Franchise Development Leader: Richard Sparacio of MaidPro

Picking someone to clean your home is a big decision. Unfortunately, not all cleaning professionals are real “pros” — many cleaning services are guilty of using the same equipment to clean your bathroom and your kitchen, not washing their gear between jobs and leaving you responsible for any accidents that may happen by not having proper insurance.

Fortunately, when Mark Kushinsky and Richard Sparacio launched MaidPro in 1991, they were focused on eliminating cross contamination between rooms, using brand name cleaning supplies that were child-friendly and pet-friendly, and finding premier staff members that were comfortable working alone or on small teams. “From the beginning, we have been dedicated to finding members that have the same standard of clean as we did when we were doing the cleaning ourselves,” said Sparacio.

During the first five years of operation, Kushinsky and Sparacio quickly identified the need to evolve MaidPro’s business model. Now, with 27-years of franchise experience, Sparacio still remains enthusiastic about MaidPro and the franchise industry as a whole.  “Being able to provide a business dream for people who are looking for a new life is hugely rewarding. The industry's American roots are incredible, many countries around the world look at franchising as a great invention of America.”

According to Sparacio, collaboration is a key component for any successful franchise. That’s why he attributes much of MaidPro’s continued prosperity to the joint efforts between the MaidPro corporate team and franchisees. “We have a strong owner community and are truly connected because we are all working towards the same goal.”

Some franchisors fear change, but Sparacio, Kushinsky and the MaidPro team find that embracing market shifts as they come can greatly benefit the health of any brand in the franchise industry. “Change is already happening, but it's going to be fun to see more and more millennials get into franchising on all levels. I think there is great promise with what is coming down the pike with new talent and innovations in technology,” said Sparacio.  

Another positive outcome Sparacio attributes to the advancement of the franchise industry is transparency. “Today, an enormous amount of information can be obtained before a potential franchisee even contacts a brand for the first time. Expectations around openness allow potential franchisees to dig in and get a feel of a brand much better than ever before.”

MaidPro’s commitment to cooperation has helped the home-cleaning service expand their brand and receive recognition for its strong owner community and cutting-edge technology; Entrepreneur Magazine recently listed MaidPro as a Top Global Franchises in honor the brands national and international expansion. “There will always need to be widespread franchise validation that the supports growth and it is up to the franchisor to underscore to new franchisees that the business has an exciting future,” said Sparacio.