franchise project - molly maid

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309 Lexington Street Auburndale, MA 02466 Phone: 617-516-9092 E-Mail: [email protected] Web: http://georgebanis.me Professor: Cheryl Mitteness Class: ENTR 2201

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For class: ENTR2201. This project's goal is to analyze the Molly Maid franchise and discover its fit with the general Boston area.

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309 Lexington Street Auburndale, MA 02466 Phone: 617-516-9092 E-Mail: [email protected] Web: http://georgebanis.me Professor: Cheryl Mitteness Class: ENTR 2201

George Banis FRANCHISE PROJECT

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www.gbanis.com Copyright © 2010 George Banis

Fall 2010 FRANCHISE PROJECT

PREFACE 3

STRENGTH OF THE FRANCHISING PACKAGE 4

STRENGTH OF THE PRODUCTS & SERVICES 4 FRANCHISOR’S BACKGROUND 4 INITIAL AND ONGOING COSTS 5 CONTROLS 5 SUPPORT OFFERED 6 RENEWAL, TERMINATION, TRANSFER INFORMATION 6 FINANCIAL STRENGTH OF FRANCHISOR 7 EARNING POTENTIAL REPORTED 7 SUMMARY THOUGHTS REGARDING THE STRENGTH OF THE FRANCHISE 8

FRANCHISE FIT WITH LOCATION 8

IDEAS FOR LOCATION 8 CHARACTERISTICS OF TYPICAL CUSTOMERS 9 LOCATION ANALYSIS FOR FIT WITH TARGET CUSTOMER 9 SUMMARY THOUGHTS REGARDING THE STRENGTH OF THE LOCATION 9

FRANCHISE FIT WITH ME 10

FIT WITH FRANCHISING IN GENERAL 10 FIT WITH MOLLY MAID 10 SUMMARY THOUGHTS 10

EXHIBITS 12

A. COSTS 12 B. REASONS FOR TERMINATION BY THE FRANCHISOR 13 C. FRANCHISE STATUS SUMMARY 14 D. SIMPLYMAP DATA 15

George Banis FRANCHISE PROJECT

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www.gbanis.com Copyright © 2010 George Banis

PREFACE

 

Dear  Reader,  

Thank  you   for  choosing   this   franchising  guide.  This  project  was  prepared   for  Northeastern  University’s  

class  The  Entrepreneurial  Universe.    

This  essay  was  a  result  of  thorough  analysis  of  the  Molly  Maid  franchise.  It  contains  facts  found  online  and  

on  the  franchise’s  FDD.  It  also  includes  my  current  opinions  and  thoughts  regarding  this  franchise.    

The  way  I  chose  this  franchise  for  my  project  was  the  following.  In  the  beginning  I  conducted  research  on  

various  franchises  that  I  believed  have  investing  interest  and  growth  potential.  During  this  process  I  found  rather  

interesting  the  options  of  Molly  Maid,  Hobby  Town,  Chester’s,  and  Kiddie  Academy.  The  next  step  was  to  review  

their  product  keeping  into  consideration  the  product  itself,  the  current  economy,  the  correlation  with  the  general  

Boston  area,  and  of  course  my  “gut  feeling”.  

The  results  of  this  preliminary  research  and  my  passion  for  cleanness  and  order  in  the  place  I  live  and  work  

contributed  to  my  decision  to  pick  Molly  Maid  as  the  franchise  for  my  project  for  the  reasons  that  I  will  be  explain  

thoroughly  throughout  this  essay.    

 

  Best  Regards,  

  George  Banis     Business  Major,  Northeastern  University     Concentration:  Entrepreneurship  

  www.gbanis.com        

George Banis FRANCHISE PROJECT

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www.gbanis.com Copyright © 2010 George Banis

STRENGTH OF THE FRANCHISING PACKAGE

STRENGTH OF THE PRODUCTS & SERVICES

Molly  Maid   “is  devoted   to  effectively  meeting   the   residential   cleaning  needs  of   consumers  and,   in   so  doing,  enhances  their  quality  of  life.”1  The  maid  profession  is  not  new.  It  has  its  roots  from  the  Medieval  era  when  maids  were  workers  who  assisted  in  the  daily  chores  of  the  house.2  Over  the  years  this  profession  has  evolved  taking  the  form  we  know  today,  with  many  variations.  The  most  prevalent  form  is  the  person  who  visits  on  a  regular  –most  often  weekly-­‐  basis  and  cleans  the  residential  location.  The  demand  for  this  service  is  international  and   is  all  year   long.  Another  thing  to  note   is  that  the  service  able  to  repeat  business,  as  houses  tend  to  need  cleaning  on  a  regular  basis.  

Two  forms  of  maid  services  are  dominant  in  the  western  world:  individual  maids  or  organized  companies.  Even  though  between  1986  and  1996  professional  cleaning  services  have  only  gained  2%  share  (from  6%  to  8%)  the  Bureau  of  Labor  Statistics  projects  an  18%  increase  in  the  number  of  cleaners,  maids,  and  janitors  employed  by  businesses,  to  3.6  million  in  2005.3  At  the  same  time,  the  increase  of  baby  boomers  and  the  upward  slope  of  theft  and  criminal  incidents  can  be  proof  of  an  increase  in  the  demand  for  professional  maid  services.  

Among  the  businesses  that  offer  such  services  in  the  greater  Boston  area,  there  are  a  few  that  stand  out.  Maids  Express4  is  one  of  the  companies  that  are  in  direct  competition  with  Molly  Maid.  The  Maids5  is  another  professional  cleaning  company,  established   in  1995,  and  offering   its   services   in   the  Greater  Boston  and  North  Shore  area.  LTC  Cleaning6  and  Merry  Maids7  are  two  more  cleaning  companies  focused  in  the  Greater  Boston  area  and  appear  have  the  most  experience,  since  they  both  count  over  30  years  of  experience  in  this  field.  

FRANCHISOR’S BACKGROUND

Molly  Maid  is  a  well  established  franchisor  with  308  franchises  in  United  States  territory  and  an  additional  324  internationally  as  of  December  31,  2004.8  Initially,  it  was  formed  in  1984  as  a  Michigan  corporation  having  as  a  sole  purpose  franchising  the  “MOLLY  MAID  system”9.  One  thing  to  note  is  that  the  company  does  not  have  any  previous  experience  in  residential  cleaning  which  might  have  been  an  considerable  drawback  as  it  was  trying  to  establish  franchise  deals  during  the  early  stages.    

Even  thought  it  seems  as  a  company  that  is  well  established  and  branches  all  over  the  world,  I  have  not  heard  of  it,  possibly  because  I  lived  in  Greece  for  the  past  twenty  four  years,  a  country  where  Molly  Maid  is  not  selling   franchises   currently.  Another   reason  would  be  because  being  of   young   age,   and   living   in  mostly   small  apartments  I  never  found  the  need  of  hiring  a  third  party  to  clean  my  house.    

1 FDD, page 8 2 http://goo.gl/getAW 3 http://goo.gl/sCc2p 4 http://www.maids-express.com/ 5 http://www.themaidsma.com/ 6 http://ltccleaning.com/ 7 http://www.merrymaids.com/ 8 FDD, page 8 9 FDD, page 7

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Moving  on,  it  is  worth  to  mention  that  Molly  Maid  is  registered  with  International  Franchise  Association1.  Another  proof  of  good  reputation  is  the  fact  that  it   is  ranked  number  eighty  one  among  the  top  franchises  by  Entrepreneur   Magazine.2  Furthermore,   according   to   the   FDD   and   my   online   research   the   company   has   no  bankruptcy  history,  and  only  litigation  disclosed  “is  arising  from  Plaintiff’s  inability  to  obtain  financing  to  complete  her  purchase  of  a  Molly  Maid  Franchise.”3  

INITIAL AND ONGOING COSTS

After  looking  for  fees  both  online  and  on  the  FDD,  it  seems  that  the  numbers  on  the  FDD  are  outdated.  For  this  reason,  I  decided  to  use  the  facts  mentioned  by  Franchise  Direct4  claim  to  be  taken  by  the  company’s  2009  FDD  and  seem  legitimate.  The  two  major  costs  for  acquiring  this  franchise  are  the  initial  franchising  fee  at  $14,900,  the  territory  fee  at  $1  per  household  in  the  franchise’s  territory  (ranging  between  $20,000  and  $40,000),  and  the  initial   package   fee   at   $8,500.   These   fees   seem   to   be   ranging   in   a   reasonable   field,   keeping   in  mind   that   the  franchise  has  an  established  name  and  has  proven   its  quality  by   the  amount  of  open   franchise   locations.  The  franchisor  also  requires  incremental  royalty  fees  which  range  between  6.5%-­‐3%  payable  weekly.  In  the  case  of  a  territory  expansion,  the  royalty  fee  for  the  new  territory   is  flat  at  %6.5  Additionally,  keep  in  mind  the  cost  of  a  vehicle  which  varies  between  $9,500  -­‐  $15,000.  For  a  table  with  all  costs  and  royalty  fees  please  consult  the  exhibit  at  the  end  of  the  report.  

The  franchisor  does  not  offer  franchising  options,  but  according  to  the  magazine  Entrepreneur,  financing  is  available  by  third  parties  for  franchising  fees,  startup  costs,  and  equipment.6  One  thing  to  keep  into  consideration  is  labor  costs,  which  are  not  mentioned  in  the  FDD.  According  to  my  research7  I  could  not  find  specifically  how  much  other  Molly  Maid  franchises  in  Massachusetts  pay  their  employees  but  an  estimate  would  be  around  $9-­‐$12  per  hour  for  maids  and  $46,000-­‐$50,000  for  managers.8  Molly  Maid  also  requires  franchisees  to  participate  in  local  and  national  marketing  programs  with  amounts  that  decline  as  gross  sales  rise.  More  information  can  be  found  at  the  exhibit  at  the  end  of  the  report.  

CONTROLS

The   franchisor  has  established  many  methods   to  control  and  maintain   the  high  standards  and  proper  functioning  of  the  franchise.  First,  as  a  franchisee  we  are  subject  to  on-­‐site  inspection  and/or  audit  of  the  principal  office  with  48  hours  prior  notice.  The  franchisor  also  holds  the  right  to  participate  in  quality  checks  at  customer  homes   recently9  cleaned.   Furthermore,   the   franchisor   gives   the   right   to   the   franchisee   to  maintain   a  website  customized  for  the  specific  franchise  upon  agreement.  Such  an  example  can  be  the  website  of  the  franchise  in  Buckhead,  GA  which  mentions  the  Consumer’s  Choice  Award  of  Business  Excellence10.    

1 http://goo.gl/6FjA4 2 http://goo.gl/istEu 3 FDD, page 12 4 http://goo.gl/ihcoA 5 FDD, page 9 6 http://goo.gl/istEu 7 I looked at various websites including but not limited to: http://www.payscale.com/ http://jobs.businessweek.com/ http://www.indeed.com/ 8 http://goo.gl/fDeBE 9 It does not give a quantity to the amount of “recently” 10 http://www.mollymaid.com/local-house-cleaning/ga/buckhead.aspx

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Additional  controls  that  the  franchisor  requires  involve  the  image  and  marketing  brand  of  the  franchise.  The  most  significant  is  a  vehicle  with  the  franchise  logo  that  we  are  required  to  buy  or  lease.  Another  thing  to  keep  in  mind  is  the  standard  employee  attire  which  according  to  the  statements  in  the  FDD  “helps  we  gain  consumer  confidence  in  our  community.”1  The  initial  package  for  opening  a  franchise  –which  includes  and  is  not  limited  ot  uniforms,  cleaning  tools,  computer  hardware  and  software-­‐  must  be  bought  from  the  franchisor.  One  thing  to  keep  in  mind  is  that  according  to  past  statements,  the  franchisor  has  not  derived  any  revenue  from  product  sales  although   they  have   the   right   to  do   so.2  For   future   inventory   reorders,  Molly  Maid  has  established  discounted  pricing,  but  to  my  understanding  the  franchisee  is  not  required  to  buy  from  the  proposed  sources.    

In  regards  to  restrictions  on  the  sales  area,  Molly  Maid  has  a  clear  position.  The  territory   is  specifically  assigned  to  the  franchisor  and  have  promised  not  to  operate  themselves  or  award  to  any  other  party  a  franchise  to  operate  in  the  same  area.  Noteworthy  is  the  fact  that  upon  achieving  target  sales  we  are  eligible  to  modify  and  expand  our  territory.  

SUPPORT OFFERED

Molly  Maid  offers  what  seems  to  be  a  complete  training  program  for  franchisees.  It  begins  with  a  5-­‐day  hands-­‐on  training  at  their  home  office  in  Ann  Arbor,  MI  followed  by  a  4-­‐day  program  at  a  regional  training  center.  These  sessions  are  obligatory  and  failing  to  complete  them  successfully  will  result  in  termination  of  the  agreement.  We  also  have  the  option  to  request  training  for  additional  individuals  at  our  own  expense  and  based  upon  spot  availability.  Also,  the  franchisor  requires  refresher  training  sessions  not  more  than  once  every  two  years  at  our  own  expense.  They  also  offer  a    complete  set  of  general  guidance  on  new  products  and  services,  purchase  of  supplies,  formulation   and   implementation   of   marketing,   employee   recruitment   and   training,   and   financial   and   daily  operation  of  the  franchise.  Alongside  we  will  be  given  an  operating  manual  explaining  everything  in  greater  detail  and  access  to  a  toll  free  number  for  further  questions  (the    number  is  not  disclosed  in  the  FDD.)3    

RENEWAL, TERMINATION, TRANSFER INFORMATION

If,  for  any  reason,  we  as  the  franchisee  wish  to  terminate  the  franchise,  we  are  obliged  to  submit  a  written  notice  60  days  in  advance.  In  this  case  we  are  obliged  to  pay  all  the  amounts  due  to  the  franchisor.  

On  the  other  hand,  the  franchisor  may  force  the  franchise  to  terminate  for  a  plethora  of  reasons.  While  we  can  find  all  of  them  in  the  exhibit  at  the  end  of  the  report,  I  would  like  to  summarize  them  here.  Most  of  them  are  common  sense  such  as  if  we  are  convicted  for  a  crime  or  are  involved  in  any  kind  of  unethical  conduct  which  affects   the   reputation  of   the  Franchise  Business.  Other   reasons   include  offering   services  outside  our   territory,  understating  Royalty  by  5%,   failing   to  pay   the  dues,  or   violate  any   covenant  of   confidentiality   included   in   the  agreement.  We  are  also  obliged  to  commence  operation  within  six  months  from  the  date  of  payment  of  the  initial  franchising   fee;   this   may   be   obvious,   but   it   is   good   to   keep   it   in   mind.   Another   reason   that   may   result   to  termination  is  if  we  bring  the  operation  of  the  franchise  to  an  halt  for  more  than  ten  days.  

When  the  franchising  agreement  is  naturally  over,  we  have  the  opportunity  to  renew  it  for  an  additional  ten  years.  The  reasons  such  a  renewal  may  be  refused  are  inability  to  pay  the  dues  to  the  franchisor,  lack  of  full  compliance  with  the  Agreement  at  the  date  of  renewal,  or  having  received  more  than  three  notices  for  failure  to  comply  with  the  terms  of  the  Agreement  during  the  past  years  of  running  the  franchise.  In  order  to  proceed  with   1 FDD, page 9 2 FDD, page 21 3 FDD, page 58

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renewal,  we  have  to  give  notice  of  our  election  to  renew  the  Agreement  between  nine  and  six  months  prior  to  the  end  of  the  Agreement.  

Since  the  FDD  that  I  could  find  was  outdated,  I  decided  to  use  the  information  given  my  Entrepreneur  Magazine   to   report   the   number   of   franchises   under   the  Molly   Maid   brand7.   According   to   the   website,   the  franchise  experienced  a  steady  increase  in  the  United  States  through  years  2006-­‐2009  (from  380  to  425  locations)  and  a  steady  decline  during  2010  (420  locations).  On  the  other  hand,  the   international  franchises  face  a  steep  decline  from  317  franchises  in  2006  to  181  in  2010.  Details  can  be  found  in  the  exhibits  at  the  end  of  the  report.  

FINANCIAL STRENGTH OF FRANCHISOR

Molly   Maid   is   a   private   company.   As   a   result   financial   figures   are   unavailable.   Please   note   that   the  following  analysis  is  a  personal  understanding  of  the  company  according  to  historic  data  and  figures  found  online  and  on  the  company’s  FDD.  

To  begin  with,  Molly  Maid  is  an  active  franchising  company  since  1982.  The  fact  that  over  almost  thirty  years  it  has  established  an  international  service  with  around  700  franchising  locations  worldwide  is  evidence  for  a  steady  growing  company.  Furthermore,   the  fact   that  the  co-­‐founder,  CEO,  and  chairman  David  McKinnon  has  been  recognized  as  the  entrepreneur  of  year  2002  by  Entrepreneur  Magazine  adds  more  validity  to  the  business.  

Taking  a  look  at  the  gross  sales  figures  of  20041  we  realize  that  177  franchises  generated  about  $94.2M  revenues.  With  an  average  5%  royalty  fees,  the  franchisor  generated  about  $4.7M  royalties.  If  we  estimated  an  inflated  amount  of  a  new  franchising  license  to  be  around  $50,000,  then  it  would  take  about  100  new  franchises  to  open   in   order   for   the   new   franchise   earnings   to  match   the   royalty   earnings.   Thus   it   is   safe   to   say   that   the  franchising  company  is  profitable.  

Finally,  there  is  no  information  available  either  online  or  in  the  FDD  regarding  debt.  

EARNING POTENTIAL REPORTED

According  to  the  information  released  by  the  franchisor  we  are  able  to  get  a  rough  idea  about  the  revenue  potentials  from  this  type  of  franchise.  The  figures  come  from  177  franchises  and  is  slightly  outdated  as  it  was  taken  during  year  2004.  According  to  this  sample2  we  realize  a  very  large  variance  of  revenues,  with  averages  ranging  from  $162.7K   to   $1,083.2K.   To  my   understandings,   these   numbers   are   so   far   apart   probably   because   of   the  different  locations  and  the  demand  for  the  cleaning  services,  or  because  of  the  capability  of  the  people  who  run  them.  Again,  note  that  these  figures  are  gross  sales  and  not  net  profits;  something  that  has  to  be  discussed  with  the  franchisor  and  makes  us  take  into  even  better  consideration  the  potential  of  this  franchise.  Geographic  data  relevant  to  the  sales  are  not  provided,  although  we  can  find  a  table  in  the  FDD3  which  contains  of  statistics  from  the  franchises  that  open  and  close  in  every  state.  From  this  table  we  can  quickly  realize  that  this  franchise  is  most  popular  in  California,  with  Michigan,  Texas,  and  Virginia  following.  

 

1 FDD, page 39 2 Figure 5, Exhibit 3 FDD, page 43

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SUMMARY THOUGHTS REGARDING THE STRENGTH OF THE FRANCHISE

 In  general  I  believe  that  as  a  potential  franchisee,  this  is  a  very  appealing  option  mainly  because  of  the  organization  and  the  system  that  they  maintain.  Furthermore,  the  fact  that  they  are  in  the  business  since  1982  gives  validity  to  the  company  and  inspires  trust.  The  fact  that  the  revenues  from  store  to  store  vary  so  much  is  a  fact   that   is  hard   to  analyze  and   requires  more   research.   Lastly,   I   find   the   initial   fees  and   the   royalties   for   the  franchise   logical   but   extra   time   must   be   spent   on   cost   analysis   and   day-­‐to-­‐day   expenses.   Nonetheless,   the  franchisor  has  established  bonds  with  a  plethora  of  vendors,  claiming  to  offer  better  pricing  on  inventory  items.  

FRANCHISE FIT WITH LOCATION

IDEAS FOR LOCATION

The  location  that  interests  me  most  is  the  Greater  Boston  area.  The  main  reason  is  because  I  currently  live  there,  I  can  relate  a  lot  to  the  residents  and  can  identify  their  needs  and  the  optimal  way  to  service  them.  Digging  more  into  the  specifics  of  the  location1,  I  found  out  that  the  two  optimal  locations  to  host  a  Molly  Maid  franchise  would  be  the  area  that  includes  West  Newton  to  Wellesley,  and  Boston  Metro.  I  also  found  out  that  the  franchisor  marks  as  a  target  market  the  Boston  Metro  area.2  

The  two  specific  locations  that  I  would  place  this  franchise  would  be:  A. 665  Beacon  Street,  Boston,  MA  02115,  Space  #2033  

464  ft2  ,  $1.67/ft2/month,  total  rent:  $775/month  B. 447  Cherry  Street,  Newton,  MA  024654  

800  ft2,  $1.25/ft2/month,  total  rent:  $1000/month  Other  reasons  why  I  picked  those  two  locations  include  availability  of  parking  space,  easy  access  to  major  

routes,  have  central  spots  to  the  territories  of  interest  and  are  very  welcome  to  potential  customers  who  like  to  take   a   look   at   our   franchise   office.   Also,   both   these   offices   are   located   in   buildings   that   host   other   offices,  encouraging  a  professional  environment.    

I  am   interested  most   in   location  A.  According   to   the   leasing  agency   (LoopNet),   the  rental   rate   for   this  location  includes  all  operating  expenses  and  real  estate  taxes.  Public  transportation  is  one  block  away,  giving  easy  access  to  employees.  The  lease  type  is  Modified  Gross.  None  of  utilities,  tax,  or  janitorial  services  are  included,  which  should  be  estimated  in  the  final  cost  to  lease  this  office.  The  franchisor  has  not  determined  explicitly  the  size  of  the  franchise  office,  but  has  determined  that  it  should  be  enough  to  organize  maid  teams  of  two.  So,  450  ft2  

would  do  the  job.    The  customer  traffic  is  slightly  irrelevant  since  we  will  not  be  operating  a  store  front  and  it  is  only  going  to  

be  complimentary  as  a  mean  of  advertisement.  Indeed,  this  office  is  located  in  a  very  good  spot,  as  it  is  one  block  away   from  public   transportation,  and  right  on  the   intersection  of   three  major   roads:  Commonwealth  Avenue,  Beacon  Street,  and  Brookline  Avenue.  Located  very  close  to  Fenway  Park,  this  office  is  guaranteed  be  in  the  heart  of   foot   traffic.  Moreover,   it   is   very   close   to   various   colleges   such   as   Boston  University.   College   students  may   1 I researched the location of other Molly Maid franchises and those of competitors. 2 http://goo.gl/gtz2X 3 http://goo.gl/Qp5c5 4 http://goo.gl/AIYP7

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possibly  become  a  new  customer  base.  I  also  asked  the  real  estate  agency  if  we  can  place  a  sign  of  our  business  and  they  mentioned  that  this  might  be  possible  but  we  would  need  to  further  discuss  it.    

Another   thing   to  note   is   the   fact   that   this  building  hosts  a  pet  hospital.  This  may  prove   to  be  a  great  synergy  to  our  business.  The  reason  would  be  because  of  the  customer  base  of  the  hospital.  First  people  who  own  pets  often  times  have  high  income  to  afford  their  care.  Also,  pets  that  are  kept  in  house  require  more  cleaning  and  care.    

 

CHARACTERISTICS OF TYPICAL CUSTOMERS

According  to  Molly  Maid,  their  customer  base  is  “primarily  dual-income households, aging seniors, and single professionals recognize the need for residential cleaning services.” 1 These customers can value personal time and will consider house cleaning as an investment rather than an expense. The demand will increase as the female workforce expands, and women have limited time, opting to spend it with their family and friends. Also important customer base is the demographic of ages between 55-65. As this group ages, it is important to establish “bonded and insured domestic cleaning services.” Lastly, I foresee an increased demand of cleaning services to college students who will occasionally prefer to hire someone to clean their apartments after a friend gathering.

LOCATION ANALYSIS FOR FIT WITH TARGET CUSTOMER2

According  to  the  data  collected  from  SimplyMap,  we  find  out  that  the  population  of  the  area  within  2  miles  of  our  target  franchise  is  about  300,000  people.  Out  of  this  sample,  about  32%  of  the  females  are  not  in  the  work  force.  This  means  that  they  are  either  not  of  legal  working  age,  or  have  decided  that  they  do  not  wish  to  work.  Our  target  market  involves  mainly  the  rest  68%  of  the  households  which  have  working  females  with  possibly  not  enough  time  to  spend  cleaning  their  homes.  About  37%  of   the  households   in   this  area  have   income  that  averages  above  $35,000.   These  households   are  most   likely   to  afford  house   cleaning   services.  We   should  also  consider  the  households  with  income  in  the  $25,000-­‐$34,999  range  which  adds  another  8%  of  households.  

Another  important  factor  that  we  have  to  keep  in  mind  is  the  age  range.  While  younger  couples  may  value  personal  time  and  comfort  and  are  willing  to  spend  money  in  exchange  for  personal  time,  older  couples  may  also  chose  our  services  because  of   inability  to  take  care  of  the  house  on  their  own.  A  significant  percentage  of  the  population  (23%)  is  in  the  range  of  25  to  34  years  old.  12.5%  of  the  population  in  this  area  is  aged  between  55  and  74  years  old.   In  the  middle  range  we  have  people  between  35  and  54  who  add  another  22%  to  our  potential  consumer  base.  

SUMMARY THOUGHTS REGARDING THE STRENGTH OF THE LOCATION

Taking  into  consideration  the  above  figures  we  realize  that  this  location  is  very  prestigious  for  this  type  of  franchise.  People  can  generally  afford  cleaning  services  and  are  very  likely  to  become  our  customers  as  they  fall  in  the  categories   that  we  mentioned  before.  On   the  other  hand,  one   thing   that  worries  me   is   the  availability  of  

1 http://goo.gl/0AWkQ 2 SimplyMap was used for this analysis with data from 2009 Census

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parking  space  near  the  customer  locations,  since  it  is  well  known  that  it  is  very  difficult  to  park  in  the  metropolitan  Boston  area.  Otherwise,  the  potential  location  of  the  offices  has  many  advantages  among  which  parking  spots,  high  traffic,  and  very  easy  access  to  public  transportation.  Besides,  this  area  is   included  in  one  of  Molly  Maid’s  proposed  territories  to  establish  a  franchise.  

FRANCHISE FIT WITH ME

FIT WITH FRANCHISING IN GENERAL

From  what  I  learned  in  “The  Entrepreneurial  Universe”  course,  I  strongly  believe  that  franchising  fits  with  my  character  and  personality  in  every  aspect.  According  to  my  personal  experience  in  the  family  business,  I  have  realized  that  not  only  did  I  not  face  any  problems  and  difficulties  with  day-­‐to-­‐day  operations,  on  the  contrary  I  enjoyed  “getting  my  hands  dirty.”    

When  it  comes  to  managing  people,  I  have  also  proved  myself  worthy  by  managing  the  family  business  office  while  my  father  was  out  of  reach  for  extensive  periods  of  time.  Through  the  years,  I  established  a  better  organized  business  both  operations  and  marketing  wise.  So,  my  plan  would  be  to  get  the  franchise  up  and  running,  spending  time  and  learning  from  it,  but  finally  I  would  hire  a  manager  to  be  trained  by  me,  and  eventually  taking  hold  of  the  business  so  I  can  be  free  to  venture  with  something  new.  

FIT WITH MOLLY MAID

According   to   the   franchisor,   this   business   does   not   require   technical   experience   or   special   training,  although  training  will  be  provided.  However,  I  strongly  believe  that  in  order  to  be  successful,  you  must  enjoy  what  you  are  doing  and  constantly  consider  ways  of  improving.  I  am  a  very  tidy  person  and  make  sure  my  personal  space  is  clean  and  organized  and  I  appreciate  people  who  share  these  qualities.  

There  is  a  wide  range  of  personal  skills  that  I  will  bring  to  this  business.  First  of  all,  my  previous  working  experience   and   the   ways   to   treat   your   customers.   I   also   have   to   offer   my   knowledge   for   marketing   and  approaching  new  customers  in  a  field  or  location  that  is  new  to  a  business.  Also,  my  passion  for  tidiness  and  order  will  only  be  a  positive  aspect  should   I  decide  to  get   involved   in  this  franchise,  and  will  become  a  good  tool  to  expand  the  customer  base.  

The  reason  I  would  pick  this  franchise  is  because  of  its  establishment  in  the  field  and  the  amount  of  years  they  are  in  this  business.  I  do  not  want  to  invest  precious  time  establishing  the  cleaning  system  that  they  can  offer  when  I  can  simply  spend  my  efforts  doing  what  I  enjoy  most;  management  and  marketing.  

SUMMARY THOUGHTS

All  in  all,  I  believe  that  this  franchise  is  a  very  appealing  choice  and  I  would  certainly  consider  it  should  I  have  the  capital  to  invest.  According  to  the  above  analysis,  this  seems  to  be  a  stable  and  safe  investment,  which  can  peak  in  sales  if  it  is  supported  by  good  management  and  personal  time.  On  the  other  hand,  before  going  with  a  “safer”  option,  I  would  like  to  spend  time  setting  up  several  start-­‐up  ideas  that  have  a  smaller  success  rate  but  superior   returns   even   to   the   highest   ones   that   any   franchise  might   offer.   Nonetheless,   now   I   have   a   better  

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understanding  of  this  franchise  and  in  general  to  the  franchising  world.  The  time  I  spent  was  very  beneficial  to  me  as  I  am  now  able  to  spot  the  various  details  behind  acquiring  a  franchise  much  faster  and  more  accurately.  

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EXHIBITS

A. COSTS

Initial  Investment:    Name  of  Fee   Low   High  Initial  Franchise  Fee   $14,900    Territory  Fee   $20,000   $40,000  Initial  Package  Fee   $8,500    Auto  Lease  Deposit  and  3  Months  Lease  Expense   $1,500   $4,800  Leasehold  Improvements   $0   $2,000  Real  Estate,  Utility  Deposits  and  Three  Months  Rent   $3,000   $3,200  Furniture,  Fixtures  and  Equipment           $500   $2,000  Permits  and  Licenses   $100   $1,000  Insurance  Deposit  and  Three  Months  Insurance  Expense   $2,200   $5,300  Local  Marketing  Requirement  for  three  months   $5,000   $10,000  Training  Expenses  for  Travel,  Food  and  Lodging   $1,000   $4,000  Additional  Funds-­‐3  Months   $10,025   $16,300  Total   $66,725   $112,000      Date  of  FDD:  20091    

Ongoing  Fees:  Name  of  Fee   Amount  Royalty   Percentage  based  on  a  calendar  year  sliding  scale  of  Gross  Sales:  

$0-­‐400,000  or  if  not  in  compliance  =  6.5%    $400,001-­‐800,000=6%    $800,001-­‐1,200,000=5.5%    $1,200,001-­‐$1,600,000=5%  $1,600,001-­‐2,000,000=4.5%    $2,000,001  -­‐  $2,400,000  =  4%    $2,400,001  -­‐$2,800,000  =  3.5%    $2,800,001  and  up  =  3%  

National  Marketing  Fund   The  then  Current  Fee.  Presently,  the  current  fee  is  $100-­‐$  150  per  month  not  to  exceed  2%  of  Gross  Sales.  Technology  Fee   The  then  current  fee.  Presently  the  current  fee  is  $26  per  week  for  a  single  user,  and  $36  per  week  for  a  multi-­‐user,  as  adjusted  

each  calendar  year  Local  Advertising   A  new  Molly  Maid  business  will  be  required  to  spend  $1  per  Target  Household,  declining  as  Gross  Sales  increase,  to  a  minimum  of  

$0.25  per  Target  Household  if  at  least  $25,001  in  weekly  Gross  Sales  are  attained  and  maintained  for  a  calendar  quarter.  DSL  Cable,  or  Satellite  High  Speed  Internet  Connection  &  Electronic  Mail  Monthly  Service  &  Anti-­‐Virus  

The  then  current  fee.  Presently,  the  current  fee  ranges  from  $79.00-­‐$  159.00  per  month  for  1  account/user  on  1  computer.  

Call  Center   The  then  current  fee.  Presently,  the  current  set-­‐up  fee  is  $99,  plus  $25  monthly  fee,  a  $20  per  estimate  fee  that  is  booked  during  the  day  and  $25  per  estimate  fee  that  is  booked  in  the  evenings  or  on  the  weekend.  

Conventions  and  Regional  Meetings   The  then  current  fee.  Presently,  the  current  Convention  fee  is  $200  per  person  and  $0  per  person  for  Regional  Meetings  Renewal   The  then  current  fee.  Presently,  the  current  fee  is  $3,000  for  one  or  more  franchise  agreements  being  renewed  at  the  same  time  Transfer   The  then  current  transfer  fee.  Presently,  the  current  fee  is  $9,900  for  a  full  Territory  being  transferred,  $4,900  if  a  portion  is  being  

transferred,  and  $2,000  if  being  transferred  to  another  Molly  Maid  franchise  owner.  Outstanding  Royalties  and  fees  of  Predecessor  

Will  vary  under  circumstances.  

Expansion  Royalty  Rates   The  royalty  rates  for  each  Franchise  Agreement  may  be  averaged  and  aggregated  together  to  form  one  royalty  rate  and  threshold  scale  for  the  all  of  the  Franchise  Agreements.  In  averaging  and  aggregating  the  rates  and  levels,  Molly  Maid  will  take  into  account  the  ratio  of  the  then  current  number  of  Target  Households  in  each  Franchise  Agreement.  

Additional  Training  or  Assistance         The  then  current  training  fee.  Presently,  the  current  fee  is  $500.  Carpet  Cleaning  Program  and  Training   The  then  current  fee.  Presently,  the  current  fee  is  $3,300  per  person,  plus  travel  and  lodging  expenses.  Carpet  Cleaning  Marketing   The  then  current  fee.  Presently  the  fees  range  from  $500-­‐$  1,000  per  year.  Transfer  of  Company  Fee   The  then  current  fee.  Presently  this  is  $500  per  transaction.  Interest   Greater  of  12%  per  annum  or  the  maximum  permitted  by  law        Late  Payment  Fee   5%  of  Royalty  amount  due  or  $20  per  week,  whichever  amount  is  greater        Late  Reporting  Fee   The  then  current  fee.  Presently,  the  current  fee  is  $20  per  week  that  the  report  is  late.  Non-­‐Sufficient  Funds  (NSF)  Fee   The  then  current  fee.  Presently  the  current  fee  is  $33  per  transaction.        Insurance   Cost  of  insurance.  If  the  franchisee  fails  to  maintain  his/her  insurance  as  required,  MOLLY  MAID  has  the  right  to  procure  insurance  

on  the  franchisee’s  behalf  and  charge  an  18%  administrative  fee  in  addition  to  the  cost  of  the  insurance.        Costs  and  Attorneys  Fees   Will  vary  under  circumstances  Audit   Cost  of  inspection  or  audit,  (attorneys  &  independent  auditors  fees,  travel  expenses,  room  and  board,  compensation  of  

employee),  100%  of  Royalty,  Marketing  and  Promotional  Fund  contributions  due  on  understated  Royalty,  interest  (greater  of  12%  per  annum  or  the  maximum  rate  permitted  by  applicable  law),  and  late  fees        

Indemnification   Will  vary  under  circumstances          Date  of  FDD:  20091  

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B. REASONS FOR TERMINATION BY THE FRANCHISOR

 FIGURE 1A: AS SEEN ON THE FDD, PAGE 71

 

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 FIGURE 2: AS SEEN ON THE FDD, PAGE 72

C. FRANCHISE STATUS SUMMARY

Year U.S. Franchises

Canadian Franchises

Foreign Franchises

Company Owned

2010 420 0 181 0

2009 425 0 271 0

2008 421 0 332 0

2007 407 0 317 0

2006 380 0 317 0 FIGURE 3: AMOUNT OF FRANCHISES OPEN THROUGH YEARS 2006-2010

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Franchise 500® rank: #81 (2010); #104 (2009); #81 (2008); #83 (2007); #78 (2006); America's Top Global Franchises: #68 (2010); #83 (2009);

FIGURE 4: MOLLY MAID'S HISTORICAL RANKS BY ENTREPRENEUR MAGAZINE

FIGURE 5: STATEMENT OF AVERAGE GROSS SALES FOR YEAR 2004

D. SIMPLYMAP DATA

 FIGURE 6: MAP OF LOCATION (YELLOW “X”) COLORED BY POPULATION (SEE LEGEND ON THE RIGHT FOR POPULATION SIZES)

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Geographic Unit Census Tract ALL OF USA # Employment, Civilian Employed Females, 2009 78468 65,497,529 % Employment, Civilian Employed Females, 2009 91.63 % 93.46 % # Employment, Civilian Employed Males, 2009 83207 75,216,446 % Employment, Civilian Employed Males, 2009 89.96 % 92.66 % # Employment, Civilian Total Employed, 2009 161675 140,713,975 % Employment, Civilian Total Employed, 2009 90.76 % 93.03 % # Employment, Not in the Labor Force Female, 2009 48598 49,421,334 % Employment, Not in the Labor Force Female, 2009 36.20 % 41.29 % # Employment, Not in the Labor Force Male, 2009 43055 33,541,031 % Employment, Not in the Labor Force Male, 2009 31.75 % 28.96 % # Employment, Unemployed Female, 2009 7171 4,582,214 % Employment, Unemployed Female, 2009 8.37 % 6.54 % # Family HHs, 2009 49175 79,785,106 % Family HHs, 2009 34.19 % 67.61 % # HHs w/ Inc. $100,000 and Over, 2009 37835 24,187,200 % HHs w/ Inc. $25,000 to $34,999, 2009 7.97 % 10.30 % % HHs w/ Inc. $35,000 to $49,999, 2009 11.53 % 14.60 % % HHs w/ Inc. $50,000 to $74,999, 2009 14.34 % 19.01 % % HHs w/ Inc. $75,000 to $99,999, 2009 11.40 % 13.67 % # Households (HHs), 2009 143825 118,000,003 % Pop, 25 to 34 Years, 2009 23.22 % 13.38 % % Pop, 35 to 44 Years, 2009 11.66 % 14.02 % % Pop, 45 to 54 Years, 2009 10.59 % 14.27 % % Pop, 55 to 64 Years, 2009 7.96 % 10.59 % % Pop, 65 to 74 Years, 2009 4.50 % 6.01 % # Population (Pop), 2009 302820 305,548,770 FIGURE 7: DATA FROM SIMPLYMAP, WITHIN 2MI OF CT010101, SUFFOLK COUNTY, MA