Unit Option

Single

Background

FDD Franchised Units: 103

Corporate Owned Units: 0

Projected New Units: 11

Year Established: 1994

First Year Franchised: 1998

Type of Business: Franchise

History:

Window Genie window cleaning, window tinting and pressure washing franchise is CEO’s ultimate ‘lifestyle business’

Car enthusiast Rik Nonelle figured out early on that he wanted to be the guy behind the wheel. Working for Chrysler subsidiary Ryan Insurance in his 20s, he reached a point where he didn’t want to work for someone else. He was 29.

A family friend had been highly successful running a janitorial supply company; their family was successful enough to retire to Vail, CO. Another family friend ran a janitorial business and, with just a handful of accounts, was able to make more than he could have in a job. Rik had already ruled out food businesses — too complicated and costly — and was already leaning toward a business in the cleaning industry when a high school friend gave him the piece of advice that would eventually create a national brand: “You should focus on residential window cleaning.” And like every prospect who has ever looked at us, he asked, “What is that?”

Like so many people today, Rik didn’t realize how large the market for residential window cleaning was. “I never had a window cleaner growing up,” Rik says. “In my eight years living as an adult in Cincinnati, I never used one. I wondered: Is that really a business? Who needs a window cleaner besides a rich person?”

His research in the phone book and at the local library indicated that window cleaning was a serious business, and a booming one. There were 45 residential window cleaning companies in Cincinnati in 1994. Rik wanted to be more than just No. 46. Looking through phone books from across the country, Rik called as many window cleaners as he could, mystery shopping and taking notes on pricing, marketing and size. “That was my validation,” he says. “I was documenting how to build the business, based on what we learned from existing businesses. We were modeling the local business toward franchising from Day 1.”

Availability

Territories: United States

Financials

Liquidity: $50,000

*Investment Range: $136,064 - $305,683

Minimum Net Worth: $100,000 or less

Franchise Fee: $40000

Royalty: 6%

Royalty Description: 6% of Gross Sales, except for “roll-in” sales. In addition, minimum license fees apply.

Advertising: 2% of Gross Sales except for “roll-in” sales. In addition, minimum MAP fees apply.

Passive Ownership: Semi- passive after 1 year
Passive Ownership means the owner is working 15 hours or less per week in the business.

Available Discounts

• Veterans

Discount Description: If you are a United States or Canadian honorably discharged veteran (as such term is defined by us in our sole discretion) who meets our qualifications for purchasing a franchise, you will, with the initial purchase of at least 50,000 households, receive an additional 15,000 households at no cost, which equates to a $7,500 in savings. There are no territory size restrictions to qualify for the VetFran Discount, other than the requirement that you purchase at least one territory of 50,000 households.

Training, Support and Assistance

Co-Operative Advertising: N/A

Site Selection Assistance: N/A

Lease Negotiation Assistance: N/A

Length of Training: 2 weeks

Training Description:

Window Genie has an extensive at-home pre-training process for owners to begin setting up the business.  This includes building a 12 month operational budget, developing a local marketing plan, ordering truck and equipment, vehicle wrap installation, etc.

New owners attend 1 week of business management training in Cincinnati, OH learning all of the financial, marketing, and operations systems of the business.

Window Genie then sends a Field Training Specialist (FTS) to the franchisee’s location 1 week before Grand Opening to train the owner and the first 2 technicians on all of the core services of the business through 5 days of hands-on training.

Operational and Marketing Tools:

Franchisees market their business through digital advertising, ie. PPC, SEO, social media ads, 3rd party lead aggrigators (Angie’s List, Home Adviser, etc.) direct mail campaigns, etc.  Window Genie’s corporate marketing team manages all of the listing and advertising placements for each of our owners, helps owners set a local advertising budget to maximize each lead source, and provides a detailed monthly breakdown of ROI from each lead source, cost per click, click to call rate, etc.

Window Genie is also part of the Neighborly family of brands.  When a new Window Genie location is launched, an email campaign is sent out to the existing customers for the other Neighborly brand customers within the territory – introducing them to the Window Genie brand, services offered, and an introductory discount to use the service for the first time.

Financing Assistance: Available