A nationwide cleaning service is seeking an expansion to Springfield.
Based in Columbia, Maryland, The Cleaning Authority hopes to open a franchise in Springfield as part of a move into smaller cities. The only thing needed is the right person to run a franchise here.
"We've been eyeing smaller markets for years," said Iric Wexler, chief development officer for The Cleaning Authority.
Wexler says the company's focus in the past has been larger markets like Chicagoland or the Detroit suburbs, which are considered "enterprise markets." However, he says The Cleaning Authority is moving into about 75 "hometown markets" about the size of Springfield across the U.S. and Canada.
"It's a market where a person lives there, works there, worships there and their kids go to school there," he said.
The company is looking for a franchisee in Springfield to run what Wexler describes as a "very sophisticated operation" which goes beyond the traditional mop-and-bucket cleaning business model.
"Homeowners accept such an absurd level of mediocrity at best every time they have their houses cleaned," he said. "That’s ridiculous."
The Cleaning Authority uses a system that divides a home into zones which are alternately deep-cleaned and detailed, with check lists for each zone.
Of the company's existing 215 franchisees, Wexler says about 140 have an MBA, and another 40 franchisees have other advanced degrees. He says starting a franchise requires someone with ambition and resolve.
"The people who have been attracted have fortitude," he said. "Small business ownership in general takes fortitude."
The company doesn't necessarily know when a franchise will open here, Wexler notes.
"It's a deliberate process, and we don’t need to launch today," he said. "We would rather launch in a few months when we have the right operator. We're not in a rush, but we are ambitious."
