From Corporate to Cleaning: How Neel Parekh Escaped the 9-5 and Built a Successful Franchise

About a decade ago, Neel Parekh was researching how he could leave his corporate job. Now he’s a successful franchisor leading healthy growth in his system. After searching “How do I leave the nine to five?” and seeing endless photos of digital nomads, he began experimenting with entrepreneurship. He finally landed in the cleaning business, founding MaidThis, began focusing on cleaning Airbnbs and was soon able to leave the corporate world and fulfill his travel dreams.

“I grew that until around 2018, and that was just in my location, Los Angeles. At that point, I quit my job, was traveling full-time while building the business, and decided I wanted to expand,” Parekh said in a recent interview with 1851 Founder and Publisher Nick Powills. “I looked into [franchising] more and realized what an amazing model it is to package everything. We ended up launching franchising early 2020... it worked, and that first year we had one franchise, and now we’re at 27 locations.”

Because MaidThis is a fully remote business model, Parekh has been able to keep both entry and ongoing costs relatively low. This, combined with his focus on bringing the right people into the system, not just the most capitalized ones, has led to slow but steady growth over the past four years.

“We’re at 27 locations now, and we’ll probably be around 30 by the end of the year. In terms of growth, we’re going slow and steady,” he said. “There are three main categories that I look for when someone inquires: Do they actually have the hustle to execute the model? What are their expectations? And are they a fit for the company culture? … A lot of people who get in want lifestyle freedom and to scale to a point where they could leave their job and travel the world. And that’s what we offer.”

A summarized transcript of Parekh’s interview with Powills is included below. It has been edited for clarity, brevity and style.

Nick Powills: Tell us about your journey into franchising. What inspired you to take that step?

Neel Parekh: I started the business back in 2013 as a side hustle while working a corporate job. It was initially just a small operation in Los Angeles. By 2018, I had grown it enough that I decided to quit my job and travel full-time while continuing to build the business remotely.

Powills: That’s impressive — building a business while traveling. How did franchising come into the picture?

Parekh: I decided I wanted to expand. I looked into [franchising] more and realized what an amazing model it is to package everything. We ended up launching franchising early 2020 ... it worked, and that first year we had one franchise, and now we’re at 27 locations.

Powills: Did you work with franchise brokers or any consultants when expanding?

Parekh: We’ve had some experiences with brokers. Initially, we wanted to do it all ourselves — direct inquiries, organic leads — but as we’ve grown, we’ve realized that working with brokers can help us reach a different audience. That being said, we’re selective. We want to make sure the fit is right and that the franchisees coming through brokers share our values.

Powills: What do you think contributed to your rapid growth?

Parekh: A lot of it comes down to how we've structured the model. The goal was always to make it as seamless as possible for franchisees to succeed. We have a support system in place and an operational framework that allows for easy replication.

Powills: How about the cost to open a franchise? What can someone expect when looking into your model?

Parekh: Our initial franchise fee is $35,000, and the total investment to open a location can range from $75,000 to $150,000, depending on the market and other variables like the size of the location. We try to keep it accessible so that those with a passion for the brand but not necessarily deep pockets can still get involved.

Powills: What’s the focus now? Are you aiming for faster expansion?

Parekh: We’re at 27 locations now, and we’ll probably be around 30 by the end of the year. In terms of growth, we’re going slow and steady. There are three main categories that I look for when someone inquires: Do they actually have the hustle to execute the model? What are their expectations? And are they a fit for the company culture? … A lot of people who get in want lifestyle freedom and to scale to a point where they could leave their job and travel the world. And that’s what we offer.

Powills: It sounds like the culture is a big part of your franchise model. How do you ensure that your franchisees align with your values?

Parekh: Absolutely. Culture is huge for us. We’re not just looking for someone with the funds to start a franchise; they need to be the right fit in terms of mindset and work ethic. It's important that they share our vision of creating both financial freedom and lifestyle flexibility.

Watch the full interview here.