Franchises have a lot of appeal to women. They offer a flexible schedule, perhaps the opportunity to work from home or maybe the chance to go into business with your spouse. Specifically to The Dwyer Group, there are many husband-wife teams in which the women are involved in running the office while the husband is training and inspecting jobs. Some own their own business, keeping in mind that since women are the customers, who better to know what is needed?

But why should women even consider beginning their own franchise? According to Dina, women are naturals when it comes to business. Women are willing to collaborate, organize and hear from a team of people on how to improve.

There are countless women who have founded great franchises, many who have gone unnoticed. “We just can’t ignore that there are great women like Debbi Fields, who started Mrs. Fields® Cookies, one of my favorites. Then there’s Mary Ellen Sheets, a good friend of mine. Her and her daughter, Melanie Bergeron, franchised Two Men and a Truck®. That’s a very nontraditional business for a woman, but you know what? It’s perfect for them because they get what they want from a mover.”

With over 80 industries that are franchising, there are more opportunities to find one geared to a service or product interesting to women. “There are those women who are getting into the very specific-women type businesses. I’ve got some friends who own Young Chefs®. I think women are going toward what attracts them. For some women, it’s not so much that they love plumbing, but they love the idea of making that customer have a wonderful experience with a service provider.”

A great aspect of franchising is that there are businesses to fit all lifestyles. Some, like tutoring or cooking lessons, are more structured for those women who perhaps are looking for that sense of fulfillment or accomplishment during the day when their children are away at school. Others can ask you to devote your day to ensuring the business thrives.

Some words of wisdom from Dina to her female audience:

Think of the opportunities before you anticipate obstacles. There are special programs offered through lending institutions for women getting into business.

One of the most likely hurdles to overcome is the desire to be great at everything; best mother, spouse, business leader. We just have to be happy with letting go or delegating. Try joining IFA, if you are looking for mentorship, where people are so willing to talk and help.

Finally, get clarity about your passions before you get into franchising. Look for what doesn’t feel like work for you. Do your homework, visit the franchise sites and just practice smart business to discover what drives you. It might even be plumbing!

Owning your own home service business can be unpredictable, too.  At times, there’s too many calls coming in, and there’s no way you can get everything done. Other times, you’re begging for the phone to ring just once. How do you find a balance?

Systems. Plain and simple.

If your business is running on solid systems, like the franchises at Leading the Service Industry, you’ll be better suited to handle variables in the marketplace. Marketing, planning, training and support are just a phone call away.

Keep your customers happy. Keep your staff happy. Find balance with systems.

We have systems in place that easily help you prepare for the unexpected.  We can assist you with new technologies, cross marketing, national advertising, an established brand and networking that can help you avoid the dry spells by constantly increasing your customer base.

When times are busy, our customer delivery system, pricing system, and technologies will help ensure that you have the most efficient route, quick and easy pricing and estimates, and technology that will help you and your crew get the job done faster.

Get prepared for whatever storm may come your way.

When you join our team we can help you clean up and organize your business so it runs more easily, efficiently and effectively.  We have tried and true methods that can help you “clean up” a number of different aspects of your business, including:

• Adding technologies that will improve your customer delivery system, saving you time and money.
• New strategies for recruiting, compensation and retention that can help improve your employee turnover rates, increase your profit margins and help you build a base of loyal customers.
• Assistance with financial management and “keeping up” the books.
• Statistical tracking, research and development to help you better focus your business efforts and marketing campaigns on the groups that will be most profitable.
• Providing you with an already established brand name and reputation as well as free national marketing and a huge network of other franchisees you can cross market with.

Who says spring cleaning can’t be fun?  Clean out your business life and start fresh this year. Get the systems. Get the support. Get in gear – your solution is just a click away.

2. Brand recognition.  Your company has a recognizable and respected brand. Years of marketing, national exposure and a history of quality instantly make your business the most trusted service brand in town.

3. Help with Business Functions.  Do you know your numbers? Do you know exactly how efficient (or inefficient) your business is operating? Your franchise coach and a team of small business experts are only a phone call or e-mail away. And they’re working every day of the year to research the industry to keep all of our franchise owners on the cutting edge of home service.

4. Training. The cornerstone of a solid business starts with the right training. After becoming a franchisee, you will be part of a world-class initial training course. And throughout the year, there are ongoing training meetings that are regional, online or on-site at your location. We can help you stay ahead of the changing marketplace.

5. High Success Rate.  We succeed when you succeed. Year after year, studies and surveys prove franchise businesses have a much higher success rate than independent businesses. That’s because with a franchise, you have a full support team, advice from other franchise owners and much more purchasing power (more on that later).

6. Cross Marketing.  You’re not alone in your local market. Because of the different concepts in our franchise network, your customers now have a hometown service team. You can partner with other franchise owners in your market to create a home service powerhouse.

7. Purchasing Power. Buy more. Pay less. It’s simple. Leading the Service Industry partners you with other franchise owners to deliver the best materials for the lowest prices. With so many franchisees, we have negotiated great rates on everything you need to run your business. Discounts and rebates on your favorites – vehicles, insurance, tools, parts, supplies, marketing materials and more. We want to make sure you don’t waste a penny.

8. Improve Your System.  Time is money. And fuel is money. Don’t waste anything. Our systems and use of technology can help your company run more efficiently so your technicians aren’t wasting valuable time on service calls. We can help you find the best customers, deliver fast, quality service and be on the cutting edge.

9. Networking.  Leading the Service Industry is made up of more than 1,500 franchise owners – their expertise and experience are at your service. Regional meetings and our annual Reunion (in June in San Antonio this year) are a great place to exchange ideas and improve your operations.

10. Prepare for Future Competition.  With a stronger, more solid foundation, your company will be well represented in your local market. We’re working every day to help you succeed.

The new Aire Serv franchisees were awared franchsie territories and attended a five-day training program at the world headquarters in Waco, Texas.

• Billy Bartlett, owner of the Aire Serv of Wise County franchise (Wise, Va.)
• Cesar Cordova, owner of the Aire Serv of Permian Basin franchise (Midland, Texas)
• Alfredo and Lily Figueroa, owners of the Aire Serv of Will County franchise (Plainfield, Ill.)
• Chris King, owner of the Aire Serv of Lake Cumberland franchise (Nancy, Ky.)
• Mark and Holly McDevitt, owners of the Aire Serv of Northeast Indiana franchise (Fort Wayne, Ind.)
• Ron and Jane Nichols, owners of the Aire Serv of Madison County Indiana franchise (Alexandria, Ind.)

“We’re excited to start off the New Year with six new companies,” said Doyle James, president of Aire Serv Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc. “We want to see these franchise owners grow their businesses and assist them in bringing quality service to their customers, as well as jobs to their areas.”

With a franchise, you get active public relations support to share your good news with your local media. You’ll be the number one source for any news about home service. This article about effective media relations comes from Julina Macy, the PR Specialist for Aire Serv. Join our team and you’ll have a public relations and marketing team working to make your business stand out.

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Whether you’ve witnessed the demise of a local newspaper firsthand or just heard about the collapse of newspapers and TV stations, you may be thinking that the general public isn’t interested in the news anymore.

While a common idea, it just isn’t true. In fact, a recent study on American journalism from the Pew Research Center found that audiences consider newspapers more valuable now than in past years, but readers are turning to more online sources for information instead of print media.

Unfortunately, due to a lack of resources or manpower from media down sizing, information provided to them must be timely and relevant. Today’s news environment is in overdrive and a consumer’s news interest must be fed 24/7 to keep them coming back for more, whether that news is sent in real time to Internet news Web sites or mobile phones.

In order to adapt to the new forms of communication, it’s more important now than in ever (while it was always important) to provide timely and interesting news stories to your local reporters. To grab their attention quickly — and not lose their interest in the first three seconds of a press release — it’s important to provide solutions to their readers’ problems and to make community interest stories available as they happen.

Gone are the days where a story would sit in a reporter’s inbox or take 24 hours to get printed and read by its audience. Now a story becomes old if it takes 24 hours to get into the reporters hands. As the forms of communication continue to expand and evolve, remember that it is not an option to hold on to a story opportunity for a couple days or more.

With an Aire Serv franchise you get the marketing and public relations support you need to make your company the name in home service.