Ron and Brenda Sampson: New Franchisees for Ontario Handyman (Niagara)

For Ron and Brenda Sampson, the new franchisees for Ontario Handyman in the Niagara region, handiwork is much more than just a livelihood. It represents a dream, one where a husband and wife who put in decades of consistent, laudable work in their respective fields were able to transition to careers that gave them the personal and professional satisfaction they had always searched for. Their story may seem unconventional, but it is far from unique.

After working in the automotive industry for much of their lives (Ron as a technician, Brenda as a financial services manager), the Sampsons wanted a change. “Being in the automotive business for 38 years, you see the same guys for 8 hours a day,” Ron explained. “There was never any customer interaction. You never saw the satisfaction in somebody’s face after fixing their car because they would drive off and you would never see them again.” Though Ron was proud of his work, this inability to connect with the people he was helping left him unsatisfied.

Having done renovations on the side for many years, Ron had grown to love handiwork and the joy that came with improving people’s homes, but his dream of working in that business full-time seemed unlikely, until Ron happened upon an advertisement for the Local Handyman Group on social media. “I decided to fill out a franchise application, and I got a call at the shop the very next day!” After talking at length with a company representative, Ron and Brenda were put in touch with founder Craig Jooste. “Craig answered all of our questions and put us under no pressure,” said Brenda, who was thoroughly impressed by the ease with which the franchising process was explained, as well as the success stories of other franchisees. Ultimately, what sold them on Local Handyman was their belief in the brand and what it could do for their prospects. “The biggest reason we decided to go the franchise way was the security and the ability to grow that Local Handyman offered us,” said Brenda. “We’re middle-aged now, and getting to a place where Ron can move off of the tools and into a position where he’s training and overseeing our employees, that is where we hope to be.”

So far, Brenda describes their experience as franchise owners as being universally positive. “Every day we look at ourselves and wonder where we’d be if we hadn’t made this decision, and a major factor in that is the support we feel from Craig and everyone else. We feel like we have a backbone in the Local Handyman Group.” While Brenda loves the security that comes with being a franchisee, Ron is happy that he is now consistently experiencing the customer interaction he always cherished. “Having been with Ontario Handyman for just over two weeks, the people we have met and the positive interactions we’ve personally encountered have been absolutely wonderful. When I go to somebody’s house and I build them something, the look on their face, that ‘wow’ factor, that’s what makes this so special.”

Written by: Imran Virani

November 5, 2021