Franchisee In Action: Meet Veteran and Cinchi I.T. Partner Troy Cobb
“Cinch I.T. is fortunate to have Troy Cobb as a franchise partner. We are very proud and appreciative of his military service and look forward to working beside him as he grows his franchise.” – Rick Porter, President of Cinch I.T.
Troy, please tell us about your military background. I served in the USMC from 9/86-9/96 – Desert Shield/Desert Storm. I graduated number 1 in my platoon from boot camp (Honor Man) at Parris Island. I was enlisted and was honorably discharged as an E-6 Staff Sergeant. I received several commendations medals including the Good Conduct Award, Navy Achievement Medal, and National Defense Service medal. My military occupation was Test Measurement and Diagnostic Equipment Calibration technician.
What was your working background? The first half of my career was mostly technical, working on high-tech gear such as high-end projectors for commercial applications. The second half of my career I moved to a sales role selling high-tech gear to our dealer network.
When did you buy your franchise? January 2021
What was the turning point that made you realize you wanted to change your career path? The pandemic nearly devastated the company I was working for and I felt as if the writing was on the wall. I, honestly, was happy for the opportunity to make a career change because I didn’t care for what I was doing. My career had grown stagnant, and the company wasn’t prepared to pivot for the “new normal”, so I started looking elsewhere.
Why did you choose Cinch I.T.? Since I have a background in technical sales, I felt there were a lot of synergies between my background and the services offered by Cinch I.T. Also, the company I was working for at the time utilized an
MSP for their IT services and I personally experienced the pain points of being an end-user. I felt that Cinch did an excellent job of addressing those pain points when I learned about their focus on customer service.
What was the process like once you signed the franchise agreement?
The Franchisor and I looked at a map of territories and I picked a great territory. I’m fortunate to be the first franchisee in Georgia, so I had the whole state in which to choose. Once I signed the franchise agreement, I had to get busy interviewing and hiring my first employee, my onsite technician. After that we started our ten weeks of training which culminated with a two-week stint at Cinch I.T. in Worcester, MA in February 2021. After graduation, we came back to Atlanta and started doing business right away. I booked three new client meetings while in training and managed to bring aboard two out of the three right away.
What type of training and ongoing support is still provided to you?
I receive weekly training/coaching from the Cinch I.T. team. They help with everything from marketing, advertising, operations, technical issues, accounting - everything I need to be successful as a small business owner.
Has your work/life balance improved since buying the franchise?
Well, honestly, work doesn’t feel like work anymore. I love making/managing my own schedule and the freedom that comes with managing my own company.
If someone was interested in joining your franchise system, what would you say to them?
Running your own business isn’t for everybody. You must have confidence in yourself and be honest with yourself that you can handle the responsibilities that come along with running your own business. Ask yourself if you are ready to take on the responsibility of paying your employees before you pay yourself, working nights and weekends to get your business up and running. You must ask yourself if you’re ready for the financial risk involved in not seeing revenue for a period of a few months. If you can answer yes to those tough questions, then there is no other franchise system that offers the training and support that Cinch I.T. offers. You just can’t get this type of support any place else in my opinion.
“Running your own business isn’t for everybody. You must have confidence in yourself and be honest with yourself that you can handle the responsibilities that come along with running your own business” “Since I have a background in technical sales, I felt there were a lot of synergies between my background and the services offered by Cinch I.T.”
Any particular aspect of your franchise system that stands out to you?
If you’re considering a franchise, consider one with a business model like Cinch IT. When I sold projectors, every month I was starting at ground zero again. With Cinch IT, it is all about recurring revenue. As you bring on clients, they are paying for a monthly service, every month you are adding to your recurring revenue stream, not starting zero like you do when you are selling some type of widget. You can’t beat this business model for an opportunity at real wealth creation.