BECOMING HIS OWN BOSS;
SKANEATELES MAN SWITCHES FROM HAND HELD TO FRANCHISEE
September 16, 2007 Sunday
By Charley Hannagan Staff writer

When Tom Ruhlman was younger, he put off going into business for himself and opted for the guaranteed paycheck and benefits that come from working for a company.

He did pretty well, too, working in several companies in the Midwest and moving to Hand Held Products in Skaneateles, where he worked his way up to the vice president's office. All the while, Ruhlman longed to own a business.

Then Hand Held decided to move in another direction and Ruhlman decided he needed a change. The two parted ways amicably.

With enough saved for his two children's college education and a severance check in hand, Ruhlman decided to take the plunge.

"If I'm going to do this, this is the time to do this. That's what made me decide to do it now," he said.

Ruhlman, 52, of Skaneateles, opened Batteries Plus on Erie Boulevard, in DeWitt, a year ago. The store sells all kinds of batteries, from car batteries to watch and cell phone batteries.

Here's how he made over his career:

How did you come to decide on a retail franchise?

Ruhlman looked at three options: starting his own bike and kayak rental shop in Skaneateles, buying an existing business or opening a franchise.

He nixed the bike-kayak shop idea when he couldn't get direct access to the lake. None of the existing local businesses for sale at the time interested him either, he said.

He chose what he believed to be the least risky of the three options: opening a franchise. A friend showed him a newspaper story about Batteries Plus, which caught his interest.

The company has 300 franchise stores selling all kinds of batteries used by consumers and businesses. Within six to eight months, Ruhlman signed a franchise deal and opened the only Batteries Plus store in the state. He has plans to open a second store in Camillus soon, and others in Rochester.

Did you take a class to learn how to be your own boss?
"I already had classes in an MBA (at Marquette University) so I was exposed to business. I went to the Whitman School's Entrepreneur's Boot Camp program two years ago for a refresher. The program runs for (six) weeks on Saturdays."

How much have you invested so far?
"$400,000 to $500,000."

What would you warn people about when starting their own business?
"As the owner of the business, you'll be in on everything from the accounting to doing the toilets and mopping the floors. It's a much broader series of responsibilities. It's a different stress, too. Now you worry about things 24/7."

What do you like about it?
"I love making decisions. I love being pressured."

Are you making a profit yet?
"No. I'm getting closer to it. In August, I lost less money than I have before."