Franchise Update Magazine Issue IV, 2016 | Page 17

ANATOMY OF A BRAND veloped an innovative and environmentally friendly carpet cleaning system that uses green solutions, leaves no sticky residue, and is safe for children and pets. Perhaps its biggest selling point, though, was that it dried fast. Unlike old-fashioned methods that used 40 to 50 gallons of water per home, our oxygen-based system needed only 2 gallons per home. That cut down the old 12- to 24-hour dry time to about 1 hour. In 2006, I launched this system with just one location in Denver, but by the end of that first year, we already had 17 franchises in 5 states. I gave the first five franchises away free, including one to my mother who quickly made it into a top-performing location. The following year, we had a total of 85 franchises in 23 states. Next year? One hundred and thirty franchises in 38 states, a remarkable accomplishment when you consider that less than 700 of the nearly 3,800 active franchise systems in the U.S. have more than 100 units, and less than 90 of those reached the 100-unit mark in under 10 years. We reached that milestone in less than three years. Needless to say, we were very busy as more and more entrepreneurs joined the Oxi Fresh family. In the years since then we’ve continued to grow and develop. We’ve expanded our service portfolio to include upholstery, wood floor, and tile and grout cleaning. We got the mark for “The World’s Greenest Carpet Cleaner.” We built custom software for our franchisees. Yet that’s just a fraction of what we’ve done to make Oxi Fresh a major player in the industry. With every project we complete and feature we add, our goal is to provide our franchisees with the best support systems and tools possible so they can achieve their financial dreams and goals. Centralized, superior support “Speed through systems.” That mantra has been key to Oxi Fresh’s growth. I am always looking for ways to automate support systems for our franchisees so they can grow their business instead of just working in it. The Scheduling Center is the most notable example. We’re one of the only carpet cleaning franchises to have a centralized call center answering consumer phone calls, scheduling appointments, maintaining a customer database, and serving as the face of the business. With our franchisees free from the phones, they can focus on business development instead of getting lost in day-to-day details. Powering the Scheduling Center. which currently handles approximately 2,500 calls every day, is our FAST software. This custom-built program is a live, online platform that allows franchisees to easily manage their business. Of course, we have even more support systems and automated marketing tools for our franchisees, and all of these programs are a major part of our success. Giving back But business can be about more than systems and money and plans. Entrepreneurship enables philanthropy, and a business that gives back sends a powerful message. When a company donates to a worthy cause, it says, “We aren’t just an earnings machine. We are a partner with you. We are in it with you. We care.” That’s why last year we started focusing on more than selling franchises and cleaning carpets and began supporting Water.org. This nonprofit organization, co-founded by Gary White and actor Matt Damon, is working to fight the global water crisis that affects 1 in 10 people around the world. Water.org helps communities get access to sustainable solutions to their water and sanitation needs. To support their efforts, we donate $2 every time a customer books a job online through www.oxifresh.com, and we continually encourage our customers to book online. So far, we’ve booked more than 15,000 jobs online and donated more than $30,000 to the cause. Water.org has used these funds to help more than 1,000 people, and I couldn’t be more proud of that fact. Looking ahead In 10 short years, Oxi Fresh has expanded to more than 300 locations across the U.S. and Canada, more than one-third of which have opened in the last three years alone. With our innovative and environmentally friendly carpet cleaning method, we’ve completed more than 700,000 jobs and have conserved 30 million gallons of water. Still, just like back in college, I want to do more. Our goal is to reward franchise opportunities to qualified leads in even more locations, 50 a year if possible. We want to add more features and support systems for our franchisees. We want to introduce the world to our sister brands, Midtown Chimney Sweeps and Elephant in the Room Men’s Grooming Lounges, two amazing concepts that could revolutionize their markets. I want to make Oxi Fresh Carpet Cleaning the #1 cleaner in the world and for it to become a household name. Hopefully, this should keep me nice and busy. n Jonathan Barnett is the founder and CEO of Oxi Fresh Carpet Cleaning. Franchiseupdate I S S U E I V, 2016  fu4_lead_anatomy(14-15).indd 15 15 11/8/16 2:04 PM