Everyone who joins the Hickory Dickory Decks team at some point has considered this question. Buying a Hickory Dickory Decks franchise will ensure a softer start and a more comfortable future for your business venture. Our proven sales techniques, training support and extensive digital marketing – including with a world class website – will provide an immediate jumpstart into the market.

We invite you to take time to find out all the benefits that Hickory Dickory Decks brings to the table, both short term and long term. We believe there is a long list of benefits that will lead you to join our team.

No, carpentry experience is not required to own a Hickory Dickory Decks franchise.

While many of our franchisees have come from a marketing and sales background, some do not. Hickory Dickory Decks has invested considerable time and expense to develop a proven sales system that is easily replicable for new franchisees. All franchisees receive intensive sales training and are provided sales manuals and support materials from our franchise managers. Our team is here to support you!

The initial agreement is for 5 years followed by two more 5 year renewable terms.

The initial training is four weeks, including one week for sales training for the owner and three weeks training for the builder.

Due to franchise laws in both Canada and the United States, we can not give you a figure of what you can make. However, we could not have grown to be the largest deck business in Canada with an unprofitable business model. While what you make in any business is dependant on many things, here are a few factors to keep in mind:

• Market conditions
• Personal abilities
• Following systems
• How hard you work
• How smart you work
• Territory conditions
• Competitive conditions
• Time taken to learn the business
• Business and personal contacts
• Referrals
• Weather & seasonal trends

As a franchise owner you will determine who builds your deck. Each franchise is required to have an experienced carpenter or a subcontractor.

Each territory is determined by head office. Most territories cover an area with a population of between 50,000 and 100,000 people.

The level of competition differs for each area. When considering a Hickory Dickory Decks franchise, the competition for the area you are desiring must be investigated as much as possible. Most areas will have some existing deck or fence companies in addition to renovators, home improvement companies, carpenters and handymen that may also build decks. Whatever the competition, Hickory Dickory Decks has a strong brand backed by the most decks built across Canada, and is also the leader in low-maintenance decking.

Yes – virtually all of the decks we build use composite decking material. We do still build a few cedar decks, and our competition is companies that primarily build wood decks.

Low-maintenance decking has been around for over 20 years and is usually a combination of vinyl materials and a filler, sometimes wood or other products like flax, rice, glass, or minerals.

Low-maintenance decking brings many advantages, the first being that it will never require sanding or staining – a huge labour, time and cost advantage over a wood deck. Other advantages include a wider selection in styles and colours, no cracking, splinters, or warping, and a surface that is highly stain resistant. Many low-maintenance decking products are also nicer to walk on than wood decks.

No decking material is completely maintenance-free. Even our low-maintenance composite decking will require the occasional cleaning. A good wash a few times a year will keep dirt and mold from growing onto your deck – and keep your low-maintenance deck looking great for many years.

There are many avenues to receive leads for your new Hickory Dickory Decks franchise including referrals and word-of-mouth. Referrals — generated through quality work and exceptional customer service — should be the best lead source for your business. With Head Office assistance, you’ll also quickly learn about using some of these other proven methods:

• Web leads
• Signs on trucks/trailers
• Yard signs
• Uniforms
• Brochures
• Our deck book
• Trade referrals
• Company newsletter
• Local newspapers
• Regional magazines, radio, T.V.
• Displays
• Local fairs and parades
• Business club
• Networking
• Google Reviews
• Home shows

You will work alongside your customer to design a deck that is custom to their needs. During your initial training you’ll learn how to properly design a deck backed by our proven system, our photo gallery of over 10,000 decks, and our engineered designs with support from our franchise managers.

AutoCAD drawings are available to your customer, if needed. We have over 1,000 pre-engineered deck designs and we have a full design service, if required.

Our team has designed thousands of custom decks, many of which have been saved as AutoCAD drawings for future use. These designs include multiple views, construction views and complete material lists.

During your initial training you will learn our sales system and meet many of our leading sales performers. Once in your area, you will be supported through day-to-day contact with your franchise manager who will also be able to help you design, price and sell your first few decks. Being part of the Hickory Dickory Decks team also connects you with our expert head office staff and other franchisees for support as needed.

As a franchise owner, you’ll receive three weeks of construction training to learn how to build a Hickory Dickory Deck. Once working in your territory, you will have day-to-day support from both your franchise manager and our head office carpenters. The official building manual is also a great resource for many of our franchises.

Yes. In fact, we strongly suggest to start out as a home based business with a place to park your truck and trailer and store a small amount of inventory. As your business grows you may consider more room for equipment, inventory and office help.

Finding great employees is a key part of every business. Our experienced head office team will assist you in the hiring process and our initial franchise training, along with our manuals, including all aspects of building a great team.

The advantage of working for yourself is that you choose how large a business you want to build. The flexibility of operating your own business gives you the freedom to stay small or work towards becoming a million dollar business.

Most initial sales leads come through our website or our head office call center. Leads are distributed to the appropriate franchisee who then books their first meeting. The first meeting is for information gathering, seeing the site, and getting to know the client and what they want in a deck. A second meeting is usually made within the next week where deck designs are presented with pricing. Occasionally, adjustments are made and a third meeting may be required before moving forward.

Definitely not! We do a great job of marketing to the right people: clients who want to buy a quality deck from a reputable company. We believe we offer the best value for their investment. Most of your sales leads will come from referrals, and generally people prefer a low pressure sales approach.

Over 3 million decks are replaced in North America every year. This is a constant supply of business that also remains steady through recessions.

Our goal at Hickory Dickory Decks is to grow the business one happy customer at a time. We believe there is a need for quality deck builders in every community across North America, and we are striving to fulfill this need.

Our design service at our head office can support all franchisees with all types of designs, including 3D renderings. We have an AutoCAD expert available and many professional designers on staff for assistance.

Yes, we usually do not allow more than one location to start, but we have many franchisees that have grown to own more than one location.

We are often asked if building decks day-in and day-out becomes boring. The truth is that is doesn’t, as each deck is custom built and unique to each customer. Every deck and every day is different. The role as franchisee challenges your design, contracting and building skills each day. Alongside the challenge of each job, you’ll meet many new and friendly people each week, often connecting you to your own community and building new relationships.