Footprints Floors is a national flooring installation franchise with more than 160 territories across 40 states. Bryan Park, CEO and founder of Footprints Floors, launched the Colorado-based company in 2008. He offered Footprints Floors franchises in Colorado for the first time in 2013, and the business has experienced significant growth since then.
Footprints Floors is an active partner of the National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA). The company’s franchisees go through the NWFA Certified Professionals program and Footprints Floors collaborated with NWFA to create a learning management system for its employees based on the NWFA University. Here, Park tells us more about the company in this Q&A.
How did the company begin?
Footprints Floors came to be after I moved to Littleton, Colorado following my Air Force service. After hiring a local flooring company to replace the existing flooring in my home with hardwood, I began talking with the installing contractor and ultimately inquired with his boss about a job. I was hired and quickly moved into a sales position.
When the 2008 recession hit, the company stopped paying its people. I went about six months without a paycheck and was owed about $35,000 when I was told I would not be paid. I knew the flooring industry would benefit from a more sophisticated approach, so I started Footprints Floors, named after the Christian poem, “Footprints in the Sand.”
It took 60 days to land our first job, but that soon snowballed into ongoing success. In the first six months of business, I was able to add project crews. Around the eight-month mark, the team had five to six jobs each day. The first year was full of 12 to 14-hour days, six and a half days a week. I installed floors and my wife balanced two babies as well as the business website and business-related calls.
In what ways has your business evolved since that time?
Nearly 15 years later, the Footprints Floors business model is almost identical. The system is larger, spanning 40 states, but the integrity, trust, and communication that the team places at the center of the business is still there. As Footprints Floors continues to grow and the industry progresses, its marketing, education, and other operational practices will evolve to keep it at the forefront of the industry, but the heart of the Footprints Floors model – the personal values that set it so far apart – will likely never change.
To what do you attribute the company’s growth trajectory?
Footprints Floors has continued to build upon the legacy of quality craftsmanship in the flooring industry by bringing an approach that centers on customer service, communication, and innovative practices like proven technology. Owners who bring these skills to the table and leverage them in conjunction with Footprints Floors’ marketing acumen and sophisticated approach are able to rise to the top in their markets and drive scale.
Why is giving back to the community so important?
One of the fundamental principles guiding our business is that we are to act in the best interest of others, reflecting the concept of “love thy neighbor as thyself.” When I prioritize the customer before myself, I can anticipate and resolve most problems, often before they even arise.
That same ethos extends to Footprints Floors’ communities. Businesses serve as instruments through which owners can elevate their local areas, and the entire Footprints Floors system places importance on supporting and enhancing the communities where we operate. The team is proud to consistently support our neighbors, lending a hand to those in need and even contributing to organizations that make an impact across the globe.
For more information: footprintsfloors.com | info@footprintsfloors.com