In the News: Oxi Fresh Featured on SmallBizTrends.com!
Company Owner Shares Brand’s History, Struggles, and Successes Oxi Fresh started as a small carpet cleaning franchise. We had one location, two phones, and two products. Nowadays, we have over 375 locations spread across the United States and Canada. Our cleaning suite has expanded to cover everything from pet urine odors to ink stains to upholstery to tile to wood floors. We’re one of the fastest growing carpet cleaners out there! So, when SmallBizTrends.com reached out to Jonathan Barnett, the carpet cleaning franchise company’s founder, to ask about how Oxi Fresh got to where it is today, he was thrilled to share our story. “The history behind Oxi Fresh is an interesting one. In a very real way, it started with me selling fireworks. Back in college, a buddy and I had the idea to open a fireworks stand over our summer break – Johnny B’s, we called it. And it did well – so well that every summer until I graduated, we opened additional locations. Eventually, we were able to sell it. I always wanted to be an entrepreneur, but that experience really solidified that drive to own my own business.” From there, Mr. Barnett went on to open a carpet cleaning franchise company that specialized in low-moisture, fast-drying, green carpet cleanings. The company has grown rapidly and is becoming a household name. One of the reasons behind this growth is our commitment to a set of best practices that guide the company’s various programs. “Speed through systems, trust through transparency, ownership through scoring, and letting go to grow,” said Mr. Barnett, “These four ideas are fundamental to the success of the Oxi Fresh brand. Let’s take that first point – speed through system. I believe that it’s vital to create and implement systems and programs that automate work for both our franchisees and our corporate office.” Mr. Barnett went on to explain that these automated systems are designed to “handle the daily grind” and thereby enable franchisees to instead focus on developing their locations. Likewise, the automation assists Mr. Barnett’s corporate staff, freeing up their time so that they can spend it on providing better support and pursuing new programs “Without that philosophy,” said Mr. Barnett, “Oxi Fresh wouldn’t be where it is today.” In the interview, Mr. Barnett also discusses another major factor behind Oxi Fresh’s success – a willingness to take risks. As he explains it, companies that don’t take risks don’t survive for long. They may do well in the short-term, but a stagnant company will always be eaten up by another company that’s less risk-averse. Mr. Barnett then went on to cite an example of how taking risks benefited his brand: “Years ago, Oxi Fresh heavily relied on traditional marketing – as did almost every other carpet cleaner. . . . But the costs of these marketing methods were always going up, and at best the returns were stable. . . . Oxi Fresh took a risk, though, and began pursuing the world of online marketing hard. . . .” Now, Mr. Barnett admits that if this didn’t work out, it would have been bad for the brand. But Oxi Fresh doubled-down and made the most of this new strategy, and now they dominate the online marketplace with hundreds of thousands of reviews and a strong SEO presence. You can read the interview with Mr. Barnett by clicking here. To schedule a carpet cleaning with Oxi Fresh, click here. If you’re interested in opening your own carpet cleaning franchise location, click here. ]]>
