The path to success is not a simple feat, as it requires an undying passion and an undaunted perseverance. When that passion and perseverance meet purpose, great results can be achieved. It is blend of these traits that has led Nick-Anthony Zamucen to achieve tremendous success in various business ventures. Driven by the vision to make positive difference in the lives of people, Nick has changed the landscape of service franchise industry.
Currently, he is the Founder and CEO of Best Option Restoration, a trusted national leader in the disaster restoration industry, and Founded Bio- Once Inc., the first crime and trauma scene cleaning franchise, operating in 44 States with over 120 locations.
Besides, Nick-Anthony Zamucen is a 4x published author, business strategist, and an award-winning serial entrepreneur. He is also working on his fifth book now.
Let’s shed some more light on his entrepreneurial journey and how he is assisting those in need after a disaster has occurred, through an interview conducted between him and The Franchise Universe.
Below are the highlights of the interview:
Give us a brief overview of your position at Best Option Restoration, and your journey since inception.
I am the Founder and CEO of Best Option Restoration. Best Option Restoration, what we call BOR, is a spin off from my other franchise, Bio- One Inc. Our Bio-One franchises were preforming bioremediation in people’s home and referring work to restoration companies to restore the rooms back into their original form. They were passing ten-thousand-dollar jobs to other companies. Then, some restoration companies decided to try their hand at bioremediation, which none have done successfully, and it occurred to me that the Bio-One franchisees are now making their “competitors” stronger by-passing work to them.
This did not sit well with me, so I created Best Option Restoration and keep all the work between the two franchised systems. Bio-One’s and BOR work seamlessly together. It’s a true win-win.
Please list your strategies and services that make you and your company standout from the competition.
Along with the thermal technology and state of the art software systems to help manage the day-to-day operations, we also collect invoices for our franchises. We are the only game in town who take that off the franchisees plate. Insurance is a hard game to learn, so we help our franchisees become successful by helping them collect money. This way they don’t have to hire someone to do so. As a business owner, you have to ware many hats and it can be a tough go. We try to ease the pain of new ownership by taking some thing off the new franchisees plate. The franchisees think this is one of the greatest things we could do for them.
What roadblocks or challenges were faced by you in a corporate business? And how did you overcome them?
The biggest roadblock I’ve hit with BOR, is having yet another franchised restoration company in the space. I’ve had to educate and shift some paradigms when it came to new technology in a very old school thinking and acting industry. Most restoration companies continue to be a man in a van with a fan. This approach has worked successfully for decades, and I come in with a better more efficient mouse trap. A new mouse trap that actually works and works great. The old dogs in the industry try everything they can to discredited technology and basic science. I understand I am a threat to them, but times change and if they don’t like it, they can always retire. BOR is going to continue to not only lead in the restoration technology space, but we will make it the new norm. I foresee putting many of the old dogs out to pasture for good.
As the CEO, what is your opinion on the impact of the current pandemic on the disaster restoration industry?
Restoration continues to grow at an expediential rate, regardless of what’s going on in the world. Pipes burst, mold grows, and fires unfortunately happen, so there is always a need for restoration companies. It’s a billion-dollar industry for a reason. There is no slowing it down. Restoration will continue to thrive in regardless of worldly outcomes.
What is your thought on the necessity of a positive work culture? In what ways do you implement it at your organization?
What we are talking about here is company culture. Company culture is something I am an expert at creating and it is not hard. This is one of the most important things to focus on in business in general not just franchising. People want to feel heard, feel cared for and feel like they have an overall voice.
One can accept not having everything they want or getting their way, if they understand the bigger picture and if they feel included in the bigger picture. Inclusion and feeling accepted or part of something bigger than you is such a big deal to most people, gangs will literally beat up their young members as entrance to the gang. People want to feel loved and accepted so bad, they are willing to be beat to a pulp to be included. Company culture is something that can never be put on the back burner. You need to massage it, work on it and have it on one of the forefronts of your mind when making any decision that effects more than just you.
What is your opinion on the necessity for businesses to align their offerings with newer technological developments, especially when it comes to disaster restoration?
BOR is on the cutting edge of technology in all aspects of its being. We use the most state-of-the-art drying strategies, have the finest software systems that integrate with accounting, pricing, estimating, inventory control, customer relations and communication, not to mention employee management. We don’t take technology lightly like the rest of the industry. I want everyone else to sit a distant second to us. I tell my competitors, please don’t look at trying new things, it’s expensive and hard to train and monitor correctly. While the expense is high for us, we don’t pass that on to our franchisees, we bare the cost. As far the training is concerned, well, I’m damn good at what I do, and training is easy for me. If you can break things down to its simplest forms and not overwhelm people, it’s a lot easier and not so scary for people to learn. You just have to chunk things out, not overwhelm people with everything all at once.
In what ways do you or Best Option Restoration contributed to the community?
BOR helps people when unexpected losses occur in their home. Water damage in your home or office can seem like a wildly upsetting problem that can’t be fixed. Our BOR franchises are true professionals at remediating losses of all types and bringing an end to a bad day.
How do you envision on sustaining your franchisee competency in a cutthroat and volatile world of business?
We will come up on top by being the most empathetic franchise in the game. We look at every situation differently and understand that this is someone’s home or place of work that means a lot to them. This is just not “another job”, it is a chance to help someone when they need it the most. It’s a chance to make a difference. With those things in mind, this is why BOR will continue to thrive.
Where do you see your franchisee business in the next five years? What have you envisioned for your organization’s future, with regards to your role at the company and for your personal ambitions as well?
In the next 5 years, BOR will be on its way to dominating that franchise space of restoration. We should have a few hundred franchises by then and will continue to grow in our space. As far as me, I’ll be sitting right here, orchestrating it all. I have a plan, I’ll show you as the year go on. An important lesson for young business owners is, you don’t need to tell everyone what you’re doing…just shut up and do it.
As an established business leader, what would be your advice to the budding entrepreneurs aspiring to venture into the disaster restoration industry?
This is a very competitive space. There is no room for someone who is shy or scared to speak to people. You have to get your name out there through a solid consistent marketing effort. Be consistent, show up every day to give it your all and remember, there are no shortcuts to success.
