Can I keep my current job while opening a Voda franchise?

What does opening a location ask of your time?

The launch period is the busiest stretch. Most locations open 75 to 120 days after signing, and that window includes several things only you can do as the owner:

• Certifications. You need three industry certifications (water damage, fire and smoke, and mold) before Voda’s initial training.
• Training. Initial training at Voda University covers restoration, cleaning, equipment, documentation and running the business. Item 7 of the FDD includes travel and living costs while training.
• Setup and hiring. Owners set up the van, equipment, office and software, and hire their first 2 to 3 employees.

Initial training (40 classroom and 24 on-the-job hours) is held at Voda’s headquarters in Wisconsin or the Predecessor Outlet in Virginia, and it must be finished before you open (2026 FDD, Item 11). More broadly, the FDD asks you to personally supervise the business, unless Voda agrees otherwise in writing, and to give it the time it needs (2026 FDD, Item 15). Whether that leaves room for your current job is something to settle with us before you sign.

How much of the work must I do myself?

You personally supervise the business, but you don’t have to run every job yourself. Voda’s systems are built so a small team is not tied to the phone: a U.S.-based call center answers and books jobs, the Voda Playbook app holds the checklists and procedures, and a Franchise Success Coach works with each location.

Even so, some parts of the business benefit from the owner’s own time. Voda looks for the “Mayor of the Town”: someone who knows people and builds relationships with insurance agents, adjusters, plumbers and property managers who send restoration work. Most Voda owners come from executive backgrounds and are strong networkers, and that relationship-building is hard to hand off completely.

The FDD sets out the roles. Every location has an Operating Principal, the owner who completes initial training and makes decisions, and a General Manager, who runs the business day to day and must have prior restoration experience. Voda approves both, and an individual owner can serve as General Manager. Within 45 days of opening you also engage a salesperson who is not an owner (2026 FDD, Item 15). The FDD does not set minimum weekly hours; we talk through your plan on your intro call.

Where can I hear from people who left a job to open?

Voda CEO and Co-Founder Dan Claps hosts I Fired My Boss, a podcast about leaving the job and building a business through franchising. One episode, recorded at the first Voda franchise conference, is a one-on-one with a Voda owner in Houston who left finance to build a restoration business. You can find it on our podcast page, and our owner stories show other paths into ownership.

Hearing directly from owners is the best way to understand the trade-offs. Calls with current owners are part of the process before you sign, so ask them how they handled the move from their previous job.

How should I think about money during the transition?

The estimated investment for one territory is $209,394 to $379,608, including the $59,500 franchise fee (2026 FDD, Item 7, as amended November 10, 2026). That estimate includes additional funds for the first three months. Voda looks for $75,000 in liquid capital and a $250,000 net worth, and many owners finance the rest; see how to pay for a restoration franchise.

If you are weighing the business against your current pay, financial performance information is in Item 19 of our Franchise Disclosure Document, which we review with you during the process.

It is also worth checking your current employment agreement for any limits on outside business activity, and talking with your own attorney if anything is unclear.

What should I ask on my intro call?

• How do owners in markets like mine split their time between supervising the business and working jobs?
• How much time do training and the launch period take, week by week?
• When do I need my General Manager in place, and what experience must they have?
• What does the Franchise Success Coach expect from me in the first months?
• Which current owners kept a job at first, and can I talk with them?

For more on how owners from other careers get ready, see can I own a restoration franchise with no experience? and our FAQs.

Ready for the next step? Check whether a Voda territory is open near you or book an intro call with our franchise development team.