In addition to help from his wife, Tepper’s two sons, Tayler, 14, and Alexander, 10, are often found offering live demonstrations on the store’s Sony PlayStations.

Jeff and Jill Tepper - In 1987, Jeff had just left the military as a combat engineer and was waiting tables when he proposed to Jill. Her insistence on a steady career prompted Jeff to start a career in rent-to-own. The Teppers now own six ColorTyme stores.

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A Halifax, Va. entrepreneur credits his wife’s initial decision not to marry him as the catalyst that landed him in the rent-to-own (RTO) business. Now Jeff Tepper is not only surviving but thriving in the rental business: he recently acquired three more ColorTyme locations in North Carolina.

“It was 1987 and I had just left the military as a combat engineer and was waiting tables when I asked Jill to marry me,” explains Tepper. “She said she wanted to wait until I had a steady career before we married which prompted me to start a career in rent-to-own.”

That decision turned out to be the right one. After starting at Rent-A-Center (RAC) as an account manager, Tepper was quickly promoted to store manager and spent time working for several other RTO companies. In 2001, Tepper became an investor in his first ColorTyme franchise in Danville, Va. Over the next few years, the couple opened two more stores: one in Roxboro, N.C. and the other in Lynchburg, Va. And just last fall, the Teppers purchased three more ColorTyme stores, two in Raleigh, N.C. and a third in Rocky Mount, N.C.

Tepper’s success has been a family affair. “Being a ColorTyme franchisee allows me to open and run RTO stores for my family’s benefit,” says Tepper. “But more importantly, my success is due in large part to our team. My wife, Jill, runs our corporate office and takes care of the behind-the-scenes work, which allows me to visit with customers and have a presence on the floor of each of our stores. It’s that kind of support that makes us successful.” In addition to help from his wife, Tepper’s two sons, Tayler, 14, and Alexander, 10, are often found offering live demonstrations on the store’s Sony PlayStations.

Tepper has also expanded his inventory to include iPods, Xbox 360 and jewelry at his new stores in Raleigh and Rocky Mount. That decision is already a hit with customers and they’re even telling their friends about Tepper’s new product offerings.

ColorTyme, Inc. is the oldest franchised rent-to-own or rental purchase company in the United States with nearly 300 stores. The company launched an aggressive franchise development plan in 2004 and is on track to grow significantly in the next five years with many of its newest locations being developed by rent-to-own professionals.