When Bryan Park started Footprints Floors—a mobile operation that offers professional flooring installation services—he knew he was onto something. But even he couldn’t have foreseen that 15 years later the business would evolve into a fast-growing franchise operation with a “footprint” in 41 territories across the U.S.
“I had no idea that we would grow like we have,” Park, founder and CEO, told FCNews. “I started the business wanting to feed my family; I needed to find a job. I don’t think I even necessarily thought I’d be in flooring for the rest of my life, but here we are. I have no regrets whatsoever.”
Park’s path to the flooring industry was not the typical route. Prior to establishing Footprints Floors, he attended the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo. After serving his country post-graduation, he and his wife, Kelli, moved to Littleton, Colo., about an hour’s drive north. In pursuit of a career that could support his family, he sought out local retailers and contractors in need of installation help. However, he found some aspects of the business to be inefficient and, in his words, “unscrupulous.” It was “nearly impossible,” he recalled, “to find providers who worked with a true sense of honesty and fairness.”
While seemingly unrelated, Park’s time in the military actually prepared him for his new venture. “I think it taught me the definition of integrity, what it looks like,” he recalled. “It taught me how to persevere through difficult challenges. [The Air Force Academy] is not an easy place to get into and it’s certainly not an easy place to stay at and succeed—getting yelled at, doing pushups, basic training, survival training, jumping out of planes—all of these things are difficult. But it gave me confidence and a willingness to succeed.”
Overcoming obstacles
Those traits would be called into action as the business grew and expanded. Footprints Floors was established just as the U.S. was climbing out of the “Great Recession” and 10 years later—in 2019—the nation and the world was unknowingly on the cusp of another major episode: the COVID-19 pandemic. The timing was especially critical given 2019 marked the first time Footprints Floors launched outside its home base of Colorado. Critical problem-solving skills needed to come into play in order to keep the business afloat.
“We were only seven months into our first out-of-state venture by the time the pandemic was really off and going,” Park recalled. “The first six months were a little touch and go; we weren’t exactly sure what the new normal was going to look like.”
Luckily for Footprints Floors, the enterprise was deemed an “essential” business, in essence giving it license to operate under certain conditions while other businesses had to temporarily shut their doors. At the same time, the company had to navigate through unprecedented challenges. Footprints Floors had to not only abide by their customers’ boundaries—“some didn’t care one bit about a pandemic happening; others didn’t want anyone in their home”—but the company’s installers also had their own reservations about going into strangers’ homes. “It was really about being sensitive to everyone involved to make sure we were accommodating everyone’s needs,” Park stated.
To that end, Footprints Floors management trained its staff of customer service representatives on how to interact with customers and explain the company’s policies and procedures before and during home visits. Things like stepping away from the door after ringing a customer’s doorbell, having a mask on during interactions and even keeping proof of vaccination handy were all a part of accommodating a wide range of comfort levels.
Business may have been impacted at the outset, according to Park, but the company quickly rebounded. “We shrank considerably right after the initial shock of it all, and then from there we’ve had record month after month,” he shared. “We added many new markets and new franchisees over the following year—and that hasn’t really stopped.”
A proven business model
While the Footprints Floors mode of operation is largely based on in-home sales, Park is quick to point out that it’s not a “shop-at-home business,” per se. “Shop-at-home/mobile showrooms are all about driving around in a van and selling a particular product,” he noted. “We are unique in that we are the laborers, the installers, the technicians—that’s our bread and butter. When we walk into a house, we don’t have a particular product line to push on the customers. We might have our opinions on what types of products we think is best for the consumer based on their situation, but at the end of the day we don’t care where they buy the product.”
It’s this approach, according to Park, that ultimately saves the consumer money. By focusing solely on installation services, Footprints Floors eliminates any overhead associated with maintaining inventory or operating a showroom. “Instead, we partner with a lot of local mom-and-pop showrooms,” he explained. “Most retailers don’t really want to get into installs—it’s a necessary evil for them.”
Outside of its partnerships with local retailers, Footprints Floors also leverages a strong Internet presence as well as good, old-fashioned word of mouth. “We do a lot of marketing direct to the consumer as well,” Park said.
Hard surface specialists
Footprints Floors installers specialize in a range of hard surface products and services, including complete hardwood flooring installations as well as sanding, finishing, staining, custom borders and stairs. In addition, its technicians are also skilled in laying down rigid core/LVT, gym floors, rubber mat flooring, etc. But in some of its top markets, tile and laminate account for 70%-80% of revenues. How about broadloom carpet and polished concrete? Not so much, according to Bryan. However, the occasional carpet tile project is not out of the question.
“A lot depends on the market,” Park said. “We’ll do whatever the market calls for.”
Looking up
Footprints Floors continues on its impressive growth track, having added 28 new markets since the beginning of last year and now covering 41 states nationwide. This puts the company at a total of 171 operating markets through the United States. The company continues to target additional markets in California, New Jersey, New York, Chicago, Houston, Dallas, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Maryland.
“We continue to set new records each month,” Park stated. “We’re up 10% over the last year, which is amazing to see given the state of the economy.”
The price of admission
The total initial investment required to begin operation of a Footprints Floors franchise ranges from $78.5K-113K, according to Bryan Park, founder and CEO. This covers an initial franchise fee, exclusive rights to a territory, extensive training, mentoring, marketing and a startup package. However, potential franchisees would need to supply their own vehicles.
More detailed explanations of the initial investment costs for a franchise can be found under the franchise disclosure document (FDD) on the Footprints Floors website, https://footprintsfloors.com.
