Bay Area Woman Leaves Certainty to Become Franchisee

Theresa Mitchell was born in Orange California. After moving to the Bay Area to play basketball for San Francisco State, she fell in love with area and has never looked back.

After working for 15 years at the managerial level of UPS, Mitchell sought relief from the corporate environment and looked to become a business owner. In 2005, after consulting with her wife and business partners, she came across Handyman Matters and quickly discovered it was the business she was seeking.

Now as a Handyman Matters Franchisee, Mitchell has forged a unique path, becoming an owner of one of the fastest growing home improvement and home repair franchises.

With 120 locations already open and operating in 28 states, company plans call for adding 10-15 new franchises in 2014 and as many as 30 in 2015. Mitchell's Handyman Matters is now the premier destination for home improvement and home repair in the entire Bay area.

Mitchell's Handyman Matters franchise has seen tremendous success throughout the Bay Area. With her massive area and customer needs, Mitchell's franchise has grown to over five times the size of an average Handyman Matters Franchise. Leaving the security of a corporate position to become a franchisee certainly comes with its risks but Mitchell had the entrepreneurial spirit to try something else.

"I wanted something with a hand-on approach. I wanted to get in the field and interact and help customers," said Mitchell. She mentioned the fact many owners of Handyman Matters franchises prefer to stay in their offices, but she feels interacting with the customers face-to-face is something essential to her business plan.

She was also inspired by the senior citizens of San Francisco and their historic buildings. "The seniors here in San Francisco want to keep their beautiful and classic homes but many are in poor shape. I thought I could help by maintaining their homes so they could live the rest of their lives in them," said Mitchell.