Maid Right Creates Semi-Absentee Business Model, Allowing Franchisees a New Option for Ownership

Founded in 2012, Maid Right is an eco-friendly house-cleaning concept that offers franchisees all the benefits of being a small business owner with the added support of a larger, established brand. Based in Charlottesville, Virginia, Maid Right was acquired by the Premium Services Brand (PSB) family in 2018 and has continued growth since then as one of the nation’s leading residential and commercial cleaning service franchises.

As part of the Premium Services Brand family, the PSB team oversees each Maid Right franchise and assists owners in building their own successful businesses. Recently, the team has been pivoting its business model to better position owners for success.

“During the pandemic shutdowns, Premium Service Brands worked to transition Maid Right to a semi-absentee business model,” said PSB CEO and founder Paul Flick. “For one, we’re one of the few franchisors in the home service industry with an in-house call center. This allows us to manage all aspects of the customer experience for the owner. This is one of the many ways Premium Service Brands pivoted during COVID-19.”

As semi-absentee franchisees, Maid Right owners are able to leverage the in-house call center in which customer service representatives handle all estimates, appointments and confirmations. Plus, the in-house customer service representatives schedule and dispatch the cleaning crew for cleaning and frequency. 

The semi-absentee business model will also consist of an online estimator that allows the customers to generate a cost to clean their home or office on their own. The cost is based on a combination of square footage, number of bathrooms, bedroom, pets and more. In addition, a new online scheduler that is currently in development will allow customers to pick the day and time to have their house or office cleaned as well as the frequency. 

Maid Right also adapted its model to ensure goal alignment by creating a model in which the cleaning crew and general manager are salaried and bonused based on the quality of work and the number of four and five-star reviews received. The capitalization to own and operate a Maid Right semi-absentee still remains within the SBA Express Loan of $150,000 and the business is pre-qualified for that loan. 

“There has been a growing demand for a semi-absentee business model option as franchisees look for ways to maintain a paycheck from their previous job, while also opening up their own business and bringing in passive income,” said Flick. “Now, Maid Right franchise owners are able to maintain that model indefinitely or transition once cash flow ramps up. This is a great option for prospects with management experience who are currently employed in the corporate world and don't necessarily want to leave their career. Franchise owners just need a general manager or production manager that can handle day-to-day operations, as well as a cleaner.”

Matt McCollum is a Maid Right franchise owner in Dallas Fort-Worth who utilizes the semi-absentee model to run several other businesses in the area. “When I bought a resale Maid Right location back in 2016, my wife and I already owned another franchise system called Body Bar Pilates,” he said. “I wanted something that would help create cash flow for my mother during retirement and ended up landing on the Maid Right model.”

After a year, McCollum had grown sales by 80% year-over-year before running into some issues in year two. That is when PSB acquired the brand and started revamping the model. Since then, McCollum has adapted to a semi-absentee model, bringing on a general manager and staff. He even expanded his portfolio with another franchise concept.

Starting a home-based business with Maid Right provides franchisees with a flexible business opportunity in which they only have to work one to two days a week, as well as the support, equipment and supplies needed to start working and building a loyal customer base from day one. 

“I spend maybe five hours a week on the Maid Right operations and another five hours thinking about the business,” said McCollum. “The rest of the time is spent on my other businesses and my personal life. Still, it’s important to make sure the semi-absentee model is right for you —  if you have the income to hire a good operations manager and have other income coming in then the semi-absentee model is a great choice.”

McCollum notes that now is also a great time to look into Maid Right ownership because COVID-19 showed an increased demand for differentiated sanitization services such as the brand’s proprietary Enviro-Mist® disinfectant. As opposed to the harsh chemicals used by the competition, Maid Right also appeals to the growing demand for green and sustainable cleaning services with the use of fully eco-friendly and biodegradable products. This increase in demand can allow semi-absentee owners to ramp up quickly if they're able to build a solid team around them.

“The semi-absentee aspect isn’t the only benefit of Maid Right — with a low cost of entry, no need for a retail space and scalable margins, prospects are positioned to enter a fragmented industry and become the leading cleaning professional in their community with very little risk,” said Flick. “Plus, the option for recurring cleaning ensures that franchisees are positioned for consistent revenue despite economic downturns.”

Maid Right is looking for qualified franchise partners to continue expansion in available territories throughout the country, including Chicago, Minneapolis, Seattle, Portland, Denver, Boston, Indianapolis, Tampa Bay, Kansas City, St. Louis and Washington D.C. 

“With a semi-absentee business model, franchisees are given the tools and training they need to provide their community with premium, eco-friendly home cleaning services while enjoying a flexible work-life balance and lucrative opportunity,” said Flick.

The investment for a Maid Right franchise ranges from $103,600 to $147,500 with a franchise fee of $62,500. For more info, visit: https://www.premiumservicebrands.com/maid-right/