THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, November 9, 1994 TAG: 9411080107
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 06 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LORI A. DENNEY, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 88 lines
WITH FIVE KIDS, Jim and Kathy Comstock weren't crazy about giving up steady incomes on a spur-of-the-moment business venture.
In fact, the couple took the idea of buying, owning and operating a business so seriously it took them 13 years of thought and research before they took the plunge. But in March they jumped in and bought the franchise rights to Merry Maids cleaning service in the Hampton Roads area.
Actually, the Indiana couple knew for a long time what franchise business they wanted to buy, there just wasn't a territory available for purchase that would allow the business to grow like they knew it could.
Kathy Comstock's sister, Chris, and her husband, Jim Gerkin, have owned a Merry Maid franchise in Richmond for six years. They have 50 employees with two locations.
The Comstocks said they knew the business could work. They saw how the Gerkins had made a go of it and they were impressed.
``They put a lot of work into it the first few years,'' said Jim Comstock, an Ohio native and licensed lawyer, who gave up his practice to go into the cleaning business. ``Now, they're able to be flexible with their time and that's important to us. With five kids, eventually, we hope we can spend more time with them.''
The two decided that Hampton Roads had the right mix of business possibility and lifestyle. Although, they had never been here, they decided to make the move when opportunity knocked.
Since the family settled in Kempsville in August, Kathy Comstock has worked part-time at the business, while her husband works full time, or vice versa, so that one of them is home with the children.
``Family is very important to us,'' said Kathy Comstock, 35. She has a degree in elementary education, but chose to stay home and raise their children - Heather, 12, Ashley, 10, Katie, 9, Meghan, 6, and Connor, 4.
Although they have no professional cleaning experience, with five children, the Comstocks have become pretty good at the job.
Merry Maids, is a full-service home cleaning business with more than 700 franchises nationwide. Uniformed employees work in teams of two and follow ``explicit procedures'' and ``computerized checklists'' to clean homes weekly, bi-weekly or for special occasions.
The average price to clean a two bedroom home bi-weekly, starts at about $50. Each ``maid'' hired must attend a weeklong classroom and on-the-job training program.
The training sessions are another benefit for the Comstocks. The trainees do a test cleaning of the family's own home.
The couple has roughly 18 maids, an office manager, a salaried quality assurance manager and a salaried training manager.
Their office is on Greenwich Road and their territory includes Norfolk, Portsmouth, Chesapeake, Suffolk and until another franchise opens, Newport News. The company is regularly hired to clean about 200 homes spread throughout the area.
They supply workers with cleaning products that have been designed and tested by the franchises' home office in Omaha, Neb.
One plus for the Comstocks when they bought the Hampton Roads rights to Merry Maids was that the three separate franchises (sold to them as a package) were already in business. That meant there were already supplies, a customer base and employees. The price was also less than buying a new franchise. ``It was easier on our pocketbooks, as far as cash flow goes, but it was also hard because we were just thrown into it,'' said Jim Comstock, who added that he grabs a rag and joins cleaning crews in emergency situations.
Investors can expect to pay between $25,000 and $30,000 for a small, new franchise.
The Comstocks routinely seek advice from their counterparts in Richmond and elsewhere. They know several other couples who have also bought franchise rights to Merry Maids.
As for Jim Comstock's career change, the plaque on his office wall given by friends says it all.
``The Ultimate Career Change,'' reads the plaque with a bronzed gavel attached to a bronzed toilet bowl brush. MEMO: To reach Merry Maids, call 473-8653.To reach Merry Maids, call
473-8653.
If you, or someone you know, makes an interesting living or has a
story to tell about their business, give us a call at 490-7211 and brag
a little.
ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by CHARLIE MEADS
Kathy and Jim Comstock, parents of five children, own the Merry
Maids franchise rights in Hampton Roads.
by CNB