Today we’d like to introduce you to Grant Wisdom.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Our family has a good friend in Alabama who owns a very successful Inflatable Business and he offered to help us get a similar business started in Tennessee if we were interested. Of course, we were and jumped at the opportunity. Our friend showed us the ins and outs of the business and all it entailed, and he sold us everything we needed to get started and we were off and running. We started in 2019 with just a few Inflatables. I was marketing them to our neighborhood and hanging up flyers in office buildings, posting on social media, and just trying to get our name out there. I’m 20 years old now, but at that time I was just starting at Columbia State Community College as a recent graduate from Summit High School. So, while going to school I was running a business as well. There were times where it was difficult or stressful while balancing school work and inflatable work but that has taught me the valuable lesson of time management.
The first year our income was modest but our next year was 2020. We were excited going into last year because we knew we’d have a better return than the previous one but not to the degree of what actually happened. During the beginning of the pandemic, we didn’t have any business and didn’t open until we legally could in late spring. But when we opened back up, we did not realize just how busy we would be, but that’s a great problem to have when running a business. We did over 1000% increase in rentals mainly as a result of the Coronavirus. People needed an outlet and being outside in the sun was probably one of the safer places for families to be. Obviously, we cleaned and sanitized everything meticulously before and after each rental to ensure safety and cleanliness.
Now we are going into our third year, and we are beyond blessed to have done business with all our customers and thankful that they helped grow our business to what it is today at a time when we were worried if we would be able to keep it running. We’re looking forward to the years to come with big plans in store for the near future.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Considering everything that could go wrong, it has been pretty smooth, but I credit that to what I refer to as my mentors. They are adults in my life that I know have my best interests at heart and want me to succeed. They are there any time I need them for help, guidance, planning, customer service tactics, financial advice, marketing techniques, you name it.
We’ve had days where we messed up but nothing that destroyed us. The best way to look at mistakes is to see them as lessons. Sort of like how Thomas Edison said he found a thousand different ways to not make a light bulb. When we broke something, missed something, forget something, anything that when wrong I would say to myself, “We’ll we just learned how not to handle this particular situation.” And we would just remedy the problem and keep on moving on.
The biggest challenge to overcome, not just in this industry but in every industry, is providing excellent customer service. That should be the number one goal in any business because your customers are the ones keeping your lights on and you should be appreciative of that and work hard to make them happy and satisfied.
We knew that is the main priority going into this business and I think we accomplish this very well. We thankfully have had no real issue in this area but I’m sure when they arise, we will rise above them and make it right for everyone involved.
We’ve been impressed with Franklin Inflatables, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I do the marketing, confirming rental times with customers, answer phone calls, answer email inquiries, clean the inflatables, load up the trucks for deliveries, drop off and pick up, and just about anything I can get my hands on. I absolutely love it; I have a very entrepreneurial mind and want to know how every single aspect operates in a business from customers to finances. I want to be able to do it all that way when I need to hire other people to run it for me, I can show them exactly how to do it to the T.
The business rents out inflatables as of right now, we’re looking to start adding tents, chairs, tables, concessions, and more as we grow. We have high-quality inflatables at excellent prices. We don’t have hidden fees and we don’t try and steal money from you. We aren’t sloppy looking and have dirty, broken, or unsafe equipment. We always make sure your rental is on time and ready to go before your rental time starts. We provide all the equipment necessary. All your job to do as the customer is order the inflatable and we’ll take care of the rest. 99% of the time the rentals are for kids’ birthdays, graduations, play dates, whatever the event may be and as parents, guardians, teachers, etc. you want to experience the joy the inflatable brings to the kids without the headache of planning an inflatable rental and worrying if you have everything you need or if it will be safe.
What sets us above the rest is quality. We have the best quality service, the best quality inflatables, the best quality equipment, website navigation, whatever it may be, we do it the best. We are still new so we’re upgrading and adding to all these departments as time goes on, but we will become the best if we aren’t already.
I’m most proud of how we treat our customers and the great rapport we share with each and every one of them. I see them as my second family that’s constantly growing. We’re always laughing and sharing great stories, and all while getting the job done. It’s a blast and I’m sure they would say the same thing.
We always have the inflatables cleaned and sanitized for your rental. We are always on time for drop-offs. We never show up early for pick-ups unless you say so. We never charge you extra money for going over your time limit. We always secure the unit firmly to the ground so there’s no threat of tipping or collapsing. We take care of everything so you can enjoy the big day.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
My advice would be to just start, and that goes for any industry. The first year was a blur. I hardly remember it because I was trying to wrap my head around everything. Once you get over the first initial learning curve, you’ll be fine, and it’ll start to become second nature.
I would also recommend having a positive mindset. If you give up at every instance don’t even bother starting a business because it will fail immediately. Unless you can take the financial hit then go ahead and learn the costly lesson of how optimism is priceless and pessimism is useless.
Henry Ford, arguably one of the best entrepreneurs of all time said, “Whether you believe you can or whether you believe you can’t, you’re right.” If you believe you will succeed, you will. If you doubt yourself at every turn, then those doubts will become reality. This is something that applies to everyday life as well, not just business. If you are not confident in yourself and your abilities, how can you expect anyone else to have confidence in you? A strong mindset is one of the major keys to success, and it CAN be taken away, it’s a constant battle within your mind to always remain optimistic and positive but it is well worth it.
Pricing:
- Bounce House Combos: $205-225
- 18 Foot Slides: $315-325
- 27 Foot Double Lane Water Slide with 35 ft Slip and Slide: $550
- 6 HOUR RENTALS: Base Price….. 7-12 HOUR RENTALS: 20% more….. OVERNIGHT RENTALS: 60% more….. MULTI-DAY RENTALS: 100% more
- Only cost not included in the base price are sales tax and an optional 7% damage waiver for any minor accidental puncture or damages incurred during the inflatable rental.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://franklininflatables.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/franklin_inflatables/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/franklininflatablescom
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/franklins-inflatables-franklin
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