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Navy veteran earns his strips again…Launches YELLOW DAWG STRIPING of North Florida.

GOFFSTOWN, NEW HAMPSHIRE AND JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA…

Robert Burris, a four year Navy veteran, has launched his new business venture, YELLOW DAWG STRIPING of North Florida.  Burris joins the YELLOW DAWG STRIPING franchise team of pavement marking specialists stretching from Maine to New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut and, now, Florida. Burris’ new venture will service parking lots in the Jacksonville metro area including Duval, Nassau, Clay, Baker and St. Johns counties.

For Burris, who also happens to be a former professional athlete and four year veteran of local law enforcement, the decision to purchase a YELLOW DAWG franchise was direct and timely. “I had been working with a business coach for several months looking for the right opportunity to build a business of my own and, after going through the process to match my skills with various opportunities, it was obvious to me YELLOW DAWG was the hands-down winner.”

Robert continued, “This is a low cost franchise with low overhead.  It allows me to start a business where there is real demand for my services; every parking lot in my territory needs striping or restriping.  But, what really struck me about YELLOW DAWG was the thoroughness of the operation, how it is truly customer-oriented and not just engaged in lip service to that idea. As a veteran and police officer, I understand and believe in service. YELLOW DAWG does, too.”

The path to owning a line striping franchise goes further back than Burris’ recent business search. At a recent meeting, Burris recalled his days in professional baseball as a pitcher with the Oakland Athletics organization. “Oh, yeah, we always loved watching the groundskeepers do their job. So much goes into it. Back in college ball we were responsible for doing all the grounds keeping ourselves. It always made me smile to be one of the few guys who could run those foul lines straight for 300 feet. Now instead of chalk, I get to paint it on,” he laughed.

One of the lessons of his baseball days has stayed with Burris and is part of his plans for YELLOW DAWG of North Florida. “In sports, in any endeavor really, there are plateaus that need an extra push to break through. One of my coaches would always say to us, ‘It’s only money.’ Meaning, if we didn’t work harder, work smarter and commit to our work, then someone else was going to reach the next level. As a new business owner, that sticks with me. I’m here to work hard and deliver the best possible products and service in the market.”

Burris’ veteran status was important to Jack Child, founder of BLACK DAWG FRANCHISE GROUP, parent company of YELLOW DAWG.  Child, also a military veteran, had this to say “Bob joining our team is a big plus for us.  We really like recruiting veterans as they have been trained to show up on time, wear the uniform properly and follow a prescribed system in order to get the mission accomplished – all the necessary skills we need to satisfy our customers.” 

As a member of the VetFran Organization, dedicated to assisting military veterans find a path to business ownership, YELLOW DAWG granted Burris a 30% discount off his Initial Franchise Fee as a way of saying “Thanks” for his military service.

YELLOW DAWG STRIPING is one of three affiliate brands operated by BLACK DAWG FRANCHISE GROUP.  They also offer franchises for BLACK DAWG SEALCOAT, an asphalt maintenance business, and BLUE DAWG POWER WASH, a residential and commercial pressure washing business. BLACK DAWG SEALCOAT now has 11 franchises in seven states. YELLOW DAWG STRIPING has five locations serving six states and BLUE DAWG POWER WASH has three locations serving Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts. For more information about their three franchise opportunities, please visit BlackDawgFranchise.com. To learn more about YELLOW DAWG STRIPING of North Florida, visit YellowDawgStriping.com.  Or call 1-800-998-DAWG (3294).

Navy veteran earns his strips again…Launches YELLOW DAWG STRIPING of North Florida.Read More

New Hampshire-based company recognized for branding verve and shares the secret.

GOFFSTOWN, NEW HAMPSHIRE…

Jack Child, Founder and CEO of BLACK DAWG SEALCOAT and BLACK DAWG FRANCHISE GROUP, was chosen by Entrepreneur.com as one of ten entrepreneurs whose work exemplifies the reach of building a powerful brand.

“It was very flattering when they called to do the story,” Child recalled, “The fact Entrepreneur.com knew about us and were impressed by our work speaks volumes about the power and potential in creating a strong brand.”

Child started BLACK DAWG SEALCOAT four years ago in southern New Hampshire, providing asphalt maintenance services to residential and commercial customers. He began selling franchises the next year and now has operations in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Ohio, and Kentucky, with prospects for more franchises in New York, Maine and Pennsylvania.

“I knew from the start the key to any success would be to build a recognizable brand. The asphalt maintenance industry is dominated by companies that do very little in terms of brand recognition. That was the opportunity I saw for a different way of providing these services,” said Child.

BLACK DAWG SEALCOAT takes its name from Child’s black Labrador Retriever, Olive. Her image is on everything BLACK DAWG – the sides of the trucks, yard signs, the uniforms the crews wear, hats, their signature smart car, Facebook and Twitter, the website – everywhere. “The dog sells. There is no doubt about it, but simply having a clever logo or name isn’t enough to build a brand. It is just the start. Having a cohesive plan and executing that plan is the difference between success and something less.”

Child’s advice for building brand recognition is to follow three (and a half) steps.

1)                  Reverse Engineer Your Brand – “Too often businesses view their marketing, their customer service and their products as flowing from them to the customer. Turn it around. Look at your business, your products and services, your brand, from your customer’s point of view and build to satisfy their needs – not your own. Our graphics – the black and yellow, the image of Olive – all reinforce what our business is about, but it also connects to our customers in a very direct way that makes it easy for them to consider doing business with us and we then back it up with very open, customer-oriented interactions.”

2)                  Say What You Mean, Mean What You Say – “Mark Twain once said, ‘The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between the lighting and the lightning bug.’ All the research into choosing the colors, hiring a graphic designer, building a website, maintaining a presence on social media networks and all the other tools of building a brand won’t matter at all if you don’t deliver for your customers. Everything you say or do in print, on-line and on the phone has to be backed up 100% in the field.  We call it branding, but back in my father’s day it was called your reputation”.

3)                  A Constant State of Promotion – “Businesses need to organize their efforts so that everything they do, every touch, every interaction with clients, with potential clients, with the pubic, reinforces their brand. A logo isn’t enough – that’s part of it, but that alone won’t build your brand.  We use strong visuals to get people’s attention, but it is everything we do once we have their attention that drives our success. Your brand is a 24/7 goodwill ambassador. Back up everything with stellar service and you’ll have achieved what I call “A Constant State of Promotion.”

As for the last step, Step 3.5, Child says, “This can be the hardest of them all. Once you’ve seen your business from your customer’s eyes, once you’ve nailed down your deliverables, once you’ve put yourself in a constant state of promotion, there’s one more thing to do – don’t be obnoxious about it. If you’re at a networking event, a chamber mixer or a convention, don’t shove your business card in everyone’s hand or shout over everyone about you and your brand. Listen. Listen to what people say to you about their brand. If you’ve done your work, they’ll notice you, they’ll pay attention and they’ll come to you with questions. It’s how it worked out for us with Entrepreneur.com, and it is how we go about our business every day.”

For further proof of how well this approach works, Child points out he is launching YELLOW DAWG LINE STRIPING and BLUE DAWG POWER WASH this year and has already pre-sold four of these franchises.

For more information about BLACK DAWG and to see pictures of Olive, the “Boss”, visit www.BlackDawgFranchise.com , or call 1-800-998-DAWG (3294). Look for Jack’s upcoming e-book – A Constant State of Promotion – online this summer.

New Hampshire-based company recognized for branding verve and shares the secret.Read More

How owning a DAWG of a Driveway can win you $500… BLACK DAWG SEALCOAT®, New England’s premier driveway maintenance company, launches its “America’s Ugliest Driveway” Contest

GOFFSTOWN, NEW HAMPSHIRE…

 

For every cracked, beat-up, worn-out driveway, there’s a story. Perhaps it’s a tale of neglect, winter storms, glacial movement, a meteor crash or an unfortunate incident involving a monster tractor pull looking for a place to turn around. With its “America’s Ugliest Driveway” Contest, BLACK DAWG SEALCOAT’s Founder, Jack Child, is in search of America’s Ugliest Driveway and is willing to put $500 in the pocket of its owner to ease the sting of their misfortune.

 

Starting April 15 (a date chosen for its own “eyesoreness”), homeowners from all 50 states may submit their photo or video along with a caption or story making their case to win the prize. Besides just plain being ugly, points will be given for creativity and cleverness in the form of captions (e.g. here’s my driveway after aliens landed on it) and brief stories (e.g. cracks that resemble celebrities or world leaders).  Funny videos will receive extra consideration.  The winner, to be selected on June 15, 2009, will receive $500, courtesy of BLACK DAWG FRANCHISE GROUP, parent company of BLACK DAWG SEALCOAT®.

 

One driveway from each state will be chosen as that state’s Ugliest Driveway and the owner will be sent a jug of real New Hampshire Maple syrup, courtesy of Parker’s Maple Barn, Mason, New Hampshire.  From that not so elite group of uglies, one Grand Prize winner will be selected and hailed as owner of “America’s Ugliest Driveway” and collect $500. 

 

Homeowners wishing to submit their “ugly driveway” entry should visit www.AmericasUgliestDriveway.com.  Entries are limited to one per household.  By submitting their entry, contest participants agree to allow BLACK DAWG FRANCHISE GROUP LLC to use their names, likenesses and any items submitted for marketing purposes and publication on the web.  Void where prohibited by law.

 

Serving both residential and commercial markets, BLACK DAWG SEALCOAT® Franchises use only the finest materials to preserve, protect and restore asphalt to its original, black-as-night finish.  Besides a better look, the sealant employed by BLACK DAWG slows oxidation and other damaging effects of the sun and ultraviolet rays while creating a protective barrier against gas, oil, chemicals and, your driveway’s worst enemy, water.  Unfortunately for contest lovers, using BLACK DAWG to maintain their driveway will inevitably keep it looking great and drastically lower their odds of winning.

 

Renowned for its professional and courteous customer service (real people actually answer the phone), BLACK DAWG SEALCOAT® also offers Hot Rubber crack sealing services as well as line striping marking services for commercial parking lots. BLACK DAWG’s service area includes central and southern New Hampshire, the seacoast of New Hampshire, north central Massachusetts, Fairfield County, Connecticut and is looking to award franchises and expand into New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Massachusetts, Maine and other locations.

BLACK DAWG SEALCOAT® is a member of the Souhegan Valley, Manchester, Salem and Exeter Chambers of Commerce and each franchise is an accredited member of the Better Business Bureau.  In addition, BLACK DAWG supports local and national non-profit organizations such as the PLUS Company, the Souhegan Valley Boys and Girls Club, Fisher House for Disabled Vets, the Red Cross, Bedford Little League, Londonderry Youth Soccer, Londonderry Fire Department, Windham Baseball/Softball League, New Hampshire Fire Marshall’s Arson Investigation Canine Division, Nashua Humane Society, Boys and Girls Club of Nashua, the New Outlook Teen Center of Exeter, Girls, Inc. of Nashua, the Veterans Count Auction, The Cancer Society of Connecticut and the Weston, Connecticut Historical Society.

For more information on BLACK DAWG SEALCOAT® and to see pictures of Olive, “the Boss”, please visit www.BlackDawgSealcoat.com or call 1-(800) 998-DAWG (3294).  For information regarding franchise opportunities, visit www.BlackDawgFranchise.com.  And, to order some delicious maple syrup, visit www.ParkersMapleBarn.com.

How owning a DAWG of a Driveway can win you $500… BLACK DAWG SEALCOAT®, New England’s premier driveway maintenance company, launches its “America’s Ugliest Driveway” ContestRead More