When Jon’s father sold his Grease Monkey franchise in 1999, Jon went to work for Grease Monkey Int. corporate as a franchisee representative. In 2007, with a bank loan, private funds and much confidence in the brand he and his wife bought their own location and became franchisees. Jon gladly says: “We just celebrated 9 happy years of ownership”!

Franchisee Name: Jon Crum
Location: Greensboro, NC
Franchise Name: Grease Monkey

Jon finds the Grease Monkey franchise model superior to others in the sector. He says: “The franchise model provides consistency and purchasing power. The franchisor helps to negotiate product pricing. I chose Grease Monkey because the royalty rate is reasonable and the name is recognized”.

He also recognises that the training and support provided by his franchisor covers all required areas and always available: “Our franchise representative was present every step of the way. He continues to support us regularly. Grease Monkey Int. has a very comprehensive technician training program online”.

When asked to describe a typical day, Jon answers: “The first 5 years I spent working directly in the shop and establishing our core values. It was not usual for me to work long hours initially. The last 4 years I have trusted my management staff to operate without me. Currently, I work about 30 hours per week in the shop office taking care of receivables, payables, and operations. My main job is to maintain a positive attitude and outlook of our staff.”

Crum handles the main challenge in his business: the competition, by “providing a better service on every customer visit so that we remain the preferred provider in our area”. He enjoys being a franchisee and says that as a franchisee now he has tripled his income and works 1/3 less hours than he did when employed. Plus he enjoys being home with his family almost every night.

His advise to a new franchisee is: “Be frugal. Be willing to change. Trust your staff until they give you a reason not to. In the service industry, the attitude of your staff is key to the happiness of your customers”.

Of his plans for the future he aims to stay on the path: “I have a good life and business. If the right deal came along, I would open another Grease Monkey.” When asked if he would do it again, he replies: “I should have done it 20 years ago but I was afraid of the risk. I would do it again without question. Maybe just a bit sooner.”

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