26-Year-Old Franchise Owner Launches Career While Finishing College Degree.

Jon-Ryan Woolson Likes Being His Own Boss at Coverall Cleaning Concepts in Houston

HOUSTON -- At 26, Jon-Ryan Woolson is still studying business administration at LeTourneau University in Longview, Texas, but he's already practicing what he's still learning to preach. He purchased a Coverall Cleaning Concepts franchise in the Houston suburb of Cypress in late 2006, employs five people and is preparing to hire more, and has accounts ranging from a country club to a Montessori school, a dentist's office and several general business offices. His rapid business growth is being fueled in part by Woolson's attention to detail.

Take the case of Willow Fork Country Club in Katy, an upscale Houston suburb where actress Renee Zellweger grew up. The club was dissatisfied with the service it was receiving and was preparing to switch to another provider. After just five months on the job, Woolson stepped up to the tee and hit a hole-in-one.

"I went to the club every morning and got to know the manager and what his expectations were," Woolson said. "I serviced the account myself until it was up to the standards that the manager wanted, and I found cleaning crews who could meet the club's scheduling challenges, including the need to come in at 1 or 2 am to clean after weddings or parties."

Woolson performed so well that the club renewed their account and agreed to increase their monthly fee. The manager also wrote a letter of recommendation that brought two more Houston-area country clubs into the Coverall Cleaning Concepts fold.

Woolson follows the same hands-on strategy with all of his clients. He personally works alongside his employees at new facilities for several months before turning responsibilities over to a crew, and he communicates frequently with clients to ensure that he understands what they're looking for. As a result, he receives top scores in every inspection.

Less than a year ago, Woolson was installing cameras and other security equipment for universities, businesses and government buildings. He had held the job for four years and was doing well, but his heart wasn't in it as a career. When a friend told him about the janitorial services industry, he started shopping around for a franchise opportunity and settled on Coverall Cleaning Concepts because of its size, reputation and franchise support system. He worked overtime at the security company to raise the money to buy a franchise, hit the ground running, and quickly found his calling.

"I always wanted to go into business for myself so that I could be in control of my own destiny. Here I have full power over the quality of the service, the relationship with the customer, and how smoothly and professionally the business runs from top to bottom," Woolson said. "I'm in the driver's seat, and I like it that way."

Coverall Cleaning Concepts' Franchise Owners provide cleaning services 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Service offerings include routine cleaning as well as a menu of specialized and premium services including hard floor care, carpet cleaning, window/blind cleaning, restroom sanitation, ceiling and wall cleaning, and fire/floor restoration.

About Coverall Cleaning Concepts

Founded in 1985, Coverall Cleaning Concepts is one of the world's leading commercial cleaning franchising companies with a worldwide network of more than 90 Support Centers and 9,000 Franchise Owners. The company currently services nearly 50,000 customers in over 90 metropolitan areas, including small and large office buildings, industrial complexes, banks, department stores, corporate headquarters, and a wide variety of other accounts. In addition to general janitorial services, Coverall Cleaning Concepts specializes in cleaning healthcare facilities, has built its healthcare practice to comprise nearly 20% of its customer base, and has developed a proprietary healthcare cleaning program designed to reduce cross-contamination and aid infection control. For more information, visit www.coverall.com