Franchise Spotlight: Kyle Timmons
Tell us a little about your background
After college, I worked for 10 years as an actuary for insurance companies before leaving to work on my own as an actuarial consultant while staying at home with our children as a stay-at-home dad. Eventually, I started my own mediation company and provided a wide variety of mediation services for businesses, litigants, divorcing couples and EEO complainants. While mediating, I became a member of Office Evolution, eventually retiring from the mediation business and purchasing with my wife OE franchises for the Southeast Valley of the Phoenix area. Married, two allegedly grown kids, one dog.
What makes you unique?
The variety of jobs that I have had. Everything from janitor to farmhand, ironworker to an actuary, stay-at-home dad to a mediator and now once again, entrepreneur.
Why did you decide to open an Office Evolution franchise?
At the time we saw OE as an opportunity to provide investment and retirement income on an ongoing basis as we neared and entered retirement.
Tell us a bit about your Business Center Manager
Rebecca Alden, is the true heart of Office Evolution Phoenix. I met her through someone I knew at the Chamber of Commerce who happened to be her boyfriend. She interviewed, was hired and the members of OE Phoenix love her. She is always super helpful to them and has an infectious laugh and personality that brightens everyone’s day. She also has an extensive background in retail sales that helps her help our members find just the right fit for them and their business.
Tell us a bit about your members
We have a huge variety of occupations and businesses represented at OE Phoenix. Programmers, bookkeepers and accountants, attorneys, audiologists, engineers, therapists and counselors, hair products, renewable and recycling products, financial advisors, tech companies, a kids’ taxi service and many more. One of the best advantages of being a franchisee is watching the culture and relationships of our site develop.
What makes your location unique?
We are located in the very southern part of Phoenix which is known as Ahwatukee. Ahwatukee has been described as the world’s largest cul-de-sac as it has traditionally been a neighborhood with very limited access to two major interstates. The approximately 85,000 people that live in Ahwatukee have high regard for their neighborhood yet are very, very welcoming to any and all newcomers. Due to our proximity to interstate highways, we also draw from a large number of neighboring communities in the valley.
How were you able to see success?
I would not say we have seen success to date with our location but continue to make slow progress toward that goal. We will see success when as a location we are realizing real returns on the investment we have made.
Advice for future Office Evolution franchise owners?
Above all else, hire the right BCM. Work and understand your Proforma calculations backward and forwards, worst-case to best-case and everywhere in-between and know your numbers.
Be very conservative in your assumptions for development, sales, and expenses.
Find the right location at a good or great deal, don’t be too anxious and agree to a bad deal.