Work-life balance is a top priority for today’s workers. It not only means extra time for family, friends and hobbies, but it actually affects your health. When we get stressed and overwhelmed by work priorities, our immune system suffers—meaning you’re susceptible to getting sick more easily.
Many people turn to business ownership to reap the benefits of work-life balance. Franchise opportunities are a proven way for entrepreneurs to become independent business owners while still receiving support for buying, training, marketing and operations from the franchisor.
SpeedPro has more than 135 locations already up and running, providing entrepreneurs with confidence that the brand is based on a proven model. New franchisees appreciate the large and growing base of peers and unmatched corporate support. These resources help franchisees, such as David and Cherie Ostermann, grow their business and achieve a healthy work-life balance. They’ve been part of the SpeedPro family for 12 years.
Partners in Life and Business
Cherie worked as a personal trainer and as a sales rep for a magazine. David worked most of his professional life in IT sales and telecommunications. But, in 2001 the IT industry took a hit. After being laid off four times, he knew it was time for a career change, but wasn’t sure where to turn. Although the couple wasn’t looking into franchise ownership, they heard about an opportunity through a friend, who owned a SpeedPro studio.
David and Cherie became partners with that friend in 2005 and took full ownership in 2010.
“Both Cherie and I had years of sales experience, so it seemed like a good fit,” David said. “We did a 90-day trial and then signed on and became full owners eight years ago.”
They got married shortly before their career change, and their tag-team effort has helped them run the business smoothly and achieve their work-life balance.
“I think since there are two of us and we act as partners in the business, it makes it easier to take time away,” Cherie said. “For example, I’ll work from home to watch our grandkids. Family is so important to us, so that’s a huge plus.”
But it wasn’t always this way. David and Cherie worked hard to build up a great team to support their business.
Teamwork Makes the Dream Work
When they first took ownership, David and Cherie spent the same amount of time doing SpeedPro work as they did doing work at their past jobs. However, since then, they have been able to scale back their time at work and spend more time with family, but not without strategic planning.
“It’s so important to have a great team on your side,” David said. “We made sure to take time hiring the right people who we could trust with our business. We have great general managers and staff. We’re very confident in our staff to keep everything moving smoothly.”
This attention to detail with hiring has allowed the pair to take time off and feed their travel bug.
“By the time we got married, both our children were adults, so we’re empty nesters now,” Cherie said. “We want to take advantage of this time to travel. We’re seeing the world and visiting our kids and grandkids along the way, making memories we’ll never forget.”
David’s son is studying abroad in Florence, Italy, and David and Cherie plan to visit him this summer. While it took hard work in their business, the SpeedPro model has allowed the couple opportunities to enjoy entrepreneurship and their family in harmony.
To learn more about SpeedPro’s model and more about franchisee work-life balance, read about some of the perks of being a SpeedPro studio owner.