Article featured in Franchise Chatter

For homeowners, it’s important to prepare for all contingencies—including not only fire, flood and natural disaster, but also the sudden loss of family members. Whether a loved one dies due to natural causes or a shocking act of violence, homeowners need the right resources to ensure their home is properly cleaned up and decontaminated.

That’s what makes the services of Bio-One so essential. The crime scene cleanup and biohazard decontamination franchise has a simple and clear mission — “help first, business second”—and a philosophy that’s oriented around compassion and service. The technicians at Bio-One know that they’re coming alongside homeowners during a harrowing time, making it important to demonstrate not just competence, but care.

Danessa Itaya is the President of Bio-One, part of the Five Star Franchising platform, and a national leader in the crime scene and biohazard cleanup space. We talked with Danessa about the reasons why aspiring entrepreneurs may wish to join a franchise in this unique space.

Cleaning up after an unexpected death is important work, but it’s not for the faint of heart. In your experience, what drives a person to seek a franchise opportunity like this?

Bio-One franchisees will also work closely with the client to work with the insurance carrier, or offer third party financing options to secure payment. They make it as seamless as possible, often working directly with the necessary parties involved. When they arrive on the scene, their job is to convey empathy, care and professionalism—period. Compassion is critical to what our technicians do, making it an ideal business for anyone who wants to provide comfort during difficult times.

Finally, discretion is a must. We hear from homeowners in all kinds of situations, and it’s important that they know our service with them will be completely confidential and judgment-free.

Talk about the importance of partnership for Bio-One franchises.

Our franchises work closely with local authorities, victim advocate groups as well as insurance companies, united around the shared goal of helping families in their time of need.

Bio-One’s services aren’t all related to crime scenes and traumatic accidents. What else do local franchise owners provide to their communities?

Additional services include mold and mildew remediation, cleanup for sewage backups and more.

What makes Bio-one an appealing option for aspiring franchise owners — particularly those who have some background in this type of work?

Compared with more product-focused franchise opportunities, Bio-One offers a very low cost of entry. We also have centralized resources and support, providing an easy on-ramp for those who are new to entrepreneurship. Finally, our name recognition and established partnerships with insurers and law enforcement organizations help position new franchise owners to develop the connections they need for ongoing success.

What’s the top reason why you’d recommend Bio-One to an aspiring franchise owner?