Art Institute Dean Leaves to Open Chem-Dry Carpet Cleaning Franchise

Ted Jastremski spends time with his family while growing his carpet cleaning franchise in Lutz, FL.

Ted Jastremiski, who started out as a computer animation artist, enjoys a tea party with his children and his Chem-Dry XTS carpet cleaning machine.* (*Butterfly wings and colorful snakes not normally included.)

Why would the academic dean of an art institute quit that job to become a carpet cleaner? Ted Jastremski was ready to fully embrace life as a family man, and after years of working 12-hour days for the Art Institute of Tampa, he wanted to do something else to support his family.

?I decided if I?m going to work this much, I want to be making money for myself and have control of my own schedule,? he says. ?Now I know every dollar I make goes into my family?s bank account, and my success is determined by what I do.?

That was important for Ted, who lives in Lutz with his wife Arlene and their children ? two 6-year-olds, two 2-year-olds and a 1-year-old. Ted and Arlene are foster parents who have been blessed to be able to adopt several children, and being parents is a huge source of joy. Having the flexibility to spend time with his children was a huge motivator for Ted as he searched for businesses.

His Eureka moment came in a Home Depot.

?I saw a can of World Famous Spot Cleaner, and I realized that I had seen Chem-Dry around town, and when I looked at them and found they were a franchise, I decided to see what they could do,? he said. ?I called and asked them to come do our carpets, and we were so impressed. When the Chem-Dry guy came in, we just watched him erase all the traffic lanes in our carpet. We?ve never seen those go away before. That?s what sold the business to my wife ? seeing how superior it was. You know, it was hard to convince her to go from being the dean?s wife to the carpet cleaner?s wife, but that did it.?

Ted started his Chem-Dry carpet cleaning franchise in March 2013, and he loves the fact that Chem-Dry allows him to spend time with his wife and kids. Three of the kids are still in diapers; he currently has a crib in his home office.

?Being able to take the kids to school in the morning and put them to bed at night ? that?s stuff I couldn?t do before that I can do now,? he says. ?And we?ve been getting more and more clients and revenue every month. Today I had a residential job for a customer who had two cats that had left stains on the carpet, and I cleaned three rooms, a hallway, a couch, two chairs, and used two gallons of our pet urine removal treatment on top of that, and even after a 15% discount, it was a very profitable job. It?s 3, and I?m home with my kids, and I made more money in today than I did working as a dean!?

Ready to learn more about opening a Chem-Dry carpet cleaning franchise?

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