The Best of Both Worlds: Being a Mother and a Franchisee

By Pamela Gold

"I came from an entrepreneurial family. I learned a great deal of work ethic from my family and their businesses. From the beginning, I learned that through great successes and through failures, you try your best. When you fail, it becomes a learning experience and when you succeed, you truly enjoy it. Those were the only values I ever knew and when it came time for me to have a career, there wasn't a doubt in my mind that I would be a business owner as well. I believe that just as I learned from my family, my daughter will learn from me and grow up with the same work ethics and values. I think the fact that I own my own business will be a huge benefit to my daughter as she grows up," explained Michelle Spitzer, owner of the Naples, Florida MaidPro franchise that currently does one million dollars worth of business per year.

Women Business Owners

According to the Small Business Administration's Office of Women's Business Ownership, women are starting businesses at twice the rate of all new business start-ups and they're staying in business longer. Women-owned businesses contribute over $1.15 trillion in sales and revenue to the U.S. economy. Why these trends are occurring is unclear, but the fact is that women bring to the business world strength, confidence, the ability to juggle many tasks at once, and more.

Women's business associations are popping up everywhere. From the SBA's Office of Women's Business Ownership, which can be found on the web at http://www.sba.gov/womeninbusiness to smaller web sites dedicated to supporting women in business or working mothers, there are plenty of informative or supportive organizations with wonderful web sites. Try searching on your favorite search engine. Keywords such as working mothers and women in business will lead you to many resources. Also, for franchise-related information you can go to the International Franchise Association's web site and check out the information on the Women's Franchise Committee ( http://www.franchise.org/FranchiseeSecondary.aspx?id=22132).

Industry Makes a Difference

Like any business, the industry you choose makes a huge difference in how much work you will have to do and how flexible your schedule will be. There's no doubt that when you're your own boss, you make most of the rules and you make your own schedule. However, owning a convenience store that' opened 24 hours a day, 365 days a week will yield a very different owner experience when compared to owning a children's dance program where a schedule is set and followed. How do you choose the right industry for you? The key is to do your research. Talk to current franchisees in similar life circumstances for example, other busy moms.

"The house cleaning industry is so wonderful because it allows people to have flexible schedules. I earned pocket money by house cleaning when my children were very young. I had 2-year old twins and a 6-year old at the time and I was able to clean on the nights and weekends. Then, I got divorced and became a single mom. I decided to put myself through college at this time. In 2 years, I completed a 4-year elementary teaching degree, while I raised my children, and worked as a house cleaner. I did this only because of the cleaning industry. I was able to work half days or clean one house per day. The industry and the nature of the work makes it a great opportunity for mothers. After I got my degree, I looked into getting a teaching job, and I realized that I could earn much more money on a similar schedule if I worked for a cleaning company. I became the manager of the cleaning company I had worked with for years. The company's owner decided to join forces with MaidPro and became their first franchisee. After a while, I decided to start my own independent cleaning company and in 2000 I transformed my business and became a MaidPro franchisee. This past October I bought my second MaidPro location," explained Monique Boucher, mother of three and owner of two MaidPro franchises located in Chelmsford, Massachusetts and West Palm Beach, Florida.

Monique continued, "My oldest daughter now manages my Massachusetts office while I work at the Florida office. My twins are 17. They will be going to college soon and they will either choose to go to college in Florida or Massachusetts. I feel so incredibly lucky! I have a beautiful house in Massachusetts. Successful businesses in Massachusetts and Florida. I will be buying a house here in Florida soon. And all the while, I have been able to be a hands-on mom. What other industries allow you to do that?"

Choosing To Buy a Franchise

Michelle converted her cleaning business, Michelle's Classy Cleaning, into a MaidPro when she was 3 months pregnant. "I knew I needed the infrastructure and the support tools that MaidPro offered. Owning a business is definitely possible when you're a mom if you choose to buy a franchise. When I was on my own, I made mistakes, but with the franchise, I received the proper infrastructure and software systems to run and track my business from the start. The franchisor has already created proper policies to manage both clients and employees. Plus, I receive ongoing business consultation whenever I need it from MaidPro. These advantages have made all the difference for me in being a mom and a franchisee."

Monique's thoughts echo Michelle's, "I would recommend owning a franchise over owning an independent business for moms because I know from experience that I have needed and often depended upon the support that a franchised business offers. There are over 20 offices that I can vent to and get advice from and these offices are not competitors of mine so I know they will not knowingly steer me in the wrong direction. MaidPro corporate has been second to none, affording us so much individuality. -- Just do plenty of research before you partner with any franchise and make sure the corporate office really understands your family values and needs. You might not have the highest income from all of their locations. If the company thinks this is okay and embraces you as a wonderful role model, you've found a perfect franchise for you. MaidPro has been ideal for me."

Monique continued, "MaidPro understand that for me, family is first and my business is family-focused. They promote family values and I know if I need my phones covered because I have a family emergency, they will do that for me. I can't say enough about Richard and Mark, the owners of MaidPro. If I'm in Florida and my daughter has a problem with the Massachusetts business, she can call them up and Richard will actually go to the office, spend the day with my daughter, and solve any problems she is having. I was two and a half years into a 10-year contract when I decided to buy my second location. It was a no-brainer for me to sign another 10-year contract and that says a lot about the company and the opportunity."

Challenges

As with most everything in life, being a mom and owning a business has many challenges. Everyone's experience is different. For Michelle, organization has played a key role in her success; "Organizing my time is definitely the biggest challenge. You need to be very organized and you need to put systems in place so that if you need to be home for your child, the business will run smoothly without you."

Michelle continued, "You also need to have flexibility. Flexibility is the main requirement of being a mother and a franchisee. You can't neglect your child or your business and you need to be responsible as both a mom and a business owner."

For Monique, family values and keeping her family first can be challenging but is never impossible; "My biggest challenge has been to maintain my core values. Often, corporate offices depend on royalties and expect a lot from their franchisees, but as a mom, I've had to stick to leaving the office by 3:30. You might not always be willing to meet the expectations that a corporate office has, so as a mom you have to stick to your values. I am so grateful that MaidPro truly shares and encourages my family values. In fact, not only do they encourage me to run my business as a working mother, with mothers' hours, they use me as a role model to show other franchisees and prospective franchisees what they can accomplish as both a mother and a franchisee. That is why I chose MaidPro and I am very fortunate to have the support of such a wonderful company." 

Captain Of Your Own Ship

When you're the owner of a business, you have the ability to not only influence your own life, but the lives of many people. For Monique, having a mother-friendly business was key, "I offer my employees mothers' hours only. In fact, the entire business runs on mothers' hours because I've always wanted and needed time to raise my children. For me it's worked out really well. We do not clean on nights or weekends and I will only hire cleaners on a part-time basis. I wanted to be the mom that was home when her children got home and volunteered to help out. My employees tend to stay for 3, 4, 5 years or more because they can't find a job that not only encourages them to work part-time, but only allows them to work part-time. They work 20-25 hours per week and at each of my locations I have 15-20 cleaners. We all leave the office by 3:30 and our children have plenty of time with us."

Passing Down Lessons...

Having a mom that's not only there for her children, but who also owns and runs a successful business teaches children a lot about life and plants the seeds for strong family values and work ethics. "My children have learned from me and my business that family always comes first. It's a family business and a family investment. I've taught them that they must get dirty when it's necessary and nothing will ever be handed to them on silver platters. My older daughter started housecleaning at age 13. Years later, she is managing but it took many steps for her to get there," explained Monique.

Are You Ready to Control Your Future?

If you're ready for both the challenges and the exciting rewards of owning your own business, being your own boss, and having control of your future, all while raising your children, go ahead and explore the many franchise opportunities available to you. Do plenty of research. Speak to other mothers who own the franchise. And when you're ready, join the millions of other women business owners who are living their dreams.

Michelle concludes, "I'd absolutely recommend owning a franchise to other moms. MaidPro has a proven track record, and the proven tools and support to make me successful. You truly limit your risk when you're a franchisee. As a mother, you don't want to take risks because it's not just you, but you now have a family that depends on you as well."

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