By Christopher Manson
We believe in:
Fairness, Kindness and Respect
Choosing a Positive Attitude
Doing the Right Thing
Because culture eats strategy for breakfast.
Our mission is to provide year-round growth-focused employment while keeping Northwest Florida beautiful, delivering excellent service, and being positive community stewards.
— Fish Window Cleaning of Northwest Florida Mission and Values Statement
What’s my line – I’m happy cleaning windows…
— Van Morrison, “Cleaning Windows”
Fish Window Cleaning of Northwest Florida started serving Destin, Seaside, Rosemary Beach, Inlet Beach, Santa Rosa Beach, Fort Walton Beach, Niceville, Pensacola, Gulf Breeze, Navarre, Mary Esther, Milton, Miramar Beach and 30A in August 2021. It is part of a franchise that boasts nearly 300 locations nationwide.
Local Danica LaFaire worked in marketing for a Missouri-based broadband company that was about to be bought out. “I knew I needed to prepare for an exit,” she says. Danica and husband Josh began to look into franchising while she was teaching classes on entrepreneurship. “My husband was about to make a big career change, too.” When the LaFaires landed on the Emerald Coast, Danica remained in the broadband industry for another year and also became a franchise consultant.
She kept her eyes open for franchise opportunities here. “I learned about Fish Window Cleaning in February of 2021, and it just clicked. No nights, weekends or holidays, nobody calling at two in the morning.” Her marketing skills came in handy as well—not just sales and marketing, but the vital areas of safety, training and customer service.
Fish Window Cleaning’s team includes skilled window cleaning technicians, estimate writers, an office manager and “whatever you call me,” says LaFaire. Supervisor Todd Morris handles team leading, management and troubleshooting.
“We train in a lot of aspects that help employees continue with their growth as team members and work their way into leadership positions, whether they stay with us or not,” says LaFaire. “We have several leadership positions we plan to fill from within. We let our people know what we’re working toward so we’re on the same page and that they know how they can contribute.”
“Our first two years of focus have been on having a culture where our team members want to get out of bed and come to work,” says LaFaire. “You get what you put in, and we will continue to focus on our team members so they can set and achieve their goals.”
While some companies offer numerous additional services, LaFaire believes in focusing on windows—cleaning, identifying problems, and maintaining integrity. She notes that “stacking services” can cause a window cleaning operation to lose its focus, adding that Fish Window Cleaning has partnerships in other service industries such as pressure washing and housecleaning.
The current list of satisfied clients is made up of structures, homes and buildings four stories and under. “We are focused on making our business clients shine,” she says.
“If you had asked me five years ago, I would have looked at you like… It’s just that I’m not a very strong physical, get-out-and-do-it person. I was the worst cleaner we had! I couldn’t have imagined the team we have today,” she says. “I’m so blessed that I get to see the best folks on a daily basis. I have an amazing team I can count on, and they bring it every single day.”
LaFaire often drives around town with her nephews, pointing out all the places Fish Window Cleaning services. “By the end, they’re like, Aunt Danica, please be quiet!”
The LaFaires have made a commitment to local involvement, as noted in the mission statement above. Fish Window Cleaning donates a portion of its topline revenue to Semper Fi & America’s Fund (thefund.org), a nonprofit that serves needy military, veterans and their families. “We clean ‘in kind’ for the United Way of the Emerald Coast, the Children in Crisis Neighborhood buildings and Path of Grace in Miramar Beach,” adds LaFaire. Fish Window Cleaning is very active in the local Chambers of Commerce.
“This is home, and there’s no chance of me leaving this area. If I get stuck on a bridge, I can look left or right and stop and pause to be grateful every single minute. My community here is so strong. I have more friendships and positive relationships here than I’ve ever had in my life.”
Beginning next month, LaFaire will contribute a series of articles dealing with everything from window cleaning and maintenance to marketing ideas.
Fish Window Cleaning of Northwest Florida, located at 623 Harbor Boulevard, Unit 7, is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call 850.842.2162 for a free estimate, and visit www.fishwindowcleaning.com/Destin-FL-3249/ for additional information.
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