5 minute read
OpenWorks
miliTary veTeran is cleaning Up as BUsiness oWner
People are counting on Ian Tenido, and he’s determined not to let them down.
Fortunately, this 32-year-old entrepreneur from Barrington, New Jersey, has more than just the business savvy and training necessary to run a successful commercial cleaning business. The practical skills he acquired during his service in the U.S. Army helped prepare him to meet his customers’ needs each and every day.
Tenido immigrated to the United States from the Philippines as a teen, about 15 years ago. Even back then, he had big aspirations and dreamed of one day operating a major franchise business.
However, like many young adults, the path from high school to entrepreneurship wasn’t clear – until a recruiter opened his eyes to the educational resources military service can provide. In 2012, he left for basic training and began taking advantage of what he describes as “a world of opportunities and skills.” While in the Army, he attended American Military University online and completed a bachelor’s degree in environmental science while he was still actively serving.
Adding to his formal education, Tenido gained skills that are serving him unexpectedly well as an entrepreneur. While deployed in Afghanistan, he was a military mechanic and truck driver. He learned his way around the inner workings of auto engines – gaining the knowledge necessary to confidently maintain his own fleet of vehicles.
In the cleaning business, Tenido says his success hinges on two keys: showing up and providing a quality service. Because he confidently navigates his way under the hood, car trouble will never prevent him from making an appointment. And as his business grows and he adds staff, they’ll be able to rely on his expertise, too.
from grad student to business owner
Owning a cleaning business wasn’t necessarily on Tenido’s radar when he left the service. While he completed his graduate degrees – one in business administration and another in natural resources – he began working at a nursing home to supplement his income.
By 2020, he had completed degree requirements and was ready to make his business aspirations a reality. He began searching business opportunities online and one quickly rose to the top: OpenWorks. The national franchise provides services include cleaning and disinfection, landscape management, HVAC maintenance, pest control and other custodial services via a network of local franchisees that spans from coast to coast. Recognizing the parallels to his experience maintaining strict environmental standards at the nursing home and training in environmental science, Tenido was attracted to OpenWorks from the start. Even more compelling are the resources the company provides to new franchisees, including an affordable point of entry that makes it more possible to get started generating income right away.
Within a week, a kernel of an idea grew into a reality. Tenido was engaged with OpenWorks and eagerly awaiting a shipment of cleaning equipment and supplies necessary to start his business. It’s all part of the onboarding process that makes it possible for franchise owners to immediately get to work.
In the meantime, he was able to begin reaching out and scheduling appointments, thanks to a list of leads and potential customers provided by the company. New franchisees have access to a client portfolio from the start, thanks to a nationwide customer sales team that does the hard work of lead collection so franchise owners can focus on other areas of the business.
For this ambitious young graduate, it was like having a road map for success laid out in front of him.
“It was really something I could do by myself from the beginning,” Tenido said. “The business strategy and plans really work.”
He credits his OpenWorks regional manager with much his early success; her ongoing encouragement and feedback helped ensure he was doing everything necessary to keep the business running smoothly. For example, she taught him to be proactive in identifying problems and introducing solutions.
Classes and training modules also allowed Tenido to fully immerse himself in OpenWorks and get to know the nature of the business. “It takes more than cleaning experience,” he explained. “You have to understand the differences in certain settings and the cleaning requirements of those facilities.”
As part of his rapid ramp up, Tenido took classes that introduced him to cutting edge technology, explained principals of business management and explored best practices from successful franchisees who share his ambitious outlook.
Growth on the horizon
Today, Tenido provides cleaning services for a daycare, as well as two dialysis clinics and four sleep centers, where patients undergo studies for various sleep disorders.
The health-oriented nature of many of his clients means Tenido’s service has to be exceptionally diligent and thorough. The facilities must be disinfected, not just cleaned, using specific hospital-grade chemicals that require special training and handling. Monthly inspections ensure precise sanitary standards are met on an ongoing basis.
Tenido is looking forward to taking on a more managerial role and putting the leadership skills he gained in the military to practical use.
Looking ahead, he has his eye set on larger accounts, which would propel him from a one-man show into a larger team with additional associates on board. Currently, he works most days, although he does have a handful of reliable workers on standby for vacation days or when conflicts arise.
While the franchise is currently his primary income stream, he envisions a day when his cleaning business is actually secondary and he’s able to explore other career aspirations. After all, cleaning services are often provided after traditional working hours, which leaves his days open and flexible.
What’s more, the cleaning industry is recession-proof, and in the aftermath of COVID, demand for more frequent, more thorough cleaning and disinfecting services in public places continues to grow. For now, though, Tenido is committed to meeting and exceeding his clients’ expectations by ensuring their business continues without interruption. That means delivering an exceptional quality of cleaning and disinfecting service each day, so the clinics and sleep centers can open to a new set of patients each morning.
It may not be how he envisioned using his skills as a military mechanic, but that know-how comes in exceptionally handy. “It’s a business that requires driving a lot of miles every day,” Tenido said. Confidence driving and vehicle maintenance are all part of delivering the exceptional service that makes him invaluable to his customers.
