I feel fantastic when I wake up each day. It's not even like going to work. I'm going to do the things I like to do. It's fun.
John Miller, Premier Franchisee

John Miller, Premier Franchisee.

By Jocelyn Swanson

John Miller and his dad were sitting by a campfire talking one night at a family event. Things at work had been brewing for John as he approached the end of his second decade in the RTO industry. A proven success in a number of roles and regions throughout the U.S., John was tired of working for someone else and concerned about the looming acquisition of the company he worked for. He thought often about opening his own RTO store.

"My dad asked me, 'What do you need to do it? Just do it!'" That was what John needed to hear along with the encouragement of his wife, "who was tired of hearing me just talk about opening my own store." So John took the plunge and is now approaching his third month as a Premier Rental-Purchase dealer in Roanoke, Virginia, loving everything about it.

He got his start in the industry in 1988 as an account manager in Ft. Lauderdale with Comcoa, DBA Rent-A-Center. Within a year and a half, he had moved up to assistant manager and then manager of his first store. His assignments kept getting bigger until he transferred to Tacoma/Seattle as a multi-unit manager of nine stores. He grew 100 agreements in each of those stores his first year, becoming a Market of the Year finalist and one of the top five market managers – as a rookie. That same year he set operating revenue records in his region. John was in his element.

John crisscrossed the country for Rent-A-Center, living in Florida and Washington twice, as well as Indianapolis and Greenville, SC. He moved to Bedford County, Virginia in 1999 to put down roots and be closer to family. He was then working for Rentway. He ultimately accepted a job as divisional vice president over 60 stores in North Carolina and Virginia.

It was years later that John and his father had their campfire chat. It was also around that time that Rent-A-Center announced it was acquiring Rent Way, and John wasn't sure he was up for an acquisition. Plus, he had been contemplating an ad he saw in an RTO magazine for opening a Premier Rental-Purchase store of his own. [Watch for the upcoming annual RTO Franchise issue of RTO Magazine - download the 2007 issue here] Premier seemed like a way to get started. It was a familiar name to him as several of his former Rent Way colleagues had successfully opened Premier franchises. All things combined piqued his interest and fueled his desire to become an entrepreneur. John spent some time soul searching and talking with family members. "I have faith in myself. And my family is very supportive."

As for Premier, he says, "It seemed right. It was a good fit for me. I called them and talked to The Premier Companies president, Trooper Earle. He was very helpful. Premier has been very supportive all the way through. They wanted me to be successful and trusted my instinct about the right time and didn't push me to expedite things."

John admits he is the type of person who doesn't like to ask for too much help and prefers to figure things out on his own. But if there was an obstacle that "exhausted my mental and physical energies" he would simply pick up the phone and Premier was able to answer the questions. They were there when he needed them and John says, "They have been a huge help."

Even after his grand opening, John continues to use the variety of support services Premier offers, from accounting to human resources to purchasing. "I use a lot of the vendors that Premier recommends. For me to research and find someone on my own is too time intensive and exhausting. Having the vendors there and in line has been really convenient. "

With the store now open and a few months under his belt, John adds his perspective on being his own boss. "I feel fantastic when I wake up each day. It's not even like going to work. I'm going to do the things I like to do. It's fun. I had become a check list guy before. I really didn't have total control of everything that went on. Now, it's totally mine. I will eventually open more than one store, but at present, I'm still having fun and not ready to do anything different."

John's proven strength is that he loves what he does. He loves selling and has established a family atmosphere for his customers and truly wants to take care of them. He also loves his team and believes in looking after them. "I want to make sure they are having fun as well and aren't just going through the motions of a job. I want us all to share a vision and goals. We all have personal lives that sometimes take priority. But we come together each day and get ready for that door to open up and to meet our customers. That is the challenge for me – to make it enjoyable for my team and find a way to motivate them. I am then able to participate in everyone's success."

Premier Companies will hold its annual business meeting in Memphis, Tennessee May 19-22. RTO Online will cover the event, publishing interviews, podcasts and live streaming video. Check www.rtoonline.com for updates.

The national office of Premier Rental Purchase is located in Williamsburg, VA. All Premier stores are independently owned and operated. Visit Premier's website at www.premierrents.net or call (800) 2Premier and ask for Trooper Earle.