( ENSPIRE Business ) Nick Zamucen Changed the Rules of the Service Industry
ENSPIRE Contributor: Xiangxi Kong
Nick- Anthony Zamucen is not only the visionary founder and CEO behind Best Option Restoration but also a serial entrepreneur who has revolutionized franchising. He used his extensive experience and unique business models and has cultivated a series of successful franchises, proving his strategies in diverse markets. His forward thinking has set a precedent in the franchising industry, particularly in maintaining relevance and profitability in volatile markets.
Best Option Restoration is a company that provides water damage restoration services in Colorado. It is committed to helping home and business owners after a disaster. Their experienced team has the knowledge and equipment necessary to make sure that they leave your home as it was before the incident. The crews receive extensive training from the best in the industry and follow all IICRC s500 standards. The services include Water damage, fire damage, mold remediation, contents cleaning, storm damage, and commercial and large loss.
We interviewed Nick-Anthony Zamucen and discussed his experience and more.
What led you to the restoration service industry?
It’s very simple, I looked around at the competition and realized these guys were making loads of money and weren’t very good at what they were doing or cared how they treated the homeowners. I witnessed a consistent attitude of, “you need me more than I need you” towards a homeowner in need and a person in crisis. I wanted to change that. I decided to bring technology, professionalism, and some good old-fashioned empathy to an old stale, and frankly rude industry.
Are there any significant differences between your business investment thinking and that of other investors?
I would like to think so. There are many restoration companies to choose from in the franchise space. However, there’s only one that comes to market with a true difference in how we build, grow, scale, and eventually exist the business. We teach our franchisees to think of their company as an investment, not just a job. We don’t want them to buy a job, we want them to build an investment, that you can scale and exit for a large multiple. We build and support successful business owners, not just business operators. Now there’s nothing wrong with being self-employed, it’s just a dangerous game if it stops there.
There are so many stories out there of people being self-employed, working for 30+ years on a business, wanting to come to retirement, and have nothing to sell because they are the business. They never built it to run without them, no one ever coached them to think of the business as an investment. The owner got caught up in the day-to-day of running the business, solving all the problems, and being “the one in charge” and forgot or didn’t know how to build a machine that creates real income and future wealth. I hear these stories every day and it’s sad.
I teach, coach, and preach business ownership not just operations. I don’t think many people in the franchise space, leaders of franchised companies, put a strong emphasis on strategic growth with an exit in mind for their franchisees. I do, it’s too important to leave it to chance. People trust us to help them secure a life they couldn’t do on their own, we owe it to our franchisees to help them secure a glorious financial future.
What are some of the main difficulties people encounter when opening a small business? What advice can you give to entrepreneurs？
First and foremost most I cringe when I hear someone trying to start any business on a shoestring budget. It usually ends up bad, because there are unexpected expenses that creep up in every business. You simply must be properly capitalized before you start a business. People also have big dreams and short timetable. They think if “I can get just 25% of the market share, I’ll be doing great”, however, they don’t have any idea of how to even gain 1% of the market share. Having rose-colored glasses is dangerous in a business startup. It’s imperative to do your research, respect your competitors, and think in years, not just months. Nothing and I mean nothing happens as fast as you want it to. I see people putting together 1–3-month proformas and they’re already cash-positive. I mean come on, if it were that easy everyone would do it.
The best advice I give new or young entrepreneurs is, patience is key. I’m not saying work slow, I’m saying set your expectations and timeframes in a realistic platform. There are no overnight success stories, you just didn’t see the work involved to make it look like overnight. Nothing happens as fast as you want it to.
Is there anyone you’re thankful for in your entrepreneurial endeavors?
I’m truly thankful for the failures in my life. Failures have taught me so much more than the wins. Winning is nice, but it’s short-lived. I sold two companies back to back, literally signing the paperwork and sending wire instructions to the private equity firms who were buying each business separately the same day. It was a 78-million-dollar Friday and I was back to work in my office Monday morning as if nothing ever happened. It was a good win, however, the money is a byproduct to hard work and learning from failures along the way. I have many advisors private and public, Steve Daiker, Michael Katz, Steven Sitkowski, and Jon McDonnell to name a few. These are men, I go to for strategic advice, spiritual guidance, and legal ramifications. I am thankful for them and many others, but most of all, I’m thankful for my failures.
May I ask if you have any next steps?
I’ll be with my current franchise until 2025, then my full management team will be in place and I’ll take a step back. I plan to sell the franchised organization in about 10 years or so when we hit 300+ units, but until then, I’ll hold and let my All-Star team build.
In 2025 I plan to get more into philanthropy with my free time. My wife and I are currently highly involved with the Make-A-Wish organization, and I also plan on getting together with my pal, Matthew McConaughey to perhaps bring his Just Keep Livin organization here to Denver. There’s a lot of good in the world left to do and I’m going to do my part in a big way.
Nick- Anthony Zamucen has changed the game regarding the service franchise industry. He was awarded Top 50 CEO Under 50 by Business Diversity Magazine 2022. For more info, please check here. Please check the website to learn more about Best Option Restoration.
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