When Chris Stoness created Elite Window Cleaning in 2012, he set out to usher the window cleaning industry into the 21st century. With no significant technological updates since the patent of the squeegee in 1936, Stoness knew there was opportunity for innovation. By using highly-efficient water fed pole technology, flat rate pricing and a streamlined online booking model, Elite Window Cleaning franchisees have the opportunity to grow a highly profitable and scalable business in the $70 billion cleaning services market, while leveraging a support team with decades of experience.
By taking one look around outside, it is easy to see that windows are everywhere. In Canada alone, there are over 15 million residential buildings and over 480,000 commercial and institutional buildings — all with windows. And these windows need to be cleaned.
Traditionally, window cleaning companies need ladders to work the job, which takes time, requires a high level of effort from technicians, and adds considerable risk. With the use of water fed poles, Elite is able to clean a 3,000 square foot home in under 45 minutes. This gives franchisees the chance to make a great margin on the job and offer their customer a reduced price.
“There's never been anyone who has looked at this industry as intentionally as us,” said Stoness. “We are not only working to grow our system and disrupt our industry and it’s traditional processes, but also change the way it is sold, purchased and consumed.”
Now, on the heels of an acquisition by Happinest Brands, the parent franchisor behind home services brands including Lawn Doctor, Mosquito Hunters and ecomaids, Elite Window Cleaning is looking for hardworking franchisees to grow with across Canada.
The story of how Elite Window Cleaning came to be starts in an unlikely place: the music industry.
“Before I made the transition into window washing, I was at the top of the music industry, where I had been the majority of my career, working on Grammy winning records with world class artists,” said Stoness. “What I found was that what I had worked towards for 10 years didn't give me the kind of soul food that I had been looking for when I started out.”
So, he made the decision to look for something completely different. On his way home from the studio one day, Stoness noticed a high rise window washer doing his job and recalls thinking, “that is the most polar opposite thing that I could be doing.” Intrigued, he waited for the man to come to the ground and asked him for a job. Stoness was hired on the spot.
“I quickly realized that this industry was everywhere,” he said. “Everywhere we look, there's windows. Windows are getting cleaned and no one really knows the ins and outs of why, who or how.”
For six years, Stoness spent time traveling around and working for different window cleaning outlets all over Canada, and as far as Australia, to get the lay of the land in the industry and learn as much as possible about it. In 2012, the entrepreneur made the jump to start Elite Window Cleaning with a borrowed car, a bucket and a plan to take on this industry and challenge its traditions. Since day one, innovation has been a huge focus at the company. As Stoness examined the industry in the UK, he discovered water fed pole technology. Water fed poles are long extendable poles with a brush head. Inside the pole, a pump system dispenses purified water on demand.
“Over here in North America, everyone was still climbing up and down ladders and using lifts and ropes, so I thought this was the opportunity to evolve,” he said. “We launched the water fed program here in Canada in late 2016. We brought this innovation over to improve our safety and efficiency and help us hire better people, but the byproduct has been an insane level of efficiency and a really high level of profitability.”
In 2018, Stoness decided to look at franchising as a way to take this technology and deploy it in multiple regions. Very quickly, the brand was able to sell four territories. “They all knocked it out of the park right away,” said the CEO. “The businesses grew like crazy, with both satisfied customers and great employees. Everything that I hoped would happen started clicking.”
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, business has thrived, and the brand has continued to set records every year since its inception. In 2022, Elite Window Cleaning began bringing on more franchise partners and eventually attracted the attention of Happinest Brands. “They came to us and really saw an alignment between their strategy and ours,” said Stoness. “Now we are the newest Happinest brand on the block and ready to grow.”
The Elite Window Cleaning model lowers the barrier of entry to window cleaning for consumers, giving franchise owners access to a bigger pool of clientele. Additionally, owners have the opportunity to grow a highly profitable and scalable business in a 35-week working year, then take the winter off to enjoy the rewards of all their hard work.
“We are experiencing explosive growth in new markets,” said Stoness. “And we are attracting customers in a way that no one in our space does. We do flat rate pricing, which allows people to shop 24/7 through our online booking system. This is something that is very unusual in the home services space — especially for window cleaning.”
The franchise has found that many customers like to do their booking online, from the hours of 9 p.m. to midnight from the comfort of their homes. That’s why the brand introduced an online booking model where customers can book services whenever they need to. “We wanted to position our service to have the availability of a product sold on Amazon,” noted Stoness.
Because window cleaning is an essential service for residential and commercial customers alike, Elite Window Cleaning businesses have the opportunity to build relationships with clients over time and benefit from a repeatable business model.
“Previously, you couldn’t get your windows clean for under $200 and, for the average consumer, that might have been out of reach,” added Stoness. “And so when we came in with our flat rate price structure and quick service, we were able to see a huge whitespace in the industry.”
With over 20 years of experience in window cleaning, customer support and marketing, the Elite Window Cleaning team has created a training and support system of proven success where franchisees can onboard in as little as five weeks. This process includes physical training, online training, equipment manuals, handling procedures and marketing and branding launches.
“When I set out to create this franchise, I wanted to build out a support network that would have fast tracked my success when I was starting to build my company,” said Stoness. “So we have what we call the BOSS system, which is the back office support system. The idea is to take on a lot of the things that would take a franchise owner out of revenue generating activities.”
The back office is a corporate-run facility that handles incoming calls and coaching, and offers in-house marketing and national brand awareness. The 24/7 call center not only picks up the phone for franchisees, but handles the sales, conversions, the scheduling and putting jobs on a franchisee’s schedule. The same goes for post-appointment care when Elite Window Cleaning automatically sends the invoice out, as well as review requests and drip campaigns to put customers into a repeatable cycle.
“The BOSS system encompasses everything from how leads are generated to how sales are converted with our in-house sales center,” said Eric Martin, Senior Vice President of Franchise Development at Happinest. “It's a connective tissue where all of our technology today is intertwined to where we can communicate with each other in real time and adjust schedules appointments. It's a cloud system that everyone has access to, so no one's ever left in the dark.”
Franchisees also benefit from weekly all hands meetings once a week and bi-weekly one-on-one business performance coaching. “We're always looking to assist franchise owners in growing the biggest, strongest and most robust version of an Elite Window Cleaning,” said Stoness. “So we really lean into support mechanisms that will free up their bandwidth.”
Elite Window Cleaning franchisees will also benefit from having the backing of parent company Happinest Brands. “There's 100 employees with Happinest that support all of our brands,” said Sharon Cupach, Vice President of Franchise Development at Happinest. “We have subject matter experts in every area, so we're able to amplify a really great brand by having Elite in the Happinest family.”
Everywhere we look, there are windows — and they continue to get dirty. Window cleaning is an essential part of keeping homes and commercial buildings looking their best. “It's a very repeatable, revenue-based business,” said Cupach. “Windows are gonna get clean, and then they're gonna get dirty again and then they need to be cleaned again.” Martin added, “In addition to Windows, Elite also offers screen cleaning, gutter cleaning, house washing and power washing. We have multiple revenue streams, and while window cleaning is typically the gateway service, we have an opportunity to expand the customer relationship and build repeat business throughout the year, and customer lifetime.”
Elite Window Cleaning is looking for franchisees of all backgrounds who not only want to take advantage of this booming industry, but who are driven, compassionate and ready to lead. There's also a very strong human connection element in this industry, so good communication is essential.
In 2023, Elite Window Cleaning is looking to add multiple units in Canada and intends to continue along an impressive growth trajectory through 2025. With territories expected to sell quickly, now is the time to get involved.
“Now is the time to invest in Elite because the market is insanely fragmented,” said Stoness. “Coast to coast in Canada, there is really no national provider of this service. Having the support and growth mechanisms that come with an Elite Window Cleaning franchise is truly almost an unfair advantage. The timing is right because I expect that, in five years, there won't be a lot of territory left.”
The total initial investment necessary to start an Elite Window Cleaning franchise ranges from $102,057 - $120,332, including a $40,000 franchise fee. For more information on franchising with Elite Window Cleaning, visit https://elitewindowcleaningfranchise.ca/.
Elite Window Cleaning
SPONSORED
With a borrowed car, a bucket and a plan to change the window washing industry for good, Chris Stoness launched Elite Window Cleaning, the latest franchisor under the Happinest Brands umbrella.
When Chris Stoness created Elite Window Cleaning in 2012, he set out to usher the window cleaning industry into the 21st century. With no significant technological updates since the patent of the squeegee in 1936, Stoness knew there was opportunity for innovation. By using highly-efficient water fed pole technology, flat rate pricing and a streamlined online booking model, Elite Window Cleaning franchisees have the opportunity to grow a highly profitable and scalable business in the $70 billion cleaning services market, while leveraging a support team with decades of experience.
By taking one look around outside, it is easy to see that windows are everywhere. In Canada alone, there are over 15 million residential buildings and over 480,000 commercial and institutional buildings — all with windows. And these windows need to be cleaned.
Traditionally, window cleaning companies need ladders to work the job, which takes time, requires a high level of effort from technicians, and adds considerable risk. With the use of water fed poles, Elite is able to clean a 3,000 square foot home in under 45 minutes. This gives franchisees the chance to make a great margin on the job and offer their customer a reduced price.
“There's never been anyone who has looked at this industry as intentionally as us,” said Stoness. “We are not only working to grow our system and disrupt our industry and it’s traditional processes, but also change the way it is sold, purchased and consumed.”
Now, on the heels of an acquisition by Happinest Brands, the parent franchisor behind home services brands including Lawn Doctor, Mosquito Hunters and ecomaids, Elite Window Cleaning is looking for hardworking franchisees to grow with across Canada.
The story of how Elite Window Cleaning came to be starts in an unlikely place: the music industry.
“Before I made the transition into window washing, I was at the top of the music industry, where I had been the majority of my career, working on Grammy winning records with world class artists,” said Stoness. “What I found was that what I had worked towards for 10 years didn't give me the kind of soul food that I had been looking for when I started out.”
So, he made the decision to look for something completely different. On his way home from the studio one day, Stoness noticed a high rise window washer doing his job and recalls thinking, “that is the most polar opposite thing that I could be doing.” Intrigued, he waited for the man to come to the ground and asked him for a job. Stoness was hired on the spot.
“I quickly realized that this industry was everywhere,” he said. “Everywhere we look, there's windows. Windows are getting cleaned and no one really knows the ins and outs of why, who or how.”
For six years, Stoness spent time traveling around and working for different window cleaning outlets all over Canada, and as far as Australia, to get the lay of the land in the industry and learn as much as possible about it. In 2012, the entrepreneur made the jump to start Elite Window Cleaning with a borrowed car, a bucket and a plan to take on this industry and challenge its traditions. Since day one, innovation has been a huge focus at the company. As Stoness examined the industry in the UK, he discovered water fed pole technology. Water fed poles are long extendable poles with a brush head. Inside the pole, a pump system dispenses purified water on demand.
“Over here in North America, everyone was still climbing up and down ladders and using lifts and ropes, so I thought this was the opportunity to evolve,” he said. “We launched the water fed program here in Canada in late 2016. We brought this innovation over to improve our safety and efficiency and help us hire better people, but the byproduct has been an insane level of efficiency and a really high level of profitability.”
In 2018, Stoness decided to look at franchising as a way to take this technology and deploy it in multiple regions. Very quickly, the brand was able to sell four territories. “They all knocked it out of the park right away,” said the CEO. “The businesses grew like crazy, with both satisfied customers and great employees. Everything that I hoped would happen started clicking.”
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, business has thrived, and the brand has continued to set records every year since its inception. In 2022, Elite Window Cleaning began bringing on more franchise partners and eventually attracted the attention of Happinest Brands. “They came to us and really saw an alignment between their strategy and ours,” said Stoness. “Now we are the newest Happinest brand on the block and ready to grow.”
The Elite Window Cleaning model lowers the barrier of entry to window cleaning for consumers, giving franchise owners access to a bigger pool of clientele. Additionally, owners have the opportunity to grow a highly profitable and scalable business in a 35-week working year, then take the winter off to enjoy the rewards of all their hard work.
“We are experiencing explosive growth in new markets,” said Stoness. “And we are attracting customers in a way that no one in our space does. We do flat rate pricing, which allows people to shop 24/7 through our online booking system. This is something that is very unusual in the home services space — especially for window cleaning.”
The franchise has found that many customers like to do their booking online, from the hours of 9 p.m. to midnight from the comfort of their homes. That’s why the brand introduced an online booking model where customers can book services whenever they need to. “We wanted to position our service to have the availability of a product sold on Amazon,” noted Stoness.
Because window cleaning is an essential service for residential and commercial customers alike, Elite Window Cleaning businesses have the opportunity to build relationships with clients over time and benefit from a repeatable business model.
“Previously, you couldn’t get your windows clean for under $200 and, for the average consumer, that might have been out of reach,” added Stoness. “And so when we came in with our flat rate price structure and quick service, we were able to see a huge whitespace in the industry.”
With over 20 years of experience in window cleaning, customer support and marketing, the Elite Window Cleaning team has created a training and support system of proven success where franchisees can onboard in as little as five weeks. This process includes physical training, online training, equipment manuals, handling procedures and marketing and branding launches.
“When I set out to create this franchise, I wanted to build out a support network that would have fast tracked my success when I was starting to build my company,” said Stoness. “So we have what we call the BOSS system, which is the back office support system. The idea is to take on a lot of the things that would take a franchise owner out of revenue generating activities.”
The back office is a corporate-run facility that handles incoming calls and coaching, and offers in-house marketing and national brand awareness. The 24/7 call center not only picks up the phone for franchisees, but handles the sales, conversions, the scheduling and putting jobs on a franchisee’s schedule. The same goes for post-appointment care when Elite Window Cleaning automatically sends the invoice out, as well as review requests and drip campaigns to put customers into a repeatable cycle.
“The BOSS system encompasses everything from how leads are generated to how sales are converted with our in-house sales center,” said Eric Martin, Senior Vice President of Franchise Development at Happinest. “It's a connective tissue where all of our technology today is intertwined to where we can communicate with each other in real time and adjust schedules appointments. It's a cloud system that everyone has access to, so no one's ever left in the dark.”
Franchisees also benefit from weekly all hands meetings once a week and bi-weekly one-on-one business performance coaching. “We're always looking to assist franchise owners in growing the biggest, strongest and most robust version of an Elite Window Cleaning,” said Stoness. “So we really lean into support mechanisms that will free up their bandwidth.”
Elite Window Cleaning franchisees will also benefit from having the backing of parent company Happinest Brands. “There's 100 employees with Happinest that support all of our brands,” said Sharon Cupach, Vice President of Franchise Development at Happinest. “We have subject matter experts in every area, so we're able to amplify a really great brand by having Elite in the Happinest family.”
Everywhere we look, there are windows — and they continue to get dirty. Window cleaning is an essential part of keeping homes and commercial buildings looking their best. “It's a very repeatable, revenue-based business,” said Cupach. “Windows are gonna get clean, and then they're gonna get dirty again and then they need to be cleaned again.” Martin added, “In addition to Windows, Elite also offers screen cleaning, gutter cleaning, house washing and power washing. We have multiple revenue streams, and while window cleaning is typically the gateway service, we have an opportunity to expand the customer relationship and build repeat business throughout the year, and customer lifetime.”
Elite Window Cleaning is looking for franchisees of all backgrounds who not only want to take advantage of this booming industry, but who are driven, compassionate and ready to lead. There's also a very strong human connection element in this industry, so good communication is essential.
In 2023, Elite Window Cleaning is looking to add multiple units in Canada and intends to continue along an impressive growth trajectory through 2025. With territories expected to sell quickly, now is the time to get involved.
“Now is the time to invest in Elite because the market is insanely fragmented,” said Stoness. “Coast to coast in Canada, there is really no national provider of this service. Having the support and growth mechanisms that come with an Elite Window Cleaning franchise is truly almost an unfair advantage. The timing is right because I expect that, in five years, there won't be a lot of territory left.”
The total initial investment necessary to start an Elite Window Cleaning franchise ranges from $102,057 - $120,332, including a $40,000 franchise fee. For more information on franchising with Elite Window Cleaning, visit https://elitewindowcleaningfranchise.ca/.
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