For this month’s “She Owns It” series, we are profiling Laura Spaulding-Koppel, the founder and President of Spaulding Decon. Spaulding Decon is a fast growing franchise providing crime scene and meth lab cleanup to homeowners. Hoarding and mold remediation is another significant part of their business. Franchisees can enjoy multiple revenue streams by providing restoration and repair services as well as offering cash on the spot for troubled properties requiring extensive cleanup and repair. This is her unusual story:
Tell me about your background:
I was in law enforcement for 7 years. I became disenchanted with the low pay, terrible hours, and lack of opportunity. I got my MBA at night and started this company where I saw a need.What motivated you to start franchising this business?
In 2008 when the recession hit we doubled our sales. Many houses were in foreclosure and I started to get nationwide contracts to decontaminate these homes. I was using sub contractors and the quality started to decline. My business lawyer told me I should franchise after hearing about the problems I was having.What’s been the biggest surprise in owning your own business?
Owning a business is extremely expensive and most people don’t understand that. A simple telephone line is double what a consumer would pay.What (if anything) would you have done differently now that you know what you know?
I would have sought out capital early on so I could grow much faster than I have. Access to capital would have alleviated many problems we had in the growth phase.What’s the best thing about owning a Spaulding Decon business?
Every day we get to make a difference in someone’s life – and make the worst day of their life a little better.What’s next for you?
We are awarding 20 territories per year to individuals who want to make a difference in their community. We are teaching, coaching and consulting these owners so they can be as successful as I have.
