Elisa & Manuel Gonzalez

Name: Elisa & Manuel GonzalezHow long have you been a franchisee? Since June 25, 2004 and first of all wanted to thank God and OpenWorks for what we have accomplished and succeed in this business and knowledge that we have received.Why did you decide to purchase a commercial cleaning franchise? We wanted to have our own business and have a better future for our children. Heard about OW through Manuel’s former employer, a current franchise owner Esaul Davila.What has been your biggest success? Our business has grown and our customers recognize us as a professional and responsive company. What was your biggest challenge and how have you overcome it? Trying to find quality employees – found them using advertising in magazines and doing in-person interviews. Also do a “probation” period at an account to see how the individual does. Get feedback from Supervisor. Another challenge was trying to supervise all accounts at one time, to meet this challenge we found a supervisor to assist in account management.What are you most looking forward to in their franchise business? Looking to future growth – looking to retire at a younger age.What advice do you have for new franchise owners? Never give up. Always prepare for the worst – such as employee related issues and responsiveness with clients. Don’t be afraid of the size of the account, there are no limits. Find a good quality chemical and equipment supplier; always keep MSDS sheets on hand; keep equipment clean and in good working condition.When you first accepted the challenge of cleaning The Musical Instrument Museum what were your initial thoughts? How many people will we need to accomplish customer needs? What equipment will we need? Didn’t look back, move forward. Never had an account this big. Never had a thought of “this can’t work” always felt that this was a good fit and we could be successful. It doesn’t matter how large or how small the account is, the client needs to be treated the same way regardless.Regional Operations Director’s Observations: “I have worked with Elisa & Manuel for over two years and truly enjoy working with them. They are the epitome of a true franchise owner. Over the past couple of years they have grown their business tremendously which is a direct result of their hard work and great customer service skills”.