Every one of our now 45 dealers has come through the Premier franchise system with their own set of challenges and expectations. And while most are seasoned operators, their experience varies too. One thing I have consistently seen is that Premier dealers are at heart true entrepreneurs. They want to own their business – not only for the satisfaction of running their own show, but because they know they can treat their customers the way they would want to be treated, order the merchandise they know their customers want and take home the money they’ve worked hard for rather than seeing so much of it go to an employer. Premier dealer Candie Gustafson said, “The only way I could establish myself in a comfortable work environment, doing what I love and giving the service and respect that my customers deserve was to start my own company.”



That is what makes up a successful Premier dealer, and we seem to be attracting them. They are driven by their determination not to wait for hindsight to tell them they should have acted! They also are inspired by other Premier dealers who have gone before them and proven it not only can be done, it’s a whole lot easier and more graceful than they thought.

Most dealers come to me for help with their business plan, or they tell me that even though they have been a successful manager for many years and know the industry inside out, they don’t know how to run a business on the day-to-day. Many are cautious and even doubtful at first, but eventually everyone is excited and expectant. And in the end they rely on their entrepreneurial instincts to turn doubt to decision and intelligently fill voids in knowledge or experience with our support to help them round out their total package for success.

Matt Baker, Premier franchisee.

A Premier dealer stands out from the crowd. Perhaps that’s you!

Matt Baker got his ducks in a row and got ready to be his own boss!

When Matt Baker opened his own RTO store this fall, it was the eighteenth time he had gone through those motions, but now it was his store as a Premier dealer. And he came full circle back to Covington, Ga. to do it – the same town where he started part time in college as an RTO delivery driver14 years ago. His grand opening marked the realization of a four-year dream. He was ready to “do my own gig. And I have the support to do it,” he said, speaking of Premier’s support in start-up and even after opening.

Matt had worked up through a variety of positions with several firms, eventually becoming an award-winning district RTO manager. But according to Matt, he was “bought out one too many times” during a period of continuous acquisitions in the industry. So Matt turned to a national furniture retailer and became director of operations for this 40-store chain. During that time he hatched his plan to one day return to RTO and launch his own business.



When that day came, Matt considered his options and eventually contacted Trooper to investigate franchising. Over the next few years, “I got all my ducks in a row. Now I’m ready to be my OWN boss!” he says. “Premier has a fantastic program for people like me – operators by nature. I needed a plan that would help me get my business financed. Trooper and I started conversations about the business plan, and I knew it wasn’t going to be terribly difficult to get a bank to say ‘yes.’ Compared to competitors, Premier has a better program in place. I wanted to own my own business and Premier has given me the opportunity to do that.”



Matt’s long-established business philosophy is simple and always on the tip of his tongue: customer satisfaction comes first. Not unlike other Premier dealers, he sees this philosophy as vital to success.



“Price is no longer a main factor so much in determining if an RTO customer is going to do business with a particular store. It’s how he’s treated and how comfortable he is in coming back into the store each time. Taking care of problems and concerns is key to earning and keeping business. There are often several RTO stores in a town, and we’re all charging the same prices. We are separated by service. I feel I can do a better job as an owner.”

Rodger Lyn, Premier franchisee.

Rodger Lyn Gets Back Into RTO Game

Being a Rent-To-Own dealer wasn’t even on Rodger’s radar for many years. In fact, he took a 10-year break from the industry until recently. So going into business for himself and owning his own Premier store has become an entrepreneurial adventure as he gets settled in his Miami location. And it’s been an adventure like none he could have imagined.



Rodger was working for Blockbuster Video in Miami when he became aware of RTO and moved into that industry. He worked as a project coordinator at Premier Rent-To-Own when it was a Boca Raton-based licensor and there met Trooper Earle who would eventually acquire Premier’s licensing arm and relocate the operation to Virginia to form Premier Rental-Purchase as its President and CEO.



After his first and early-Premier experience, Rodger formed his own consulting company targeting RTO and business start-ups as clients.



“I actually helped Trooper in the early days of Premier when he was about to go into franchising. I worked with other RTO operators as well.”



He took a break from the industry to work for Budget Rent-A-Car as a district manager in Florida but remained interested in RTO, and especially Premier’s growth. A year ago he decided it was the perfect time to re-enter the industry as an owner operator. Given his history with Trooper, it was an easy decision to join the Premier family.



The Miami real estate market became a barrier for him. “Luckily, I found an ideal spot with Premier’s help,” he says. “They proved invaluable in other ways too. They were very helpful with the financing side of the business. Once I had my business plan prepared, it was almost easy when I went to locate an interested bank. I secured a business loan with the second bank I spoke to. With my financing and a site ready, Premier kicked in with its turnkey process for getting supplies to prep my store for opening. Materials started arriving; a delivery truck showed up completely decaled; I secured credit and membership to a buying group immediately. Premier really does take care of a lot of the details normally associated with starting a business from scratch.”



Because he’s been out of RTO for 10 years, he’s hired a local operator with 17 years of recent experience to help him, particularly when it comes to pricing trends and product demand. “I feel I am surrounding myself with the right resources,” he says.



Rodger feels like those resources include other Premier Dealers, and he likes being part of the Premier team.



“I really like the whole collaborative aspect of being part of Premier. I can call another dealer because he or she is an entrepreneur like me.”



The national office of Premier Rental Purchase is located in Williamsburg, VA. All Premier stores are independently owned and operated. Visit Premier’s website at www.premierrents.net or call (800) 2Premier and ask for Trooper Earle.

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RTO Magazine is the leading rent to own industry print publication.