise system. They expect to show even greater growth when credit conditions in the economy improve and franchisees have an easier time accessing initial financing.
Rooter-Man franchises offer residential and commercial plumbing services ranging from septic work to troubleshooting, maintenance, repairs, waterjet, pipe location, leak detection, and drain cleaning. They advertise that their drain cleaning equipment is proprietary and superior to most others on the market. Rooter-Man offers service 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, including holidays, and promotes the slogan “To the Rescue.”
As of 2009, 481 US-based franchises were reported, compared to 461 the previous year, with another 17 franchise units outside of the United States. They are currently looking to expand globally and offer exclusive territories up to a population of 125,000. Its headquarters are in North Billerica, MA. Franchise fees range from $ 3,975 to $ 39,750 depending on the size of the territory and the total initial investment is estimated at $ 46,750 to $ 137,600. Rooter-Man offers in-house financing for the franchise fee and allow third-party financing for all startup costs and fees. The ongoing royalty rate also varies depending on the size of the territory. A net worth of $ 25,000 is required.
Rooter-Man franchises can be run from home, offering a unique home-based business opportunity for someone with plumbing experience. They do not require owner operation, although 97% are run by the owners. An estimated 3-5 employees are needed to run each franchise, and 25% of all franchisees own more than one unit, a statistic that suggests multiple units are needed to generate significant income.
A 6-week training and certification course is offered at the company headquarters. On-site training is also available as is cooperative advertising and participation in national and regional advertising campaigns. Before starting a Rooter-Man franchise, or any franchise, one must realize that they will bear most of the burden of advertising and marketing. Simply having plumbing and business skills may not be enough to succeed with a Rooter-Man franchise. It takes a significant amount of marketing experience to be successful in any business opportunity.