JDog Junk Removal & Hauling, and JDog Carpet Cleaning and Floor Care have become a renowned professional destination for U.S. military veterans and their families across the country. They have grown exponentially over the last couple of years, and it’s easy to see why.
Co-founded by veteran Jerry Flanagan and his wife, Tracy, both businesses feature established, market-tested, streamlined franchise models that are easy to learn and operate. Ninety percent of the franchise locations are owned by military veterans, while the other ten percent are owned by immediate family of veterans. Plus, each location employs veterans as well.
Jerry Flanagan says the plan from the beginning was to help vets. “The goal is to have a franchise in every zip code so that every veteran has a place to go when they get out of the military.”
And there are a lot of them. Flanagan tells us that 200,000 men and women are discharged from the military every day in the U.S. He and his team found that the narrower the marketing strategy toward transitioning veterans, the easier it was to find quality franchise owners.
Veterans are not new to franchising. It’s understood in the industry that veterans make fantastic franchisees. They have a great work ethic and are accustomed to working with systems, the very foundation of the franchise model. Add the JDog core values of Respect, Integrity, and Trust, and you’ve got a winning environment that is familiar to military veterans.
“Besides,” Flanagan says with a laugh, we [veterans] are exceptionally qualified to clean. You have no idea how much cleaning there is to do in the military. It’s a win-win for everyone.”
JDog has grown to be the largest veteran owned and operated franchise in the country. And it’s no wonder. Flanagan says it’s because they focus on building relationships first.
“We get out of the truck and the first thing a customer says to us is ‘thank you for your service.’” We are uniformed, address our customers with ‘yes Sir or Ma’am’ and treat them each like they are family of our own, with respect, integrity, and trust. That kind of thing helps us stand out.”
Not only does the brand give purpose to veterans seeking the next professional move after their military careers, but it goes further than that.
The Flanagans created the JDog Foundation, an organization that focuses on mental health support for veterans and the prevention of veteran suicide. They have a colossal fundraiser each year, and each franchise owner is welcome to participate or contribute.
Everywhere you turn, this company is making a difference for others, whether it’s the franchise owners and employees, or the customers who use their services.
This kind of purpose-driven work is why the Spadea Lignana team is such a good fit for the JDog brands. Since the beginning, Tom and Josh have been right alongside the Flanagans as they built their two brands.
“I had no idea what all was involved with creating a franchise,” Flanagan said. “The team at Spadea Lignana really taught me and took the burden off the process. They just handled it.”
Flanagan says he appreciates how available they are, and that they help in other ways when he needs it. “Especially in the beginning, I could call up Tom and ask whether I should make a right turn or a left turn, and he would say, ‘well, if it were me…’”
Spadea Lignana provides their clients an option of utilizing an online portal to streamline the legal processes for each new franchisee. “We really appreciate those portals, and use them for both businesses,” Flanagan said.
JDog is on a roll. They have available territories throughout the country. You can listen to their podcast, Tactical Treasures, wherever you stream music. You can watch their show, Operation Hidden Treasures on YouTube and Vet TV.
This is a purposeful, customer centric, veteran owned and operated brand that is making a huge impact on the veteran community in the U.S. What an honor it is to be the legal team and friend of such great individuals.
