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Although not franchise-specific, this particular workshop was presented by a broker from FranNet, a network of franchise consultants who help prospective business owners learn about the many choices that franchising offers. I thought you needed a lot of money to start your own business or franchise, but this workshop pointed out that you didn't. So I started to seriously consider the possibilities.

Larry knew nothing about franchising, but scheduled a meeting with FranNet to find out more. The broker asked Larry and his wife lots of questions that quite frankly they didn't have answers to. He gave them a homework assignment. He gave them a list of 3-4 very diverse franchises to research. He told them not to analyze the companies, just talk to them to see what you like or don't like.

"This research paid off. It made us think. We realized we didn't want a food-related business. We wanted our nights and weekends. We didn't want a storefront business either. We then met with the broker again and talked about our findings. We gave him a list of characteristics of what we liked and didn't like and what kind of risk-takers we were," Miller said.

Larry thought he should pursue a computer-related business since that's what his background was. He explained, "The broker was very forward and told me that if I started a computer business I would fail. I was appalled. After all, I had all those years of experience. But after he gave me the reasons why, it made total sense. He explained that because I was so close to the business, I felt no one could do it better than me. I would never turn any business down and would be so wrapped up in it that I never would have a break or vacation. As he put it, I would be the owner, not necessarily own the business."

Based on their conversation, the FranNet broker then gave the Millers 3 or 4 possible franchises to seriously consider. Larry continued, "We did this a number of times and Maid Brigade kept rising to the top of the list, which I found strange. After all, what did I know about the cleaning industry? The FranNet brokers are really good at their business and can read people. He told me to trust the process."

Larry thinks that Maid Brigade kept coming to the top for a number of reasons. First, integrity. "Cathy Hay was the only franchisor who told me the truth about not making a profit for the first year. The others I talked to basically told me anything they thought I wanted hear. I wanted the truth and only Maid Brigade offered it. I also liked the fact that the support people were fellow franchisees as opposed to someone who would look up a solution in a manual."

When he met both Don and Cathy Hay in Atlanta, he delighted in the fact that Don was so down-to-earth. "Don told me the good, the bad and the ugly and was honest about it. It really hit home. Reflecting back, it was like we were long lost buddies," Miller said.

Coming from a technology background, Larry was very impressed with Maid Brigade's technology products. "Maid Brigade was the only residential cleaning company that had a website and offered online scheduling and estimating. They were very advanced," he continued.

"I also liked that Maid Brigade wasn't a 'Big Brother' type of company. Although they have a system that works and is beneficial for you to follow if you want to succeed, they still let you run your business. Some of the other franchisors I spoke to wanted to know my every move. And that was before I even signed an agreement. That wasn't for me."

Taking everything into consideration, Larry was ready for a Maid Brigade business. Once he made that decision, there was no stopping him. "I went from Discovery Day to opening in six weeks, which I wouldn't recommend. We were under a time-crunch. D-Day was around Labor Day and we wanted to be open before Thanksgiving to take advantage of the holidays. However, I followed all the Maid Brigade systems from the beginning, which made a tremendous difference. I read all the manuals, did all the training and followed the checklists," he explained.

When Larry first opened he missed the local Yellow Pages deadline so he had to rely on other means to get business. "Missing the Yellow Pages forced us to look at other marketing and advertising avenues which has helped us in the long run since we were forced to diversify from the beginning. We tried many different things and through trial and error learned what worked and didn't."

He continued, "You have to try things without blinders on. You have to be open-minded. You can't just assume it's black & white. If something doesn't work the first time, give it a try somewhere else or at another time. Economies change, people change and seasons change. Things we thought would work, bombed. But we tried those same things later on, or in another zip code, and they worked."

For example, ValPak works great for his business, but his neighboring business can't get the phone to ring with it. However, MoneyMailer isn't as successful. New homeowners yield a high booking percentage, but don't represent a great deal of volume. Today, five years into his business, he still mixes up his marketing, including Yellow Pages and the Internet. In fact, he had a lot of Internet inquiries when he first opened and continues to today.

Larry's Maid Brigade is doing very well and he knows he couldn't be as successful without the support Maid Brigade provides. He takes advantage of and uses the various services Maid Brigade offers. Whether it's marketing and advertising, technical or operations, the support is there for the offering. Of course, he uses MicroMaid, Maid Brigade's user-friendly, proprietary software. "MicroMaid is top-notch and makes it much easier to run the business," he emphasized.

When Larry first met with his FranNet broker, he told him to pick a business that feels good in his heart, mind and hands. If he did, he would succeed. Well, he was right and then some. And while this philosophy proved true, it's not enough.

"I tell new franchisees to follow the system, listen to the training people, listen to the support people and listen to the head office. There wouldn't be these multi-million dollar franchisees if they weren't doing something right. The people who have failed are the ones that have let their egos get the best of them—the people who say they can do it bigger, better and faster.

"Sure, we can make it better and more efficient, and create new ideas and concepts. Just don't reinvent the wheel. Stick to what we do well and that's cleaning houses. Do your homework up front, do your due-diligence and listen to the advice of other franchisees. Most importantly, leave your ego at the door," Miller concluded.