HomeFront Brands

Pioneering Success in Property Franchising

Unique Onboarding, Low-Costs, and Brand Cohesion Drive the Customer Experience at Homefront Brands

For a franchise, a strategic vision at the highest echelon of business is paramount. Simultaneously,  the path to success also includes meticulous operational strategies and an unwavering commitment to customer satisfaction.

This is especially true for franchises that provide residential and light commercial property services. Goals must align with market trends, and areas of untapped potential must be identified.  Equally crucial is a robust infrastructure and streamlined processes that not only enhance operational efficiency but also ensure a consistent brand experience.

Paul Tucker, VP of E-Commerce

However, success is measured by more than corporate strategies. At the grassroots level, franchisees play a pivotal role. The best franchises recognize the importance of onboarding and continuous training. A franchise that fosters a culture of learning and development empowers its local business owners, enabling them to navigate challenges and seize opportunities effectively.

HomeFront Brands, a dynamic player in the franchising industry, has done all of the above and more. It has been making waves with its innovative approach and rapid growth. As a thriving residential and light commercial property franchise, it steadfastly honors the significance of customer interactions.

Two of its standout brands, Top Rail Fence and Temporary Wall Systems, have become key players in their respective markets.

Thanks to the harmonious synchronization of visionary leadership, efficient operations, and empowered local owners, from the first point of contact to the completion of service, every interaction exudes professionalism, reliability, and excellence.

These positive customer experiences have driven loyalty and show the unmistakable imprint of a brand that not only meets but exceeds customer expectations, resulting in a network of satisfied clients and a growing, reputable franchise presence.

A Renovation Franchise Revolution

Founded in 2014 in Greenville, South Carolina, Top Rail Fence stands out as a beacon in the fencing industry. Its current franchise model originated as a corporate store model from a former family franchise called AdvantaClean.

After a successful exit, Top Rail Fence was established as a franchise originally named Brookfield Fencing, offering fence, gate, and rail installation services. The model’s appeal to executive model owners proposed a low initial investment and remarkable returns.

“We instantly identified fencing as a space that was low fixed overhead… [and] it was a super fragmented space. No one player own player owns more than 0.1% of the national fencing market share per IBISWorld,” Chief Growth Officer Zack Dudan says.

Top Rail Fence’s subcontractor model eliminates any need for heavy amounts of inventory with drop shipping and really allows owners straightforward access to early cash flows. The blend of a scalable approach with minimal fixed overhead has proven to be a winning formula.

Under Homefront Brands, Top Rail Fence launched to the broader franchise marketplace in January 2023. Since then, it has expanded its footprint from 20 territories to over 140 awarded to 35 ownership groups across the nation, making it one of the fastest-growing franchises in its industry.

Temporary Wall Systems, founded in Boston in 2017 by a union carpenter and his wife, introduces a unique solution to occupied renovations. This franchise, specializing in modular containment for renovations, ensures clean, efficient, and certified containment solutions.

“So, we are the one-stop shop rental modular containment systems for contractors and facility managers in a lot of different scenarios,” Dudan explains. Temporary Wall Systems have become a go-to choice in the industry, catering to medical facilities, hotels, public transportation, and large retail hubs like malls.

The brand also sees a lot of activity with restaurant and gas station chains. Although the company originally operated within a few territories in Boston, since joining Homefront Brands, it has seen explosive growth, awarding over 150 territories to 49 ownership groups across the United States and even venturing into Canada.

The Franchisee is the Focus

Homefront Brands, as the umbrella company, strategically identified the potential in the fencing and temporary wall sectors. Leveraging the franchising model, Homefront Brands acquired and transformed these businesses into highly successful franchises.

“Top Rail Fence and Temporary Wall Systems both need to have a robust B2B customer segment, not just B2C… we want to have a healthy mix,” Dudan says, referring to the fact that many model owners of the franchise have more of an interest in working with large construction groups and facility executives than just individuals and their properties.

This focus on what franchise owners want is essential to HomeFront’s operational structure. The model places the franchisee at the center of everything, acting as the collective nucleus of the company.

“Operations, technology, marketing, vendor relationships, data analytics; all of that is built around the franchisee. They’re going to have a great user experience of the platform and brand,” Dudan explains.

This principle, when applied practically, has resulted in an incredibly efficient and streamlined onboarding process that can franchisees be fully equipped to launch in 90 days.

In fact, HomeFront Brands has an entire team dedicated to nothing but franchisee onboarding, as the company culture steadfastly adheres to the phrase “Starting Well to Go Well” as the central motto for franchisee success.

The goal is not just growth but ensuring that new franchisees launch successfully and become thriving businesses in their communities. With both Top Row Fence and Temporary Wall Systems nearing 150 territories each, Homefront Brands maintains a selective approach, emphasizing quality over quantity.

Over the first six months of 2022, the company developed a custom learning management tool in Adobe that acts as a key piece of digital infrastructure supporting its vision.

In action, the tool’s efficiency is reminiscent of the same platforms one would find in large billion-dollar enterprises like Dunkin, allowing HomeFront Brands’ leadership to create a truly thorough training experience. Its platform is, in fact, the highlight of many monthly Net Promoter Score surveys, in which it has received some of the highest ratings overall.

The learning and development department plays a pivotal role, offering industry-leading training with a focus on continuous improvement, thus creating good habits and fostering the development of successful franchise owners.

The HomeFront Brands Flywheel

Meaghan Price, VP of Marketing

The ideal HomeFront Brands owner is someone who is well-suited to make the most use of all of the tools that they will have access to. The brand often attracts people with strong backgrounds in business development., people who aren’t afraid to be the face of their business and aren’t necessarily constrained by a lack of capital and resources.

“If we can deliver enterprise-level solutions at the local business level, then we’re going to have seasoned business people join HomeFront,” Dudan says, explaining that the company’s low overhead has attracted many C-suite executives from billion-dollar brands like Taco Bell, Valvoline, and Pods.

This makes sense, as Homefront Brands categorizes its franchises as low-cost, with investments typically ranging from $100,000 to $300,000. This affordability, coupled with a three-month turnaround to start operations, attracts entrepreneurs looking for a quick entry into the market. The franchises’ virtual guarantee of revenue growth within the first year only further sweetens the deal.

To seal the deal, when owners do launch, they are supported by a sturdy technological stack powered by Microsoft Solutions with a strong use of Microsoft’s Power BI platform.

“Franchisees have dashboards,” Dudan begins, “they can see where they sit in the network from a conversion, lead generation, and revenue standpoint,” Dudan says.  Of course, HomeFront’s robust technological support accomplishes so much more.

Franchisees can track their progress with predictive analytics, take advantage of AI, and stay organized and well-exposed using HomeFront’s dedicated CRM and marketing solutions.

When boiled down to base elements, the combination of good, experienced owners, strong onboarding procedures, and flawless execution of technology and communication make HomeFront a powerful formula for continuous, scalable growth.

This has solidified a strong sense of brand cohesion within the company culture, which further contributes to a unified and positive customer experience. A centralized sales and scheduling center guarantees a seamless experience for customers, while franchisees benefit from enterprise-level solutions and support.

Customers certainly appreciate the technical expertise, values-driven service, and flawless execution provided by all of the above. It is all indicative of a larger commitment to excellence that clearly exists from the first point of contact to the completion of services.

Homefront Brands has not only disrupted the franchising industry but has set a new standard for success. With Top Row Fence and Temporary Wall Systems leading the charge, the organization’s strategic approach, commitment to technology, and emphasis on quality franchisees position it for continued growth and influence in the years to come.

As Homefront Brands pioneers success in franchising, its story is one of innovation, merit, and a commitment to creating thriving businesses across North America.

Homefront Brands sets itself apart by not only utilizing standard technology but also by preparing for future advancements.

The organization’s investment in bringing large enterprise-like solutions to the grassroots level is exactly what positions it as an emerging leader in the franchise industry.

With the quality of owners the brand attracts, it both explains its tremendous growth and lays out a credible prediction of what’s to come. The brand will undoubtedly embrace a role as a paragon of sensational franchising across North America.

AT A GLANCE

HomeFront Brands

What: A pioneering franchise organization specializing in residential and light commercial property services, encompassing standout brands Top Rail Fence and Temporary Wall Systems.

Website: https://homefrontbrands.com/