Molly and Josh grew up on the west side of Cincinnati, Ohio and started dating in high school. Ever since they got married in 2014, they wanted to run a business together. Their backgrounds are diverse, but always rooted in customer service and taking care of others. Molly has deep roots in education, and Josh has extensive experience in facility services. They have four children under the age of 9 and two labradoodles. Together, they opened a Two Maids franchise in both Dent and Covington in 2025. They have 7 employees. When they’re not running their businesses, they’re busy running around the city watching their kids play sports!
What made you decide to look into purchasing a franchise?
We looked into purchasing a franchise because we wanted to own and grow a business of our own, while also benefiting from a proven model that reduced some of the uncertainty that comes with starting from scratch. We were drawn to franchising because it offered the opportunity to build long-term wealth for our family, create more control over our future, and invest our time and energy into something we could scale over time. The combination of entrepreneurship with established systems, brand support, and operational guidance made franchising an attractive path for us.
When researching franchises, what criteria mattered to you most? How did your franchise meet that criteria?
When researching franchises, the criteria that mattered the most were finding a business with a recurring revenue model, strong long-term stability, and a structure that allowed for a healthy work-life balance. We also wanted something that was operationally manageable- meaning if staffing challenges came up or there were gaps in day-to-day operations, we could confidently step in ourselves and keep the business moving without everything stopping.
Two Maids met these criteria because it offers a recurring service model, which creates consistency and predictability in revenue. The business also has clear systems and processes in place, making it easier to manage and scale, while still allowing flexibility for us as owners to stay involved. We were confident that Two Maids was a business we could grow while still maintaining balance for our family and future goals.
Financing can be an obstacle and/or intimidating factor for aspiring entrepreneurs. How did you find financing options to purchase your franchise?
Financing was definitely one of the more intimidating parts of the process because there are so many options, and we didn’t just have the cash lying around. To navigate, we leaned heavily on guidance from our amazing consultant at FranChoice, who helped us understand the financing landscape and connected us with resources specifically geared towards franchise buyers.
Through that, we were introduced to other franchise owners in the system who shared their financing routes and which banks they had worked with. We explored using a 401K ROBs, but ultimately decided to use an SBA loan. The process was really easy, especially when we could lean on other franchisees that had recently gone through the process.
Which of your prior skills and experiences do you use in operating your business today?
We both draw on different parts of our professional backgrounds in operating our business, and that has been part of our strength as business owners. Josh uses his background in facility services management when working with customers, coordinating schedules, managing business projects, and managing our employees. His background gives him a strong foundation in operations management, problem-solving, and handling the day-to-day demands that come with running a service-based business.
Molly uses her background in marketing and education to handle client communication, vendor relationships, and overall business messaging. Her experience has helped her build relationships, communicate clearly, and create systems that keep things organized and consistent. Together, we complement each other well, which allows us to approach the business from both an operational and relationship-focused perspective.
When doing your research, which questions did you ask the franchisees?
When speaking with franchisees from Two Maids, we focused heavily on understanding what the owner-operator model really looked like day-to-day. We didn’t really ask many questions about customer retention, sales, etc., because those things are so dependent upon the manager in place. We were more interested in what support the franchise offered, how the technologies and software supported franchisees, and any barriers to success these owners felt.
Which questions did you ask the franchisor?
Two Maids offered a lot of information up front, so we leaned heavily on the franchisees instead of the franchisor. We did ask questions about territory options, software improvements, and basic revenue data.
What were your first 90 days like as a franchisee?
Our first 90 days were busy, but also incredibly encouraging because we saw momentum early on. We opened at the end of April 2025, and within just three months, we had grown to four full-time employees and 77 clients, which gave us confidence that the business was gaining traction quickly.
Our main focus was taking care of our employees, because without a strong team, we could not provide the level of service we needed to maintain strong recurring clients. Those first 90 days were a lot of hands-on involvement, learning, and adjusting, but they also helped us establish the habits and systems that continue to support us today.
At what point did you feel like you “got the hang of it” and settled in as a business owner?
I think we started to feel like we had really gotten the hang of it once the initial pace of constant problem-solving slowed down and we could see the system starting to work consistently. About 6 months in, we started to understand the rhythm of the business, and it started to feel less reactive and more intentional.
How does the franchisor support and encourage your success?
There are a lot of resources available to us as franchisees. It is comforting to know that there are templates, marketing materials, and training resources available for any of the day-to-day tasks we would need.
What are you most proud of and why?
We are most proud of our ability to build strong momentum early while staying focused on the things that mattered most- our people and our clients.
What advice would you give to potential franchise owners?
Everyone should do their homework and talk to as many franchisees as they can about daily challenges, revenue outlooks, staffing, etc., but the real advice would be to understand your abilities and what you bring to the table. Franchising gives you a framework, but success still requires hard work and the ability to manage everything operationally. If you are looking at an owner-operator model, you should be prepared to know how to do it all, or at a minimum, have people to lean on for areas you aren’t as strong. If you are going to be semi-absentee, you need to find a strong manager who will be able to help you grow and manage.
More About the Two Maids Franchise Model and Opportunity
Two Maids is a cleaning franchise that offers a great work/life balance and requires no industry experience. Because they survey with us here at FBR and score high in Franchisee Satisfaction, they appear on a few of our lists, like our Top 200 Franchises of 2026.
They also share their entire Franchisee Satisfaction Report on our site; check it out.
Highlights include:
- 88% of franchisees agree that their fellow franchisees are supportive of the brand.
- 85% of franchisees agree that they enjoy operating their business.
- 85% of franchisees agree that their fellow franchisees are supportive of each other.
