In business only one thing remains constant: change. Franchise entrepreneurs around the world are all navigating unchartered waters. They are depending on support from corporate, continued innovation, strategic marketing and operations and ultimately – a strong team to ensure their business prevails.
In business only one thing remains constant: change. Franchise entrepreneurs around the world are all navigating uncharted waters. They are depending on support from corporate, continued innovation, strategic marketing and operations and ultimately – a strong team to ensure their business prevails.
As an entrepreneur, the greatest asset you can have – in good times and bad – is a strong support system. For one Ziebart franchisee, he has learned in his decades of experience with the brand that his greatest support was his own family.
Hustling for Success
Tony Mattiacio started washing cars at Ziebart in Syracuse, New York right out of high school. He was a hard worker, and wanted as many hours as he could get his hands on – working even six and seven days a week when necessary.
The owner of the Ziebart shop at the time hired Tony and saw his incredible work ethic, integrity and high-quality work from the get go. Tony was then given opportunities to learn new skills like detailing cars, rust protection, sun roof installation, running board installation and more. He was hungry for success and was promoted to manager.
“Owners are looking for managers with work ethic and integrity,” said Tony. “There are no set times in the service industry – you may be open eight to five, but you don’t leave until the last car is done. Hustle all day till it’s all done.”
Hitting the Road Toward Entrepreneurship
After running a shop as a manager, five years into his time with Ziebart, Tony was given the opportunity to open his own store to own and operate himself. At the time, he and his family lived and worked in Syracuse and the new opportunity was in Rochester – nearly an hour and a half away from his friends and family.
After careful deliberation with his wife and family, Tony took the opportunity and ran with it; making the move while supporting his family through the transition. He exceeded all sales goals and fell in love with not only the experience, but the strong support from the corporate office.
“I was willing to move my family if that meant I could have a chance to be the owner. I worked extremely hard and within that first year, all of the money that was invested in the location was made back.”
Keeping it All in the Family
Tony’s first order of business was to build a winning team by getting involved in the day-to-day operations, training the team first-hand and setting the standard for high-quality service. His hyper-attention to detail and strong leadership style kept morale high and promoted consistent outcomes across the board. By paying attention to all aspects of the business, Tony helped his team learn and grow the right way.
As his business got off the ground, he knew that his family and employees were his strongest support system and asset. Having grown up seeing Tony put in the hard work for so many years, his kids showed glimpses of that same passion and drive.
Tony first welcomed his sons Ryan and Zach into the shop shortly after they graduated high school. His third son Mark enlisted in the Marines, and after serving he joined his two brothers and father working at Ziebart. Their sister Meghan, soon followed. Now with six Ziebart locations across upstate New York, Tony has enlisted the help of his kids to run all of his shops.
“When working with family, it can be tough,” Tony says. “We know we won’t always be on the same page, but we strive to be understanding and open to new opinions and ideas, while making sure that our family and employees come first.”
Today, the four Mattiacio children are junior partners with Tony and work side by side to continue the success he started 30 years ago. And clearly, keeping the business family oriented has worked well for the Mattiacios – they’ve been able to turn it into an $18 million business.
How Ziebart Comes Out on Top
“The support of my family throughout my entrepreneurial journey paired with hard work and the corporate team’s people-first mentality have made all the difference for me," Tony said.
Tony credits his hands-on leadership style and alignment with the brand’s core values and business plan for helping to make his business successful.
“Just as I strive to be there to support my team every step of the way – showing them the ropes first-hand, I know I can count on Ziebart at the corporate level to do the same for me,” he said.
To learn more about Ziebart, contact us at 248-837-3960 or fill out a franchise form today at ownaziebart.com!
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