Veterans Plant their Flag with Photography
Owning a TSS Photography franchise is perfect for these veterans.
Two men – Gerald Jordan of Florida and Guillermo Palos of California – each own a TSS Photography franchise. That’s not all they have in common – they are also both military veterans. Learn more about why they believe military experience and TSS Photography franchising make a great team.
Meet Gerald Jordan
Gerald Jordan retired from the U.S. Army in 2007 after 22 years of service. He served as a chief warrant officer, the most senior non-commissioned member rank in the Army. While living in Virginia, he was introduced to life as a photographer and learned he was fond of it.
“While I was active duty in Richmond, I was a part-time photographer with a TSS franchise,” Jordan says. “I did that from 2001-2004. I retired from the Army in 2006 and moved to Florida.”
After five years of living in Florida and working at a corporate job, Jordan couldn’t contain his dream of being his own boss. He then remembered enjoying his work as a photographer.
It took him about a month to decide he wanted to own a photography business, but he says it only took five minutes to decide on TSS Photography.
“My income level has gone up each year. Some of the increase can be attributed to the TSS innovation and automation. They give you the tools to be successful,” Jordan states. “I quit my day job last year and my photography business was a great opportunity for me to grow over time and then feel comfortable quitting my day job.”
Meet Guillermo Palos
Palos spent years serving in the military as an industrial engineer. He spent his time looking at activities and missions, studying what it took for them to be successful. He would then work to make those more efficient.
In April of 2016, Palos ended his time in the military, and it was time for him to choose the next path his life would take. He looked into both traditional and non-traditional jobs. He scoured through what he knew about and what he didn’t.
“I did my due diligence,” Palos said. “I was not looking for an opportunity where I had to reinvent the wheel. That’s one of the many reasons I was drawn to TSS Photography. Working with the support system TSS has in place has helped me make this business my livelihood.”
Why they bought a TSS franchise
While Jordan purchased an existing franchise from a previous owner, Palos started his business from scratch. Both men discussed the network of franchisees as a reason for their interest and eventual purchasing of their businesses.
“When I was first starting out, I called the nearest franchisee to me and he was a big help,” Palos says. “Anytime I have a question about something I can send it out to the network on Facebook and within a very small amount of time, someone has an answer for me. Just last night I was puzzling through something and I sent an email, first thing when I woke up this morning, I had an answer.”
Jordan stresses how much the corporate office provides to each of the franchisees. Not only do they connect each of the franchisees to each other, they make them feel like part of the organization and provide training in both photography and business.
“In addition, TSS Photography has a great training program and a continuing photography education system that keeps the TSS Franchisees on top of our market as the leaders in sports and school pictures,” Jordan says. “This allows TSS franchisees to provide our customers with photographic memories that will last a lifetime.”
Palos also claims he has been helped as a new franchisee learning about the business he is building. “The innovation TSS has available to franchisees is pretty awesome,” Palos says. “It is a competitive field here in southern California, and my advantage over my competitors is the services available, the final product, pricing, and the speed at which I can offer them to my clients. I think TSS is helping to keep me competitive in this department and they are helping to give me an edge.”
Palos goes on to say, “I enjoy the photography the most. While the business part keeps me working to learn more, I love getting out and meeting clients and taking the actual photos. I love to see how happy they are once they have their product in hand.”
How military experience relates
“I am using my experiences in the U.S. Army as a chief warrant officer to successfully grow my franchise business,” Jordan says. “The training and experiences I received on teamwork, managing subordinates, small unit leadership, accounting and tracking systems, and the will to succeed are key factors in my success as a TSS Photography franchisee.”
With the experience of years in the military Jordan and Palos both know their past helps them build the business they love.
Working as a franchise is easier than starting from scratch. It takes a lot of work and trial and error. Palos says that TSS Photography helped him to build the foundation and the frame of his “house”, but he will have to build the rest of it through effort and investment.
“The people who are going to be successful with a TSS franchise are people who are ready to go get something done,” Jordan says. “They make things happen instead of sitting around waiting. I believe the military helps you be that kind of person.
“It does not feel like a job at all. I always heard “If you do something you love, you’ll never work a day in your life.”