The Booming World of Maintenance Franchising

Clean Equals Green

By AMY COVINGTON

Most people don't set out to get into the commercial cleaning and maintenance business. Let's face it, no one really likes to clean. When you think of cleaning businesses, scrubbing toilets and washing windows may come to mind-and who wants to do that every day? This way of thinking is exactly why commercial cleaning is a $78.5 billion industry. Industry analysts project that estimate to reach $90 billion annually by 2010. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the fastest growing occupation for the next decade is that of a "professional cleaning specialist." The logic is simple; every household and business is a potential customer. Residential customers have busy lives, either with full-time jobs or full-time kids and business owners and managers have other things to concentrate on other than vacuuming and emptying trash cans.

Today, franchise cleaning companies account for 10 percent of the total commercial cleaning market, with conventional and private companies accounting for 90 percent. Without the backing of a strong franchise company, many independent cleaning companies experience large turnover and lose cleaning contracts due to poor service quality. Franchise cleaning companies, however, are operated by enthusiastic unit franchisees who are vested in the business. Overall, maintenance franchise owners provide above average service to their customers, which is evidenced by the industry reported low turnover rate of less than 15 percent.

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When you consider the trend of corporate downsizing over the past several years and the growing discontent among workers who are tired of inflexible schedules and lining someone else's pocket instead of their own, franchising has become increasingly attractive to these experienced, educated business professionals. The result is highly qualified and motivated business owners who out produce independent cleaning companies at much less cost and with more backend support. There are many different types of maintenance franchises including carpet, upholstery & drapery services, commercial cleaning, lawn care & landscaping, pest control, plumbing and residential cleaning.

Despite the multitude of options, when most prospective franchisees decide to investigate opportunities, their first thought typically is not a maintenance franchise. "One of the biggest limitations is preconception," said George Knauff, a franchise consultant with FranChoice. "However, maintenance franchise owners are rarely hands-on; they manage the accounting and staffing." If you can overcome the preconceptions of the commercial cleaning business you stand to make considerable income as a maintenance franchise owner.

Having the inclination is just one part. According to Knauff, the most successful candidates for maintenance franchises are good managers who do not have a problem managing a blue collar workforce. "You don't have to be a marketing genius because the franchise companies have good programs in place," he said. "You don't have to be a sales expert either but you do have to be able to talk to people." Other considerations include physical limitations. Certain maintenance businesses such as lawn care, which are often owner operated, may impose physical requirements. If the business does depend on the owner being present and capable of performing work, what happens in the event of a physical impairment or other circumstance that prevents you from participating in the physical aspect of the business?

The benefits of choosing a maintenance franchise include a large prospect base, access to technical expertise and support on techniques and hot issues, training programs for development of your staff, financing programs, and association with a well-recognized national company. If you are seriously considering a maintenance franchise do a complete investigation to find out which companies are the leaders in their category. "Look for an executive management team who will back you up and is innovative in their approach," Knauff said. "Get help from someone you can walk you through the nuances of the industry."

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