A Q&A with the Marketing, Training and Operations Team at The Carpet Chemist

1851 Franchise: What are some of your past experiences that make you a good fit for the role you fill at The Carpet Chemist?

Jason Markowicz, Chief Development Officer at The Carpet Chemist: I have been in the franchising industry for over 20 years, developing brands as a franchisor. I have also been a franchisee, so I’ve been involved in all facets of franchising and understand business models and what it takes to attract good people.

Eric Anderson, President of The Carpet Chemist: I’ve been involved with brands in the service-based industry for the last 24 years now, so I’m very familiar with the service space and am very consumer-focused, so I thought I could bring a lot ot the table in getting things going with the franchising of The Carpet Chemist. 

Tonya Cerrito, Co-Founder of The Carpet Chemist: I co-founded the company alongside my husband, Brandon. We put it all together and decided to eventually set it up so that we could franchise it. My past is mostly in clerical work, and that’s what I’ve been doing with the company for almost 10 years now. I have a pretty good grasp on managing the day-to-day responsibilities of making sure the office runs smoothly. 

1851 Franchise: How have you grown the brand since joining The Carpet Chemist?

Markowicz: We’re actively launching the brand with a few broker networks and recently kicked off a marketing campaign, so we’re starting the development process of franchising The Carpet Chemist. We currently have about 15 candidates in the pipeline.

Anderson: Since I joined we’ve taken the brand to where it’s fully automated. They were originally using an app for their services and they were talking to customers on the phone and using a lot of paper invoices, but now when they show up for an appointment there’s no paper — everything is tablet-based, and payments are made on the spot. Customers are able to book appointments online or through a call center that we set up to work in conjunction with the app. Franchisees don’t have to do anything as far as taking payment and setting up future appointments – all they have to do is confirm and show up, then close out the appointment and take payment.

We’ve also added a couple of new services to the brand as well, including hardwood flooring services. We’re in the process of adding air duct cleaning right now as well as COVID disinfecting. 

Cerrito: We built the company with the idea of eventually franchising it. We have been working on franchising for two years now and finally signed on the dotted line to officially get the process going. 

1851 Franchise: What are some of the biggest milestones you’ve achieved since joining The Carpet Chemist?

Markowicz: Since I joined, we’ve formalized our executive team. Overall, our leadership has more than 60 years of combined experience, and we’re excited to have a dream team that will take the brand to the next level.

Anderson: I’ve been helping the corporate location with sales. After my first year onboard, I increased gross revenue by 30%, and this past year we saw a 36% growth in revenue. Sales growth is huge for The Carpet Chemist. We have been working to add services and set up a call center where all the upselling is done, which has been a game changer for us. The franchisee can sell on the spot, but the call center is doing most of the sales. People call us for one service and end up booking two or three services. 

Cerrito: The Carpet Chemist has grown in volume since we decided to start franchising the brand. We were able to open up a 5,000-square-foot facility, which is now the corporate office for franchisees. We have been in this building, which is right off the interstate, for a year and a half, and people can see the building as they’re passing by.

We also saw tremendous growth in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. We saw a 40-50% increase in growth, which only increased because of COVID. There are moms at home with their kids who are out of school and doing everything online. And with more people being at home, they want more things cleaned, which really drove up our sales. 

1851 Franchise: What are some of the goals you’ve set for 2022?

Markowicz: We hope to get 20 franchisees signed on this year, and open 10 locations for business.

Anderson: We’d like to get 10 franchisees signed up for 2022, and I would like to see another 35-40% sales growth. 

Cerrito: Once we start signing franchisees and preparing to open up new locations, my goal is to get them trained and help them learn the back-end, day-to-day operations of the company. 

1851 Franchise: Is there anything else you’d like to share about your excitement in franchising The Carpet Chemist?

Markowicz: Franchisees who sign on with the brand will get a great deal of value thanks to our extensive experience in franchising. We’re super excited about this brand because it’s easy to open and affordable, there is no brick-and-mortar location required. It’s a neat, simple concept that can be scaled quickly. 

Anderson: With an extensive background in management and in running a logistics company, I’m able to offer franchisees the support they need to be successful. I have a lot to offer when it comes to customers and overcoming any issues that may pop up along the way. 

The total investment to franchise with The Carpet Chemist ranges from $77,000 to $109,000, including a $25,000 franchise fee. For more information on franchising with The Carpet Chemist, please visit https://thecarpetchemistfranchise.com