Maid Brigade Launches Franchise Giveaway for Veterans

Military veterans and franchising are a natural fit. By learning to take charge and lead a team, yet also follow a structure and a system, veterans gain the perfect training for working within the franchise arena. Recognizing this, and fittingly on July 4, residential cleaning franchise Maid Brigade is launching the Maid Brigade Veterans Franchise Giveaway, which offers veterans a chance to win a Maid Brigade franchise or a discounted price on a franchise.

Maid Brigade is waiving its $14,500 franchise fee for up to 100 winners. One grand-prize winner gets a Maid Brigade franchise at absolutely no cost (a $45,000 value). And second- and third-place winners will receive ownership packages valued at $27,500 and $17,500 respectively. The contest will ultimately give more than $1.5 million worth of business ownership opportunities to some 100 veterans.

To apply, visit www.maidbrigadegiveaway.com, where you can fill out a form and submit a short essay on how your military experience would help you succeed as a Maid Brigade franchisee. Applications must be received by September 30, 2009; contest winners will be announced on Veterans’ Day, November 11, 2009. Winners will be judged by a panel of both active-duty military and veterans as well as Maid Brigade Chairman and Founder Don Hay.

Currently, 10 percent of Maid Brigade owners are veterans. And Maid Brigade isn’t the only franchisor to recognize how well suited veterans are for the world of franchising. The IFA’s VetFran program, a cooperative effort among the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the Veterans Corporation and the U.S. Small Business Administration, now has more than 200 participating member franchise companies that provide special financial incentives to help qualified veterans get started in franchise ownership.

Recently, a new bill, the Help Veterans Own Franchises Act (HR 2672), was introduced in the House of Representatives to encourage other franchisors to offer discounts for veterans. Only time will tell how this bill will fare, but in my opinion, any incentive that helps more people start businesses can only be a good thing—both for the individuals involved and for our country. And that’s something worth celebrating.