In 2021, the female franchise owners of City Wide Facility Solutions came together to form the “League of City Wide Women.” With facility solutions being a male-dominated industry, “The League” was created to provide a support system to the female franchise owners, presidents, and others in leadership roles to achieve their professional goals. This group also serves as a symbol to young female entrepreneurs that they can find success in business ownership in any type of industry.
The first female-owned City Wide Facility Solutions franchise location opened in 2005, only four years after the brand started franchising in 2001. Now, there are a total of 20 women franchise owners and presidents in the system. City Wide has seen rapid growth in Q1 and Q2, with seven openings and six more scheduled through the end of the year, which has brought in an influx of franchise owners to the City Wide organization. In the past few months, there have been two new members added to “The League” — Tasheema Heyliger, owner of an upcoming location in Delaware, and Housi Kakar, owner of another forthcoming location in Sacramento, CA.
At the 21st annual City Wide Franchise Convention in March — the first in-person one since 2020 — the “League” was able to take some time to connect with one another and hold its first in-person meeting since its inception. Going through their fair share of trials and tribulations in the past 12 months — trying to continually navigate owning a business and manage a team of employees who rely on them every day — they shared some key learnings with one another. A few of the members also brought some of the women on their teams; women they are mentoring into leadership positions within their businesses, to allow them to absorb the lessons on finding that balance of navigating a predominately male-led industry.
As “The League” reflected on the moments they have spent together and welcomed new members, it reminded them of why they began this in the first place. Simply by being visible leaders in their local communities as well as within the franchise system, where they are able to be successful while also putting their families first, they are normalizing what it means to be a woman in the business world today. Their hope moving forward is that the next generation of men and women entering City Wide will be able to benefit from the lessons they have to share about business ownership.
