Local Resident Builds Successful Business After Losing It All in Recession

      There’s nothing quite as sweet as a true redemption story. For Alpharetta, Ga. resident David Flax, the past few years have been incredibly challenging, but equally as gratifying as he managed to pick himself up after the recession and start over.

      “I owned my own recruiting firm out of Atlanta for 10 years and built it into a multi-million dollar business,” said Flax. “The recession hit and I lost everything. We treaded water for a couple years before there was absolutely nothing left. I shut it down, sold off my customer list, and spent the next year trying to figure out what I was going to do next.”

       Flax, a licensed certified public accountant by trade, knew he wanted to open another business, but didn’t want the risk of starting a business from scratch. He started looking at franchises and came across Window Genie, the nation’s fastest-growing  home services franchise that specializes in window cleaning, window tinting and pressure washing for commercial and residential clients.

      “After all my due diligence, Window Genie was the only franchise that aligned with my financial goals,” said Flax. “Plus, the services are affordable and the industry has maintained strength, despite the struggling economy.”

      Window Genie’s most in-demand services are what Flax refers to as the “big three:” window cleaning, window tinting and pressure washing. The company also offers gutter cleaning and re-securing, as well as glass replacement, tile and grout cleaning and chandelier cleaning.

      Today, the cleaning industry is one of the fastest growing service industries in the United States, expected to grow five percent between 2008 and 2018. With residential clients making up 95 percent of Flax’s customer base, the comeback in the housing market means more property owners investing in their homes again. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the overall demand for household cleaning services is expected to grow at an annual rate of seven percent. Commercial cleaning services have long been considered a recession-resistant business, with demand now in excess of $160 billion annually and expected to grow to $175 billion over the next three years. According to the Freedonia Group, exterior building cleaning is expected to be one of the fastest growing services this year, while interior cleaning remains dominant.

      In 2010, Flax cashed in every last dime of his 401(k) and opened the first Window Genie franchise in the Atlanta area at 1815 Hembree Road., #314 in Alpharetta with his wife, Jennifer, by his side. “We did everything we could to make the business a success out of the gate,” said Flax. “We tried tons of guerilla marketing initiatives, going to door-to-door to introduce the company, handing out fliers at the mall – anything to build the brand and make a name for ourselves.”

      Now, three years later, his efforts have paid off. Flax is the second largest U.S. franchisee in the Window Genie system and did in three years what it took the largest franchisee in the system to do in 10. He’s grown to a staff of 10, has expanded his territory to serve more communities and plans to continue growing throughout the metro Atlanta market.

      The company services Alpharetta, Buckhead, Brookhaven, Buford, Canton, Chamblee, Cumming, Doraville, Duluth, Dunwoody, East Cobb, Gainsville, Johns Creek, Midtown, Milton, Norcross, Roswell, Sandy Springs, Sugar Hill, Suwanee, Smyrna, Tucker, Vinings, and Woodstock. For more information, visit http://atlanta-metro.windowgenie.com.