The Winning Franchisee | Former Military Couple Opens Home Clean Heroes in Augusta, Georgia

Tony and Antoinette White have spent more than 20 years in the military. Now retired and looking for a change, the two opened their first Home Clean Heroes* in Spring of 2021, bringing the Virginia Beach-based company’s convenient, customizable and trustworthy home cleaning services to the Augusta, Georgia market. 

1851 Franchise: Tell us your story – what did you do before franchising?

Antoinette White: I have spent the last 22 years in the military, working as a consultant in human resources. I retired in 2015, and since then, I’ve been taking some time to determine what my next step will be while soaking up time with our grandchildren. 

Tony White: I also spent over 20 years in the military, working in logistics. I went into the military straight out of high school; for most of my life, it’s all I’ve known. Antoinette and I met through the military. We met in Germany and then had the opportunity to travel around the world together before ultimately landing in Georgia to soak up the sunshine.

1851: How did you initially find out about franchising, and what was your perception of franchising before becoming a franchise owner?

Antonette: I was unhappy in my current position and was looking for a change, so I went online to start looking into some alternate options. While I was searching around, I saw that friends of mine and other people in our community were sharing resources about ways to go into business for yourself. That got the wheels turning, and I started to think that Tony and I should open our own business. 

Tony: As we gave franchising a bit more thought, we decided to work with a franchise coach to learn more about the opportunities and what being a franchise owner would entail. 

1851: How did you decide you wanted to be a franchisee?

Tony: We decided that it was the right mix of independence and support, and it seemed like an opportunity that would fit with both of our lifestyles and skill sets. As we did more research and discussed our options with a franchise coach, we both became more eager to continue the process of learning more. 

We were looking for a change from the work that we were doing at the time and wanted to have the chance to make a larger impact than we could as employees at a larger company. There is a sense of independence and flexibility that comes with franchising that we found to be alluring. 

1851: How did you perform your research?

Antoinette: First, we worked with our franchise coach to talk through various options, and he proposed a few ideas for us to review. Then, we went online and did lots and lots of research on our own. We looked into franchising percentages and success stories and talked to friends who have also pursued franchise opportunities to learn more about their experience thus far. 

Tony: We spoke with many franchisees to better understand the challenges and successes that have come with owning their own business. We asked a lot of questions, and when we asked our friends who owned a franchise what they would do differently, many of them responded that they wished they had done it earlier. That was comforting and really piqued our interest in continuing the process. 

1851: Why did you pick Home Clean Heroes? What excited you most about the potential?

Antoinette: We started with six different franchise opportunities and narrowed it down to three. From there, as we continued our research, Home Clean Heroes became the clear choice. Many of the other companies didn’t have a clear story or mission, and they didn’t align with what we were looking for. 

Home Clean Heroes was professional, and the corporate team clearly outlined the company’s goals and overall mission. They presented us with tangible resources that we could read and information to help us make our decision with confidence. Overall, it was the level of transparency within the company that really drew us in. It became clear that Home Clean Heroes would support us every step of the way as we worked towards our opening and beyond. 

1851: What are your dreams with the business? What does the future look like?

Tony: There is definitely room to grow within the Georgia market. The demand and the need are high within this area, and we would love to continue to grow and see how far we can take our business. 

1851: What advice would you have for others looking at buying a franchise?

Tony: I would say don’t be afraid to ask lots and lots of questions, and don’t worry about asking stupid questions. The only way to determine if the opportunity is right for you is to continue asking questions until you are satisfied, so you can’t hold back. 

1851: What do you do in your personal time (hobbies, family, sports, etc.)?

Antoinette: We are very involved in our local community, and we do as much as we can to give back. We participate in Golden Harvest, a variety of community events hosted by our local church, where we help to distribute food twice a month. This past year we had the opportunity to give out blankets and socks to the homeless in the area. We love that Home Clean Heroes introduced the Heroes First initiative earlier this year, where a portion of every clean fee goes to supporting first responders.