Pinch A Penny Franchise Owner Lisa Ifland, and her husband, dreamed of owning a family business for some time before realizing the perfect opportunity was literally in their own backyard.
The family had recently installed a swimming pool. “One day we were sitting on the patio by the pool,” Lisa explains. “And I said to my husband, ‘You know, if we had some type of business like this one—I could absolutely handle this.’”
Add the significant market potential in Plano, TX, where a swimming pool is in nearly every backyard, and the decision was made: the Iflands were ready to dive into the swimming pool business. The couple came across Pinch A Penny while exploring different options, and it immediately stood out as a perfect fit.
Fast forward a few months, and Lisa officially opened their first Pinch A Penny store in April. And the first summer in business proved very successful, without signs of slowing down either. Lisa credits this to a combination of factors, and we believe her path to quickly becoming a top Pinch A Penny Franchise Owner is worth sharing.
Family
“We wanted a business that was in line with our core values,” Lisa says. “One that would allow us to involve our entire family and be our own.” It was in talking with other Pinch A Penny Franchise Owners while first researching the opportunity that Lisa learned many of our locations are family run, beginning with store number one in 1976.
So, naturally, when Lisa’s location was ready to open, she enlisted her husband and two grown children to help run the store. And while the business’s remaining employees aren’t exactly family, they’re about as close as it gets: Friends of Lisa’s son who also grew up right in front of her. It’s a team Lisa is not surprisingly happy to invest in, and one that’s brought value to the business in multiple ways. “My customers can see that we’re a family, and they love that,” Lisa says. “They love the environment in the store — they can see that we’re close, and it just changes the vibe, you know?”
Patience
Like most first-time Franchise Owners, Lisa learned the commitment it takes to run a business is no small or easy feat. Especially in the beginning, she says, the growing pains are going to be present. “But then every day it got easier and easier and easier,” Lisa says. “And we’re four months in now, and you know, we’re getting everything down.” Lisa’s confidence in the future of her business even has her taking steps in exploring multi-unit franchise ownership with Pinch A Penny.
Passion
“You have to be very passionate about what you're doing, what you’re learning, and what you're selling," Lisa says. For Lisa, this meant learning the business from the ground up, including the service side, and says she couldn't be happier for it. "I didn't think it was possible to be a woman and run a business like this and actually do all aspects by yourself," Lisa says, "but look at me now —the proof is in the pudding.”
Lisa also couldn't be more pleased with the support system Pinch A Penny put in place. "When you're opening and starting a new business," she explains, "I wanted a family business, but I also wanted a business that had a proven track record and would lay the groundwork for us to grow this company to be successful. Pinch A Penny provided that."
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