To Franchise or Not to Franchise!

Really? It seems like you wanted and continue to want to do your own thing.

You deserve it, CFP, as do a few others of the ā€˜real dealā€™ members here.

All experience is not good. Being taken under the wing of someone who has been doing things the wrong way for 23 years is not a good idea, for example.

[I]However[/I], experience from people who [I]were where we are currently[/I], and who [I]now are where we want to be[/I] is worth the GDP of some small countries.

(Im talking business-wise here only)

Panelessperfection do you also use thier name? If so how would you sell out if you wanted to? Would you have to sell directly back to them?

I would much rather work with other companies rather than running my own window cleaning business.

CFPā€¦is this comment meant to be in regards to working with other companies ie: marketing end of things?

Absolutely Craig. Any talents I have gained through the years is related to what I am passionate aboutā€¦ marketing. I hate running a business because I am not the best at the ā€œbusiness sideā€ of it. None of us can be all things. That is why so many can run a decent business but canā€™t market to save their lives.

Both are needed. So in my case if I want to get my business side into shape (which I do), I would need (and am) to engage professional help. The biggest companies in the world hire marketing firms or copywriters to do all of their ads, know why? they would go belly up in a very short time if the tried to do it internally.

A small business fails every 10 minutes in the US, a lot of the time they think they can be all thingsā€¦ they canā€™t.

When I think of successful ā€œbusinessmanā€, I think of Chris. He is no marketing genius but he can create a successful business using whatever it takes. Because that is a weak area of mine, he impresses meā€¦ a lot.

He built a huge company in 5 years, starting with nothing. Nobody on here can claim that.

Sorry, I donā€™t understand what you are askingā€¦

CFP, Paneless thanks for the nice words. New Years special today only. Chrisā€™s coaching service half off [SIZE=3]PSRP[/SIZE] (paneless Suggested Retail Price)
$500 today only!

Nice.

Donā€™t forget ā€œEnds at midnight, tonight!ā€

LMAO! :Dā€¦

Paneless, do you still operate your franchised business today or have you started your own to get away from the royalty.

[B][I]I quit as a franchisee during April of 2003, and went out on my own May 2003, with not so much as one measly $2 window cleaning client.[/I][/B]

The franchise agreement that I signed did not allow me to have any of my [B][I]own [/I][/B]clients during my tenure as a ā€˜franchiseeā€™ with them, so I had to bite the bullet, and go from $500/day to ZERO/day, that day I quit, with absolutely no guarantees.

And, yeah, the royalty thing was a factor, but the bigger issue was a ā€˜people problemā€™, as I found the franchise owner (the actual person, that is, that owned the whole thing) too demanding and unreasonable about EVERYTHING. Other factors were in play, too, naturally, like the fact that I kept getting MORE and MORE great clients, but the company benefitted, not me, and the owner was unappreciative. Barely a ā€˜thank youā€™ for a NEW $10,000/yr client @ $75/hr each time.

[I]So, now, I keep all my own clients.[/I]

P.S. I have found that there is a substantial difference between operating a window cleaning franchise and starting a large window cleaning business from scratch. I know that we all play in the same backyard on this forum, but sometimes I forget that the backgrounds, mentality, and skillset of these 2 business models are light-years apart.

When you sold the franchise did you get paid a portion for the amount that you built this up for the franchise, or just turn it back over and get zero?

Thank you for all your feedback, this lets me understand the franchise market a little better.

In other threads I get caught up because how different each market of window cleaning differs as well. Each has its own skillset,safety precautions, marketing, payroll method, etcā€¦ Storefronts, residential, construction clean, low rise and high rise commercial each are similar but not quite the same to operate profitably.

Yup, the latterā€¦just turned it back and received ZERO. And I received ZERO bonuses for all the brand NEW work I had obtained.

Received ZERO.
Rewarded ZERO.
Had ZERO lined up.

In my case, I had a [B]5-yr franchise ā€œleaseā€, essentially, not a purchase,[/B] and I managed to get out 1 year early by bringing in a ā€˜replacementā€™ franchisee to take over my franchise, and who signed up for 5 years themselvesā€¦

Interesting Kevin. Itā€™s too bad you had such a bad time with your franchise.

Currently Iā€™m operating a franchise. However the terms of my agreement are different. I have no 5 year lease. I only have to give 2 months notice to quit, and I have to train the new guy,

I canā€™t keep my own customers, or develo9p my own route. But kudos Kevin, on your honesty. I know some guys who left franchises who secretly built up their own route, so that when they quit they didnā€™t start with nothing. But it impresses me when people are honest in all things.

My franchisor is very fair, I get bonuses when I get new jobs, and the guy is always thanking me, and he praises my work to others. Heā€™s even come up with new incentives to encourage me to grow the route more.

Itā€™s interesting, if anyone is ever thinking of selling a franchise, that like everything else Money is not everything. In your case you would have been less inclined to leave if he had treated you fairly, and thanked you. There are some lessons others can take away from that.

So yeah, Iā€™m glad that the franchisor that I have is a good, fair, honest man.

Mike, did you buy into your franchise or where you able to do a zero down also?

0 money down to buy the route.

One thing that really bugs me with franchise (at least Fish) they mislead customers about experience.

They list on advertisements,letterheads etcā€¦ that they have like 25 years experience. When anyone who puts down a chunk of $ who never washed a window in their life can advertise this type of experience.

Mike, is it more accurate to say that you ā€œownā€ the route, or that you ā€œleaseā€ the route?

If you ā€œownā€ it, what exactly is it that you ā€œownā€?

Superior,
Thats what gets me about misleading customers (Fish). They have been in my area since 2005 and advertise that they have been ā€œHelping America See Clearly Since 1978ā€. What bull****! These guys drive around in beater vehicles to residential homes without a clue as to how to do windows. I really dont see how in the heck they retain employees and even more confused on how they keep customers. I get several of their customers a year from them. If I was selling my company as a franchise, I sure as heck would have a training school of some sorts. Alot of restoration companies (SERVPRO for example) have training programs that must be completed by employees and franchise owners.

Steve

Actually I believe they do have a training center. I recall this and they have like a four step training program that teaches every step
of the business.

I have had employees that have worked for them and each has had bad experiences mostly for lack of job related skills and payroll issues. All due to no experience

It is amazing because these people pay [B]alot[/B] of money as an initial investment and pay royaltiesā€“what a waste of money!