Marc Azurins Journey into franchising with Floor area*the flooring brand with over 160 units, began with his formative years at McDonald’s, where he learned important job skills. Looking back on his early career, Marc said, “I firmly believe that McDonald’s is one of the best first jobs ever.” He even considered taking on a franchise at McDonald’s, but ultimately pursued a job as a real estate appraiser before landing his current job in finance at Edward Jones. The opportunity to take on a franchise at Footprints Floors came about through family connections and sparked his interest in owning his own business that could provide stability and support to his extended family.

Azurin’s decision to join Footprints Floors was driven by the brand’s innovative leadership and its vision to revitalize the flooring industry. “I was not on board until I met Bryan Park — the owner and founder of Footprints Floors — and his personally selected management team. I think they’re just great people,” he said. “They have a great business model. They seem to want to make a lot of improvements in the outdated flooring industry, leveraging their skills and new technologies.”

Azurin’s goal is to build a thriving, long-term business that not only benefits his family but also makes a positive contribution to his community. He has approached this new venture with confidence and determination, believing in his ability to overcome challenges and succeed.

His advice to prospective franchisees is to prepare thoroughly and be clear about the commitment required. “Make sure you’re ready,” Azurin said. “Just make sure you do your homework — your research — and that you’re ready to throw yourself into the franchise opportunity that you’re pursuing, because often times it’s going to require a lot of time and a lot of commitment of your resources and your mind.”

1851 Franchise spoke with Azurin to learn more about his journey into franchising with Footprints Floors and his plans for the future.

1851 Franchise: Tell us your personal story. What did you do before franchising and how did you decide that franchising made sense for you?

Marc Azurin: I think it reminds me of my first job ever when I started at McDonald’s at 16. I firmly believe that McDonald’s is one of the best first jobs ever and fast food taught me how to get to work on time, how to deal with time pressure, how to wear a uniform and a lot about what the staff might expect of me. I was there for seven years and finished my time as an assistant store manager.

I was always interested in maybe doing a franchise with McDonald’s. They’re a top brand – a great company – and that always appealed to me. I was part of a McDonald’s group, but I saw franchised McDonald’s in the area and was intrigued. That led to me wanting to own my own business, whether it was a franchise or by building one myself, and that was the foundation for me. I realized that running a restaurant is a lot of work and ultimately decided that wasn’t for me, especially since restaurants are one of the top businesses to open and close within a year. So I put that on hold for now and eventually moved into real estate appraisal.

One of my friends brought me into the finance department at Edward Jones, where I still work today. However, I heard about the franchise opportunity at Footprints Floors through my in-laws, who were franchisees. My wife and I looked into it – we did a little research into Footprints Floors ourselves – and found that it was an excellent opportunity for us that we wanted to pursue, and that’s what brought us here.

1851: What was your perception of franchising before you became a franchisee, and what would you like to tell people about franchising now that you are a franchisee yourself?

Azurine: Well, I’ve only been involved for three weeks and haven’t even really worked on the franchise itself yet, but I can say that you have to be just as dedicated as if you were starting your own business. It’s still about dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s, and although you have a great support structure through the franchise and the brand you become a part of, you should just be ready to tackle things head on and learn a lot of new things along the way.

1851: Why did you choose this brand? What excites you most about this company?

Azurine: I think they have a great leadership team. I wasn’t on board until I met Bryan Park – the owner and founder of Footprints Floors – and his personally selected leadership team. I just think they’re great people. They have a great business model. They seem to want to make a lot of improvements in the outdated flooring industry by leveraging their skills and new technology.

1851: What do you hope to achieve with your company? What are your growth plans?

Azurine: My goal with my growth plans is to build a stable, long-term business that can provide a living for my family and extended family. I believe that when people want to start their own business or franchise, it is often because they are losing control of their own schedule or wanting to focus on making a profit for themselves.

I have a large family. I own my mother’s house and support my father who lives in the Saint Louis area. My in-laws live nearby.

After meeting the leadership team and hearing a little about how they can provide a better experience – better service – I know it can benefit my community while also supporting my family’s livelihood.

1851: What would you like to tell us about your story?

Azurine: I think when you start a franchise, you have to have a lot of faith in something. For me, I have a lot of faith in God and I know where He’s going to lead me whether I fail or succeed. I have a lot of faith in the ability He’s given me to pursue and achieve my goals. I think you just have to have a lot of drive and faith in what you need to do because you’re going to run into obstacles or hurdles along the way. I’m able to do that – I can raise a certain amount of capital and be comfortable with what’s going on – because I have a lot of faith in the plan for me and what’s going to happen.

1851: What advice do you have for other people who are thinking about becoming a franchisee?

Azurine: Make sure you’re ready. When I first started – I know I only had three weeks of experience here – there was a wedding coming up and a lot of relatives coming into town, there were a lot of personal commitments that I couldn’t give up or put off, and I wasn’t ready at that point. Just make sure you do your homework – your research – and that you’re ready to throw yourself into the franchise opportunity that you’re pursuing because it’s going to take a lot of time and a lot of spirit.

ABOUT FOOTPRINTS FLOORS

After returning to Littleton, Colorado, after serving in the U.S. Air Force, Bryan Park noticed that Denver’s flooring industry lacked a higher level of customer service and sophistication, so in 2008 he founded Footprints Floors, which today specializes in the installation of hardwood floors, tile floors, kitchen backsplashes and laminate. With more than 150 territories, Footprints Floors offers franchisees a robust support system, including a call center, flexible hours for a work-life balance and low entry costs with excellent economics. For more information about the Franchise Times Top 500 brand, visit https://footprintsfranchise.com/.