Hey! My name is Julian Quinones and I’m the co-founder of
NuGround. A local moving and junk removal company. Growing up, I
was always fascinated with the idea of being an entrepreneur. To
me, it meant being my own boss, controlling my own future and
having unlimited possibilities. My path to becoming an entrepreneur
was far from easy but I was determined to make this dream a
reality. After plenty of trial and error in my early 20’s, my
brother Mike and I decided to partner up to start a little
business. We had a pick up truck, tools and lots of hustle. We took
on any odd job that we could. Some good, some not so good but we
always learned something new. After just a few years, we succeeded
in establishing a great brand and a set of services that worked
incredibly well together.
Now, when people ask, “what do you do?” I am proud to say,
“I’m an entrepreneur”. My hope is to join forces with like-minded
individuals who share the same a passion for independence and
unlimited possibility as we grow this awesome company across
Ontario, Canada and beyond.
BeTheBoss.ca: Tell us about
the ?NuGround? concept.
Julian Quinones: NuGround
is a Canadian company offering local moving and junk removal
services to residential and commercial clients. The unique thing
about NuGround is that we, unlike other competitors, realize that
moving and junk removal are services that go hand-in-hand and can
be completed with much of the same equipment and the same staff.
Our clients love how versatile we are and often use us more than
once during a given project.
Also, what’s interesting about NuGround is that one can launch
a franchise with a single 16’ cube truck and minimal staff, which
allows for very low overhead at the start. Overtime, of course, one
can grow to multiple trucks, larger staff, an office and a
warehouse. The potential for growth is astounding.
BeTheBoss.ca: How
and when did you become involved with ?NuGround??
Julian Quinones: I founded
NuGround with my brother Mike in Spring of 2015. At the time, I was
just finishing college and Mike was working at a landscaping
company. We had a few long conversations about our career paths and
we somehow decided to combine my entrepreneurial spirit and
marketing know-how along with his incredible work ethic and sense
for customer service. The partnership would eventually
evolve into what people now know as NuGround. A moving and
junk removal company based in Bolton, Ontario.
BeTheBoss.ca:
What was your background prior to joining
?NuGround??
Julian Quinones: Prior to
launching NuGround, I was aspiring entrepreneur. In my early 20’s,
I was involved in the independent music and entertainment industry.
While doing that, I also worked at a small moving and packing
company, where I became warehouse manager. After years of doing
that, I went off to Fanshawe college in London, ON and started yet
another small venture printing and designing merch for artists and
small businesses. When the opportunity to start NuGround presented
itself, I was able to utilize all of the experiences and the skills
that I developed to eventually create a successful business that
has grown exponentially in the past few years.
BeTheBoss.ca:
What are some of the advantages in being a ?NuGround?
franchisee?
Julian Quinones: One of
the main advantages about NuGround is that one can launch a
franchise with relatively low overhead. All you need is a single
16’ cube truck, minimal staff and really good work ethic. Overtime,
of course, one can grow to multiple trucks, larger staff, an office
and even a storage warehouse. Besides that, franchisees can expect
in-depth training, a 3-day marketing blitz and ongoing support.
Head office also provides brand marketing and a call centre that
helps to streamline job requests so that franchisees can focus on
marketing, sales, general management and most importantly, growth
strategy.
BeTheBoss.ca:
Who is your ideal Franchisee?
Julian Quinones: Our ideal
franchisee is someone who is known to have a outstanding work ethic
and truly understands the importance of providing excellent
customer service. A franchisee does not need direct experience with
moving and junk removal but he or she must have experience with
physical labour. We seek go-getters. People who are energetic,
resilient, accountable, and team-oriented. These are qualities that
are crucial to becoming successful as an entrepreneur regardless of
what industry one may choose.
BeTheBoss.ca:
Tell us a little about the ?Moving & Junk Removal?
Market?
Julian Quinones: The
moving and junk removal industries are technically two separate
industries that mesh incredibly well under one umbrella. Both
services share a lot of similarities including vehicles, tools,
materials, staffing, dispatching, and scheduling systems.
Understanding this allows for one incredibly versatile business.. I
could say that these are both “multi-billion dollar industries”,
which may be true, but I’d rather focus on the simple fact that no
matter what, people are in constant need of these services. Not
everyone has the know-how, the physical capability, the equipment,
or the time necessary to move or remove household items and other
large, heavy equipment. Therefore, people look for a professional
company like NuGround to complete these projects and they are
willing to pay a premium for a great experience. When demand
is high and customer experience is excellent, great profits can be
achieved.
BeTheBoss.ca:
What are some of the greatest lessons you’ve learned in growing
this franchise?
Julian Quinones: At the
moment, we are in the very early stages of franchising. Most of my
experience currently comes from running the actual corporate
location, which I have done for that past few years and still
continue to do. I think it’s important for me to continue being
involved with the development of the initial corporate location
because I feel like it will keep me innovating and thinking of new
ways to improve the systems that we have in place, which in turn
will be a great benefit to our future franchisees. Regardless,
growing a business is hard work and the main thing I’ve learned is
that you need GREAT people working in your company because these
are people that will either uphold or diminish your brand’s
reputation. There is no in between.
BeTheBoss.ca:
What advice do you have for someone looking to acquire a ?NuGround?
Franchise?
Julian Quinones: The
advice that I would give to a NuGround franchisee, is BE PREPARED
TO WORK!. If you have a good work ethic, almost everything else
just falls into place. You must be learning and staying on top of
business especially at the beginning. Overtime, my goal as the
franchisor is to guide you, the franchisee, to success by showing
you how to build a GREAT team of hard working people that can
handle specific tasks. This will eventually allow you to spend your
valuable time focusing on “big picture” tasks like marketing, sales
and growth strategy.
BeTheBoss.ca:
In your opinion, why do you think that ?NuGround? would be a
great opportunity?
Julian Quinones: Let’s be
completely honest... there are thousands of franchise opportunities
out there and they come in all shapes and sizes. But what truly
sets NuGround apart from the rest is the fact that we are not here
to reinvent the wheel. We are not here to put on a new spin on
things by using gimmicks and catch-phrases. The fact is that our
business model is clear, it’s simple, and it works. We are adamant
about operating each and every franchise location like a true local
business. A business that is ingrained into the culture of your
particular city or town. Because that’s what people want. They want
to support LOCAL. They don’t want to pick up the phone and listen
to a robot. They want to talk to people. They want excellent
customer service. They want honesty and integrity. And that’s what
NuGround is built on. Of course, we place importance on building
great systems but that’s nothing without excellent service, genuine
people, and a great customer experience. If you’re interested in
launching your own successful business while at the same time
making a real difference in your community, NuGround might be the
perfect fit for you.
For more information about this exciting new franchise
opportunity check them out here at
BeTheBoss.ca.
