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Harry Young blames his corporate background for getting into franchising.  He told Entrepreneur.com that his skill is in “growing organizations and hiring the right people” and setting up systems.  It is these strategies that Young and his wife, Emelie, credit for the success of the Molly Maid franchise.  Molly Maid is reaching $4 million in revenues.

Most franchisees who buy into janitorial or domestic-cleaning concepts are true mom-and-pop businesspeople. They run their enterprises from the kitchen table and spend countless hours on their hands and knees, earning clients one clean floor at a time.

However, when Harry Young and his wife, Emelie, bought a Molly Maid house-cleaning services franchise in Austin, Texas, in late 1994, Young had no intention of ever touching a mop.

Instead, Young, who had moved to Texas to soak up the sunshine after decades as an IT guru and CEO of air-defense companies in Washington, D.C., gave his Molly Maid the full corporate treatment. That meant setting up an aggressive business plan and organizational chart, with the objective of growing as quickly as he could.

“We set up a system right out of the corporate world,” he says. “This franchise is interesting because it’s a microcosm of a large company. Our business involves everything a big corporation deals with in complete miniature.”

However, not long after Young took the reins of the franchise, an Austin defense company caught wind that he was in the area and lured him back to the tech world. Emelie reluctantly agreed to helm Molly Maid while Harry returned to his old line of work for what he thought would be a five-year term. Instead, it turned out to be a 10-year odyssey that included 300 days a year of international travel.

While Harry was otherwise occupied, Emelie followed their business plan and the Molly Maid system to a T, and the franchise grew quickly. By the time Harry took back the reins in 2004, his wife had crafted a company that was taking in more than $1.2 million in annual revenue.

Now Emelie has retired, and under Harry’s care the franchise is approaching $4 million in annual sales, with 10 managers and 90 maids. During the recession, the Youngs’ Molly Maid grew from 28 service teams to 32, while its chief local competitor dropped from 20 teams to 12.

Harry is quick to point out that he alone is not the reason for the success–in fact, in 2005 when he was recruited to Ann Arbor, Mich., to serve as interim president of Molly Maid for a year, he relied on his managers back home to keep expanding his franchise there.  Young says. “Lots of small-business owners think they have to control everything, but too much control makes you the bottleneck.”

Young consults and mentors dozens of Molly Maid franchisees around the country each month.

The business has a weekly recurring revenue stream, and its family-friendly hours mean he can attract good, long-term employees. In a mom-and-pop-dominated sector–national franchises make up less than 20 percent of maid service providers–with wildly varying standards, he saw immense growth potential for a company that was consistent, efficient and insured.

As for opting for a franchise versus hanging up his own shingle, Harry blames his corporate background: Despite starting and running several businesses during his life, he’s not sure he’s a true entrepreneur at heart. “My strong suit is growing organizations and hiring the right people. With a franchise, you don’t have to make up the rules. You set up systems and subsystems,” he says. “And if you follow the rules efficiently and effectively, it can turn out very well.”

Photo by Jesse C Smith Jr