Guest article featured in Cleaning & Restoration Magazine.
Millions of Americans are affected by hoarding. Experts estimate that 3-5 million people exhibit hoarding behavior, but the true impact of the disorder is much greater.
When a person displays moderate to severe symptoms of hoarding, their behavior touches many other people, including friends and family, caretakers, neighbors, employers, emergency and safety workers, health care providers and service professionals such as plumbers, electricians and delivery service employees.
Hoarding is a community-wide issue. Addressing such a complex and deeply emotional matter requires skill, experience and training as well as empathy, discretion and a commitment to the well-being of people in distress.
Opportunities for Entrepreneurs
Increasing rates of hoarding behavior and rising public awareness present an opportunity for entrepreneurs to positively impact their communities in a number of ways.
A proven biohazard cleanup franchise allows business owners to deliver much-needed compassionate, empathetic services to those affected by hoarding. Biohazard, trauma and crime scene cleaning franchises that specialize in hoarding cleanup offer streamlined access to the industry for people from a variety of backgrounds and professional experiences. The repeatable systems and processes of a franchise platform simplify opening and operations, empowering franchise owners to focus on service and connecting with customers.
By sharing resources for operations and streamlining training, marketing, accounting, human resources, compliance and other essential management and administrative tasks, biohazard, trauma and hoarding cleanup franchise owners have an advantage over independent small businesses. The training and technology available allow them to elevate their team’s performance and deliver the highest-quality cleanup services.
The built-in efficiency of the franchise model also empowers owners to grow and scale their business quickly. By maximizing their market presence and service area, they can help more people without sacrificing quality. Enhancing their presence in their market also helps educate the public about hoarding and its impact, challenging the stigma and shame that too many people affected by the disorder experience.
Growing the business and raising awareness, in turn, position trauma, crime and hoarding cleanup franchise owners to provide satisfying, meaningful careers for their team. Empowering technicians and other staff members to serve their neighbors through a challenging process and contribute to their healing allows them to play a valued role in the community. They – and your company – can become irreplaceable.
It’s essential for hoarding and biohazard cleanup franchises and franchise owners to build a culture that values empathy and discretion as well as expertise and skill. Equipping teams to demonstrate empathy and compassion in the field, on every single job, establishes your business as a leader and widens opportunities to make a difference in your community.
Those values can’t just be turned on when team members arrive on the job site, however. It’s necessary to instill those crucial values into your company through culture and training to ensure that your team delivers the care and expertise that help customers get through trying times.
Why Franchising is the Ideal Model for Hoarding Cleanup
The efficiency of franchising makes it an ideal model for sensitive services such as hoarding cleanup. The people affected by hoarding look to you for expertise, skill and compassion. That can be a hard balance to achieve if you and your team are weighed down with administrative responsibilities. When a franchise system helps with operations and other business tasks, you and your team have the freedom to authentically connect with customers during their time of crisis.
As homeowners increasingly recognize the full range of cleaning services available, companies that can most effectively meet their needs can position themselves to meet rising demand and set themselves as leaders in their market. Providing comprehensive service based on compassion and empathy is good for customers and communities – and good for business.
Danessa Itaya
Danessa Itaya is president of Bio-One®, the most trusted crime and trauma scene cleaning franchise in the United States and part of the Five Star Franchising platform of brands. Itaya has more than 30 years of experience in the franchise industry, including 10 years of national and international leadership experience. She serves on the Women in Franchising Committee of the International Franchise Association and was named one of Entrepreneur’s Top Influential Women in Franchising in 2022.