Every new entrepreneur has a vision when investing in a franchise. The details differ, but the common themes are freedom, financial security, peace of mind and generational wealth. The idea is that after investing good money and working hard – usually for decades – the franchisee has built something valuable enough to enable them to implement all of these core factors.
James and Nadine Middleton have been Anago Cleaning Systems franchisees for 20 years. After venturing into the franchise cleaning industry in 2004, the Philadelphia couple is now living their entrepreneurial dream.
“The Middleton family story is a testament to the power of perseverance and the rewards of hard work,” said Adam Povlitz, CEO of Anago Cleaning Systems. “Her longevity in this industry is a shining example of unwavering commitment.”
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Difficult Decision
In the early 2000s, Nadine Middleton had a secure — if difficult — job as an emergency dispatcher for the city of Philadelphia. “We were paid well,” she says, “but it was really stressful being cursed at every day. Normally you don’t call the police on good things.” In late 2003, James came home from work in the environmental department of a hospital and said he wanted to start a business. Nadine was skeptical because the couple had four children and a mortgage to worry about.
But James didn’t come up with the idea out of the blue. He wanted to start a cleaning company because he saw that good people were constantly being rejected by the hospital – especially because they didn’t speak English – and because he recognized a large pool of reliable workers he could hire. The Middletons soon became deeply immersed in the franchise cleaning industry.
They quickly went beyond the numbers. Nadine felt that of the companies they narrowed the search to, only one had a key feature. “I attended three different meetings and presentations,” she says. “At these other companies, it felt like I was hired for a manager’s job. Anago was a real company that I owned and ran.”
The couple later opened their Anago franchise in the Philadelphia area in 2004.
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A leap of faith
When they began operations, the first thing the Middletons did was tap into the labor pool that James had identified. “This business is based on opportunity, and these were good people and they wanted to work,” he says. The franchise, fueled by the work ethic of James and Nadine and their new workforce, took off.
The business did so well that within a year both of them quit their full-time jobs to focus on the franchise full-time, even though many told them not to take the risk.
“We simply took a leap of faith. The same people who told us not to do it are now asking us to work,” says Nadine.
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Franchise support
Although their story has a happy ending, the journey there is rarely easy. Like many entrepreneurs, the Middletons experienced ups and downs as they grew the business and dealt with economic downturns. One of the factors that helped during these difficult times was the support provided to Anago by both the company and the master franchisee of Anago of Greater Philadelphia. “I’ve seen other people fail because they didn’t have the support,” says Nadine, “and we have a great partner in Anago.”
Although they had accounts in Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, the Middletons primarily targeted a wealthy part of the Philadelphia area. “When we really started to grow, we focused on the mainline and tried to stay in that area,” says Nadine.
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Enjoy life
Now that they’ve grown the franchise into a seven-figure business, the Middletons, who are in their 60s, are starting to slow down, but that doesn’t mean their business has followed suit. “My 20-year-old grandchildren sometimes help,” says Nadine. “They have their own responsibilities, but are always there to help.”
They also taught their adult children the business. “If they want to run it one day, that’s their decision,” James says. The Middletons worked hard for two decades to achieve this decision. Now that the opportunity is there for their family, they are enjoying the next step.
“At the moment, James and I just want to enjoy our lives,” says Nadine. “Do some traveling, something like that.”
The Middletons also take comfort in the fact that while they continue to make money and live a comfortable life, they have also helped their community. “We took several people off welfare, which to me is a big deal,” James says. “To give them a chance to work.”
But what achievement are you most proud of? “Some of our former employees now own their own franchises,” says James.