Multi-Unit Franchisee Magazine Issue III, 2017 | Page 78

U N D E R
BY KERRY PIPES
Testing, 1, 2, 3…
E
Young partners prep to open 3rd location
dris De Vol has had two defi n-
ing moments in his adult life:
fi rst, using an Any Lab Test Now
franchise to determine he had
high cholesterol; and second,
meeting Omar Sharif. No, not the hand-
some Egyptian actor from “Lawrence of
Arabia” and “Dr. Zhivago,” but someone
who has become a friend, mentor, and
business partner.
De Vol, who grew up in Saudi Arabia,
moved to Ohio to attend boarding school
as a teenager and later attended college at
Boston University. Sharif, originally from
Jordan, moved to the U.S. with his family
when he was 15.
De Vol and Sharif met at a friend’s
wedding a few years ago. Both were ap-
proaching 26, an age they would lose their
health insurance coverage on their parents’
policies, and were looking at options for
people in their shoes. De Vol had used Any
Lab Test Now and told Sharif, who knew
about franchising because he’d operated
a Subway location in Texas. In 2015, the
duo traveled to Atlanta to attend an Any
Lab Test Now discovery day. At the end
of the session, they inked a deal for their
fi rst franchise and two other territories.
“Any Lab Test Now is a direct access
lab testing franchise where patients do
not need to see a doctor fi rst. They can
get in and out of the lab in less than 15
minutes,” says De Vol.
In June 2015, the partners opened
their fi rst Any Lab Test Now location
NAME: Edris De Vol
TITLE: Owner
COMPANY: Any Lab Test Now
NO. OF UNITS: 2 (1 more by year-
end)
AGE: 29
FAMILY: 2 brothers, 1 sister
YEARS IN FRANCHISING: 2
YEARS IN CURRENT POSITION: 2
76
MULTI-UNIT FRANCHISEE IS S UE III, 2017
in the Dallas suburb of Flower Mound.
One year later, in July 2016, they opened
their second location in nearby Southlake.
Business is growing and the pair are
scheduled to open their third North
Texas location in Denton by year-end.
The brand itself, which began franchis-
ing in 2007, has grown to more than 150
locations nationwide.
LIFE UNDER 30
How did you get into franchising at
such a young age? My partner, Omar Sharif,
gave me the idea.
Was becoming a franchise something
you’d planned on? No.
Did you have a mentor or inspiration
for getting into franchising? Omar Sharif.
What jobs, skills, and experience
have helped you operate a franchise
business? Reading and writing contracts.
How would you describe your
generation? Globalized experience chasers.
Omar Sharif and Edris De Vol (right).
Do you see franchising as a stepping-
stone or a career for you? Both.
MANAGEMENT
Business philosophy: The right tools and the
right communication.
Management method or style: Hands-on.
Greatest challenge: Training new employees.
How do others describe you? Fair.
One thing I’m looking to do better:
Training new employees.
How I give my team room to innovate
and experiment: Give them a goal and let
them fi nd the way.
How close are you to operations? Involved
on a weekly basis.
What are the two most important
things you rely on from your franchisor?
Marketing and operations infrastructure.
What I need from vendors: Quality, not
quantity, of marketing materials.
Have you changed your marketing
strategy in response to the economy?
How? Not really. I just entered the system 2
years ago.
How is social media affecting your
business? Brings me closer to the customer.
How do you hire and fi re? Hire: online
resumes, then phone, then in person. Fire: three
strikes, you’re out.
How do you train and retain? Manager,
training portal, and gift cards.
How do you deal with problem
employees? Probation period is 90 days, so
that’s enough time to weed out the problem ones.
Fastest way into my doghouse: Poor
communication.