Meet Glenda Stachowiak, who, along with her husband Scott, own Fastest Labs® of Northwest Houston.
Fastest Labs®s a 10-year-old company, now with 25 franchise locations across the USA and growing quickly because of its low level of investment required and it’s scalability.
Fastest Labs® is a drug, alcohol, and DNA lab collection company that prides itself on accuracy, reliability, and efficiency. It has earned a stellar reputation for professionalism, reliability, and confidentiality. With Fastest Labs® you get accurate results, fast – often before you leave the parking lot. The differentiator for clients and businesses is both their speed and accuracy.
Tell us about your background:
I’m married and have two children that are in college. I’m a graduate of the University of Houston with a degree in finance. I worked for large corporations like Continental Airlines (now United), Brown & Root/Halliburton, and Vinson & Elkins Law Firm. Most of my career centered around business development and marketing. When my children were really young, I became a stay-at-home mom for a few years doing volunteer work at the school and at church. I worked part-time at my church until my husband, Scott, and I decided on Fastest Labs.
What was your motivation to buy a business?
Really it was Scott that was motivated to own a business. He finally convinced me to go to a franchise show in Houston and we came across Fastest Labs. My motivation was to help fulfill Scott’s dreams. Once we decided to take this path, I have been all in.
Why franchising?
I come from a family of small business owners so I know the hard work and financial requirements that go into a start-up: finding your way in the marketplace, resources, capital investment. For that reason, I liked the idea of franchising because so much of the infrastructure needed to run a business is already in place, i.e. choosing vendors, marketing efforts, business systems, etc.
Why Fastest Labs?
We had looked at many other options but Fastest Labs caught my eye because it was different, not the usual restaurant or cleaning service-type business. Having worked in the corporate world, I have had to take many drug tests for employment purposes so I understood the need for this type of business. Once I began exploring Fastest Labs, I realized that I could use my customer service, business development, and marketing skills to be successful. I also think that this is a somewhat recession-proof business. Most companies perform drug testing as pre-employment and random testing even when there is a down-turn in the economy. Also, the franchise owners are very supportive and involved in your success. Finally, the initial investment to begin this franchise was low.
Knowing what you know now what would you do differently?
The one thing I would do differently is relatively small: like building out my space at the very beginning rather than having to do minor construction on an ongoing basis as I realized what my needs really were.
Best thing about owning your own business?
Being a business owner is very rewarding in that it’s your baby, so to speak. I feel the highs of our successes and lows of the failures. It’s building my and my family’s future. It’s not always easy being a business owner, but I do take pride in the growth of the company.
What’s next for you?
I am opening my second location later this year. I will continue growing the business.