NO NO Franchise Dont Do it- MUST READ

[ss]

Hello,

I've never been here before and I'm hoping there is some experience here.

I have a mobile service type franchise that I'm looking to get away from. Before I bought the thing two years ago I also looked at Service Master, janiking, and some others. I want to do it under my own name this time. I've learned a few things in the last couple of years.

Some questions for anyone who knows.

1. How can I determine what MY OWN market needs in terms of cleaning? I'm most interested in some sort of commercial cleaning.

2. I noticed another thread that pretty much said don't buy these internet courses. Alright, I almost bought one. Where can I get the information I need to start?

3. What is the state of this business? Is it another saturated business or is there plenty for everyone?

I've got two vans, some service business know how, etc, I just need some business specifics. Oh yea, seven years in the military means I'm qualified for this business I can run a buffer with one hand tied behind my back. My only real concern is growing the thing and dealing with employees.

Thank-you

[Kevin]

Turn this in with all bids if these franchise are around, you might want to include names of franchise in your area, and change business name from Purity to your business name.

Include Franchises in your area Example: Coverall Cleaning Concepts, Jani-King, Maid to Order, Merry Maids, Servicemaster, House Doctors, The Maids

Have you heard of these franchises? They sound like big names, well they are. They are big corporate companies that do there best to have you as a customer.

What happens though is usually poor service and unfilled promises.

Let me tell you why not to hire a janitorial franchise.The average janitorial franchise costs $1500 to start, At Purity that is not even the cost of the training that each basic staff member receives yearly, or come to think about the work vans have more than $1500.00 in equipment in them to service your facility.

I just started cleaning last week for the franchise? Seems everyone is getting into the cleaning business these days. Purity has over 10 years of field training and the references to back it up.

References: A franchise owner will show you a long list of references, well in most cases they are franchise customers, just this franchise owner never cleaned any of them. Ask this person for references of places they have personally cleaned, then call on them. I mean it call them, you will get an honest opinion of this service provider.

The franchise owner will tell you "We have support from corporate office"…. We at Purity laugh at this. What they do as the franchise owner is support the corporate office by usually 10% of the monthly fee they charge you the customer. This fee returns back to the corporate office roughly for 3-6 months. In the cleaning business profits are usually only 8 to10 percent, that means for three months or longer these service owners are working for no profit whatsoever.

Would you work for no profit? Probaly not, would you work for free? Probaly not. What ends up happening usually is that
1-Taxes are not paid.
2- The cleaning becomes substandard
3- They start diluting or stop using the cleaning chemicals to make up for the cost.
4- They start cutting corners cut an hour off the cleaning time here, two hours there...etc, etc.

The list can go on and on.

So no profit, terrible service equals? You calling the corporate office, Then corporate promises you the world saying that we will solve the problem…. Heres where it gets real intresting. They sell the account again to another franchise owner, (they sell you the customer) to another newbie in our area. They collect 10% again for three months to six months and to make it fair they give the franchise owner that left, another account, and then collect 10% again..
The cycle never ends

Not included – Most franchise companies do not include chemicals, paper supplies or equipment, read your service agreements carefully.Very Carefully! Why are these common things not included? Why do they not include a simple vacuum? Because the franchise owner cannot afford to purchase anything he/she has to pay the corporate office there percentages.

Say no to the franchise and say yes to Purity! Locally owned, operated and serving for over 10 years.

Our basic staff has more experience than the franchise owner. Oh yes before we forget roughly 1000 job references from places that we actually cleaned.

Sincerely,

____________________________________________
SS
First welcome to the forum, glad your here, ill try to help. It would also be beneficial if I know what part of North Carolina your from and what type of service you already offer. I will do my best regardless.

Some questions for anyone who knows.

1. How can I determine what MY OWN market needs in terms of cleaning? I'm most interested in some sort of commercial cleaning. Go through the yellow pages & internet and see what type of competition you are dealing with from the get go, is your market already saturated with services? If so you want to find and offer services they do not offer, you also want to keep your prices average to theirs.

2. I noticed another thread that pretty much said don't buy these internet courses. Alright, I almost bought one. Where can I get the information I need to start? Ask any question you want in here, someone has experienced the same situation. Many answers and advice will come your way.

3. What is the state of this business? Is it another saturated business or is there plenty for everyone? Hard to answer without a specific location. On average there is plenty for everyone. It is your marketing, and quality of work that will gain you more customers.

4.I've got two vans, some service business know how, etc, I just need some business specifics. Oh yea, seven years in the military means I'm qualified for this business I can run a buffer with one hand tied behind my back. My only real concern is growing the thing and dealing with employees. I'm also a military veteran. I gained alot of experience with floor work, Went to all that NAVY schooling to learn how to assemble and build weapons (seems like all I did was run a buffer and clean) so good with floors now, I run a buffer with no hands...lol Do not think your military training alone will make you successful with the service, along with the cleaning you need to be well rounded in the following areas. Communications, Taxes, Legal Agreements, Employment Law, Payroll, Advertising Marketing, Sales, Internet Technology, & Negotiation. It seems like you are on the right track though when I started it was with about 200 bucks, a truck, ladder and window washing equipment. Though I did have some savings put away to supply me with Raman noodles for at least 6 months/ My advice to any person starting this business is first a study up on the cleaning services you can offer. Then offer everything residential and commercial. Do not limit to only one sector. Alot of our business is from a commercial customer who wants a residential service. I'm sure many others will follow up with some advice also. Remember asking questions to people who are already in the business is a wise choice. We can all learn from each others mistakes.

[ss]

Kevin, thank-you I appreciate the feedback. I own a mobile automotive reconditioning franchise. 99.5% of my customers are CAR DEALERS. I'm sure I can handle an office manager. I'm in one of the most competitive businesses out there. I'm about 30 miles north of Charlotte North Carolina.

Without knowing anything about my market or the business, I was thinking of offering office cleaning and floor buffing. In the past I had also thought of going into window cleaning. I actually looked into a window cleaning franchise (Fish Window Cleaning). I'm not sure I still want to do the window cleaning. And I definetely don't want to associate with a franchise again.

Does that help? Thanks again.

[Kevin]

I have a feeliing you will do just fine, many people starting out will post a question, and never return to find the answer or help they requested " your already ahead of the game"
Thats great, you can easily incorporate janitorial services and cleaning into your business. Hopefully you kept good records of all the customers in the past, and you can send them flyers & brochures, stating you now do " Janitorial & Cleaning" Satisfied customers love to deal with one company, so provide as many services as possible. Once again stay away from any franchise. You can start window washing yourself and keep all the money for under $100.00

[Kevin]

I want to really get involved in reasons not to open a franchise cleaning business. Along with ways to combat them in your town. Starting with this thread, you can call this work in progress. Say No to the franchise What are your opinions on cleaning franchises? Would you ever start one?

[Kevin]

Intresting link about some federal and state cases affecting the largest janitorial franchise in the world.

www.janikingalert.info/lawsuits.html

[Pages Personal Cleaning]

I for one do not like franchises. All you do is pay, pay, pay and really have nothing to call your own.
Patti

[chevygirl57]

indianagirl said:

I for one do not like franchises. All you do is pay, pay, pay and really have nothing to call your own.
Patti

Anyone heard of Merry Maids?

Apparently they do horrible work and charge up the you-know-where...

[tcmb04]

I have worked for alot of years ago and had worked not too long ago for a company that bought out merry maids (in other words he owns now 3 cleaning companies).

Have got some of there customers because of the work they do i was told.

[Pages Personal Cleaning]

Tina
I hear from former customers of the big cleaning companies all the time that they send in 3 or 4 girls who are there for 45 minutes and do nothing. They won't even pick anything up off the floor and sweep under it.
Patti

[Pages Personal Cleaning]

Also I talked to a company a couple of weeks ago who had a cleaning business in Cincinnati and moved to Cleveland. He said that Merry Maids were really good there, but their not in Cincinnati.
Patti

[Grizzly]

Merry Maids in Ontario is the residential section of Servicemaster. They started it about 3 years ago, prior to that Servicemaster pretty much stayed out of the residential market. Now they're there competing with Molly Maid. All the comments are correct though , 2-3 person teams, limited experience, "everyone knows how to clean don't they?" (That's being fascetious , in case anyone thinks I'm serious)

STAY AWAY FROM FRANCHISE OPERATIONS

Bill

[jdinstl]

My very first job, at age 15 (I had to get a work permit) was, of all things, slingin' scoops in a Baskin-Robbins! (And yes, I still like ice cream....especially Jamocha Almond Fudge, with hot fudge, whipped cream, nuts, a cherry....I digress...)

The owner of that store, and one other, imparted these sage words of wisdom into my young brain: Franchises suck.

Way way back (last year) before I joined IJCSA and formed Renovare, I explored the franchise operations. I narrowed it down to 3 choices....1. Service Master. 2. Jani-King 3. Go It Alone.

Service Master was like a dog with a bone....they wouldn't let up! Talk about coming on strong! The local Service Master honcho called every week, sometimes more than once! By the way, the rental property that I won the maintenance contract? It was he and I in the final cut, I won on handyman service, snow removal, and gutter cleaning!

Jani-King...my last conversation was..."I've decided to try this on my own for now, and have joined one of the trade associations.....But I appreci---CLICK!!!.

*John furiously taps switchook....Hello? Hello?.....*three tones*..."If You'd Like To Make A Call...." Oh dear, that was not very nice.

Bottom line....we already have, at least in the USA, the IRS....so why give more of our hard-earned money to an outfit that doesn't work for it?

Cheers,

John

[daabebe]

currently i own janitorial franchise. Right they take a lot of hard earned money from me. I would like to end my franchise but i couldn't because i have 10 years contract with them. i paid a lot of money for it . i am stuck. please help me how to get out and start my own, they certainly not tell me except to abandon the all accounts i paid for.

[Kevin]

Thats a great point! Patti regardless you are going to have to put lots of hard work and time into building your franchise up, so you have a decent living. Down the road will you be able to sell it back to the franchisor or another franchisee. If you build your own business up, and sell it. down the road you will keep all the profits from the sale (minus the cut to the IRS)