Women and Franchising: How the Commercial Cleaning Industry Opens Doors
Sponsored content by Corvus Janitorial Systems.
Before the pandemic, the number of female business owners was growing at an unprecedented rate, with an increase of 45% from 2007 to 2016 compared to a 9% increase among all businesses. That’s an impressive five-times the national average! However, it’s worth noting that as of 2022, only 31% of small businesses and franchises are owned and run by women.
The problem is that despite the ongoing shift in many industries towards female workforces, women still don’t have an equal chance when it comes to corporate leadership. The glass ceiling is still firmly in place in most companies, and the gender pay gap persists across all management levels.
Owning a janitorial services franchise, such as a Corvus Janitorial Systems franchise, offers a way out for women who are tired of dealing constantly with corporate America’s ongoing gender inequality problem.
The Future of Franchising is Female
According to the International Franchise Association, women owned just 8.5% of all franchises in 1995. Now, that number has grown to 31%, and there is no indication that it will plateau. There are currently more women looking for information about how to purchase a franchise than men, especially among the younger generations.
Create Your Own Opportunities
When women start working at corporate offices, they’re almost always told that there will be plenty of opportunities for advancement. While that may be true for lower and middle-management positions, CEOs and other higher-ups are still overwhelmingly male, and women are rarely offered the level of mentorship and help with advancement extended to their male colleagues.
As a result of these and other factors, men outnumber women at the CEO level by around 17:1. While it’s perfectly understandable to be upset about these statistics and laudable to put in the work to change them, it’s also undeniable that women with an entrepreneurial spirit will have a better chance of success creating their own opportunities by opening franchises.
Greater Freedom and Flexibility
Office jobs don’t tend to offer much flexibility. Even companies that have made the switch to offering remote work to some of their employees some of the time still place exacting demands on workers and expect them to build their lives around their jobs. This applies to men as well as women, but because women take on the bulk of unpaid household labor, they suffer more as a result.
Purchasing a franchise offers women an opportunity to take control of their careers and levels of work-life balance. Instead of building their lives around their jobs, franchise owners build their businesses around their lives. This level of flexibility will allow you to prioritize not just family but also yourself.
Support From Established Franchisors
While it’s true that women-owned businesses, in general, and franchises, in particular, are becoming more common every day, not every industry is keeping up with the changing times. In the janitorial industry, female entrepreneurs can find the support and acceptance they need from Corvus Janitorial. In fact, business owner guidance and mentorship is a core tenant of the Corvus franchise program and one reason our franchisees have enjoyed strong success and opportunities.
Contact Corvus Janitorial Systems
If you’re a female entrepreneur ready to embrace everything that janitorial franchises have to offer, don’t hesitate to reach out. You can fill out our quick and easy contact form online, or call us today, to schedule a meeting with a Corvus representative who can tell you everything you need to know about starting a woman-owned janitorial business with the help of the established Corvus Janitorial Systems brand.