Laura Spaulding, founder and CEO of Spaulding Decon, is a former law enforcement officer who has evolved her business from a solo operation to a nationwide franchise that specializes in biohazard disinfection and decontamination. Spaulding Decon topped the Entrepreneur Franchise 500 crime-scene cleaning category in 2022. In this episode of Real Stories in Restoration, Spaulding shares her journey from humble beginnings as a woman-led startup. Today, Spaulding Decon is scaling rapidly with 20 to 30 new franchises a year, has added real estate acquisitions to its business model, and has millions of followers on social media. 

“I still have never had a business loan,” Spaulding said. “I have bootstrapped; absolutely every part of our growth has been self-funded.” 

This episode covers:

• The experience during Spaulding’s career in law enforcement that led her to start a business specializing in crime-scene, hoarding and meth-lab cleanup
• Getting Spaulding Decon established as its solo employee, and being turned down by banks for a business loan as a woman
• The rapid and expansion of Spaulding Decon as a franchise across the U.S.
• How Spaulding’s law enforcement and military experience serve her in her role today
• How her role with the company has significantly evolved over the years
• The addition of real estate acquisitions as a game changer
• Creating a comprehensive business system for franchisees
• The story behind Spaulding Decon blowing up on social media
• Spaulding’s most memorable project 
• Advice to others starting their own restoration business
• What to consider before adding biohazard remediation services to an existing business
• Exceling as a woman franchisor in a male-dominated industry
• The importance of thorough research before pursuing new business ventures
• Spaulding’s personal goal of reading at least one book a week 

Check out this episode of Ask the Expert to learn more. You can watch the video here or listen to the audio version of our conversation here. You can also find our show on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Just search for Restoration & Remediation Ask the Expert, then hit Follow.