When researching franchise opportunities, most prospective owners focus on the numbers. They compare startup costs, protected territories, recurring revenue, market demand, and earning potential. Those are all important considerations, and they should be.
But one of the biggest factors influencing long-term success is often overlooked: franchise support.
The strongest franchise systems don’t simply hand you an operations manual and wish you luck. They provide ongoing guidance, coaching, training, resources, and a community of people who genuinely want to see you succeed. The right franchise support system can help shorten the learning curve, build confidence, solve challenges more quickly, and create opportunities for long-term growth.
At ohDEER, franchise support extends far beyond the initial onboarding process. Every franchise owner becomes part of a collaborative network where experienced owners, corporate leadership, and fellow franchisees work together to help one another build stronger businesses. It’s a philosophy that has been part of the company since the beginning and continues to be one of our greatest competitive advantages.
Many people assume franchise support ends once initial training is complete. In reality, the best franchise systems understand that learning doesn’t stop after opening day.
Every stage of business ownership brings new opportunities and new challenges. Hiring employees, growing recurring revenue, improving operational efficiency, expanding marketing efforts, and managing customer relationships all require ongoing learning and adaptation. That’s why franchise training and support should continue throughout the life of the business.
At ohDEER, franchise owners receive comprehensive onboarding before launching their business, but the support doesn’t stop there. Owners continue receiving operational guidance, marketing resources, coaching, product education, technology support, and access to experienced professionals who understand the business inside and out. Just as importantly, they become part of a franchise community that openly shares knowledge and experiences.
One of the defining characteristics of the ohDEER franchise support system is collaboration.
Rather than operating in isolation, franchise owners regularly communicate with one another to exchange ideas, solve problems, and celebrate successes. Owners discuss marketing campaigns that generated leads. They share hiring strategies that helped attract great technicians. They recommend equipment that has improved efficiency. They exchange customer service techniques that increase retention. They offer advice on scheduling, routing, and operations.
Instead of protecting information, franchisees understand that helping another location ultimately strengthens the entire brand. That collaborative mindset creates an environment where owners don’t have to learn everything through trial and error. They can benefit from years of collective experience across the franchise network. Whether someone has been operating for ten years or just ten weeks, everyone has something valuable to contribute.
Perhaps no one summarizes the ohDEER approach to franchise owner support better than Jeff Plant, owner of ohDEER Central Massachusetts. After spending two decades in his previous career, Jeff was ready for something new. As he evaluated franchise opportunities, he was attracted to the all-natural services, recurring revenue model, and growing demand for outdoor protection. What ultimately confirmed his decision, however, was the people.
As Jeff explains:
“Burned out from my day job and a 20-year career, I had always thought about owning my own business. ohDEER came across my radar and quickly became the obvious choice: exploding market demand, all-natural products, low relative start-up costs and a recurring annual revenue model. As I got to know and work with the ohDEER development team and the other franchise owners it quickly became clear that I had made the right decision. Kurt, Colleen and the rest of the organization have always promoted a helpful, supportive business model: if one location wins, we all win.”
That philosophy isn’t just something we say. It influences the way owners interact with one another every day. Rather than competing against fellow franchisees, owners celebrate each other’s accomplishments, share best practices, and help newer owners build successful businesses from the very beginning.
Starting any business comes with a learning curve. Even with strong initial training, real-world questions inevitably arise once operations begin. One of the greatest benefits of joining the ohDEER franchise network is having experienced franchise owners who genuinely enjoy helping others succeed.
Dave Mulcahy, owner of one of the largest and most successful ohDEER locations, ohDEER South Shore, has become well known throughout the organization for mentoring new franchisees as they launch and grow their businesses. From equipment setup and service techniques to scheduling efficiencies, staffing, and operational improvements, Dave regularly shares practical advice based on years of firsthand experience.
His willingness to invest time in other owners reflects something much bigger than individual success. It reflects a franchise culture where strengthening the overall system benefits everyone.
For a new franchise owner, having access to someone who has already solved many of the same operational challenges can significantly shorten the learning curve while providing reassurance during those critical first seasons.
One of the unique strengths of the ohDEER franchise community is the openness with which owners share both successes and setbacks. Instead of only highlighting wins, franchisees frequently discuss lessons learned, mistakes they’ve made, and strategies they wish they had implemented sooner.
That kind of honesty creates meaningful franchise mentorship for newer owners. A perfect example is franchise owner of ohDEER North Middlesex MA, Bob Gaska.
After completing his first season with ohDEER, Bob wrote One Year with ohDEER, documenting his experiences, lessons learned, and practical advice for future franchise owners. Rather than keeping those insights to himself, Bob chose to create a resource that could help others navigate the same challenges more successfully. His willingness to share what he learned perfectly reflects the collaborative mindset that defines the ohDEER franchise support system.
As Bob concludes in his book:
“Never stop learning. Never stop improving. And remember, every spray, every call, every satisfied customer is helping someone enjoy more time outside.”
Helping fellow franchise owners isn’t simply encouraged at ohDEER, it’s celebrated. The Herd Hero Award is one of the most meaningful recognitions presented during the annual ohDEER Franchisee Awards because it recognizes something different than revenue or production.
Based entirely on peer nominations, the award honors the franchise owner who consistently goes above and beyond to support others throughout the year. In 2025, that honor was awarded to Jay Lodi. Jay was nominated by multiple franchisees for helping new owners with their first property assessments, answering operational questions, offering guidance over the phone, and contributing valuable ideas through the brand fund team.
His example demonstrates that franchise owner success isn’t measured only by growing your own business. It’s also measured by your willingness to help others grow theirs.
Although franchisees stay connected throughout the year, one of the biggest opportunities to strengthen relationships comes during the annual ohDEER conference.
Owners from across the country gather to learn, collaborate, and celebrate accomplishments together. Educational sessions focus on operations, marketing, leadership, sales, customer experience, technology, and business growth. Equally valuable, however, are the conversations that happen between presentations. Owners compare hiring strategies, exchange marketing ideas, troubleshoot operational challenges, discuss customer retention, and celebrate milestones together.
For many franchisees, these conversations become some of the most valuable takeaways from the event because they provide practical insights from people who understand the business firsthand.
As franchise systems expand into new markets, maintaining a strong culture becomes increasingly important. At ohDEER, protecting that culture is something we discuss intentionally.
During the 2026 Annual Event, franchise owner Rob Jenkins shared a reflection that perfectly captures why.
“Breakouts are amazing. Everyone comes to this event with something to share or ask. The culture and ohDEER community are just amazing. We have to protect this group as we grow. Keep the standards high. It is by far our most strategic asset over our competition.”
We couldn’t agree more. Our franchise culture isn’t accidental. It has been built through collaboration, trust, accountability, and a shared commitment to helping every franchise owner succeed. That’s also why we’re selective about who joins the brand.
Technical skills can be taught and business systems can be learned. But integrity, coachability, and a willingness to contribute positively to the franchise community are qualities we look for from the very beginning of the franchise development process. By maintaining high standards for franchise ownership, we protect the collaborative environment our owners value so highly.
Support at ohDEER extends far beyond relationships between franchisees. The corporate team, known as the Development team works closely with owners throughout every stage of business ownership by providing operational guidance, marketing support, technology resources, product development, coaching, and continuing education.
Owners also benefit from trusted vendor partnerships and proven business systems that simplify day-to-day operations. Rather than feeling like independent business owners navigating challenges alone, franchisees have access to experienced professionals who are invested in helping them succeed. That combination of corporate leadership and peer collaboration creates ongoing franchise support that continues long after opening day.
Owning a business can sometimes feel isolating. Many independent business owners have no one to call when they encounter a difficult customer, operational question, hiring challenge, or marketing obstacle.
Franchise ownership offers something different. Within the ohDEER franchise network, owners regularly connect with people who have faced similar situations, solved similar problems, and are willing to share what they’ve learned. Sometimes a five-minute conversation can save hours of trial and error. Sometimes hearing another owner’s experience provides the confidence to move forward with an important decision.
Those relationships often become one of the most valuable aspects of franchise ownership because they provide encouragement, accountability, perspective, and practical advice throughout every stage of business growth.
At its core, the ohDEER franchise support system is built on one simple belief: Success is better when it’s shared. That philosophy influences the way franchisees train, communicate, solve problems, celebrate achievements, and welcome new owners into the system. It’s why experienced owners volunteer their time to coach newer franchisees. It’s why franchisees openly exchange ideas throughout the year. It’s why awards like the Herd Hero exist. It’s why someone like Bob Gaska chose to document his first year in business so future owners could learn from his experiences.
When prospective franchise owners ask what makes ohDEER different, we certainly talk about our all-natural services, recurring revenue model, growing market demand, and comprehensive business systems. But we also talk about our people. Because products, technology, and processes all matter, but having a strong franchise support system filled with people who genuinely want to help you succeed can make the biggest difference of all.
At ohDEER, you’re not just investing in a business model. You’re joining a franchise community committed to sharing knowledge, supporting one another, and helping every owner build a successful business for years to come.
