“When I began looking at franchises, I wanted a franchise with a proven track record and ongoing marketing and training support.”
Gary Drenning spent 38 years working in the corporate world, primarily in the finance and administration areas.
He was vice president of finance and administration for a company involved in manufacturing, construction and commercial real estate when he grew tired of the corporate stress and politics and decided to go into business for himself.
“I was looking for a business that had a good market in my geographical area of Altoona, Pa., the option to work from home, the benefit of managing my own schedule and minimal start-up costs,” Drenning said.
The journey to selecting a franchise
Drenning knew right away that he wanted to start a franchise business rather than an independent business, so he began by performing due diligence on various franchises in many different industries.
“I did not want the hassle of all the start-up issues. I wanted the benefit of marketing assistance, a proven business model and adequate training while entering the new arena,” he said.
“When I began looking at franchises, I wanted a franchise with a proven track record and ongoing marketing and training support.”
National Property Inspections met all of the criteria Drenning was looking for in a franchise, and he started his business in February 2014.
Due to scheduling issues, he wasn’t able to visit the NPI corporate office before signing with NPI, but he had in-depth conversations with Julie Erickson, director of franchise sales. “From Julie, I got a good sense of the pride and dedication the people of NPI conveyed,” he said.
During his due diligence, Drenning also talked to several NPI business owners and was impressed with their feedback about the company and their willingness to help him get started in his own franchise.
“NPI was very open with their franchise list, financials and other company information,” Drenning said, “which sent a message to me that they had nothing to hide or be ashamed of as an organization.”
Franchising the NPI way
One of the things NPI prides itself on is outstanding support for its business owners from the moment they contact the company about a franchise opportunity.
Drenning said that the support he received has been instrumental in starting his business, and his experience with NPI has far exceeded his expectations.
“Since I returned home from my initial training, I’ve asked for and received help from just about every area of NPI,” he said. “I’ve received help in marketing and promotions, preparing bids, writing reports, technical advice, computer hardware and software assistance, and legal matters. In addition, my field trainer continues to touch base with me and send me information that is extremely helpful in moving forward.”
Drenning described NPI’s two-week training academy as “intense but rewarding.”
He found the subject matter to be informative and well-presented, and he values the friendships he developed with his classmates and the NPI corporate staff. He also found tremendous benefit in his field training with a seasoned NPI business owner. “The field training was extremely helpful in showing how a tenured professional handles both the inspection and report-writing phases of the job,” Drenning said.
Success with NPI
Hardworking, enthusiastic and driven, Drenning is positioned for success with his NPI business.
“The training, ongoing support and equipment I’ve received from NPI are first-rate,” he said, “and the people throughout the organization have been helpful, enthusiastic and friendly. I am excited to belong to the NPI family, and as I drive around my hometown community I am proud to have the NPI name on the side of my truck.”
Founded in 1987, National Property Inspections, Inc., is one of the oldest and most respected names in the home and commercial inspection business.
The company operates as National Property Inspections in the United States and as Global Property Inspections in Canada.
NPI provides services to a wide variety of clients, including home buyers and sellers; commercial property investors, owners and tenants; real estate agents and attorneys; employee relocation companies; banks; and field service companies.
No matter what type of inspection a client is looking for, NPI offers the services its clients need through its highly trained and experienced home inspectors and commercial building inspectors.
NPI also offers franchise opportunities throughout the United States and Canada to become a home and commercial building inspector.