Window Genie’s oftentimes a family business… we have a number of husband/wife duos, kids working for their parents in the office or out cleaning windows… but for the first time ever we have a father/son duo where the son’s the boss! Charlie Caravello, 37 purchased a Window Genie franchise earlier this summer and hired his dad Chuck, 65 as his first employee. Starting a business can be scary. Having his father on his side, supporting his decision and being there while he ramps up has given Charlie the extra support most small business owners wish they had.
Before joining the Window Genie team, Caravello spent approximately 15 years in medical sales calling directly on hospitals. “In any sales career you go through peaks and valleys. For the last few years, every time I dipped into a valley I felt I wasn’t in control of my success so I would consider looking into business ownership. I never got completely serious about it until this past winter because I think ultimately, I wasn’t ready mentally or financially until now,” Caravello said. “I did my homework and landed on a few service oriented, low investment companies to evaluate. Window Genie caught my eye when I noticed it was ranked on Franchise Business Review’s list of top franchises for franchise owner satisfaction.
Caravello reached out to Window Genie and began a validation process, speaking with the corporate support staff as well as current Window Genie franchisees. “I just felt like ‘wow these guys have their act together’ when speaking to everyone at Window Genie throughout my process; you could feel the professionalism was consistent and trickled down to the whole system. Because I had been doing research on business ownership for the last few years I felt I had a grasp on what I wanted and did not want out of a franchising opportunity, and I never saw a red flag with Window Genie. It got to a point where I’d wake up every day more excited with my to-do list for Window Genie than my current job. I knew I’d found something that would keep me motivated, excited and therefore successful every day.”
Caravello’s first employee is his own father, Chuck Caravello. “My parents were both incredibly supportive when I went to them for advice on purchasing a franchise. There’s always a fear or anxiety when taking a chance like opening a business, but having my father on board definitely helps. I know that off the bat I have an employee I completely trust, he’ll be great with customers and down the road when he’s sick of cleaning windows he’ll know the business as well as I and can help me in the office and with training future employees.” The Caravellos are excited. Charlie said, “I’m most excited to just get out there, be able to monitor my own results, take responsibility for my success and continue to build the business. I know I’ll be wearing many hats but for someone who gets bored with a one-dimensional job, that’s exactly what I want. I know I’ve found what I was looking for in Window Genie.”
Team Louisville was recently featured in Franchise Times: click here for the full article
Charlie Caravello’s biggest challenge of being his dad’s boss is adjusting to the “role reversal.” After all, Charlie spent his entire life looking up to his father and learning and taking advice from him.
The son hired dad, Chuck, as his first technician at a Window Genie franchise he bought with his own money in Louisville for about $125,000. Caravello is 37 and his father is 65. Chuck came out of retirement because of the unique opportunity to help his son in his new business venture.
Many reasons make Caravello feel fortunate to work with his father at the franchise he opened in May 2014: He’s reliable, trustworthy, supportive, and capable of helping run the office if needed to do so. Still, Caravello admits, “it will take some getting used to” telling his father what to do.
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