Two Titus Center for Franchising students bought their own franchise and are honing their real-world business skills while they finish their degrees.
Micah Droescher, a junior studying marketing, and Hogan McFadden, a senior studying finance, bought and opened The Patch Boys, a drywall repair franchise, in January. The Patch Boys provides drywall repair and installation, ceiling and plaster repair, and popcorn ceiling removal. It has more than 120 franchises across the U.S.
Droescher and McFadden’s franchise employs eight people, and the pair hope to hire a marketing intern from PBA. Before buying The Patch Boys, Droescher and McFadden followed Titus Center Director Dr. John P. Hayes’ suggestion to talk financials with other franchisees.
Armed with knowledge, McFadden and Droescher created detailed business plans. Franchising classes “helped me know the right questions to ask,” Droescher said. “Information is free, but mistakes cost you something.”
With appointments scheduled over the phone and no brick-and-mortar location, The Patch Boys has low overhead and a good return on investment. The Patch Boys is “COVID-proof because it’s home improvement based,” McFadden said.
Said Droescher, “There’s definitely a need for it in the market.”
The franchisor did a good job teaching what they needed to know, McFadden said. “They’re always there for you when you need help but they’re not on top of you,” he added. “They’re like a coach. When you ask, they answer.”
The Patch Boys isn’t McFadden’s first business; he also owns The Palm Locals, a screen printing and embroidery company, with fellow student Chris Pappas. The two were working a valet job, and during a break, they turned to one another and said, “How can we do anything other than this?” About half of The Palm Locals employees are from PBA.
McFadden sharpened his business acumen thanks to Hayes, Management Instructor Geoffrey Jervis and McFadden’s parents, who are business owners, he said.
“I’ve always liked business,” he said. “I like to solve problems and figure out how to do something better.”
Photo: Hogan McFadden and Micah Droescher pose for a photo with their new The Patch Boys van. The franchising students paired up to buy a franchise of The Patch Boys.