Giving You Room to Grow

by FBR ViewPoints

Founded in 1991 by former law enforcement officers in Lafayette, Louisiana, Pop-A-Lock was born from a single idea: help people gain entry into their vehicles without damaging the sensitive electronic locking and latching mechanisms, as well as the side-impact airbags, found in modern cars. Since then, Pop-A-Lock’s service offering has expanded to include not only automobile lockout services, but also emergency roadside assistance, as well as a full range of mobile locksmithing services for both residential and commercial customers.

Today, Pop-A-Lock is the largest and most successful locksmith franchise in the world. The technological leader in the locksmithing industry, Pop-A-Lock has developed proprietary tools and techniques to give their franchisees the competitive edge. They also provide extensive and continuous technical training on new lock technologies such as keys that use microchips. With virtually no other national competitors, Pop-A-Lock provides franchisees with the comprehensive marketing and technical support to help them grow their business in a 30 billion dollar industry.

Working for Everyone’s Success

For CEO Don Marks, his ideal franchisee must possess three qualities. The first two are operational ability to run their franchise and marketing ability to promote their franchise. Pop-A-Lock helps in these areas by providing world-class support and cutting-edge technical training, as well as a wide variety of marketing research, programs and materials. They also generate quite a bit of positive PR with Pop-A-Lock’s Emergency Door Unlocking (EDU) Program—a free service that has rescued over 125,000 children trapped in vehicles. The third quality is harder to teach. Franchisees need to share the company’s vision. Marks wants Pop-A-Lock to become the sole resource for auto, home, and business locksmithing services in the U.S. and other countries where they do business.

To achieve this goal, Marks sees his primary responsibility as supporting franchisees the best way he can. “We are constantly asking ourselves, virtually every day, what have we done for our franchisees lately,” said Marks. In fact, he wants to help his franchisees not just generate an income, but build true wealth and a stable financial future for their families. “Because when they are very successful, we, as a company, reach our strategic goals,” added Marks. “And then everyone becomes wealthy.”

Finding the Right Fit

Scott and Pam Azwell saw franchising as a good way to accelerate entry into owning a business. However, they wanted a business that worked well with their lifestyle and personalities. They spent years looking into franchise opportunities until they found Pop-A-Lock. “For us, it was a proven system that met all of our criteria,” says Scott.

He and Pam appreciate the technical and marketing support franchisees receive from Pop-A-Lock, including national marketing programs, exclusive territories, comprehensive training on the latest technologies, a 24-hour master locksmith support, and a franchisee-only support website. Yet, one of the most important criteria was the flexibility Pop-A-Lock offered, letting them truly take ownership and run their business.

According to Scott, with many franchises “You don’t have to think a lot. You just have to do what they tell you—and do exactly what they tell you—and you’ll be fine. But that’s not part of my personality.” Scott and Pam will be the first to tell you that owning a successful franchise is hard work. You have to put in the hours. But with the support of a company like Pop-A-Lock, your growth opportunity is unlimited.