Franchise and Entrepreneur issue CivilianJOBS.com’s
The Essential Military-to-Civilian Transition Resource September - October 2015
militarytransitionnews.com
JDog: More Than Just Lip Service by Janet Farley Contributing Editor
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ou may not miss the formations or the “0’Dark Thirty” PT sessions when you transition out of the military, but you may miss some of the more intangible aspects of the lifestyle. For example, you are used to working in a mission-oriented world with others who share a common work ethic and a solid sense of esprit de corps. In uniform, you know you can count on the person next to you because that person can count on you. But you don’t always find that type of organizational culture in the civilian workplace. You can find it by becoming a JDog Junk Removal franchisee, however. That’s what Jeremy Parker did after retiring from the
Army in 2014. JDog Junk Removal (www. jdogjunkremoval.com) is a fullservice franchise that specializes in sorting, recycling, hauling and disposal of unwanted residential and commercial items. Recently retired U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Jeremy Parker learned about the franchise through the Army Career and Alumni Program (ACAP). Parker was impressed. “The fact that the franchise is veteran-owned and veteranoperated really appealed to me. We [veterans] support each other differently than civilians do,” said Parker. “The JDog franchise speaks a language I am familiar with,” he said. Parker was able to connect the dots between the skills he used in the military and the skills needed to own and operate a small business.
“As a preventive medicine supervisor, I was a jack of all trades,” said Parker. “I had to carefully plan the work, prioritize the tasks, make decisions and work closely with others to get the job done. Those are skills that will help me as a small business owner, too,” said Parker. Parker encourages other veterans who may be considering becoming a franchisee to seriously look at JDog Junk Removal. “The basic start-up cost to me was only $60K and while that may seem like a lot, it’s not. Other franchises I researched easily cost $500K and up,” said Parker. According to Parker, a number of items are covered in that $60K. “It covers the basic cost of the franchise which is $25K. It covers a vehicle that can pull a trailer and the trailer itself. It also covers the advertising vinyl that goes on both
the truck and the trailer,” said Parker. “It also covers the administrative needs such as the business licenses, legal and accounting fees,” he said. Future would-be franchisees can also expect to receive intensive training. “I spent three days in Pennsylvania with the franchise owner, Jerry Flanagan. He went over all the basics with me,” said Parker. According to Parker, he learned how to do the paperwork, manage the finances, obtain free advertising and conduct a competitive cost analysis. He also learned more about the franchise’s mission statement which centers around helping and hiring more veterans in an effort to reduce the gap between civilian and vet unemployment. “I also had the opportunity to meet with members of the advisory board and I spent an afternoon with another franchisee to see how things really work on the job itself,” said Parker. Parker has some good advice for fellow veterans considering
becoming a JDog Junk Removal franchisee. “Talk to Jerry Flanagan, CEO of JDog Franchises. He knows everything,” said Parker. “If you’re willing to put in the groundwork, this franchise is a) affordable and b) extremely vetfriendly. They don’t just play lip service to veteran support either,” said Parker. Parker and his wife, Randi are scheduled to open the doors to a new JDog Junk Removal franchise in San Antonio, Texas in August 2015. And, he intends to hire veterans very soon. Janet Farley is a job search and workplace issues expert and the author of “The Military Spouse’s Guide to Employment: Smart Job Choices for Mobile Lifestyles,” (Impact Pubs, 2013) and “Quick Military Transition Guide: Seven Steps to Landing a Civilian Job,” (Jist, Inc. 2013). She is also co-author of “Stories Around the Table: Laughter, Wisdom and Strength in Military Life,” (Elva Resa Publishing, 2014).
Franchising: A Perfect Fit for Veterans by Heidi Lynn Russell Contributing Editor
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lexandra Myers was craving smoothies. Rich Anthony had too many mosquitos in his back yard. The light dawned: If those things were important to them, other people probably felt the same way, too. Both now own flourishing franchises that have grown so exponentially, even they didn’t
foresee their resounding success. Myers, of New Orleans, is a former Navy LT who is currently the owner of 10 Smoothie King locations, which are either on or near military installations nationwide. And Anthony, of Oklahoma City, was an Army SPC who spent eight years as a nuclear biological chemical specialist. He opened his first Mosquito Joe franchise in 2014 and immediately grew the business to 650 customers. He started with two Mosquito Joe vans and this year
has six; by next year he expects to operate 12, plus expand his geographic outreach to customers. Myers and Anthony say franchising is a great fit for veterans seeking to be their own bosses. For one thing, its systems are similar to those of the military’s. And for another, veterans have a can-do, self-starting attitude that propels their franchise ownership even further. “The reason franchises are successful business operations is that
they’ve already failed and tried and have learned what it takes to be successful,” Anthony says. “For a military person, it’s structure that you need that’s not out of control.” continues page 4 Photo Right: Alexandra Myers, Smoothie King Franchisee
INSIDE THIS ISSUE Transition Talk: What is Networking? ....................page 3
Profile: Entrepreneur Success Stories
Finance: Tips for Business Owners
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Job Fairs: Fall Face to Face Functions ................page 18
Career Coach’s Corner: WWWWWH ..... page 19