Longtime readers of this blog and listeners of the Remote Local Podcast have heard the story of how I built MaidThis in bits and pieces. I recently realized that I’ve never told the story in writing.
The truth is, yes, I built a $1.5M/year remote local business while I was still working in corporate America. But, that attention-grabbing headline oversimplifies how it all went down.
I want to share that story, in detail, in the hopes that it will inspire others who feel dissatisfied at their 9-5.
How it All Started
Like most entrepreneurs, I first became interested in going into business because I was unhappy at my current job. I was living a life I didn’t actually want — going to work very early in the morning and coming home very late at night, getting two weeks of vacation per year, feeling underworked and underappreciated…you know the drill.
As I thought about what to do next the wheels began turning and I eventually figured out that I could create what I like to call a “remote local business.” The concept is simple: a local business that you can run from wherever you are in the world.
All I needed to get started was a Wi-Fi connection, a laptop, and a website. My first logo was atrocious and there were many challenges to overcome, but I was finally working toward something that really mattered to me: breaking free from my 9-5.
I eventually did break free, and went on to create a seven-figure residential cleaning franchise at that (more on that later). But, before I did I quit my corporate job. When I started earning $3k per month with MaidThis, I realized that I was on to something. If I could make several thousands while treating it like a side hustle, how much more could I make if it was my sole focus?
So I quit, booked a plane ticket to Colombia, and decided to grow my remote local business, the only way I could imagine doing it: remotely. I knew from the get-go that I wanted the biz to be location-independent, no matter what. I had an idea of what I wanted my life to become and in order to get there, I knew I couldn’t be chained to one specific location.
Expanding into the Franchise World
One of the most pivotal moments in my entrepreneurial journey was my decision to transition from one location in Los Angeles to a franchise model.
I knew that I could make MaidThis work across the country, and I knew that I could enlist the help of other passionate business owners to do it. I could scale and help others while doing so — which is a dream scenario for me.
I created a 1,000-page franchise operations manual that serves as a guide for my franchisees. It also ensures that we provide the same quality of service across all of our locations. The idea of a franchise had long interested me as I’m a big believer in the fact that we don’t always need to reinvent the wheel.
It’s something I thought about throughout my journey to building MaidThis. After a few months of struggling to learn and build on my own, I realized the importance of leaning on coaches and fellow business owners.
One of my biggest pieces of advice for folks who want to go out on their own is this: you don’t need to do it completely on your own. Find a coach, find a mentor, find your sherpa. It’s worth every penny.
How You Can Do It Too
In the spirit of not doing everything on your own, I want to take a moment to share my top tips on running your own remote local business.
- Marketing: Automation is key, even for boots-on-the-ground marketing tactics. For example, leave flyers for your business in neighborhoods where you’re already working. You’ll save an extra trip around town and get the attention of some potential clients.
- Lead generation: Aim to land recurring customers, not one-offs. Give your current customers incentives so that they want to book more of your services.
- Sales: I give my salespeople a specific script (hear it in this video) to work from and it’s earned me millions. Don’t be afraid to leverage psychology to your advantage.
- Customer engagement: Automated follow-ups, reminders, and personalized communication are key in a remote local biz. Stay in front of your customers as much as you can so they don’t forget about you.
- Employees: The only way your system and processes will work is if you choose the right people and train them the right way. I look for folks who are reliable, communicative, and positive. I suggest you do the same.
- Believe in yourself: Looking back to the beginning, my biggest regret is that I didn’t have confidence in myself or my ideas. Fear held me back from investing more in the company. I probably would have grown and scaled a lot faster if I had just believed in myself.
But, if I can leave you with one thing it’s this: take action and trust yourself. Don’t get stuck in the learning phase. Just start and learn from your experiences as you go along.
The path may be challenging, but the destination is well worth the effort.
Photo by Josh Olalde on Unsplash
This article was written by Neel from MaidThis Franchise, a remote-local franchise opportunity for people looking to escape the rate race and reach financial freedom. Learn more here.
