City Wide is Making a Comeback
Despite the fact that social distancing regulations closed the doors to some of City Wide’s contracted clients’ businesses, the company had back-to-back record months in March and April. CEO Jeff Oddo attributes the growth to the strength of the model. “We manage more than 20 services, so we can diversify. While some services have slowed temporarily, disinfecting services suddenly are at an all-time high. We are not just providing cleaning solutions; we provide solutions for sanitizing and disinfecting as well,” he says.
Franchise Sales
Not only is business in demand, but so are franchise sales. “Once people know about our brand and model, they are sold,” Oddo says. Having just implemented their first-ever virtual discovery days and training sessions, Oddo says the company hasn’t missed a beat. “While it’s always special to have franchisees fly to out to our Kansas City offices for face-to-face training, the digital format works well, too.”
In business since 1961, City Wide was started by Oddo’s father, Frank, as a janitorial service to commercial clients. In 1996, Jeff joined the company and took it to the next level. By increasing the number of services and implementing the use of independent contractors, Oddo turned City Wide into a sales organization rather than a single-service business.
Franchising since 2001, Oddo’s vision is to share his winning formula with growth-minded individuals who have a business acumen and a strong sales background. “I have been blessed with something truly special and I want to share my success with others,” Oddo says.
A SUPER FRANCHISE
Super for Customers
Jeff Oddo calls his company a super franchise for good reason—it is super. Instead of relying on just one service, City Wide manages more than 20 indoor and outdoor services to its commercial customers. Here’s just a sampling:
• Janitorial and Cleaning
• Disinfecting
• Window Washing
• Flood Restoration
• Handyman Services
• Tenant Improvement
• Commercial Event Services
• Snow Removal
• Parking Lot Maintenance
How can a single company be skilled in so many areas? The short answer is, it’s not. By contracting out each service, City Wide is able to be a one-stop facilities solution, providing essential services for commercial building managers.
Super for Franchisees
Franchisees are able to offer multiple services without having any of the overhead. Even though they manage window washing and painting services, they have no trucks, buckets or paintbrushes to worry about. With low overhead and high margins, the income potential is huge. In fact, franchisees can earn five million in revenue with a staff of under ten people. “This is a true sales organization. Franchisees can diversify with more than 20 ways to make money,” Oddo says.