Texas franchisees Valerie and Wes Burton say staffing issues were among the early challenges as they developed their Two Maids business, and they were always prepared to handle home cleanings themselves.
Winner: Two Maids
Finalists: Maid Brigade, Molly Maid
Being United States Army veterans, Valerie and Wes Burton know all about following orders and doing whatever is necessary to complete their missions.
They also know what it meant to be resilient and accountable for their actions. They said they’ve been able to utilize all of their military training as operators of a pair of Two Maids territories in Texas, in Universal City and San Antonio.
Since opening in 2023, the Burtons are proud to report they’ve been able to grow their residential cleaning business along with their employee count, which now numbers 11.
Although they haven’t reached the average unit volume for top-performing territories in the system, the Burtons said they’re pleased with their progress. They report building a recurring client base of 110 customers, which they said helps feed a healthy referral network.
Franchisees in the top quintile with locations open two years or more had an average unit volume of $1.2 million in 2023, as reported in the company’s franchise disclosure document. Franchisees in the bottom quintile averaged $243,692. The systemwide AUV is now at $551,000 for territories open two years or more, said a company spokesperson.
A detailed Item 19, one that includes sales and expense information for several cross-sections of operators, along with the flexibility and the profit potential for franchisees, helped Two Maids earn a Zor Awards nod in the residential cleaning segment.
“As much as we thought we were prepared to take this on being Army veterans, we quickly found out there is a lot to learn about starting your own cleaning business that we didn’t know,” said Valerie Burton. “Fortunately, we’ve had wonderful support from Two Maids every step the way and never feel like we’re alone in this.”
Two Maids is part of multi-brand platform company Home Franchise Concepts and provides a range of residential cleaning services across more than 30 states.
The Burtons split up managing their two offices, with Wes in charge of training employees and keeping tabs on quality checks for jobs and Valerie handling administrative and human administrative duties. They said they always make sure to bring an extra pair of pants and shoes to the office, just in case they need to jump in to help clean homes.
“The hardest part for us was just learning the business and dealing with some early staffing issues,” she said as she credited her religious faith and military training for helping her keep a positive outlook. “But I’m proud to say that we’ve figured out a lot of it, thank goodness, and we like the direction our business is going.”
The Burtons have been married for more than 20 years. Both served as Army chaplains while stationed in Ohio, Georgia, North Carolina and Hawaii, with Wes rising to the rank of sergeant major.
Valerie Burton said she and her husband considered a number of different careers after the Army, including selling life insurance and starting a lawn care business. But after much consideration they landed on residential cleaning because of its low startup costs and the flexibility it provided them while raising four children.
“We investigated quite a few franchises and made a list of all the criteria that mattered most to our family. When we compared all the franchises, Two Maids checked all our boxes,” she said.
Another husband-wife team that’s pleased with their Two Maids business are Joe and Karen Ready. They operate two territories in North Carolina out of Mooresville, part of the Charlotte metropolitan area. They were recognized by corporate for exceeding systemwide projections for new operators in 2024.
Joe Ready, an Army veteran who spent 30-plus years in the grocery retail sector after completing his military service, said their home cleaning business is grossing about $42,000 per month.
Two Maids franchisees Joe and Karen Ready make consistent lead generation a focus.
“Mooresville is one of the fastest-growing suburbs in the country and that has really helped get us to where we’re now,” Joe Ready said.
“We have 11 employees now and they’re all professional house cleaners who really care about their work,” said Karen Ready, who made the transition to franchisee after 15 years in the healthcare sector. “In the beginning, we were disappointed by some employees, who did not show up for work and were not receptive to instruction or feedback.”
Other than having to learn the company’s new software platform on the fly, the other big hurdle for the Readys was learning how to best apply lead generation strategies to gain new business. Joe Ready said there was a “big learning curve” when it came to marketing his business.
The most effective tactics include digital campaigns focused on targeted demographics within specific ZIP codes, he said, along with involvement in local business groups such as the Chamber of Commerce.
“We tried this and that after talking with other owners with what worked for them. They were a big help in that regard,” he said. “That’s one of the things that we really like about Two Maids. We never feel like we’re not alone in this, that we can pick up the phone at any time and talk to someone in the system, whether it’s another operator or someone in the corporate office, about any problem we run into.”
Two Maids
Positives
- With an investment range of $93,440 to $149,890, Two Maids offers a relatively inexpensive entry into a leading residential house cleaning franchised brand with 148 locations in 34 states.
- Franchisees rave about the training and ongoing support from corporate and the opportunity to scale the business at their own discretion.
Use Caution
- Finding and retaining reliable cleaners is a challenge, franchisees said. They also noted some issues with the transition to the company’s new technology platform.
Based in Birmingham, Alabama, Two Maids provides a range of residential cleaning services and uses a pay-for-performance model where customers’ level of satisfaction determines how much the cleaners earn. Ron Holt founded the company in 2003 and began franchising it in 2013. Home Franchise Concepts acquired the brand in 2021.