Tim Conn is the co-founder and Director of Operations & Franchise Development for Image One USA. An entrepreneur with more than 30 years of industry experience, Conn developed Image One along with his business partner to provide top-level service to commercial businesses across the Chicagoland area. The company now has nearly 100 locations across five states and services more than 500 commercial buildings and facilities through its franchise affiliate program.
BTB: Tell us about the Image One
concept
Tim Conn: Image One USA is a commercial
cleaning franchise business that brings a whole new
concept to the janitorial arena. We built our franchising model on
the principles of transparency, training and top-notch customer
service and support.
BTB: How and when did you become involved with Image One?
TC: I started in the commercial cleaning industry about 30
years ago. Back then, I was working as an independent business
owner operating my own commercial cleaning business and decided I
wanted to expand to see how far I could take it. Over the course of
working as a commercial cleaning executive, I ultimately launched
Image One a little more than five years ago with my business
partner Mike. Now, through our franchise program, we’ve grown to
nearly 100 locations servicing more than 600 commercial
facilities.
BTB: What was your background prior to joining Image One?
TC: I started my first business, Tidy Tim's Cleaning
Service, at age 14. I started as an entrepreneur early in life by
cleaning a building my parents owned. I continued to grow and
operate that business throughout high school and college. Now, over
30 years later, this is really the only thing I have ever done. I’m
still so passionate about being a business owner and providing a
service to our customers.
BTB: What are some of the
advantages in being a Image One franchisee?
TC: Our franchisees work for themselves in a unique
relationship with Image One. We provide them with customer support
for their business, ongoing training, as well as assistance with
billing, equipment and obtaining insurance coverage. Image One has
nearly 100 commercial cleaning franchise locations throughout the
Midwest including Illinois, Michigan, Tennessee, Ohio and now
Colorado.
BTB: Who is your ideal franchisee?
TC: Someone who is passionate about joining the Image One
concept and who wants to bring the best service possible to their
customers. We can teach them all about the business and the
commercial cleaning industry, but they need to be motivated enough
to get out there and sell. In our industry, we need to go out and
find the customers; they’re not always going to find us. Our
franchisees need the kind of outgoing personality that will help
them connect with prospects and customers
alike.
BTB: Tell us a little about the commercial cleaning market?
TC: The commercial cleaning industry is one of the
fastest growing
service markets in the United States. Franchises in
the cleaning industry mostly exist in one of three areas: Cleaning
and janitorial services, carpet and upholstery cleaning services
and dry cleaning and laundry services. In 2010 there were about
50,000 cleaning services operating in the United States, which
brought in about 90 percent of the cleaning revenue. Currently, the
commercial cleaning industry is an estimated $78 billion a year
business and there are still plenty of opportunities that
exist.
BTB: What are some of the greatest lessons you’ve learned in
growing this franchise?
TC: I think the most important thing I’ve learned is being
able to maintain a positive attitude. If you have a negative
attitude going into things, you’ll generate negative results. It
doesn’t matter who I’m with or where I’m at, I try to see the good
in people and in situations. I love the excitement and fun of
growing a business and I think my positive mentality has allowed me
the opportunity to pursue my dreams.
BTB: Do you have a mentor and is there someone you use for
inspiration?
TC: Coming from an entrepreneurial family, my parents were
a major source of inspiration for me. There has never really been
an outside influence other than my family. I attribute all of my
entrepreneurial spirit to them.
BTB: What advice do you have for someone looking to acquire a
franchise?
TC: If there is something you really want to do, just go
out and do it. If you wait until you’re ready, you might miss your
chance. Nothing quite satisfies that entrepreneurial spirit like
starting your own business, but it can be a very scary thing.
That’s what’s great about Image One. We give you the opportunity to
start a business, but the ongoing support to know that you’re not
alone whenever a problem may arise.
BTB: In your opinion, why do you think that Image One would be a
great opportunity for someone?
TC: One of the things that sets Image
One apart from other franchise models in this industry
is that we train our franchisees in a way that is unlike any other
commercial cleaning company. By the time we’re done, our
franchisees will not only understand the commercial cleaning
industry, they will also know about sales and operations so they
can build long-term relationships with their clients. We also
include proprietary software and apps that make the whole sales and
management process simple for anybody to follow. Franchisees will
get a much more comprehensive program from Image One than from any
other competitors in our industry.
