Profits come when he helps others save
Franchisee does analysis of bills for phones and credit card processing
The U.S. Department of Labor reports spending on mobile phone bills in this country has quadrupled since 2001.
That stat relates to businesses, too, since many service companies employ contractors whouse cellphones.
“During good times, companies like to save money on things like telephone bills or credit card processing fees,” said Tarek Has san ,41, who analyzes those things for a living. “In bad times, like what we’re seeing now in oil, it becomes a necessity .”
Hassan purchased a franchise of a Canadian company called Schooley Mitchell late last year. The company works with businesses to analyze their phone and credit card processing bills.
In exchange for a free review, franchisees like Hassan receive half of whatever savings are achieved. “Ten percent of the time, we don’t find any areas where business owners could be saving,” Hassan said. “So those people get validation for what they’re already doing. But the others find out where they’ re being charged too much .”
“I was skeptical about being able to save money on my credit card processing,” Katy veterinarian David Buelna said. “Turns out I had the best rates already. But it was a different story with other parts of mybusiness.”
Bu el na, who owns Circle B Vet Hospital, said “going green” affected his Internet bill the most.
“We’re almost totally paperless now,” Bu el na said .“When all of your systems are online, you have to back up everything at the end of the day… everyday .”
Hassan decided to purchase a Schooley Mitchell franchise after working in the high-tech and telecommunications industries. The University of Texas graduate
worked for a tech startup, launched his own business renting computer time to airline passengers, and ultimately ended up at a telecommunications equipment company called Plantronics.
“That’s where I learned about telecommunications and customer service, because we were constantly analyzing customers’ telephone needs,” Hassan said.
Today, Hassan said some of his best clients are accountants looking to save money for their clients. He also works with shop owners, restaurateurs and dentists.
“If I can save money for a business owner, the first thing he’ll want to do is tell a buddy who has the same type of business,” Hassan said. “I also go to a lot of trade shows where I can meet business owners one-on-one.” Hassan said his service works best for companies with five to 250 employees.
“Any larger than that and a business will have its own IT guys to look for cost savings,” Hassan said.
Schooley Mitchell has 100 offices in the U.S. and Canada, but only a handful in Texas.
“It’s really big up north,” Hassan said. “It’s now that we’re starting to see it come down our way.”