Enterprenuer
Neel Parekh founds Mathis. It is one of the most highly rated national cleaning franchises.
Mathis provides hassle-free house cleaning for individuals and vacation rental hosts (Airbnb or VRBO).
Mathis is often called the “franchise for millennials” due to its utterly remote model and modern spin on an age-old cleaning industry.
Neel, a renowned business expert, mentors entrepreneurs on the dos and don’ts in managing a business, tips for franchise owners, and how to become a digital nomad.
For five years, Neel traveled for a remote team while building his business to millions of dollars.
He is now on a mission to help others do the same.
What is the story of MaidThis?
When I was in corporate, my goal was to create a side business and quit my job.
I desired to work remotely and wanted to be a digital nomad.
So I concentrated on the traditional remote business model.
It included dropshipping, creating an eCommerce website, and blogging about pet hair vacuums.
None of this was successful. One day, I came across a Reddit post by someone who had started a cleaning business.
This inspired me to start MaidThis!
Our top selling point is our unique US-based vacation rental cleaning franchisor.
Mathis, a top-rated franchise for national cleaning, offers hassle-free cleaning for both individuals and vacation rental hosts (Airbnb or VRBO).
Mathis is often called “the franchise for millennials” due to its utterly remote model and modern spin on an age-old cleaning industry.
Mathis is an excellent opportunity to franchise your business.
It is very low-cost, highly lean, and completely remote.
This allows you to work anywhere you want and hopefully helps you escape the rat race.
Mathis is an innovative cleaning franchise that uses technology to provide seamless customer service.
Other cleaning franchises are pretty old-fashioned.
Our proven business model allows franchisees to start their own local business from anywhere in the world and have financial/location freedom.
The best part is that franchisees can open this franchise as a side-hustle, then quit their jobs to manage it full-time.
This means that there is less risk.
The in-demand and fast-paced market for vacation rentals is experiencing explosive growth, thanks to Airbnb(r) and other short-term rental websites.
Franchisees can follow our proven business model to tackle the rapidly growing short-term rental market.
How do you stay productive?
My day begins the night before, and I plan my day to the hour.
This little trick has made my life 10x more manageable and I have never been a great planner.
Every day I ask myself: “What is the most important thing I can do for my business to achieve its goals?” That task is then my priority in the morning.
I’m just getting ready for the day. My day begins at 7:30 am.
My day is blocked until noon, so I have no meetings afternoon (as best I can).
The morning time block is where significant steps are made.
I focus on my business and complete the most critical tasks.
These tasks could include writing articles, recording podcasts, or researching… whatever I feel will have the most significant impact on my business.
Our franchisees receive coaching and meetings in the afternoon.
How do you bring ideas to life?
It is vital to carefully prioritize and plan all ideas to determine what will move the needle.
I have a Google Doc called “Plans,” I list all my growth plans.
When I decide to put a new idea into action, I list the steps required to become a reality and include the dates I must complete each step.
Each action item is added to my daily schedule after reviewing the “Plans” weekly.
It doesn’t matter how important; I will dedicate the first half of my day to accomplishing that task.
What’s your favorite trend?
It relates to my business. The trend towards remote working in a post COVID world is enormous.
This is something MaidThis has been doing since 2013 when we launched our MaidThis Franchise program.
People will realize that they don’t have to be located in a particular area to run their businesses.
This is MaidThis’s ethos and why it was founded in the first instance.
It is what franchise owners strive to achieve.
For me, the entire cryptocurrency and decentralized finance movement are fascinating.
I look forward to seeing how it evolves.
What habits make you productive?
The one habit that keeps me productive over the years is asking myself: “What is the most important thing I can do this week to make my business grow?” Then I write it down every day and take action.
This allows me to define a productive day and helps me focus on the most essential items on my list.
What’s your advice for the Noob?
My younger self would be wise to be more assertive initially and take more significant risks during my youth.
I remember a quote that stuck with me: “Success loves Speed” — when things are going well, add some lighter fluid to make it go faster.
While moving more quickly may not always be the best option, you will generally get more out of doing than waiting.
What is one thing we can all agree on?
Pizza with pineapple on it is an abomination that should be banned.
What do you recommend as an entrepreneur?
Although this is something that many entrepreneurs do already, I will say it anyway: Read books.
It is possible to learn what someone has spent their whole life learning quickly, and it can help you grow so much quicker.
Many of the “a-ha!” moments in life are due to reading a book.
Reading a book is a great way to have ‘a-ha!’ moments in your life.
Reading books helps me understand things better and gives me more direction in my life.
What’s your rich strategy?
Our internal team is divided across seven countries to manage a local U.S. business.
We have grown because we learned how to manage a remote team and find the best talent around the globe rapidly.
So that MaidThis franchisees can also have a remote operation, we teach them the same.
How do you overcome Failure?
There is only one! How do I begin…
Many failures and successes have been, but I am a seasoned entrepreneur.
One thing that sticks out is how I dealt with conflict with my team members early on.
I avoided conflict, which created a hostile culture and many problems internally.
Problems, especially those with people, are not going away by themselves.
The leader’s job is to manage these complex situations and maintain the culture.
Now, I embrace the discomfort and try to address personnel issues head-on.
Can you share a business idea?
It’s 2021, and people STILL stand on scaffolding tens to the sky washing windows. …. Why not have drone window washing?
Local marketing and technology can help you dominate a niche market.
Mathis was founded to provide residential cleaning.
Many people get excited about new techs, such as drones, but lose interest once the technology significantly impacts the real world.
Five years ago, tech was still a lot of potentials.
I think that’s the case for drones for commercial purposes.
This would require you to research permitting in your city and to then pre-sell window cleanings (many property managers sign yearly contracts).
After signing up, your client will not need to contact you again.
Window cleaning is taken off your clients’ plates for a fraction of the cost of hiring a person to do it.
What’s your recent best buy?
Roost laptop stands It folds down very small and can mount your computer.
I frequently travel and often work from coffee shops and coworking spaces.
It’s great to have a portable, lightweight, ergonomic, and easy-to-pack workspace.
It will cost you around $40. You’ll also need a slim external mouse and laptop. It’s worth it!
What are your favorite Softwares or Apps?
Asana is a place I use to store my thoughts about things I would like to see in the future.
It’s a beautiful place to store my thoughts and other someday items’.
Which book would you recommend?
The One Thing by Gary Keller was a book that impacted me.
This is because not all tasks are equally important.
Focusing on one thing that can have the most significant impact on your goals will yield huge returns.
David Allen’s book Getting Things Done was another great resource. I’m not naturally organized.
I found Getting Things Done to be the productivity book that helped build my productivity system.
I can now prioritize my time and accomplish more essential things in a shorter time.
What’s your favorite quote?
My favorite quote is:
“Well, what do you need to do now?” My Dad.
He says, “Well, what can I do now?” whenever a problem or situation arises in his life.
He says, “Well, what can you do now?” and goes about his day without pause.
What can you do about the current situation? Don’t worry about it.
It is the equivalent to ‘no use crying about spilled milk.’ Let it go and get on with your day.
This keeps me more present and less stressed in my business ventures.
TL;DR by Neel Parekh
- Remote work is a growing trend in post-COVID environments.
- People will realize that they don’t have to be located in a particular area to run their businesses.
- You can often be the leader in a niche market by using current technology and marketing.
- Take more chances in your younger years and be more aggressive in the beginning.
- Read books!
