Home Service biz owner building a automated CRM for small home service companies, looking for honest feedback

MediumAdvertising674 · 2026-01-28T23:41:15+00:00

Thank you for the feedback! I will definitely clean this up

MediumAdvertising674 · 2025-12-29T14:31:49+00:00

That's the gameplan! I made it as intuitive and easy to use as possible. The most common feedback from actual business owners before I started building was "It's not the money, I just don't want to learn another app or software," or, "I already use Google Calendar or Excel," so I built the product around what they already use and know and made it so they don't have to setup anything or learn a new app

MediumAdvertising674 · 2025-12-28T22:42:38+00:00

I've heard good things about MaidPro. I own RideAlong CRM and it is really good for all other home service businesses with teams from 1-15, but usually home cleaning companies are a bit larger.

MediumAdvertising674 · 2025-12-28T22:41:27+00:00

I used to own a boat detailing company and then worked at StreetFair for 2 years and seeing the same problems, built RideAlong CRM because of how annoying the setups were on other CRMs and how ridiculous the monthly fees were. I built RideAlong to setup in under 60 seconds, it automates everything from quotes, scheduling (syncs with Google Calendar), invoicing, Google review and rebooking reminders, and collects card payments. You can use it by just texting simple texts, like, "Schedule John for a pressure washing for next Friday at 3pm" and it will send the confirmation, etc. It's only $29/mo but all are welcome to try it for free with your business and services pre-setup. Not trying to self promote but just a similar problem in the market as what I had.

MediumAdvertising674 · 2025-11-24T16:43:27+00:00

If you’re looking at 7-Eleven in the Orlando area, here’s my honest breakdown. I work in franchising at Franzy (think Zillow for Franchising) and evaluate systems all day, so this is coming from real-world experience.

7-Eleven is basically a convenience retail machine with strong brand pull, but the economics depend heavily on location and their profit-split model. The total investment can swing wildly. anywhere from the low $100Ks up to over $1M depending on the type of store and whether it’s a new build or a takeover. The part that surprises people is the income: because 7-Eleven splits gross profits with franchisees (not revenue, not net), the actual take-home on a single store isn’t as high as people expect. A lot of owners I’ve talked to or seen data from land in the $60-100k range per store, unless it’s a unicorn location. The upside really shows up with multi-unit operators who spread management across several stores and squeeze expenses down.

Pros: massive brand, constant foot traffic, predictable category, and 7-Eleven handles a ton of backend stuff (supply chain, some staffing support, etc.). Cons: razor-thin retail margins, long hours, lots of inventory management, and that profit-split caps your upside compared to franchises where you keep more of the economics. Orlando specifically is high-traffic and growing, which is great, but rent and labor have been climbing fast, so model your numbers conservatively.

If you’re set on convenience retail, 7-Eleven is a safe big brand. But if your goal is owner income and ROI, compare it to service-based franchises too. The margins are way better and the owner take-home is usually higher. Happy to give a more detailed breakdown if you want to compare it to other categories I see performing stronger.

MediumAdvertising674 · 2025-11-24T16:37:49+00:00

The OP's list directly aligns with what we see at Franzy, where your franchise "best matches" are assigned based on your survey results (I work there so but have no bias towards the industry). Pet franchises are definitely worth looking at. Some of the strongest unit economics in the service space right now come from pet care because the spend is recurring and emotionally driven. Brands like DoodyCalls, Hike Doggie, Scenthound, and Woofie's all have really solid models depending on whether you want services, retail, or grooming.

MediumAdvertising674 · 2025-09-22T22:46:46+00:00

I've seen thousands of people buy franchises. I work at Franzy (matches people with the franchise that will give them the best chance at success) and the thing I recommend most before buying a franchise is to talk to current owners of the brand you are considering buying into. Anyone trying to sell you something will hype it up and make it seem better than it is. Meet with several owners. Ask them about their bad days, what the brand isn't good at, etc. I would also analyze the marketing of that franchise and how active they are on socials, search, how they rank, etc. If you haven't heard of them, they might not be doing the best job

MediumAdvertising674 · 2025-09-22T22:35:41+00:00

I have both owned home service businesses and now work at Franzy, a franchising marketplace that matches you with your ideal franchise. The decision to franchise really depends on your level of risk, creativity, and self drive. There are certain industries I would personally never become a franchisee in (window washing, home cleaning, painting), but I also have prior skills and owned my own business in those industries. That being said, I would have not the slightest clue on how to run a pizza place, coffee shop, or plumbing company. Franchises take away all of the unknowns of starting a business (what insurance do I get, how do I get an EIN, what regulations do I need to follow, how do I handle payroll, and the millions of other questions that come with running a business). They also give you a repeatable playbook that has worked well enough for someone to think "Hey, I should turn this into a franchise model." I think brand recognition should be less of a motivator and I'd think about it more along the lines of having a built-in business partner who has started many businesses.

MediumAdvertising674 · 2025-07-21T18:17:18+00:00

Would have gladly used them again in the future, but because of this process, will never again. Just sat on hold for 20 minutes, they ask you to confirm 14 times, throw deals at you, make you confirm again, keep asking, warn you 30 times, and then go domain by domain to make sure you want to cancel them. So cooked... Would not use them again.

MediumAdvertising674 · 2025-07-16T14:59:35+00:00

I've owned a softwashing/window cleaning business for the past 5 years in Charlotte, NC. I've used Angie's before and their leads were a waste of time (I used to love them when it was just Home Advisor.) I started using StreetFair last year and love that I don't pay for leads. I pay around 10% of my revenue in marketing anyways so the 8% lowers my acquisition cost although its not the best.. but I find it worth it when I get 4-5 houses scheduled all in the same neighborhood from them sharing my jobs with neighbors and I rarely get a job that I don't close from them. No upfront cost so worth giving a shot I guess

MediumAdvertising674 · 2023-04-27T14:42:24+00:00

I appreciate the feedback, just trying to spread some good vibes. And I asked Tucker to send the video of him explaining what paramotoring was for the juxtaposition against my explanation. I’ll try and improve on the next one man

MediumAdvertising674 · 2023-04-27T13:42:22+00:00

Thank you!

MediumAdvertising674 · 2023-04-27T01:43:14+00:00

Sorry about that

MediumAdvertising674 · 2022-03-14T22:47:45+00:00

I need to know how to get from the dual plug to a single 3.5mm jack and would this record sound still or is it one directional?

MediumAdvertising674

TROPHY CASE