1.
In ThisIssueFinding GoodEmployeesFranchisee Profile:Total CleaningSolutions,AZSmall BusinessTax TipsFranchiseeBusiness MeetingSchedulesTraining CalendarFranchise ReferralProgramT H E F R A N C H I S E E S ’ N E W S L E T T E R F R O M O P E N W O R K S ®A P R I L 2 0 1 3Hard-working employeescan be hard to find.For a cleaning business,you need able-bodied employeeswho are able to follow directions closely. If you plan on sending employees to clean properties without supervision, youshould check into their background to ensure they are trustworthy. Advertising for help in the right places increases yourchances of finding the right employees for your cleaning business. If you do not require your employees have a collegedegree,you will have access to more of the available workforce.peningDoorsREFERRALS1. The best way to find good employees is through re-ferrals. Ask your current crew if they have friends that mightbe interested and qualified. Ask your family members andfriends and members of networking groups that you maybe associated with.ADVERTISE2. Advertise the position in the local paper and inany student papers near your business.Get at least a quar-ter-page ad and explain what benefits will come with work-ing for your cleaning company.Decorate the ad with a rel-evant picture that catches the eye – be sure to contact theOpenWorks Marketing Department and share a proof ofyour ad with them before print to ensure that it follows allnecessary guidelines.COMMUNITY BULLETIN BOARDS3. Put up advertisements on community bulletinboards. Look for these boards at local thrift stores,universi-ties and churches.LOCAL UNEMPLOYMENT OFFICE4. Contact your local unemployment office. Theywill often have already screened candidates that they can pro-vide to you. Each state is a little different,but most have a lo-cal government agency that will not only assist unemployedcandidates but will also assist small business owners in theirrecruitment efforts. Please visit the sites below for further in-formation and phone numbers for your local office:ARIZONA – http://phoenix.gov/econdev/phxwc/index.htmlWASHINGTON – http://www.worksourceskc.org/default.phpTEXAS – http://www.twc.state.tx.us/customers/bemp/businesses-employers.htmlILLINOIS – http://www.theworkforceconnection.org/emp_main.cfmCALIFORNIA – http://www.worksourcecalifornia.com/MAKING THE‘RIGHT’HIREOnce you have identified your candidate it is alwaysa good idea to follow the below steps to ensure that you aremaking a“RIGHT”hire:continued on page 4FindingGOODEmployees

2.
FRANCHISEE PROFILEInnovation“When you expect things tohappen - strangely enough -they do happen."JOHN P. MORGAN, FINANCIERAND POWER BROKER“Its choice, not chance, thatdetermines your destiny."JEAN NIDETCH, WHO STARTEDWEIGHT WATCHERS IN HERNEW YORK APARTMENT IN 1963AND SOLD IT WITH REVENUESOF $1 BILLION IN 1978“Innovation distinguishesbetween a leader anda follower."STEVE JOBS, APPLE CO-FOUNDER“The entrepreneur alwayssearches for change, respondsto it, and exploits it as anopportunity."PETER F. DRUCKER, MANAGEMENTCONSULTANT AND SELF-DESCRIBEDSOCIAL ECOLOGIST“It takes 20 years to build areputation and five minutes toruin it. If you think about that,youll do things differently."WARREN BUFFETT, BERKSHIREHATHAWAY CEO AND STOCKMARKET LEGEND“Be smart, but never show it."LOUIS B. MAYER, KNOWN AS THE"CZAR OF HOLLYWOOD."In June 2007,The Perez Family was looking for a business that they could start as afamily. Cristina Perez and her daughter, Teresa along with Teresa’s husband, EstebanValdez; learned about the OpenWorks franchise opportunity and it peaked their interest.After several meetings they purchased an OW5 package and in just 5 years they havegrown their business and it is now one of the largest in the OpenWorks franchise system.When they started the business Teresa never thought that they would come this far.She thought that they would have a couple of accounts and be done with it. However,Tere-sa found that she was truly able to accomplish the “American Dream” and has not onlygrown the business but has established strong relationships with her clients and has a verysolid business.Teresa is looking forward to continued structured growth with OpenWorks. She isnow able to achieve her dream of providing her parents with an early retirement. Teresa isincredibly proud of her business, proud of her team and all those that work with her. She isvery happy with all the support that she receives from the OpenWorks team. In the future,Teresa would like to learn how to better sell her own accounts. She would like to get to thepoint where she can have a supervisor to manage the day-to-day operations and take careof her customers so that she can focus solely on selling her own accounts.When asked what contributed to the success that the Perez family has achieved,Tere-sa said,“Attitude and persistence and working as a team with my family and employees.Employees are the key to your success and they have to do a lot – you must invest in them.I usually find good employees through referrals from family members, friends and currentemployees. I came into the business with no cleaning experience and so working along-side OpenWorks – the Sales and Operations team has guided me through the industry. Themonthly franchise meetings and trainings have provided a lot of good information and arevery helpful.”OpenWorks is very lucky to have the Perez Family onboard. They are incredibly reli-able and always willing to help. They assist with field training of not only new franchiseesbut also new employees.They are a role model among the franchise community and a lot offranchise owners look to them for inspiration. We will always be grateful to the Perez fami-ly for the value they bring to the OpenWorks organization.TotalCleaningSolutions,AZ RegionTeresa Perez

3.
source: sba.comBETTER BUSINESS PRACTICE4. Avoid Common Audit Traps – It is very important to be aware of potentialred flags which could include:• Classifying Employees as Independent Contractors – Independent con-tractors and employees are not the same and it is important to understandthe difference.In the eyes of the IRS,misclassification can be seen as an at-tempt to avoid payroll taxes;non-compliance can bring penalties and backtaxes.• Home Office Deduction –This deduction is very specific and not all home-based businesses qualify. Know how to determine if you are eligible toclaim this deduction and what specific expenses may be deducted.• Large Sum Miscellaneous Deductions – If you claim a large amount ofitemized deductions or miscellaneous expenses, relative to your income,the IRS could get suspicious.Be specific and label every deduction.5. Keep Business and Personal Expenses SeparateThe IRS scrutinizes personal expenses that may have been claimed as abusiness expense, such as the use of a business vehicle, for personal use.Maintain separate bank and credit card accounts for your business and per-sonal use.Be diligent about keeping good records.For more specific information regarding preparation of Small Business taxesvisit the IRS at: http://www.irs.gov/Businesses/Small-Businesses-&-Self-Em-ployed/Small-Business-and-Self-Employed-Tax-Center-1April 15th is just around the corner and hopefully you arewell on your way to completing the preparation of your taxes for filingwith the IRS. Here are 5 tips to keep in mind:1. Keep Good Records and Understand Available DeductionsProper record-keeping year-round is the first step to ensure taxes arefiled accurately. Save essential paperwork that could be needed toback-up deduction claims,should there be an audit.Keep it in mindthat tax credits and deductions change each year.2. Utilize the Small Business Jobs Act Tax ProvisionsThe Small Business Jobs Act of 2010, signed into law by PresidentObama,has over 17 tax provisions to decrease tax burdens for smallbusinesses—several of these provisions can be taken advantage ofduring this year’s tax season.Utilizing these provisions could providegreat savings for your business.3. Remember the tax credits within the Affordable Care ActThese tax credits will allow small businesses to cover up to 35 per-cent of the health care premiums a small business pays to cover itsworkers.In 2014,the tax credit will increase to 50 percent.Small Business Tax Tips

4.
FranchiseReferral Program— Regional Contacts —ArizonaDon SpeckDonS@OpenWorksWeb.com602.772.3027CaliforniaBob HurdBob.Hurd@OpenWorksWeb.com562.428.9210,x402IllinoisRyan DosenberryRyan.Dosenberry@OpenWorksWeb.com847-993-9826TexasDennis ReidDennisR@OpenWorksWeb.com214-260-3761,ext.153WashingtonTony OrsoTonyO@OpenWorksWeb.com425-827-0550,ext.305Please forward your comments,newsletter contributions,or suggestions to:Opening Doors Newsletter4742 North 24th StreetSuite 450Phoenix,AZ 85016fax:602.772.3028E-mail the editor:info@openworksweb.comwww.openworksfranchise.comARIZONAMeetings will be held on select Fridays:12:30pm – 3:00pm. Space is limited, RSVPto your regional office to reserve a seat!Meeting topics are subject to change.Friday, May 31stAccounting: Organization/TaxesCALIFORNIAMeetings will be held on select Fridays:12:30pm – 3:00pm. Space is limited, RSVPto your regional office to reserve a seat!Meeting topics are subject to change.Friday, April 19thCarpet CleaningILLINOISMeetings will be held on select Fridays:12:30pm – 3:00pm. Space is limited, RSVPto your regional office to reserve a seat!Meeting topics are subject to change.Wednesday, April 10thOSHA Bio Hazard CleaningTEXASMeetings will be held on select Fridays:11:00pm – 1:00pm. Space is limited, RSVPto your regional office to reserve a seat!Meeting topics are subject to change.Saturday, June 8thUp Selling to your Clients:Additional Servicesand Tag JobsWASHINGTONMeetings will be held on select Fridays:1:00pm – 3:00pm. Space is limited, RSVPto your regional office to reserve a seat!Meeting topics are subject to change.Friday, June 7thFloor Work2013 FranchiseeBusiness Meeting SchedulesFirstWorksTM TrainingGraduatesCongratulations to the following graduateswho successfully completed the intense 10-dayFirstWorks training program.Texas CaliforniaAnnie and Neil DelossantosClark Sullivan1. Create a pre-employment test for candidatesto take when they submit their resume.Ask about theircareer goals,experience with cleaning and priorities.Offer-ing short answer questions will show you more about po-tentialemployeesthanstandardfill-in-the-blankquestions.2. Meet with the candidates.If you see someonewith potential, hire them on a trial basis. See how theyperform and whether you want to keep them on as aregular employee.We wish you luck with your search – though it isnever easy to find a good employee,if you make use ofthese tools you are halfway there! Watch this space nextmonth to learn how you can RETAIN good employeesonce you find them.The OpenWorks Human Resources Departmentis always available to help you answer anyemployee related questions and suggestsolutions for resolving employee relation issues.The program is very simple – just callthe Regional Director in your regionand give him/her your name and thename and phone number of theperson whom you are referring.If thereferral decides to purchase anOpenWorks franchise,then you make…First Referral = $ 750.00Second Referral = $1,000.00Third Referral = $1,250.00----------------------------------------------* referrals that result in a sale *OpenWorksCelebrates30 Years!Watch this space for some OpenWorksMilestones. Do you have any burningquestions about OpenWorks and itshistory?! Now is the time to getanswers – email your questions to theeditor at info@openworksweb.com andwatch out for them in upcoming issues!Finding Good Employeescontinued from page 1