Teamwork works, even in troubled times.

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Name: Ron and Patricia Ramsey

Company: Furniture Medic

Number of Units: One

Locations: Cleveland Heights, Ohio

Years in Franchising: Since 2002

While the economy is threatening the survival of many small businesses,

things have been booming for Furniture Medic franchisees Ron and Patricia Ramsey of Cleveland Heights, Ohio. Serving the Cuyahoga County area for six years, this past winter has been good for business, even as the economy spiraled down. "The bad weather in winter actually helped our growth," Ron Ramsey says, "because of broken pipes and water damage." After water has been mitigated and mold treated, furniture and other items still may need repair and restoration. "We help people in a time of need," he added. With referrals flowing in from insurance providers such as MetLife and Farmers and local disaster-restoration companies, it is clear that collaboration, networking and referrals have been an important part of the success of the Ramseys' business. Work passed along by a Mentor, Ohio-based ServiceMaster Clean disaster-restoration franchise owned by Barbara Reinkoester has been helpful in keeping the opportunities coming. The ServiceMaster family of brands emphasizes collaboration so it is not hard to see why the Ramseys' business is thriving even in troubling times.

Just as the company's other franchise brands lift each other up through collaboration and sharing opportunities, the Ramseys have helped others in their community. Speaking regularly for civic, business and social events such as the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and the Urban League of Greater Cleveland, has helped educate others about opportunities to build businesses and become their own bosses. The Ramseys care deeply about sharing their advice with aspiring entrepreneurs. One never knows where a seed of inspiration is planted. After they shared some advice in a casual conversation with Cleveland Heights couple John and Amonica Davis during an Urban League of Greater Cleveland event on entrepreneurism, the Davises applied for and were granted a Shane Battier Franchise Scholarship, launched by ServiceMaster Clean, which granted the Davises a janitorial license worth more than $30,000, a laptop computer, $5,000 in start-up marketing funds and ongoing assistance throughout the first year of their business. Among the advice the Ramseys pass along to aspiring franchisees is to research the franchise system and its home office thoroughly, to investigate the state requirements, and to set up accounting and management systems before opening the doors.