Fish Window Cleaning Blog

Franchising provides a great opportunity to be in business for yourself. However, part of choosing the right opportunity is finding a franchise that has a niche in the marketplace that will allow you to grow a profitable and sustainable business. Whether a painting franchise or a window cleaning franchise, there are different aspects of evaluating the business to consider.
 

Business Factors to Consider

At Fish Window Cleaning®, our franchise development team has spoken to future franchisees who were also considering various other businesses such as a painting franchise opportunity. As we explained our franchise model, it shed some light on elements of a window cleaning franchise that provided some beneficial elements that were not as evident in painting franchises and other types of home improvement opportunities.

1. Industry Competition & Outlook

Some franchises exist in a highly competitive marketplace. The competition can include other businesses (248,000 painters operating in the U.S.), DIYers, side hustle hobbyists, and more. When you’re in a market that competitive, you need to stand out. This is where window cleaning really shines! There are only 37,574 window washing businesses in the U.S. as of 2022, providing plenty of room to grow a franchise. While there is a DIY market, the cost of window washing is more easily attainable for homeowners, which makes for a better marketing strategy for the business.

2. Inventory Requirements

When you carry a lot of inventory, you tie up cash that could otherwise be beneficial to growing your business. With window cleaning, not only is there minimal inventory, but the inventory you do carry has a longer usable life. Supplies don’t need to be replaced as often as is the case with other businesses. IBISWorld reports that purchases are only 8.1% of business costs in window cleaning – whereas painters spend 24.3% on purchases – which is higher than their labor costs! Your highest percentage of costs in window cleaning is labor, however, your labor creates revenue; supplies do not.

3. Sticking To Your Expertise

Be sure to investigate the training that comes with your franchise because it could involve having to gain expertise in several areas. Painters need to be color experts. Kitchen and bath installers need to be design experts. Often, there are plenty of additional demands on your skills than what you originally signed up for. With window washing, everyone can agree on a streak-free finish! A business with fewer potential problems is easier to run and has a more efficient onboarding process when training employees. Also, window cleaners are more likely to have W2 employees when compared to other types of franchises where the workers are employed by contract. Building a business with guaranteed employees can be far more secure than relying on contract workers.

4. Competing With DIY

When evaluating revenue streams, you can have higher-priced jobs less frequently or lower-priced jobs more frequently. Window washing has an average spend of just over $200 which might seem like it’s a prime DIY project. However, since the price is low, a homeowner could be more likely to challenge their skills to get out of paying almost $2,000 for an interior painting project or other high-priced home improvement. More expensive isn’t always better when it comes to generating revenue. With window cleaning, you can provide service to multiple customers in one day, and many of those customers can become recurring revenue clients, which further adds to your growing business.

5. Delays Will Be Common

Window cleaners are unlikely to come across delays in providing the service. Even repairs to damaged windows and frames can be rectified immediately, or the repair can be treated later without delaying the cleaning. The business schedule is more consistent which is good for revenue, and it results in a more reliable service that people are happy to refer. Compare that to other businesses that may require a drywall expert to patch a hole, an electrician to route wiring, or a plumber to install pipes before you can proceed. That can reflect poorly on you even if it isn’t your fault.

6. Homeowner Inconvenience

While a homeowner knows that hiring home improvement professionals is going to cause some inconvenience, often they are not prepared for how inconvenient it will be. Window washing causes minimal interruptions in a customer’s life because it’s a more efficiently provided service. This is important because when the homeowner talks about their experience, any frustrations are likely to be part of the story, and that can deter referrals. Even things you cannot control can have an impact on the ability to grow your business.

7. Marketing the Business

There are many ways customers can be unhappy with a home improvement outcome. The paint color wasn’t what they wanted, the project had delays, they had more interruptions in their home than they expected, and so on. Even if they’re happy with the result, customers don’t always talk about the experience positively, and that can hurt your marketing efforts. The number one reason that people choose Fish Window Cleaning is our reliability, and a trusted business is a referred business. Marketing is a cost of doing business, and if you have consistently happy customers, that’s a marketing tactic that doesn’t cost you a dime.

8. Painting is One and Done

Finally, be mindful of franchises that are one and done businesses. For example, a painting franchise offers a service that is usually done every three to 10 years, so this means you will need to spend a good amount of time marketing to attract new customers.

Fish Window Cleaning offers a variety of additional services that can lead to more revenue streams, plus the frequency of the service can be several times a year for the same customer. A residential customer could book interior and exterior window cleaning every month and add gutter cleaning in the spring and fall. A commercial customer could have weekly window cleaning plus monthly awning cleaning. When you can provide repeat service to the same customer, you build a recurring revenue stream which is an asset when planning future jobs and growing your franchise.

 

Fish Window Cleaning

Most of our franchisees considered other businesses before deciding on Fish Window Cleaning, and you may find that you relate to some of the stories in our franchisee testimonials.

Fish Window Cleaning provides some great benefits to building a sustainable business. They include:

• Low inventory needs to operate the business
• An easy outcome for every job: streak-free windows
• Smart use of your employees and marketing power
• A model that builds exceptional customer experience
• Recurring revenue, multiple revenue streams, and a recession-resistant industry
• A 40+ year history that continues to be a top-ranked franchise opportunity

Contact Us

Fish Window Cleaning is a strong business investment opportunity with a dedicated development team to support your franchise experience. Fill out our online form to request more information and start the conversation with a member of our team today.