Hard row to hoe

This is a difficult franchise to make it in. Most furniture repair franchises are. The idea and people in the franchise system are good, but....The lynch pin to their business is primarily repairs for van lines and moving insurers. Many, many van lines have cash flow issues and it will only get worse with the fuel prices. 90 to 120 day receivables are not unheard of. None of these companies will pay by credit card or direct deposit. Margins are thin. The majority of the people you do repairs for are hostile because the van line damaged their furniture. Feb through May typically has real poor revenues (not a lot of moves then). It is very difficult to bring employees up to the level of skills needed for satisfactory repairs. If the repair is not judged satisfactory by the owner, the van line/insurer will not pay. Employees have to be able to make a structurally sound repair, color the wood to match, and match the sheen as well. So you need someone who has good mechanical aptitude, can match colors like an artist with on a canvas, and spray lacquer out of a can as well as a custom car painter. They have to be able to do factory grade repairs in someone’s living room.