E52: Preventing Home Fires One Dryer at a Time

Have you ever considered what's lurking in your dryer vent? In this eye-opening conversation with Steve Ames of Dryer Vent Squad of Fort Collins, we uncover the hidden dangers of neglected dryer vents and how proper maintenance could save your home from devastating fire damage.

Steve shares his unexpected journey from corporate career to franchise owner, revealing how what began as a business opportunity transformed into a mission to protect his community. "One of the leading causes of home fires is dryer fires," Steve explains, highlighting how this often-overlooked home maintenance service can prevent disaster while simultaneously reducing utility costs and extending appliance lifespans.

What's particularly fascinating is the widespread lack of awareness about this critical service. Many homeowners replace multiple dryers before realizing the ventilation system is the real culprit. Steve's business grows steadily at 13% annually, but he believes the potential is far greater as more homeowners become educated about the risks. Perhaps most surprising is his revelation about fire aftermath: "The damage from the fire itself is not huge, but the water damage from the fire department putting the fire out is extensive." This sobering insight puts the importance of prevention in sharp perspective.

From marketing strategies targeting his primary demographic (women aged 25-45) to the personal satisfaction of achieving better work-life balance through entrepreneurship, Steve's story offers valuable lessons for both homeowners and aspiring business owners. Whether you're concerned about home safety or looking for inspiration to venture into business ownership, this conversation delivers practical wisdom from a true good neighbor. Check out https://www.dryerventsquadftcollins.com/ to learn more about protecting your home from this preventable hazard.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place
where local businesses andneighbors come together.
Here's your host, Nick George.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
Welcome to the Good Neighbor Podcast.
Are you in need of a providerof expert dryer vent cleaning,
rerouting or repair from fast,efficient and reliable
technicians who get the job doneright the first time?
One might be closer than youthink.
Today I have the pleasure ofintroducing your good neighbor,
steve Ames, with Dryer VentSquad of Fort Collins.

(00:33):
Steve, how's it going?
Great, how are you today?
Good, we're excited to learnall about you and your business.
Tell us about your company.

Speaker 3 (00:42):
Well, we are definitely family-owned.
We live in the northernColorado area.
I originally was in HVAC,plumbing and retail management.
I entered into this ventureabout four years ago.
We bought our first one andthen we bought a second a year
after that.
I didn't even know this was athing until I got into it and

(01:06):
then we found out it's.
One of the leading causes ofhome fires is dryer fires, and
the more I looked into it, themore I saw the potential upside
and that I could help people inour local community.

Speaker 2 (01:20):
And how exactly did you get into the business?

Speaker 3 (01:23):
It's a franchise.
So I found it believe it or noton Facebook and I talked to the
franchisor.
That gentleman started PatchBoys, which is a drywall
patching company.
He built it to 108 units andsold it for $18 million.
So at that point obviously hehas something going on and knows

(01:44):
how to do these things.
So I got involved with it andwe've ran with it since.

Speaker 2 (01:51):
What are some myths or misconceptions in your
industry?

Speaker 3 (01:56):
It's the same as, like I just said, most of my
clients didn't even know it was.
It's a thing that they need toclean it.
Some of them even go throughmultiple dryers before they
venture down the road of havingthe vent cleaned.
Um, it's for what we charge.
How we set our pricing is foreverybody and it's definitely

(02:17):
far cheaper than, obviously, afire.
And it helps with utility bills.
Fort Collins, as everyone knows, the utilities never go down,
they tend to go up.
So if you can run your dryerfor one cycle and complete the
drying cycle, that's the way todo it.

Speaker 2 (02:37):
Wow, who are your target customers and how do you
attract them?
I mean, I assume a lot of yourtarget customers don't even know
that they need to be reached.
Go ahead.

Speaker 3 (02:48):
Um, so my the sorry.
The most of my business comesbetween women of 25 to 45 years
old.
That's about 75 of my business.
That's what we target withgoogle lsa ads, google
pay-per-click?
Um.

(03:08):
I have done some facebook inthe past, although we're not
currently doing facebook um, andthen, of course, we strive to
do excellent service, so we getfive-star reviews and those
clients tend to recommend us tofriends and family it seems like
there's probably a big marketout there that doesn't even know

(03:28):
they need this.

Speaker 2 (03:29):
Have you ever thought about doing your own podcast to
try to educate people?

Speaker 3 (03:34):
that'd be interesting .
I'm a little nervous today, butI could probably get my
thoughts together and notstumble so much.
That's the biggest thing istrying to get everybody to
realize this is a thing as abusiness model.
We do grow about 13% a year,which is outstanding, but with
the lack of knowledge out thereit could grow a lot more.

Speaker 2 (03:58):
Outside of work.
What do you do for fun?

Speaker 3 (04:01):
I love to go fishing and then I bought a toy last
year.
It's a Jeep and I have found Ireally like off-roading too.

Speaker 2 (04:12):
Let's switch gears.
Can you describe a hardship ora life challenge that you
overcame and how it made youstronger?
What comes to mind?

Speaker 3 (04:24):
That's a good question.
The biggest thing that waslife-changing for me was to,
like many people out there, Ispent a career working for other
people.
To step out and to do my ownthing was scary, to say the
least.
The amount of money that Ispent to start this to us was a

(04:46):
lot of money.
Now, looking back on it, to owna franchise business, what I
paid was relatively low and it'screated a work-life balance for
myself and my wife, and it'salso gotten my youngest daughter
she's 21, kind of interested indoing her own thing as well,

(05:08):
which is exciting, and if Iwished, I would have done this
when I was 21,.
I don't want to say how old Iam, but it was quite a while ago
.

Speaker 2 (05:16):
Steve, please tell our listeners one thing they
should absolutely remember aboutDryer Vent Squad of Fort
Collins.

Speaker 3 (05:23):
That we are here.
We answer the phone seven daysa week.
Nobody in our community shouldever have to go through a dryer
fire.
It's easily preventable, theprice is right.
The damage from the fire itself, from the dryer fires that I've
been to, is not huge, but thewater damage from the fire

(05:48):
department putting the fire outis extensive.
And I'm not bashing the firedepartment at all.
I just don't think peoplerealize when the dryer's on the
second floor and you dump 7,000gallons of water on a house, it
all goes to the basement.

Speaker 2 (06:03):
How can our listeners learn more about Dryer Vent
Squad of Fort Collins?

Speaker 3 (06:08):
My website pretty much says it all, and that's
dryerventsquadftcollinscom.

Speaker 2 (06:17):
Well, Steve, I really appreciate you being on the
show.
We wish you and your businessthe very best moving forward.
Thank you very much.

Speaker 1 (06:23):
Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor
Podcast.
To nominate your favorite localbusinesses to be featured on
the show, go toGNPFortCollinscom.
That's GNPFfortcollinscom.
That's gnpfortcollinscom, orcall 970-438-0825.