SaaviHome, the Denver-based smart home technology integrator, recently added its first two locations to its franchise network, expanding into the Boulder and Castle Rock territories. This expansion marks the continued growth of SaaviHome’s franchise model, which provides a business opportunity for entrepreneurs wanting to enter the smart home technology market.
RTT Podcast 155: Gavin Lantzy on SaaviHome’s Franchise Plan
The first SaaviHome franchisee, A.J. Kuhrmeyer, will manage the new locations. He brings “a wealth of experience and a passion for innovative technology solutions,” making him “an ideal fit for the SaaviHome family,” according to the Gavin Lantzy, SaaviHome’s president and CEO.
RTT had the opportunity to chat with Kuhrmeyer and Lantzy about how they connected and why this opportunity was a good fit for both of them. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
RTT: How did the two of you connect for this franchise opportunity?
A.J. Kuhrmeyer: I wanted to join this industry because I see amazing opportunities not only for potential franchisees like myself but for the industry in general. I believe strongly in the comfort of a home. Out in the world, we face storms and troubles, but home is where we find safety and comfort. Technology has advanced to the point where it can significantly enhance our lives. From automated blinds that let in light as you arrive home, to lighting that adjusts to your mood, the possibilities are incredible. Many homeowners might not realize how much these technologies can improve their lives.
Though I have no background in custom installation, I come from a lineage of manufacturing goods designed to improve productivity and consumer lives. This background has instilled in me a drive to use science to make life better. At 40 years old, I was ready for a change and wanted to be part of a space I’m passionate about. I’ve always loved movies and music, and these are exciting aspects of our business that I care deeply about.
I’m also eager to learn new things, like how different types of light can affect your mood and how we can be stewards of the environment by using smart home technology. For example, by managing blinds to reduce the workload on air conditioning units, we can make a difference, especially with the intense sun here in Colorado. I believe I can effectively convey this message and the benefits of these technologies to our clients.
Gavin Lantzy: We reconnected through a network of friends. A.J. had been staying in touch, keeping an eye on what we were doing here, and we had ongoing conversations about the industry and our growth at SaaviHome. His excitement and enthusiasm were contagious. I talk to about 150 people a month from various backgrounds, and A.J.’s willingness to follow our system stood out. His dedication gave me confidence that he was the right person to partner with. I saw in him someone who could help us grow our vision, refine our model, and work through the challenges that come with business ownership. Business is tough and takes time, and growth happens through great people working together. A.J. gave off a solid vibe as a potential first business partner for us, and it just made sense from our perspective. For A.J., transitioning out of the corporate world and into a more entrepreneurial role made sense for his life and family. It aligned with our vision, and we are excited to be working together.
RTT: How do you go about choosing the two locations?
Lantzy: We approached it from a national perspective, aiming to grow a brand that offers consistent technology solutions across our platform. We chose Boulder and Castle Rock because they’re in our backyard, where we have long-standing relationships and a strong presence since 2004. Our history in Colorado, starting with my dad founding the company, gave us the confidence to support A.J. closely as our first franchisee. His success is our success, so we’re committed to providing him with all the tools and support he needs.
We structured our system to be scalable not only locally but also for potential branches in places like Phoenix, Texas, and Florida, and anywhere across the country. Our existing team can leverage technology to support franchisees through Zoom calls and other means. We’ve compartmentalized our training and support systems, including marketing, sales, system engineering and design, accounting and finance, bookkeeping, and our 24/7 call center. This centralized approach allows franchisees to benefit from comprehensive support throughout the lifecycle of their business.
RTT: So, A.J. where are you personally located in relation to the two cities?
Kuhrmeyer: I’m smack dab in the middle. I live in Golden, which is right between Castle Rock and Boulder as the crow flies. And so fortunately these two territories were open, which means I can get around to both of them efficiently.
RTT: Gavin, are you basically assigning team members or resources to A.J. for that project depending on the scale of what’s been sold or proposed, and that’s how you kind of get it started initially?
Lantzy: Sort of. Ultimately, A.J. is the business owner, and he’s responsible for the results. He has to build a team of salespeople and technicians. We all know that finding the right talent—people who fit the values, culture, and attitude you want—is the hardest part of business. And this is a big part of the support we are giving our franchisees. A.J. has been focusing on Boulder and Castle Rock as his territories and has already hired a salesperson to help with outreach to trade partners.
The SaaviHome corporate umbrella provides all types of training, support, and mentorship throughout his business lifecycle. We’re here to assist him, but he’s not necessarily leveraging our employees to do the work for him. However, in certain instances, we can set up a subcontractor relationship to utilize the SaaviHome team to help franchisees produce projects. That’s one of the examples of the power of shared resources in the franchise model. A.J. is responsible for growing his territory, and we’re committed to giving him all the support he needs. He completed his training less than 30 days ago, so we’re still in the early stages. A.J. can share more about his experience over the past month.
Kuhrmeyer: Sure. Gavin has a general manager, Erin Thomas, and she’s an absolute rockstar. She’s opened up a line of communication where I can ask all the questions I have—which are a lot, given that I’m new to this space. I’d like to give a big shoutout to her and the whole SaaviHome team. In the past 30 days, we’ve conducted several site visits and even booked our first job. There’s a lot that goes into booking that first job, especially a pre-wire job, and engineering the proposal. Fortunately, we have the technology and programs to do this efficiently. Erin has walked me through these processes and trained me so that I feel confident in being able to handle it myself in the future.
RTT: Can you talk a little bit more about the training process?
Kuhrmeyer: Yeah, it was a super intensive four-day training program, and what’s really neat is that it included fieldwork on some of those days. We got to interact with actual customers at different stages of their home integration journey. We did everything from initial site walks to understand what customers know about technology and what they want it to do for them, to pre-wiring, teaching customers how to use the technology in their homes, and ultimately servicing them. It’s not just about completing a job and walking away; it’s about staying engaged with customers so they feel comfortable and confident using something that might be new to them. Training is ongoing. Real learning comes from experience, and that’s where the SaaviHome team is with me every step of the way.
RTT: You mentioned the pre-wire job you did as your first project. Can you talk more about that?
Kuhrmeyer: Yeah, sure. We’ve actually already just closed it out yesterday amazingly. Again, it’s only a pre-wire, so it’s not massive, but it is a larger pre-wire job, which is pretty neat.
Lantzy: I can jump in here. I think it’s got like 27 shade drops, three TV drops, network drops and stuff like that. And eventually that’ll hopefully turn into more business down the road.
RTT: Okay, great. Yeah, so it’s really interesting and really unique for me to wrap my brain around how this is working because I’ve not experienced a whole lot of this in our channel and how you just hang up your shingle so to speak, and you start creating a business basically from scratch. It seems daunting to me, personally, but I don’t have that entrepreneurial mindset.
Kuhrmeyer: It’s extremely daunting, no doubt. Especially not coming from this space, and suddenly, you’re doing the legwork to make cold calls and get everything lined up properly. And that’s excluding all the financial aspects needed to make it happen. I chose SaaviHome because Gavin and his team have developed a model that guides me through almost everything, except for the grunt work. I’m out there making the calls, walking on sites, and interacting with potential customers. I’m also connecting with builders, architects, and designers to introduce our services to their customers, who we ultimately aim to serve. Gavin and his team have built the process beautifully. Even a sales guy like myself can figure it out, follow the steps, and see it come to fruition.
RTT: With no portfolio to start with, how do you convince a partner or client that you can do the work?
Kuhrmeyer: I mean, I’m up all night trying to learn these processes, reading through Gavin’s 400-page manual to understand how I can do that. And full disclosure, Jeremy, I haven’t been asked, ‘What’s your experience in the industry?’ or ‘Where do you come from?’ Nobody’s asked me that yet, thankfully, because I’d preface it by saying, ‘Hey, I’m a little bit newer to the industry, but I’ve worked in corporate America for 20 years providing solutions to customers. I’m here because I’m way more passionate about technology than I ever was about my previous career.
RTT: So, you’re working mostly with home builders and architects, the design build community. How are you tracking down these relationships?
Kuhrmeyer: Right now, it’s about reaching out to whoever will take my call. From dropping my kids off at school, I’ve connected with a couple of amazing builders there. I’ve also met landscape architects who have kids the same age as mine, which is great. Realtors have been incredibly helpful too. When I moved to Colorado, I didn’t know anyone to call for home repairs, so I relied on my realtors. Connecting with them has expanded my network to those looking for homes, building homes, or buying land.
I’ve even done site visits for realtors who wanted to improve their own home’s technology. It’s been fun because real estate agents are in a tough spot with market changes and need new ways to connect with customers. Many of them have networks of builders, architects, and designers. If I can show them our brand, they often connect me with their contacts.
Cold calling job sites and architects is also part of the process. It’s a new experience for me, walking into these beautiful spaces where architects are working and not getting much initial attention. I’m used to a different reception, but all I can do is introduce myself: ‘Hi, I’m A.J., I’m with SaaviHome. You might know us as a low voltage supplier or integrator, but ultimately, our job is to help your customers better interact with technology in their homes and automate their lives so they can enjoy the rest of what you are bringing to their home space.’
RTT: I guess a follow up to the location discussion. Why having the two different cities as your territory versus just picking one to get started?
Kuhrmeyer: I thought I could achieve my profitability goals quicker by having two territories to work with. Boulder is saturated with designers and architects, while Castle Rock has more building activity. By balancing these, I can work with trade partners in Boulder and have them refer me to their customers. In Castle Rock, I can focus more on direct-to-consumer efforts through the amazing websites we’re putting together and being present in those areas. It’s not exactly door-to-door but being visible and active in both locations helps me cover a broader range of opportunities.
Lantzy: And I can also speak to that, Jeremy. Ultimately, it needs to fit the franchisee’s investment goals. Our investment range of $160,000 to $274,000 to get one territory up and running doesn’t double when you add a second territory. It’s a relatively minor increase, and one van can efficiently service two adjoining territories as you ramp up operations. When someone is looking to build an integration company for the long term and scale a team, it often makes sense to start with two, three, or even four territories. It’s a personal decision that involves discussions with each franchisee to align with their goals, and that’s how it fit A.J.’s goals.
