Catching Up with the Shines
Steve Shine from Texarkana, TX has owned a Sparkle Wash franchise for just under two years. For those who are on the fence about owning a Sparkle Wash franchise, here is Steve’s experience in his own words from a recent interview.
WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO BUY A SPARKLE WASH FRANCHISE?
For many years, I thought about starting my own business but always had a professional job with a consistent paycheck and benefits. I haven’t had the nerve to make the leap until 2019 when we moved to Texarkana for my wife’s new job. I was a Commercial Insurance Underwriter with a significant book of business I built up over the years. Because Texarkana was so far out of my eastern US territory, my employer wanted me to start over, building a new book from scratch, and take a pay cut. This seemed the best time to start my business. I decided on Sparkle Wash since my Dad worked with a neighbor of ours who had a franchise in Indiana.
WAS THE PROCESS OF GETTING YOUR FRANCHISE UP AND RUNNING EASIER OR HARDER THAN YOU ORIGINALLY THOUGHT?
Maybe a little harder. I counted on a large learning curve from all the advice and lessons learned I heard from others. I was confident, though, I would make it work.
WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT BEING YOUR OWN BOSS?
I enjoy the challenge of landing the big jobs, the jobs no one else can handle or know how to do. I like making my own schedule and going as fast or as slow as I want. But the best thing about being my own boss is getting to work with my 2 sons, continuing to instill in them a sense of hard work = big reward.
WHAT IS ONE JOB/EXPERIENCE YOU HAVE BEEN MOST PROUD OF SINCE OWNING YOUR SPARKLE WASH FRANCHISE?
Early on, within the first few months of opening the business, a property manager contacted me about cleaning a 160,000 sq ft metal factory building. It had mold all over the outside. The previous pressure washing company he hired 7 years ago took 2 weeks to clean it. We came in and cleaned it in 2 days at a fraction of what the other company charged him, using the techniques we learned from SWI. This property manager instantly became a fan of ours and gave us several recommendations landing us significant business. We also used that job for marketing purposes. The before and after pics were amazing. My son also made this TikTok video that became popular on social media.