Men In Kilts Franchise vs. Fish Window Cleaning: A Comparison

	Men In Kilts	Fish Window Cleaning
Franchising since	2019	1998
No. of units*	8	277
Startup costs	$157,290 - $191,950	$102,800 - $167,500
Franchise fees	$38,000	$49,000 - $74,900
Royalty fees	5% - 8%	6% - 8%
Marketing fees	3%	1%

 

A brief company overview

Men In Kilts started its business in 2002 but has only been franchising since 2019. They have eight franchise locations (2021). The franchise offers gutter cleaning, pressure washing, and interior and exterior window cleaning services. They have both residential and commercial clientele.

Fish Window Cleaning is well-established as a window cleaning franchise and has been franchising since 1998. They have 270 locations across the U.S. Services include interior and exterior window cleaning, interior fixture cleaning and gutter cleaning services. We are the world's largest window cleaning company, with 20% of our business being residentially based while 80% is comprised of low-rise commercial customers.

 

Franchise rankings

FISH has also earned notable franchise rankings. We were listed as the Top Franchise for 2022, which is the Franchise Business Review’s 17th annual ranking of the 200 best franchise opportunities as rated by franchise business owners. FISH ranked No. 31 overall and No. 6 in large franchises. In addition, we’re ranked No. 278 in the 2023 Franchise 500 ranking by Entrepreneur Magazine. Men In Kilts has not yet obtained any franchise rankings.

Comparing the costs to get started

Men In Kilts lists its total minimum investment as $157,290-$191,950. Their franchise fee is $38,000, and additional working capital of $119,290-$153,950 includes office lease, travel to headquarters for training, print materials and miscellaneous operating costs. Their equipment costs are $14,000.

Fish Window Cleaning's total minimum investment is $102,800-$167,500. The franchise fee is $49,000-$74,900, and additional working capital includes an office package, travel to headquarters to attend training, business development and marketing, vehicle modifications, office space, insurance premiums, and the business licence. Equipment costs are $7,500-$9,000.

According to Vetted Biz, for the last year for which there was data, the failure rate for Men In Kilts is 13% while the failure rate for Fish Window Cleaning is 6%.

Ongoing fees

Both franchises have royalty fees and marketing fees. For Men In Kilts, the royalty fees range from 5% to 8% while Fish Window Cleaning has royalty fees from 6% to 8%. For Men In Kilts, the marketing fees are 3% while FISH's marketing fees are 1%.

Men In Kilts does not disclose financials in their franchise disclosure document (FDD) so it is difficult to know how franchisees have fared in the past. Fish’s FDD does include an Item 19, so unit-level financial performance is readily available.

How territories are established

Men In Kilts creates an exclusive territory after speaking to potential franchisees. They work with you to create a territory that is supported by demographic data in your area while taking into account "local nuances."

Fish Window Cleaning has protected territories built from ZIP codes. Potential franchisees can work with a development manager to customize the territory based on population and business count ratios. The final size of the territory is based upon the geographic region and your desired size of business.

The similarities between Men In Kilts and Fish Window Cleaning

Men In Kilts and Fish Window Cleaning both offer a satisfaction guarantee for their customers. Both franchises use water-fed poles in window cleaning and promote a Monday-Friday working schedule with weekends free for the franchisee. The franchisors offer ongoing support for franchisees in addition to the initial training.

Contact the franchisor for more information

Whether you are thinking about owning a Men In Kilts or a Fish Window Cleaning franchise, contact both franchisors to learn more about their respective franchise packages. Your goal is to choose the franchise that provides a good revenue base and one that has the greatest opportunity for success in your chosen territory.

To start your comparison, request more information from Fish Window Cleaning to see what you should be asking other franchisors in order to make a solid comparison. Every franchisor will offer something different, but Fish Window Cleaning has been franchising for more than 20 years and has successfully attracted more than 250 franchisees, so we truly have a better base of experience from which to start than a company that’s fairly new to franchising. We look forward to hearing from you!