Franchise or not

Anyone out there an owner of a Sparkle Wash franchise? If so, are you happy with your decision? Would you do it again, etc.? Thanks

I’ve never heard of them until now but I dig their diesel rigs. Hard to imagine they would be Kubota driven after seeing they run Cat pumps ha. It looks like a truck mount carpet cleaning rig! I do like the overuse of solenoid valves in there. Eagle Wash D253??? What the??? I imagine they are built exclusively for them. Poor guys need some hose reels :frowning:

1 Like

After you cough up around $150k you get sub standard equipment, can’t work out of your zone, can’t quit since start your own business and pay 6% royalties forever plus required advertising fees.

2 Likes

Never seen a commercial yet. Must be a west coast thing

The poster just signed up. He is probably from sparkle wash testing the waters

1 Like

Have you done washing before?

If so, what do they offer that you couldn’t get by yourself? Like what’s appealing about it?

1 Like

The same reason why franchises are everywhere. You could go start a burger restaurant or buy a McDonald’s.

Same reason why FISH is in most every large city.

What is fish?

1 Like

There in almost every state

Its those things swimming around everyone front yard in NC… seeing all damage and everything from storm, some places in rough shape.

Hope yall made out ok in all of it.

2 Likes

Never heard of them. I don’t think window cleaning is a big deal around here. We have window gang franchises but pressure washing is 80% of their business

I am the original poster. I am not a sparkle wash guy. I am simply trying to find some info from people who have actually been a franchishee, not just someone who thinks franchising is a good or bad idea. I am not in the business but am considering it. I would only want to be in the business if i could ramp up the size of my business beyond one truck and one crew and franchising is one way to do so.

Talk to @jaredAI on the windowcleaning.com/community forum, or search his posts on franchises. He was a Fish franchisee when he first got started in window cleaning. I’m sure much of his experience would relate to other franchises, as well.

Bottom line (IMHO), is that service businesses do not usually make for a good franchise model. We’re not selling a product that can scale easily. And brand recognition does not matter nearly as much in this type of business as customer service, reputation, and quality work. All of those can be built (and oftentimes more effectively) without the assistance of a franchisor.

I would say that the vast majority of business owners who’ve accomplished this, have done so without the help of a franchise.

Instead, I would look to coaching & business education opportunities. You can get free info from your local SCORE office. You can read books. You can spend some money on something like Josh Latimer’s Automate Grow Sell course, or watch and read Brandon Vaughn’s solid advice.

If you took one twentieth of the money you would spend on buying a franchise and used it on self education, you will be miles ahead of most people starting out. Then take some of your leftover money and get solid equipment.

5 Likes

I compete with Sparkle Wash in my area and have taken a lot of their business. Because of the $100k+ fee plus advertising costs and substandard equipment as @Innocentbystander mentioned…they have to charge top dollar. You can educate yourself on this forum for free and know what equipment to buy…even how to market yourself effectively.

I actually looked into buying a Sparkle Wash franchise in Charlotte before I started pressure washing. I’m glad I didn’t follow through. Someone came and purchased all the “zones” of Charlotte so I would only be able to work 45 min away from my house. You can’t work in anyone else’s zone.

If you have zero idea how to market yourself and don’t want to put in any effort to learn how to do so and research how to wash all surfaces (for free on this forum)…and have $150k laying around I’d say go for it.

4 Likes

Thanks to everyone for the info. Give me your thoughts on the following: would you rather have equipment in an enclosed trailer, an open trailer or in a van? and also, i have researched a little on various pressure washing equipment but have no idea as to the quality of each. What is your opinion on the following: Hotsy, BCE Cleaning Systems, Pressure Pro, Landa. I am considering basic residential washing to include driveways etc.

More time reading here will answer all of those questions

4 Likes

Welcome to the PWRA, this forum has ALL the information you need, from insurance, to equipment, to marketing.

Good luck and happy reading

Ps. Read for a few months before you purchase anything, this is :key:!

PM me if you’d like a few shortcuts, i have tons of bookmarked posts

2 Likes

What @DoubleH said! Read and learn all you can before purchasing anything. You will be very thankful when you finally do.

2 Likes