What Makes a Successful Carpet Chemist Franchisee?

A carpet cleaning franchise is a great investment for a prospective franchisee, thanks to low overhead costs as well as demand in the home cleaning field which is at an all-time high after a year where consumers spent more money on their homes.

The rigors and demands of a quality cleaning business are not just for anybody, however. According to Brandon Cerrito, the founder and CEO of The Carpet Chemist, a comprehensive carpet services franchise, it takes a self-starter who is vested in far more than just carpets and floors.

Communicating is Key

“When I started The Carpet Chemist, I knew that word-of-mouth and customer sincerity were going to go a long way,” Cerrito said. “It doesn’t hurt if someone has the personality of a natural salesman, but more importantly is how sincere we can be with our customers. An ideal franchisee is someone who can make that a top priority.”

Eric Anderson, president of The Carpet Chemist, highlights the importance of being business savvy and the ability to build a team. “Our business model is one that doesn’t require office space or a lot of overhead, so it’s even more important for our field to have people who can communicate well and breed positivity throughout their business,” Anderson said.

Cerrito added, “It can be tough to balance a team of employees with a travel-heavy schedule, but our best franchisees are often the ones with the highest awareness of their employees, their needs, and their goals.”

Commitment Gets Noticed

The Carpet Chemist began operation in 2018 and first served the Louisville, Kentucky community. It has since expanded its operation into new markets such as Lexington and surrounding towns, and its growth and unique consumer offerings has launched several inquiries from prospective franchisees.

“It’s great to hear people asking genuine questions about what it takes to run a successful carpet cleaning franchise, but our simple answer to that question is just to treat people well and to be enthusiastic about your work,” Cerrito said. “We’ve proven that consumers need us in several different markets, and further expansion can really take off if franchisees take pride in the craft and look to deliver a quality service.”

Business Begets Business

Under its updated business model, The Carpet Chemist will assign franchisees to territories. Each territory will be designated in a population of up to 300,000 people, which will allow a high market capacity for independent franchisees. “We believe it’s important to have this big of a market for franchisees, but we also feel it’s important for a successful franchisee to know how quickly their business can take off in such a large area,” Anderson said.

The Carpet Chemist is now targeting the following locations for immediate brand expansion: Lexington, KY; Louisville, KY; Nashville, TN; Cincinnati, OH; Columbus, OH; and Dayton, OH. It is also targeting Indianapolis, St. Louis and Chicago as prospective markets for future franchisees.

The initial investment to open a The Carpet Chemist franchise ranges from $77,000 to $109,000, which includes the leasing of a van and the initial $25,000 franchise fee. And because no office space is required, which can often cost small-business owners up to $1000 per employee every month, franchise owners maintain little ongoing overhead costs.