How to Start a House Cleaning Franchise

5 Tips from Merry Maids^®

If you’ve been exploring an array of business opportunities and settled on a residential cleaning franchise, you’re probably a pretty practical person. After all, house cleaning –– like grocery shopping, haircuts, and car maintenance –– is on almost everyone’s permanent to-do list.

Owning a business that provides must-have goods and services can put you on sound financial footing. By building a loyal customer base, and the recurring revenue that comes with it, a cleaning franchise can be a very satisfying endeavor.

But besides practicality, what makes a great franchise owner? And what does it take to build a maid franchise? Here are five tactics from Merry Maids^® franchisees:

Be Driven –– and Adaptable

After decades of working with Merry Maids franchisees, it’s clear that certain skills help owners succeed in this competitive industry. Along with a sharp business mindset, it helps to have excellent management, sales, and customer service skills.

But that’s not to say you can’t outsource certain responsibilities. If you struggle with a particular skill set, it may be more cost effective in the long run to let an outside expert handle that responsibility. That way, you can put all of your energy and focus on areas in which you excel.

Brian Houtman, a Merry Maids franchisee with two locations in Texas, had a hard time with sales and marketing. “I’m not a natural salesperson,” he says. “Instead of continuing to struggle with this aspect of the business, I hired someone to focus exclusively on sales. I also rely heavily on the marketing tools that Merry Maids provides. This approach has helped pave the way for significant growth.”

As an owner, it also helps if you enjoy leading, motivating, and developing your team. Your employees will be the face of your business, interacting with clients on a daily basis. Engaging them in your vision and rewarding excellent work can go a long way in helping build a motivated team in your maid service franchise.

As far as experience, Merry Maids franchisees come from a range of diverse backgrounds. While many new owners come from corporate America, others come from a variety of cleaning and hospitality services, sales and marketing roles, and even straight out of college with little work experience.

Merry Maids training is designed to put all new franchisees on equal footing, with the tools, technology, and resources to help franchisees in their new endeavor.

Stay Engaged

As a Merry Maids franchisee, you’ll manage either solo cleaners or two-person cleaning teams capable of servicing two to four homes a day. Regardless of your experience, the Merry Maids systematic approach to training, cleaning, office management, and developing your customer base can help set you up for smooth daily operations, which is critical for your business.

Your assigned Business Development Consultant will help guide you through sales, marketing, and financial planning. They’ll also provide ongoing support that includes business evaluations and continued learning opportunities.

Training at the Merry Maids annual franchise seminar, along with in-depth regional workshops, will help keep you up to date on state-of-the-art processes, new products, business issues, and industry news.

Exclusive territories eliminate competition among franchisees, so you can focus on your business without worrying about how other franchisees are fairing. Best of all, fellow franchisees will share best practices with you, because everyone in the company is working towards similar goals.

Finally, our brick and mortar storefronts establish a strong local presence, distinguishing you from mobile maid services. They also serve as a hub for morning meetings with your cleaning team. Face-to-face meetings are an excellent way to connect with your employees, answer questions, set a positive tone for the workday, and show your appreciation.

“Staying engaged is important, not only when it comes to customers and employees, but also the home office,” says Don Krance, a Merry Maids franchisee in Williamsburg, VA. “When you stay in close contact with corporate, it’s clear that everyone has the same goal, we’re all in this together. That’s very reassuring.”

Know the Numbers

With independent start-ups, financing often involves a lot of guesswork –– from the amount of capital you’ll need to borrow to your best lending sources.

At Merry Maids, 40 years of experience allows us to calculate start-up costs with accuracy, accounting even for the variables that come with any new business venture. It’s just one of the perks of being in business for so many years.

Below is a precise financial breakdown, depending on the size of the market you’re looking to cover. Best of all, the ServiceMaster Acceptance Company (SMAC) can finance up to 80% of your initial franchise fee (for well-qualified candidates), to help you start your business and fund your growth through the first year.

Embrace Technology In the home services industry and the majority of businesses today, e-commerce helps generate leads. With a robust website, consumers can schedule cleaning services around the clock, giving you the power to sell 24/7 (often without lifting a finger).

As you grow your business, you’ll be able to leverage interactive online training to stay up to speed on all aspects of ownership. Your team members will also benefit from training videos on cleaning methods and safety measures

You’ll have online access to professionally developed marketing materials including direct mailers, email campaign templates, flyers, and strategies to build strong and consistent brand awareness.

Plus, you’ll have a nationwide family of Merry Maids franchisees who are just an email away and always happy to offer help.

Talk to the Experts There are countless franchise companies that provide residential services to clients, securing recurring revenue for owners. So take your time to explore, crunch the numbers, talk to other franchisees, and hear the reasons why repeat customers choose Merry Maids.

If you’re ready to launch your franchise, our team of experts will be there to answer questions and share best practices to help you with immediate or long-range business goals.

Joining an experienced network like ours means having access to a wealth of knowledge whenever you need it. Remove the guesswork, get the support you need, and never go it alone. Learn more.