How to Open a Franchise: 8 Things to Do Before Opening Your Commercial Cleaning Franchise

Opening a franchise is a great way to begin your career as a business owner. With a franchise, you're entering a business that's already made a name for itself. You won't have to worry about building a brand and finding a target customer.Knowing how to open a franchise with an OpenWorks commercial cleaning business will result in a low cost of entry, freedom from selling and inventory, and other benefits as well! You'll be released of all of the things that would tie you down when opening your own business. Aside from this, another reason to take this route is that the cleaning industry is a great franchise to invest in!As the years go by, people will continue to need cleaning services. This could be an office that needs nightly cleaning, a facility that needs regular cleaning, or something else. Whatever the case may be, there will always be a place for the cleaning industry.Are you ready to open your own commercial cleaning franchise? Continue reading below to discover everything there is to know!

1. Know Your Budget and the Cost

Before you open your own franchise, you'll need to evaluate the cost and learn if it fits into your budget or not. When a franchisee goes to open their own franchise, there are initial costs associated with it. These costs are what you pay upfront in order to open and operate the franchise.These fees can range in cost drastically and normally depend on how large the franchise is. Be sure to communicate with the franchise you're working with to establish what these initial costs will be before going any further. If need be, you can always consider working with a bank to take out a loan to cover costs.Keep in mind that you'll need specific supplies and equipment to run your franchise as well. The franchisor, in most cases, will provide you with information on what's need to run the franchise and how to obtain all of it.

2. Do Your Research

Be sure to do some research on your own as well. Your research should include looking at information about the franchisor you're planning on working with. Learn as much about the company as you can.Find out information regarding how long the company has been in business and other crucial information. If need be, don't hesitate to ask the franchisor for this information. You should also do some research on the commercial cleaning industry and how to run a franchise.Not everyone has what it takes to run a business. Are you prepared to properly run and manage a franchise of your own? Know the answer to this question before opening your own.

3. Review the Franchise Disclosure Documents

In the beginning stages of the process, before anything is signed, your franchisor will provide you with a franchise disclosure document. This document will provide you with essential information. It'll include the cost of the initial fees, an estimated investment, and so much more.Be sure to review this document and the franchise agreement before signing a contract. If you're approved, the franchisor will give you a franchise agreement, which is the contract you'll sign. Read through the entire agreement and be sure to understand everything before signing.

4. Set Up a Meeting with Current Franchisees

If you still have unanswered questions, consider setting up a meeting with current franchisees in the industry. Franchisees who are already working with the franchisor will have many answers to any questions you might have.They're in the business and have been doing it for quite some time. It's nice to have a mentor here and there, which could have a direct impact on your success.

5. Know What Type of Support You'll Recieve

When opening a franchise, you're not alone. You have the help of the franchisor to guide you along the way. Look into the type of support you'll receive when opening your franchise.Speak with the franchisor about the type of help and support they can offer you. It's sometimes hard to ask for help when you need it, but if you know ahead of time that the franchisor is willing to help, then you'll feel more open to asking for it.

6. Seek Help from the Professionals

Another form of help that you should seek is help from professionals such as accountants and attorneys. The professionals will help you understand all important documents before signing and more. An accountant will help keep your finances and an insurance agent will ensure you're always properly insured.If you want to maintain a business of any kind without worries of legal issues, you should look into hiring a few professionals.

7. Begin Your Training

When opening a franchise, your franchisor will give you training specific to the industry. This is when you'll learn everything there is to know about the franchise and how to run it. Be sure to take your training seriously and apply what you learn to running your own franchise.This training might teach you about the different policies the company has, what systems they use, and more.

8. Build Your Team

Once you've signed your contract and completed your training, you'll need to begin building your team. As a commercial cleaning franchise owner, you need to hire employees to do the cleaning. Another benefit of owning a franchise is that the franchisor most likely has some good insight as to what type of employee to hire.Ask your franchisor about what kinds of qualifications to be on the lookout for and learn if there's a preexisting job-description template that you can use to guide you. Add keywords into your job description that you believe applicants will search for when looking for work in the cleaning industry.You then need to have a good interview strategy planned out. Know what questions you want to ask and be ready to respond to applicants quickly. To ensure everyone knows about your open positions, advertise them on social media, job boards, commercial cleaning forums, and more!

Do You Know How to Open a Franchise?

After reading through our guide, we hope that you now know how to open a franchise! Are you ready to get started?Click here to begin the process of opening your own commercial cleaning franchise today!