Jan-Pro Canada Franchisee - Simon Russell

Date

Mar 04, 2010

Simon Russell became involved with Jan-Pro five years ago waiting until his kids were independent in order to take on the task ahead of him.  Simon recalls his initial experience.

“When you first buy your Jan-Pro master franchise, it is a bit like jumping off the diving tower when you are committed.  The training tells you what to expect but the reality is always unexpected.  You are immediately under water and you start struggling to break the surface again.  Fortunately, everyone seems to make it back to the surface and looking back to it, it never seems so bad.  All the initial training works!”

Simon says that he has never worked as hard as he has with the Jan-Pro cleaning franchise.  He put in his time and effort and covered every facet of the business which helped him make his hiring decision easier.

“Hiring staff is the most important thing you do; they make the difference between existing in the business and thriving in it.  Many other master franchisees work with family members, which works very well for them but my wife and I are incompatible in an office setting.  Not working together allows us to discuss our difference business with a fresh perspective.  Our children have worked with me and it allows them a unique business experience they wouldn’t easily get elsewhere.  Good staff will also allow you to take those important vacations.  After all, that is why you have decided to buy your own business in the first place.

With years in the Jan-Pro franchise system, Simon has built his company to exceed even his own expectations and continues to work hard and thrive in this competitive industry.

“Whenever we reached rough patches we seemed to have strayed from the business model and returning to it usually resolved the problem.  After all, when you buy a franchise you are really just buying a business model that has been proven to work, it only makes sense to stick to it.  The Jan-Pro Franchise business model was always cash flow positive.  The line of credit at the bank is still untouched.  Profitability took a little longer as you would expect but as you grow you are continually increasing the value of the business so at least your net worth is still increasing.