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After some initial research, I realized that franchising made the most sense for me. I wanted the structure and expertise a franchise provides. I didn't want to hunt and peck for the right thing to do. A franchise organization already knows the right thing to do. That's what guided me down the path. I know my strengths and weaknesses and franchising was the right choice."

She really wanted to start a coffee and bagel place, but found the financial investment was too high. As she considered other opportunities, the residential cleaning industry popped up. It caught her curiosity and, being somewhat of a neat freak, she thought it was something she could tackle.

Mary Ellen looked at numerous maid companies before choosing Maid Brigade. She explained, "I based my final decision on a gut feeling. It may not be the wisest way to make a decision, but it's always worked for me in the past. And my gut reaction to the personalities and the overall presentation set Maid Brigade apart from the other maid service companies.

"I talked to Cathy Hay, Vice President of Franchise Recruitment; Howard Purdy, Vice President of Operations; Judi Purdy, Executive Director of Training; several support people; and other franchisees and it was one of those times in my life where everything just clicked. I felt it was the right group of people I wanted to be associated with. And once I decided Maid Brigade was my business choice, I jumped right in."

She had to move quickly because the local Yellow Pages was already past deadline. If she wanted to place an ad, they would give her two days. In typical Mary Ellen fashion, she placed her Yellow Pages ad before she actually signed on with Maid Brigade. Next stop-the Maid Brigade corporate headquarters in Atlanta for training.

the weeklong training, Mary Ellen and her sister-who helped with the business for the first couple of years-headed back to Milwaukee to set things up. By the time the Maid Brigade trainers arrived, the two were extremely well organized and ready to go. Mary Ellen started with one team when she opened six years ago and it didn't take long until she had two and then three teams onboard. "Each year I've been in business I've grown. The first few years, I grew 50-60 percent, then 40 percent and this year 33 percent. I now have 11, and on occasion, 12 teams," she said.

"I have been very fortunate, but I never would have grown the way I did if I didn't follow the Maid Brigade system. I didn't need to reinvent the wheel. That's why I bought a franchise and always did what they told me to do. And, it's paying off."

Mary Ellen's initial customers came from the Yellow Pages ad, direct mail, co-operatives like Money Mailer and even some radio advertising. She feels like she has developed brand awareness rather quickly in a market where there were no other Maid Brigade franchises. And she developed a personal presence as well. Mary Ellen was mentioned in all her ads. She was the one on the radio. People associate Maid Brigade with her and that has made a difference in new business.

As her business started to grow, Mary Ellen talked to other successful franchisees to find out what they were doing. She explained, "They all said the same thing. It takes money to make money. So I committed myself to reinvesting what I made back into advertising and developed a diverse marketing plan. Some things worked and others didn't. But since I was watching my marketing results very carefully, I knew when to quit. I even tried some things that I was advised not to, like television advertising. I should have listened. It didn't work in my market either."

For the first time since she opened her doors, six years ago, she has increased the size of her Yellow Pages ad. She also advertises in some community newsletters like church bulletins and participates in raffle and donation programs. But she still says that it's the tried and true things that work best.

Even though Mary Ellen has a really great salesperson, she knew the National Sales Center (NSC) was a slam-dunk. By taking advantage of the NSC, she can transfer overflow calls, and have her nights and weekends covered as well. She never comes back to the office on a Monday morning without some weekend bookings from the National Sales Center. "The NSC is great. My phone is always being answered. There is no downside and the staff there is great as well. It's a terrific tool and it shows in my numbers," she emphasized.

Mary Ellen also uses MicroMaid, Maid Brigade's proprietary software. "I used MicroMaid from day one and I don't know how franchisees who don't use it manage their business. And the new MicroMaid powered by ServMan is top notch. We'll be able to grow even more with it and that's terrific," she added.

Over the years, Mary Ellen has gotten so involved with Maid Brigade that she was asked to become a member of the franchise support team. Now, as one of four Support Group Consultants, she helps new franchisees in all areas of support from financial to marketing questions and everything in between. She serves on the Franchise Advisory Council and Task Force, is involved with special projects with franchisees who may need additional help getting their business off the ground and was on the new MicroMaid committee as well.

So what does Mary Ellen Hoffmann tell other people considering Maid Brigade and new or current franchisees looking for additional guidance? She sums it up this way. "If you are unclear in the direction you want to go in life, or if you don't have a well-rounded business experience in your past, franchising is the way to go. Know your strengths and weaknesses, make sure you are capitalized and that you have the money to grow. Know your market and think of yourself as a big business the day you open your doors. If you are thinking on a small level, you will never get out of that box and grow. Your success is your own and you are the one that has to appreciate it, no matter what anyone around you says."

2006 was a banner year for Mary Ellen Hoffmann in more ways than one. In addition to her tremendous growth and timeless participation, she was named Maid Brigade Franchisee of the Year for 2006. "Everyone at Maid Brigade is part of a community. As Bart Puett, President of Maid Brigade says, 'Maid Brigade has soul' and I couldn't be more pleased to be part of it," she concluded.