Meet New York State Chem-Dry Franchise Owner Janice Carucci

Big-rig truck driver was on the hunt for a business she could build at home, and Chem-Dry provided all the answers she was looking for in her search

After 25 years in long-haul trucking, Janice Carucci wanted to try something different. She very much still wanted to be in business for herself and have the freedom that entailed. Getting off the road was a priority for her and her husband, she says, and a proven system also was on the menu. When she found Chem-Dry, she knew she’d tapped into a brand that would meet her needs.

How did you find out about Chem-Dry?

I wanted a second business, something my husband and I could start while we are phasing out of our current operation. I was doing some online searches for franchises and also looking for some specific entry-price points and kept coming across Chem-Dry. I began looking into it, made some calls to their team and everything got moving pretty quickly from there.

What were you doing before you launched your Chem-Dry floor cleaning franchise?

I am a trucker. We still own a truck and lease another one, as well as have two drivers working for us. Now we’re weaning ourselves out of trucking and working on getting the Chem-Dry franchise going.

What drew you to this brand?

We liked the affordability and were really pleased with the commitment to taking care of the environment. There are a lot of green products that we can use, and they are for the whole home. That’s great for people with allergies or who are ill and really vulnerable to harsh smells and chemicals. That sold me almost immediately.

I also really loved the original Hot Carbonating Extraction process. It blew my mind that you could do this much with water and not a ton of soaps! It’s funny – there are other carpet-cleaning franchises around me, and I didn’t know anything about them because they never reached out to me. I guess they are busy with their own clients, which is good for me because I know that I have carpets, and my neighbors have carpets, so there is a lot of opportunity!

Where are you based, and what’s your territory like?

We are in Baldwinsville, a village in Onondaga County in the central part of New York state. We opened in March of this year, and while we are one of several territories in the area for Chem-Dry, we have a lot of room and opportunity to grow.

What was your training like?

I actually got a jump on this before I went to Logan [Utah, home of Chem-Dry’s training facility], because I did the first Star Technician course online. I knew as a new franchise owner I would need to know how to run the business and had a lot to learn, but I really wanted to learn how to perform all the functions as well. There was a lot to learn! And then when I got to the physical training I wasn’t completely overwhelmed. 

How has the online advertising and marketing setup worked for you?

When you are new to an industry, and new to a business that is requiring you to find your own customers, it’s great to have that support! I like that everything was simple to understand, and easy for us to learn to navigate. That means we have time to get the business up and running, and also learn about how to market and develop our own customer pipeline.

You’re about six months in; is Chem-Dry franchise ownership turning out like you expected? 

Yes! I was afraid the phone wouldn’t stop ringing before I was really ready, which didn’t happen — but when it did, we were ready to go. We had time to acclimate ourselves, to fix the van up and be ready to go, before we were going out on jobs. 

I’m really glad I have done this. We have customers who have been with Chem-Dry for a long time, and they have been very happy to meet us and to let us work for them. I have a big territory that I have yet to fully take advantage of, and so I am really eager to see how much we can grow.

Chem-Dry is the world’s largest carpet and upholstery cleaning franchise with more than 3,000 franchises in over 55 countries, serving 11,000 homes and businesses a day. Chem-Dry has been Entrepreneur magazine’s top-rated carpet cleaning franchise for 31 straight years. The Chem-Dry Hot Carbonating Extraction process delivers a faster-drying, deeper and more environmentally friendly clean that appeals to home and business owners. In addition to carpet and area rugs, Chem-Dry provides cleaning and renewal services for tile and stone, granite countertops, leather and upholstery, air ducts and dryer vents.

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