V e t er ans in Fr anchising
cover story: OpenWorks
Facilities Management Franchise Offers Veterans a Blueprint for Success
With veterans in mind, OpenWorks tailors franchise opportunities for former military skillsets. After a career that has been established on the foundation of organization, structure, time management and teamwork, transitioning into the civilian workforce can be a challenge for many active-duty military members looking at life after serving. Finding a civilian job is one of the most significant obstacles veterans face when they leave the military. Around 77 per cent of veterans have struggled through
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unemployment and more than a quarter of them end up job-searching for more than a year, according to Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. Understanding the role hard work and discipline play in having a successful career, Jamoll LeDay, a veteran whose father served for 22 years in the U.S. Air Force and the proud dad of a son who recently enlisted, looked to take the skills he learned during his own career in the U.S. Army into the civilian world. With the same rigor and proficiency that he delivered in a military kitchen, he entered the world of food service and quickly rose through the ranks earning his stripes as an executive chef in some of Texas’ busiest kitchens.
Feeling there had to be a bigger way he could contribute to make life work better for others, a sentiment held by most veterans, LeDay started a janitorial cleaning business. Although he had built a roster of small commercial clients, he saw an opportunity to go bigger and threw himself into finding a partner that would support the entrepreneurial fire that motivated him; one that would help him to grow while providing essential front-office resources to keep him focused on bringing his “A” game to work every day. That partner was OpenWorks. “OpenWorks has been my blueprint for success, giving me the freedom of not having to do everything myself,” said LeDay. “As an entrepreneur, I can focus
