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Since you are interested in starting a window cleaning business, I'm sure you have seen advertisements for buying into a window cleaning franchise. Some of those offers can look really tempting, but let's look a little deeper.
First of all to buy your own window cleaning franchise, you have to make a substantial up front non-refundable investment. Typically in the neighborhood of $25,000-$100,000. And for that investment, franchisors claim to provide you with the following:
Claim: Protected Sales Territory
Fact: This is a fancy way of saying that they will assign you a territory based on your local zip codes for you to operate in. You are only allowed to market and sell your services within your assigned zip code. The only way to move outside your assigned area is to purchase additional 'territories'... Talk about limiting your growth potential.
Claim: National Brand Recognition
Fact: Give me a break! Let me ask you a question:
Can you give me the name of a window cleaning franchise that's a household name?
Come up with one? No, neither did I.
Now can you give me the name of a restaurant franchise that is a household name?
I'm sure you can, I can give you a whole string of them... McDonalds, Taco Bell, Quiznos, Subway, and I could go on for days...
You see my point?
Claim: Sophisticated business website
Fact: 99% of window cleaning franchises give their franchisors a single webpage, off the company's main website and they are incredible generic and blah. For the kind of money you're paying you should get a lot more bang for your buck.
Claim: Unparalleled Business Support
Fact: By this they mean you get a 1-800 number to call, not your own private number, but a general one that everybody shares for their support questions. So if you can get through to someone to help you, but they don't solve your problem, then they will send an 'agent' out to you to set you straight... for a healthy fee of course.
Claim: Complete Training
Fact: Typically this means that you have to fly out (additional expense) to wherever the franchise's headquarters is and attend a whopping 2 or 3 day training seminar in which they claim to teach you everything you need to know about window cleaning and running a business. I assure you, even with my awesome package, it will take you more than 3 days to 'master' the window cleaning business.
These are just a few of the supposed 'benefits' of buying into a window cleaning franchise. Oh and I almost forgot to mention, that in addition to your initial $25,000-$100,000 investment, you are also required to pay and additional 6%-8% of your income in royalties every year for the life of your business.
How good of a deal does a window cleaning franchise sound to you now?
Please don't get me wrong, I am not saying that franchises are worthless, in many industries they are truly the fast track to success (if you can afford one), but in the window cleaning business a franchise just doesn't make financial sense.
First of all to buy your own window cleaning franchise, you have to make a substantial up front non-refundable investment. Typically in the neighborhood of $25,000-$100,000. And for that investment, franchisors claim to provide you with the following:
Claim: Protected Sales Territory
Fact: This is a fancy way of saying that they will assign you a territory based on your local zip codes for you to operate in. You are only allowed to market and sell your services within your assigned zip code. The only way to move outside your assigned area is to purchase additional 'territories'... Talk about limiting your growth potential.
Claim: National Brand Recognition
Fact: Give me a break! Let me ask you a question:
Can you give me the name of a window cleaning franchise that's a household name?
Come up with one? No, neither did I.
Now can you give me the name of a restaurant franchise that is a household name?
I'm sure you can, I can give you a whole string of them... McDonalds, Taco Bell, Quiznos, Subway, and I could go on for days...
You see my point?
Claim: Sophisticated business website
Fact: 99% of window cleaning franchises give their franchisors a single webpage, off the company's main website and they are incredible generic and blah. For the kind of money you're paying you should get a lot more bang for your buck.
Claim: Unparalleled Business Support
Fact: By this they mean you get a 1-800 number to call, not your own private number, but a general one that everybody shares for their support questions. So if you can get through to someone to help you, but they don't solve your problem, then they will send an 'agent' out to you to set you straight... for a healthy fee of course.
Claim: Complete Training
Fact: Typically this means that you have to fly out (additional expense) to wherever the franchise's headquarters is and attend a whopping 2 or 3 day training seminar in which they claim to teach you everything you need to know about window cleaning and running a business. I assure you, even with my awesome package, it will take you more than 3 days to 'master' the window cleaning business.
These are just a few of the supposed 'benefits' of buying into a window cleaning franchise. Oh and I almost forgot to mention, that in addition to your initial $25,000-$100,000 investment, you are also required to pay and additional 6%-8% of your income in royalties every year for the life of your business.
How good of a deal does a window cleaning franchise sound to you now?
Please don't get me wrong, I am not saying that franchises are worthless, in many industries they are truly the fast track to success (if you can afford one), but in the window cleaning business a franchise just doesn't make financial sense.