Screenmobile Blog Official weblog of The Screenmobile Corporation

The Screenmobile Franchise Corporation started humbly enough in 1980 with one used  tent trailer and a vision - to follow a proven business model and equip hundreds of well trained independent operators to custom build, repair and replace window and door screens, on-site at the customer’s convenience. In 1984, the company began franchising and today has 98 franchise owners operating across 26 States. 

For the past twenty-six years, the hosting of annual conventions and regional meetings to interface with franchise owners has been an integral part of Screenmobile’s successful and time tested business plan.  

“It is absolute essential that the latest industry happenings, vendor news, construction techniques and company developments be shared with our franchise owners on a regular basis so that we are all operating from the same playbook,” said Monty L. Walker, vice president and one of the original three founders of the company. “Our annual conventions and regional meetings  offer opportunities for invaluable face-to-face interaction with the best champions for our brand.”

The company’s annual get-together has grown steadily in size since the very first convention was hosted in a small conference room at a Desert Hot Springs’ hotel near corporate headquarters. These days, 140 attendees, 20-30 vendors and corporate staffers gather at that same place they have for the past nine years - The Orleans Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.  Walker has been in charge of coordinating every convention since the corporation’s founding and offers the following tips for success. 

 Convention Roundtable.

PLAN PLAN PLAN

You can never “over plan” for a convention and planning should start at least 6 months in advance. Once the convention has started, there is little room for course correction.

DEVELOP RELATIONSHIP WITH VENUE

It is important that a good working relationship be maintained with the personnel at your host venue. Make friends with them and open the lines of communication early. Let them know what you are planning to do and work with them to identify any possible issues in advance. You don’t want a shortage of rooms or unexpected paperwork to pop up at the last moment that leaves you scrambling and stressed.

PREPARE YOUR CORPORATE STAFF

All personnel that are involved with the convention should know each other’s assigned roles and anticipate the needs of the attendees as well as event sponsors and vendors. You should have methods of communication tested and in place. A variety of smartphone apps are available that enable group texting or act as two-way radios.  

RESEARCH AND SET EXPECTATIONS 

Don’t rely on your own understand of what programs you think should make up the convention agenda. Ask your attendees what they would like to see, what they would like to learn or what issues they would like to be addressed. Based upon their feedback and prior to the start of the convention, convey to the attendees what programs you have in place, what knowledge they will take away and what return on investment they can expect to realize. You do not want to offer programs that are not relevant to their business needs. They will not appreciate their time and money being wasted if the convention fails to hit the mark. 

QUALITY AUDIO/VISUALS 

Nothing can ruin an otherwise stellar convention faster that a microphone that doesn’t work of a presentation screen that no one can see. You can rely upon the venue’s A/V equipment and technicians but that does not guarantee there will be no issues. One option is to rent new equipment in the host city or bring equipment you are familiar with along with you. Be sure to arrive early enough for set up and testing. 

 D.Winters. (Top Sales)

EXECUTE - 30% SOCIAL, 30% BUSINESS, 30% PEER-TO-PEER

Once you have decided on a program agenda, you may be tempted to stray. Don’t. Stick to it and execute. A good convention program is made up of three components - social, business and peer-to-peer. A good host city and hotel will have plenty of opportunities for socializing and the planning of fun activities, like a bowling tournament. An awards ceremony is also a vital social element that should not be overlooked. The business portion should be made up of presentations and programs hosted by corporate or by invited vendors of sponsors. Remember to stick to the time table. And lastly, your attendees can be your best source of valuable information. Allow time for peer-to-peer interaction by facilitating roundtable discussions or open mic forums on topics of interest. Keep everything as lively and fun as possible. Nobody likes a boring convention.

 Craig Anderson

FOLLOW UP WITH SURVEYS

Upon completion of the convention, poll the attendees. Figure out what worked and what didn’t work. What activities were appreciated, could be improved upon or should be scrapped all together. After several years of survey results are in, a pattern will be established that reflects what your attendees like and what they don’t like. 

And finally, many convention planners believe that booking a high-profile speaker to deliver a speech is key to a convention’s success. Regardless of how dynamic a speaker’s address may be, if it is not highly relevant to the audience’s business goals your attendees will feel let down.

Monty L. Walker is Vice President of Screenmobile Corporation. He along with his father Monty M. Walker and brother Scott Walker are the original founders of the franchise company headquartered in Thousand Palms, CA. For more information visit: www.screenmobile.com 

Did you and you friends have a little too much fun over the New Year weekend? Now that the fun is over you realize some screens were walked through and need to be repaired. Well no worries Screenmobile is a mobile service that will go to your home, take measurements and make on site. No more waiting 1-2 weeks just to get your new or old screens back from being made or repaired. Our trucks and trailers give us access to all our equipment necessary to take care of any size job. Weather it be a brand new heavy duty slider down to your smallest screen window. No job is too big or small for screenmobile. Call us today for your free estimate by going to our website at www.screenmobile.com enter your zip code in the zip code finder and call your local screenmobile for your free estimate. Don’t wait any longer to open up your screen doors or windows again to enjoy the natural fresh air. Call us now!!! You Call We Screen.

Congratulations to Screenmobile of Charlotte for earning the prestigious 2011 Angie’s List Super Service Award. Davis Winters the owner of Screenmobile of Charlotte stated “I am blessed to have a team that understands the importance of our customers; we have only won this award because of each employee’s dedication to providing the best service levels possible. For those who don’t know what Angie’s List is, Angie’s List is a website that aggregates verified consumer reviews of service companies as a way to capture word of mouth. Angie’s list grades companies using a report card style, which ranges from A-F. These rating are based on price, Quality, responsiveness, punctuality and professionalism. “Only a fraction of the business rated on Angies List can claim the sterling service record of being a Super Service Award winner because we set a high bar.” Said Angie’s list founder Angie Hicks. So once again Congratulations to Screenmobile of Charlotte keep up the good hard work. To find your local Screenmobile simply go to www.screenmobile.com and for more information on Angies List visit the website at www.Angieslist.com

This is the perfect weather to just lay in bed all day watching your favorite movies while enjoying a delicious cup of hot coco, until your pet has to go outside to take care of some pet business. You really don’t want to get up because it’s too cold, or you’ll miss the best part of the movie. You have absolutely no choice but to let your pet out. Are you wishing you had a pet door right about now? Did you know Screenmobile not only deals with screen windows and screen doors but we also do pet doors too! Screenmobile’s selection of pet doors gives you the flexibility to find a pet door that fits your needs. Pet doors can be mounted on either swinging or sliding screen doors. Screenmobile carries different size pet doors to fit your pet’s needs. So don’t worry about missing the best part of the movie or about having to get out of bed anymore. A pet door will allow your pet to enter and exit on his/her own. The best part of this is… you don’t have to get out of bed to reach us. Simply grab your laptop or smart phone visit our website www.screenmobile.com enter your zip code and give us a call. That easy and it can all be done while staying nice and warm in your comfortable bed

Will you be home for the holidays? Will you have any friends, family, and grandchildren over? Are you afraid of your grandchildren running through your screen door? Well fear no more Screen mobile to the rescue. With about 100 locations across the United States.  Screenmobile will fix just about anything that has to do with screening.  So, before your grandchild runs through your sliding screen door give us a call and get a custom made Heavy Duty Slider, it will be made to fit perfectly onto your home, that’s what we like to call our “ Screenmobile Guaranteed fit.” Little John will no longer go through and

wreck your slider instead see little John bounce off the slider causing no damage to either little John nor the slider. Our Heavy Duty Sliders are constructed of 2  ½” x ½” extruded Aluminum with extruded corners so it is guaranteed to be tough. The top and bottom wheels are constructed of steel, with high quality ball bearings to ensure smooth gliding. This Screen Door will last you many years and not only that, it will look great too! Heavy Duty doors come in different colors: White, Bronze, Silver, Tan, and Black. Don’t waste anymore time, call your local Screenmobile by simply going to our website www.screenmobile.com enter your zip code in the zip code finder and you’re all set. “You Call We Screen.”

 Ever had a window screen rip, so you tried handling the screen repair yourself to no avail? Fear not. Watch window screen repair tips by Screenmobile with 100 franchise operations located in 26 states to serve you. From window screen replacement, sliding screen doors, security screen doors and patio screens. Screenmobile can help with all your screen repairs.

http://youtu.be/uA4sjFjFeDc

Greg Gorman of Santa Barbara shares sage entrepreneurial advice while celebrating his 25th year in business in Santa Barbara. Greg is looking to sale 2 of his 3 territories with San Luis Obispo and Ventura County available.  Here is a link to the article.

http://pacbiztimes.com/2011/11/25/entrepreneur-shares-recession-coping-lessons/

Screenmobile has announced that Dillon Walker has joined his father, Scott and grandfather Monty Sr., in the family business. Dillon purchased Screenmobile #164 in Bellflower to serve the screening needs there and in the surrounding areas of Long Beach, Whittier and Lakewood.

The Screenmobile story began in 1982 when Monty Walker Sr., opened a single location in Glendora, California. The company became Screenmobile Corporation and began franchising in 1984. Since its humble beginnings, the company has grown to nearly 100 franchise locations in 26 states.

“I have always known that I would become involved with Screenmobile in one way or another,” said Dillon Walker. “It is a great opportunity and I intend to make the most of it.”

The senior Walker turned the corporate reins over to Dillon’s father Scott Walker in 1998, who moved the company’s headquarters to Thousand Palms in 1999.

“Despite being around the business his entire life, Dillon felt it important to complete his training just like any other franchisee,” said Scott Walker, president of Screenmobile Corporation. “The entire Walker family is proud of the commitment, professionalism and enthusiasm Dillon has shown. There is no doubt he will succeed.”

A 2009 graduate of Palm Desert High School, Dillon will serve his Screenmobile customers while simultaneously pursuing a degree in business.

“Screenmobile has expanded because of my family’s knowledge, hard work and dedication,” said Dillon. “My plan is to learn the business from the franchisee’s perspective and use that experience to honor my grandfather’s legacy. I hope to someday help my father grow the company internationally.”

Monty Walker Sr. retired in 2004 but still keeps a close eye on the company he founded.

“Dillon has grown into a fine young man with a great deal of confidence,” said the elder Walker. “It would be very pleasing to me to see his children and grandchildren carry on the tradition.”

When you need new window screens, you may also need new screen frames. Window screen frames can be made from wood or aluminum. All window screen frames are cut to size on location at your home.

We all know that wooden frames can be made to be more decorative and can be painted to match the color of your home, no matter what color you originally chose. Unfortunately wooden frames also require maintenance and are more expensive. You should repaint or stain your frames every few years to keep them in the best shape.

Aluminum window screen frames are less expensive, require much less maintenance, and are more durable. They come painted in a variety of colors and can be made from varying weights of aluminum. The lightweight 3/4″ frame is typically used in conjunction with lighter weight materials such as pet screen, fiberglass screen, aluminum screen, and no-see-um screen.

A heavier gauge screen frame available for applications such as Solar Screens and very large screens. They enable you to have larger and heavier screens without the eyesore of a crossbar that is certain to distract from your view of the beautiful outdoors. A heavier gauge screen frame is also frequently used in outdoor applications. You might want to use a heavier aluminum screen frame on applications such as your Porch or Patio.

When you are considering replacing your window screen frames, consult your local Screenmobile franchise. Being screen replacement professionals, they can quickly and accurately assess your needs and desires to let you know exactly what would be best for your home.