6 Dirty Franchise Opportunities for You


franchise opportunitiesI’m going to share information on the dirtiest, slimiest, and most disgusting types of franchise opportunities around.

Ready?

When I first starting in the segment of franchising that I’m currently in, I thought that the type of franchise always determined the actual role of the franchise owner.

For example, when I first learned about Molly Maids, I figured that the franchisees were doing the actual house cleaning.

After all, why else would someone buy a residential cleaning franchise if they weren’t going to clean?

6 Dirty Franchise Opportunities

Maid Brigade

Meet Margie. Margie Toombs doesn’t do the cleaning … and she never wanted to.

When I first discussed the Maid Brigade with Margie, the franchise that she’s been the proud owner of for the past several years, she didn’t get all dreamy-eyed with the prospect of owning a residential cleaning franchise-a really dirty business. That’s probably because her last position was that of an executive; she was the former head of quality advancement at the Timken Company, a global industrial technology leader.

But, it wasn’t that Margie was opposed to getting her hands dirty that led to her lack of excitement at the prospect of owning a cleaning franchise. It’s just that her visual of the business (everyone’s visual, actually) included scrubbing toilets in stranger’s homes and other assorted downright dirty duties.

When I told her that her role as the franchisee of a residential cleaning franchise would actually be a combination of management, HR, business development and customer service, her interest increased.

She didn’t know what she didn’t know.

Get Enough Information

Don’t assume.

If you’re going to make the move from employee to employer and with it, the inherent risk that comes along with starting a business of your own, make a commitment (right now) to get enough information about the opportunities you’re thinking of checking out.

Sometimes the information you need can’t be found in a brochure. That means that you’ll have to take the next step, and make actual contact with the franchisor. . .actually have a conversation. That way, you’ll be able to learn all about the franchise concept you’re interested in, including what your role would be as a franchisee. Then you can decide right then and there if you should continue pursuing the franchise. Or not.

More Dirt

I thought that this would be a good time to mention some other franchises that handle dirt.

And, while you’re looking over the franchise opportunities that I’ve listed below, I want you to think about something. I want you to think about how you want to be portrayed as a business owner. Read that sentence again.

Let’s look at a few franchises that clean-up:

Steamatic

Steamatic Total Cleaning and Restoration is a 500 unit franchise system that has a footprint in 24 different countries. Franchisees offer carpet cleaning, duct cleaning and restoration services for residential and commercial property. This company has been franchising since 1967.

AdvantaClean

This cleaning franchise offers light environmental services, from 120 or so offices around the US. But, they offer something else, too; a track record with US government agencies. AdvantaClean franchisees have provided environmental, indoor air quality (IAQ), and water damage mitigation services to numerous federal agencies and because of their experience, they have ongoing relationships with municipal, county, and state entities, too.

360Clean

According to the executives at 360Clean, the most important attributes of clean cannot be seen – these are germs and infections that live in every public facility all across America. Franchisees use hospital-grade disinfectants to increase the odds of a germ-free environment. As an added bonus, franchisees can offer landscape management services to help beautify the exteriors of the office buildings and other commercial facilities that they are contracted with.

Superior Wash

Homes and businesses aren’t the only things that get dirty. Superior Wash franchisees and their teams clean 47,000 fleet vehicles a week. And, since a lot of the companies they provide vehicle cleaning services too are large ones, the franchisor fronts the receivables to the franchisees, so they do not have to wait months to get paid. In addition, Superior Wash franchisees receive initial sales support from headquarters; a salesperson is assigned to the territory to help generate customers.

Bio-One Inc.

They bill themselves as “The first and only crime and trauma scene clean-up franchise.” Someone has to do it, and franchisees of Bio-One Inc. get called to do meth lab clean-up, tear gas decontamination and other assorted crime-scene disinfection. This is a very specialized field, and franchisees and their technicians receive highly-specialized training; very sophisticated equipment and chemicals are used to remove every trace of crimes and accidents that take place over the county, every single day.

Remember I asked you about how you want to be portrayed as an owner?

Did you think about it?

I’ve just shown you a few franchise business opportunities that provide needed services to both the residential and commercial markets. What do you think of them? Can you see yourself owning one of them? Would you be comfortable owning a cleaning business? Or, do you need to own something cleaner…classier-something that presents a different image?

Cleaning Photo via Shutterstock

Maid Photo via Shutterstock


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Joel Libava Joel Libava is the Franchise Expert for Small Business Trends. Joel, The Franchise King®, equips today’s prospective franchise owners with time-tested, proven techniques designed to increase odds of success. He does this through one-on-one coaching, and gobs of useful content that can be found on places like Small Business Trends, SBA.Gov, and his award-winning franchise blog, The Franchise King Blog . He’s been featured in Entrepreneur® magazine, and is frequently called upon by national media outlets and publications for his no-spin insights into the world of franchising.

12 Reactions
  1. Good points.

    Funny for years I owned a successful cleaning franchise and so many people always thought I did the cleaning. It was a great business and cleaning was far from what I ever did. The perception of many is always thinking the owner works “in” the business.

    • Thanks for sharing that, Mike.

      Little known fact: There are lots of very wealthy cleaning franchise owners in North America.

      Lots.

      The Franchise King®

      • Very true, made a great income and its a great business for an owner who is good at managing employees. Great resale value also 🙂

  2. I’d say it’s a “dirty business.” Ha ha, I couldn’t resist, Joel.

    – Anita

  3. hahaha,,,funny but its a good article 🙂

  4. Joel…. Thank you for writing a blog post that adds a little tongue and cheek to the misconception that we deal with every day at Molly Maid in the Franchise Development Marketing department about a house cleaning franchise.

    To your point Mike, a large percentage of our Molly Maid Franchise system are in the million dollar club, have built a great reoccurring revenue model and when they decide to exit the business the re-sale opportunities are there because of that model.

    Another reason that people buy a Molly Maid franchise or explore career opportunities with Molly Maid is because of the lifestyle and work life balance we provide. As an owner and employee you enjoy a consistent work schedule with no nights and weekends unless that is the flexibility you desire.

    Life is dirty, houses get dirty and everyone wants more time with their families and for themselves. If you own a Molly Maid, work for one or just use the service you know that Molly Maid has built a bushiness around giving people the gift of time.

    Clean up your life…. If you want more information on owning a Molly Maid Franchise please visit us at http://mollymaidfranchise.com or if you would like to explore a cleaner work schedule visit us a http://mollymaid.com for career opportunities.

    • Hi Nicole,

      You all run a tight ship-I have personal knowledge of that.

      Houses do get dirty. Houses do need to be cleaned. Busy homeowners do need time to do things with their families that don’t involve chores.

      Service businesses like Molly Maid provide more than cleaning services. They provide a little extra time for those that need it-and can fit it in their budgets.

      The Franchise King®

  5. Joel (Mike too),

    I’m in a business that also seems “dirty” (Printing) yet never get ink under my nails.

    In every well run business, the owner should never get their hands dirty unless they absolutely love doing so.

    Thanks for the fun article

  6. LOL, great article. Right now I’m in the trenches cleaning up the dirt with my company. Hope to quickly move to the desk job and just manage it from there.