After spending 20 years working for one of the world's largest public accounting firms, Geetika Casmon began questioning whether she wanted to spend the rest of her career in corporate America. Changes in company leadership and culture, along with the loss of her mother, prompted her to reconsider her professional future.
"I have always been interested in franchising," Casmon said. “It offered the corporate structure I was familiar with, including support, resources and other Franchise Owners to collaborate with, while giving me the opportunity to build and grow my own business. My mom had recently passed away, and that was a time in my life when I started asking myself, ‘What do I want to do? Is this what I want to do forever?’”
Today, Casmon and her husband, John, are Franchise Owners with United Water Restoration Group (UWRG) serving the Cincinnati, Ohio, market. The move into water, fire and mold restoration has allowed Geetika to use her corporate experience while building a business with her husband.
Casmon began her career in financial auditing before moving into consulting. Her final corporate role involved leading an innovation center in Chicago, where she helped clients identify business challenges and improve operations. Although she enjoyed much of her career, changes within the company led her to consider other opportunities. Franchising appealed to her because it offered an established business model and resources while allowing her to run her own company.
Casmon and her husband considered several franchise opportunities before choosing UWRG. The financial side of the business was especially important because she was giving up a successful corporate career and a steady salary.
"I wasn't expecting to earn what I had been making in corporate America right away, but I wanted to know there was a path for our family to achieve the financial growth we were looking for," she said.
Restoration made sense financially and was a good fit with the real estate business her husband already operated. Casmon also liked that UWRG was still growing, giving Franchise Owners a chance to share ideas and have a say in how the company operates.
"I wanted the support and foundation, but I didn't want it to be so restrictive that you have to stay in this box," she said.
The company's leadership was another deciding factor. After leaving a corporate environment where she felt the emphasis on people had diminished, Casmon wanted to work with leaders who shared her values.
As a certified public accountant with extensive operations experience, Casmon understands financial performance, employee management and the importance of efficient processes. She oversees the company’s Cincinnati operations, including hiring, field activities and business performance. Her financial knowledge also helps her evaluate expenses and make decisions about future investments.
"I have worked with Fortune 500 clients," she said. “So the way I make sure we relate to our clients here locally is through professionalism, quality work, and the ability to provide technical knowledge.”
Casmon was also nominated to lead a UWRG operations committee, where she works with other franchisees to identify ways to improve processes and make operations more efficient across the system.
Still, managing field employees required her to understand a different work environment and recognize that employees' priorities might differ from those she encountered in corporate consulting.
"You have to understand the people who work for you, what their needs are and what you need from them to make the business successful," she said.
Establishing the business in Cincinnati meant introducing UWRG to a market where the local operation was initially unfamiliar. Casmon has concentrated on developing relationships with plumbers, property managers, insurance agents and other professionals who may encounter customers needing restoration services.
"We love residential, but depending on the job, it can be limited, especially if it's a small water loss," Casmon said. “We want to create relationships with the right teams, like HOAs and property management companies. When you serve one residential client, you may never have that client again, whereas property management companies are going to have ongoing needs.”
Casmon has also found value in collaborating with other restoration businesses, including companies that provide services her operation does not currently offer, such as duct cleaning and reconstruction. Those relationships have allowed her company to refer work while also collaborating with those companies on other larger projects.
"I hate looking at it like it's a competition because I think there's enough out there for everybody," she said.
Although Casmon entered franchising with extensive business experience, she quickly learned that managing a company for someone else and owning one are different responsibilities. In corporate America, she had established systems and a predictable paycheck. As a franchise owner, she must continually evaluate what the business needs and take personal responsibility for its performance.
"You have to have personal accountability to yourself. You have to have a mindset of growth. Be strategic, and it is constant," she said. “It does not stop. It doesn't stop when I come home.”
For professionals considering a similar career change, Casmon encourages them to evaluate more than the financial potential of a franchise. Understanding their own strengths, weaknesses and willingness to adapt is equally important.
Casmon plans to continue growing her Cincinnati franchise by building relationships with local businesses and expanding into more commercial restoration work. She knows there is still plenty to learn, but her years in corporate America have given her a solid foundation for managing and growing the business.
To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/unitedwaterrestoration.
United Water Restoration Group
SPONSORED
Casmon left two decades in accounting and consulting to become a UWRG Franchise Owner in Cincinnati, applying her financial and operational experience to the restoration industry.
After spending 20 years working for one of the world's largest public accounting firms, Geetika Casmon began questioning whether she wanted to spend the rest of her career in corporate America. Changes in company leadership and culture, along with the loss of her mother, prompted her to reconsider her professional future.
"I have always been interested in franchising," Casmon said. “It offered the corporate structure I was familiar with, including support, resources and other Franchise Owners to collaborate with, while giving me the opportunity to build and grow my own business. My mom had recently passed away, and that was a time in my life when I started asking myself, ‘What do I want to do? Is this what I want to do forever?’”
Today, Casmon and her husband, John, are Franchise Owners with United Water Restoration Group (UWRG) serving the Cincinnati, Ohio, market. The move into water, fire and mold restoration has allowed Geetika to use her corporate experience while building a business with her husband.
Casmon began her career in financial auditing before moving into consulting. Her final corporate role involved leading an innovation center in Chicago, where she helped clients identify business challenges and improve operations. Although she enjoyed much of her career, changes within the company led her to consider other opportunities. Franchising appealed to her because it offered an established business model and resources while allowing her to run her own company.
Casmon and her husband considered several franchise opportunities before choosing UWRG. The financial side of the business was especially important because she was giving up a successful corporate career and a steady salary.
"I wasn't expecting to earn what I had been making in corporate America right away, but I wanted to know there was a path for our family to achieve the financial growth we were looking for," she said.
Restoration made sense financially and was a good fit with the real estate business her husband already operated. Casmon also liked that UWRG was still growing, giving Franchise Owners a chance to share ideas and have a say in how the company operates.
"I wanted the support and foundation, but I didn't want it to be so restrictive that you have to stay in this box," she said.
The company's leadership was another deciding factor. After leaving a corporate environment where she felt the emphasis on people had diminished, Casmon wanted to work with leaders who shared her values.
As a certified public accountant with extensive operations experience, Casmon understands financial performance, employee management and the importance of efficient processes. She oversees the company’s Cincinnati operations, including hiring, field activities and business performance. Her financial knowledge also helps her evaluate expenses and make decisions about future investments.
"I have worked with Fortune 500 clients," she said. “So the way I make sure we relate to our clients here locally is through professionalism, quality work, and the ability to provide technical knowledge.”
Casmon was also nominated to lead a UWRG operations committee, where she works with other franchisees to identify ways to improve processes and make operations more efficient across the system.
Still, managing field employees required her to understand a different work environment and recognize that employees' priorities might differ from those she encountered in corporate consulting.
"You have to understand the people who work for you, what their needs are and what you need from them to make the business successful," she said.
Establishing the business in Cincinnati meant introducing UWRG to a market where the local operation was initially unfamiliar. Casmon has concentrated on developing relationships with plumbers, property managers, insurance agents and other professionals who may encounter customers needing restoration services.
"We love residential, but depending on the job, it can be limited, especially if it's a small water loss," Casmon said. “We want to create relationships with the right teams, like HOAs and property management companies. When you serve one residential client, you may never have that client again, whereas property management companies are going to have ongoing needs.”
Casmon has also found value in collaborating with other restoration businesses, including companies that provide services her operation does not currently offer, such as duct cleaning and reconstruction. Those relationships have allowed her company to refer work while also collaborating with those companies on other larger projects.
"I hate looking at it like it's a competition because I think there's enough out there for everybody," she said.
Although Casmon entered franchising with extensive business experience, she quickly learned that managing a company for someone else and owning one are different responsibilities. In corporate America, she had established systems and a predictable paycheck. As a franchise owner, she must continually evaluate what the business needs and take personal responsibility for its performance.
"You have to have personal accountability to yourself. You have to have a mindset of growth. Be strategic, and it is constant," she said. “It does not stop. It doesn't stop when I come home.”
For professionals considering a similar career change, Casmon encourages them to evaluate more than the financial potential of a franchise. Understanding their own strengths, weaknesses and willingness to adapt is equally important.
Casmon plans to continue growing her Cincinnati franchise by building relationships with local businesses and expanding into more commercial restoration work. She knows there is still plenty to learn, but her years in corporate America have given her a solid foundation for managing and growing the business.
To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/unitedwaterrestoration.
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