IDS Client Spotlight: Image One

Commercial cleaning has emerged as one of the top franchise segments to look out for, and amongst the vast competition, Image One Facility Solutions made a name for themselves as an industry trailblazer. Co-founders Tim Conn and Mike Schuchman started the company in 2011, and their decades of industry experience have helped them develop innovative and tech-savvy cleaning services to enhance their clients’ properties.

At the very start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Tim and Image One responded swiftly and are now strategizing new and exciting ways to rejuvenate the Cleaning for Health conversation. Tim is passionate about the franchise experience and making sure his partners feel prepared for the road ahead is his top priority. For their franchisees and clients, Image One has proven time and time again that they are the top example of dependability.

We took some time to pick Tim’s brain about Image One’s recession-resistant model, franchising in an evolving economic climate, digital marketing, the growth of his brand, and so much more.  

A Standout Franchise Opportunity

IDS: How many franchisees is your brand partnered with?

Tim: We currently have 66 franchise owners. Most of them are in the Chicago area, but we have a couple in Florida, one in Ohio, Michigan, Colorado, and Texas.

IDS: What is it about Image One that stands out from any of the other commercial cleaning franchise opportunities in the industry?

Tim: It isn’t just how we stand out in the cleaning segment of franchising, but in all of franchising.  There were so many franchises that were affected negatively by the recent COVID-19 outbreaks.  While many were caught reacting, we were responding. We immediately took the initiative to order equipment that might be necessary for our franchise owners to continue operating and to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.  Everything from Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to Electrostatic Sprayers for disinfecting buildings. The cleaning franchise opportunity has always been seen as recession-resistant, but now we know how critical we really are. Cleaning is truly an essential business. Many of our franchisees are busier now than they have been ever before. They and their teams are part of the frontline in fighting the spread of this virus.

IDS: What do franchisees stand to gain from a partnership with Image One?

Tim: Franchise owners have the opportunity to grow a business to any level that they would like.  We have some franchisees that want to stay small and do some of the cleaning themselves, but most are growing to the point where they don’t clean on a daily basis -- they work on growing the business, not the day to day cleaning.  Image One offers them the opportunity to be in a field that is now more respected than ever before. People finally realize the importance of cleaning and we are seeing it as people are thanking the crews for all that they are doing.

IDS Connects Franchisors with Prospective Franchisees

IDS: Why is digital marketing important for Image One?

Tim: Digital Marketing is important to everybody. There are very few people these days who look at [the phone book], or other once traditional advertising. Having a digital footprint is essential to every business. Even if you use traditional salespeople and cold calling, you need to have the digital presence to show you are a legitimate business.

IDS: Where do most of your leads come from?

Tim: We get a combination of online leads that come through organic SEO, as well as pay-per-click campaigns, and 3rd party portals that direct leads to us as a result of their strong online platforms. 

IDS: What do you enjoy about the relationship you have with your franchisees and what do they appreciate most about the partnership?

Tim: I love being able to help them grow a business.  That is what is really exciting to me about being in this business. Somebody wants to go into business but they don’t really know what to do or how to do it, it’s all new to them, but then they buy a franchise, and if it’s the right team of people, they help that new business owner to achieve something that they probably couldn’t’ have done on their own.

IDS: What are you doing differently within the franchise sales process to adapt to candidates? How have you pivoted with marketing message and approach? 

Tim: We have definitely changed our course. We are beginning to reach out to candidates to let them know how important this industry is. People understand now more than ever the importance of Cleaning for Health, and we are promoting that to new candidates as well as to our existing clients and franchise owners.

We’re excited to see how Image One’s focus on Cleaning for Health continues to help them attract new franchisors to their brand. In our experience, this is just one of the many ways Image One has adapted to industry trends in order to offer the best possible support to customers and franchisees alike. As they continue to fine-tune their franchise offering, IDS will respond by providing them with digital marketing services that are designed to get the word out to the right prospective franchisees. 

Do you want to enhance your digital marketing strategy to target the best possible audience? We will help you grow! Contact IDS today for more information about our robust marketing services.