What Does a Voda Owner's First Year Look Like?

Buying a franchise is a decision; the first year is where it becomes a business. Here's what the path from signing to a working Voda location usually looks like, step by step.

Before you sign

Candidates have an intro call, review Voda's Franchise Disclosure Document, talk with leadership and current owners, map their territory and attend Discovery Day. Territories are drawn from ZIP codes and sized by population.

Months 1 to 4: certifications, training and launch

• Certifications. Restoration work requires industry certifications from the IICRC, including water damage restoration and fire and smoke restoration, plus a mold certification. Voda's FDD (Item 1) lists exactly which ones are needed before initial training.
• Training. Owners then attend Voda's initial training: restoration, cleaning, equipment, documentation for insurance adjusters, and running the business.
• Setup. Owners buy or lease a van, order equipment, set up the office and software, and hire their first technicians. Most start lean, with 2 to 3 employees.
• Launch. Most locations open 75 to 120 days after signing, with launch marketing and Voda's 24/7 call center already answering the phone.

Months 4 to 12: building the business

• Getting found. Local marketing, including Google Local Services ads, brings in emergency calls.
• Building relationships. The owners who grow fastest act like the “Mayor of the Town”: they meet insurance agents, adjusters, plumbers and property managers who send restoration work.
• Coaching. Every location has a Franchise Success Coach with regular check-ins, and the Voda Playbook app lays out the steps.
• Adding cleaning work. Scheduled carpet and upholstery cleaning keeps crews busy between emergencies.

Fees to plan for

The royalty is 7% of gross revenue (3% on documented reconstruction work), with no minimum in months 1 to 4 and a minimum that steps up after that. The brand fund is 1% in the first year and 2% after. The full list is in the Voda FAQ and Items 5 to 7 of the FDD.

For what owners actually earn, see Item 19 of the FDD and talk with current owners. Book an intro call to get started.