This year, join us in celebrating International Women’s Day on Monday, March 8, 2021! This global, daylong celebration highlights the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating women's equality.
If you are a woman in franchising and interested in joining the International Franchise Association Women in Franchising Network, we encourage you to find out more.
We want to introduce you to just a handful of our fantastic women franchise owners. Read more about them and their stories below!
Capricia Turner, Mosquito Squad
Capricia Turner holds many roles other than just mom to her two children, she is a business owner, holds an MBA, and serves in the Army National Guard. She opened Mosquito Squad in 2013 and since then she has expanded to three locations and serves 1,100 customers with 14 staff.
Serving active duty with the National Guard and being a mom is a time commitment within itself, and by owning a seasonal business Capricia can fulfill these commitments as well as personal goals. She gets to spend time with her family while setting an example for her daughters by leading a woman-owned business. Along with supporting family, the seasonal business allows her flexibility to stay on active duty.
The structure of a franchise is a perfect fit for veterans. Capricia says that being in the military is being a part of a team, and the same goes for being a franchisee. The business is a great structural system that can look a mistakes and strengths to then improve the franchise in the future. Franchisors provide operations manuals that are an organizational lay out for owning a business.
Capricia Turner, Mosquito Squad Owner of Greater Indianapolis | Mosquito Squad Franchising
Cathy Wistam, The Cleaning Authority
Before owning her own business, Cathy Wistam was an English teacher in Taiwan and a Chinese teacher in America. Eventually she quit her job to take care of her young children. Now that her children are older, Cathy felt like it was a good time to start searching for a business opportunity.
Cathy got in touch with a franchise broker, and from there her journey began. She said that after extensive research she knew that The Cleaning Authority was perfect for her. Cathy was impressed that she had access to the software and data for the cleaning company. The cleaning business has tools and functionality that Cathy was unaware of, and that made it a big selling point.
Location is an important aspect of starting a business, and luckily for Cathy opening an office in Coppell, Texas was more than ideal. The Cleaning Authority already has seven to eight offices in Dallas-Fort Worth area, and people recognize and trust the name. Being close to this area gave her this advantage. From working as a teacher and then a stay-at-home Mom, Cathy is thrilled to go into business for herself.
Meet our Franchisee: Cathy Wistam (thecleaningauthority.com)
Margie Lannon, Homewatch CareGivers
Starting her career by working with troubled teenagers, Margie Lannon is now the owner of two Homewatch CareGivers locations. She provides care for not only the elderly and disabled, but also new mothers, children, surgery patients and many others who need assistance to stay in the comfort of their own homes.
Margie, like many, has a personal experience with providing quality of life care. She, along with her family members, aided to her father though 15 years of Alzheimer’s Care. This led to a strong desire to giveback to the elder community, and after research she discovered Homewatch CareGivers.
In 2009 Margie opened Homewatch CareGivers of Tucson/Green Valley. She expanded her business and bought another territory from an existing owner. Homewatch CareGivers of Green Valley allowed Margie to continue to provide professional in-home personal care and companionship services to more people. She is a perfect example of how owners can buy existing locations and succeed by following Homewatch CareGivers’ proven process.
Opening her locations has been more than just a business move for Margie, it has been a way to give people the assistance they need when they don’t know where to turn.
Franchisee Uses Experience and Dedication to Open Second Location (homewatchcaregivers.com)
