Interested in owning a business with your spouse? Many entrepreneurs prefer to make the leap into business ownership with their favorite person by their side, and franchising with Screenmobile can offer the perfect opportunity. 

We’re spotlighting Nate and Lori Van Tholen, owners of Screenmobile of Northwest Indiana, who made the leap into entrepreneurship as a husband-and-wife team. Discover how they’ve grown their business while working on balancing home and work. 

When did you open your Screenmobile franchise?

Nate & Lori: We went to training in March of 2021 and took our first customer in May 2021.

What were you doing prior to franchising, and how did you come to Screenmobile?

Nate & Lori: Nathan worked for 23 years as a garbage truck driver in Chicago for Waste Management, and Lori worked part-time at our church handling online registrations, data entry, and front office duties. 

Nathan had a rotator cuff tear and underwent two elbow surgeries. Since there’s no ‘light duty’ in the garbage world, he began exploring new options with a close friend in case he didn’t go back on a truck. They looked into a few franchises, but none felt like the right fit.

We decided to fly out to California for a discovery day with Screenmobile, and immediately we felt like this was family and we belonged.

How did your previous experiences or skills help you in running your franchise?

Nate & Lori: We’re not going to lie – it was a big adjustment at first. Nathan can fix anything around the house, but neither of us had any experience running a business. We’re still learning every day! 

Nathan learned by diving in and getting hands-on experience, while Lori adapted relatively easily to answering calls, managing the schedule, and working with the database.

How has the training and support from Screenmobile prepared you for managing your franchise?

Nate & Lori: The support from Screenmobile and other franchise owners is second to none. There’s always someone willing to offer advice or share their years of experience when we face new situations. The fast-start program, which included weekly check-in calls, was incredibly helpful in answering our questions early on. Even after four seasons, we still lean on them with regular calls and texts.

Nate is also good at seeing the bigger picture and finding solutions for installations or other hurdles. He figures it out. 

What does a typical day look like for you as a franchise owner?

Nate & Lori: There’s no “typical” day for us! That is something that we both like and can cause us to lose sleep. It might be partly because we’re still relatively new and partly because we’re owner/operators who handle many roles ourselves.

Lori is consistent with answering calls, keeping the schedule and database up to date, and sometimes helping with estimates or deliveries if Nathan can’t. 

Nathan has long days, often starting at 5 a.m. He gets computer work done, gathers supplies, completes the day’s scheduled work, and then returns to the shop to unload and clean up. He also answers any calls or inquiries that come in throughout the day before heading home.

We recently hired a young man that is learning quickly and who we hope will be a great asset and take some of the load off Nathan for trailer work. 

What have been some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced as franchise owners, and how did you address them?

Nate & Lori: Finding and keeping good help during the slow winter months has been a big challenge. With two or three months of cold, snowy weather, work really slows down, and it’s hard to keep good employees around. We’ve been working with local builders to stay busier year-round, but it’s a work in progress.

We’ve also struggled with finding the right work/life balance. We’re still learning how to ‘turn off’ work and be present with our kids, but we’re making strides.

How do you measure success in your franchise, and what goals are you working towards now?

Nate & Lori: We measure success in a few ways: Are our customers happy? Are our kids happy? Can we give back to the community when asked? Are we able to set yearly gross number goals and achieve them?

Right now, we’re working on budgeting for the winter and increasing our visibility in the area, so people know we’re here and what we do. Since this territory has never had a Screenmobile before, many people are still unfamiliar with our services.

What advice would you give to someone considering franchising as a path to entrepreneurship?

Nate & Lori: Do your research, and if you feel your market is ready, jump in! Every business has ups and downs – it’s never perfect. But there are so many people to lean on when you need support.

How has being a franchise owner changed you personally and professionally?

Nate & Lori: Personally, being business owners has given us a huge sense of accomplishment. We never imagined we’d be where we are today. 

We’ve become more aware of how we present ourselves and the importance of listening to customers. We love running into customers around town – it feels great to know we’ve helped solve problems in their homes.

Being a business owner has also taught us and our kids about accountability. Even when we want to skip a day, it’s not an option. Our son has even worked with us during the summers, and it’s great to involve him in what we’re building.

Professionally, owning a franchise has pushed us to learn skills we never thought we’d need. Marketing was Lori’s biggest fear! But the hard work has shown us that owning a business is possible with a lot of prayer and a lot of hard work!

Interested in Starting a Business with Your Spouse?

Learn more about how you can start a business with your spouse by franchising with Screenmobile. Contact our team today to get started!