After a 13-year career in corporate IT, Rider Knouse had developed deep expertise in process and system development. When a franchise consultant reached out to him asking if he had ever considered the franchise path, he ignored him twice. With the third outreach, Knouse decided to have a conversation, which ultimately led him to Sparkle Squad, a rapidly growing franchise that specializes in window cleaning, gutter cleaning, house washing, pressure washing and holiday lighting services.
“The consultant was persistent, so I said, ‘Sure, why not?’ And really, the only thing I was interested in was home services,” Knouse said. “As someone who has lived in homes, people come and go, and I always think, ‘It would have been great if they did this,’ or ‘Why didn’t they do that?’ It was easy to see myself in that position.”
Through the exploration process, Knouse reviewed several Happinest Brands franchise models and ultimately landed on Sparkle Squad, partially driven by personal experience struggling to clean his own windows. Knouse recognized Sparkle Squad’s services as highly valuable to homeowners and planned to bring them to the community.
When Knouse launched in February 2025, he already had his sights set on commercial opportunities.
“I did have one commercial white whale — someone I really wanted to do business with,” Knouse said. “Southern Methodist University is in my territory, and I earned my MBA there about eight years ago. I thought that was something I’d love to be a part of because I’d take deep pride in making the campus look amazing. I tried to find any connection I had to the people responsible for those decisions and worked to craft a value proposition that would resonate.”
After a Southern Methodist University graduation ceremony, Knouse stopped by an office with some donuts and a commercial deck to discuss the opportunity. Before he got home, he received a request for proposal and began preparing a quote for 100 buildings.
The opportunity for a contract of this size was a major milestone for the young business, and Knouse leaned on Sparkle Squad’s corporate support resources to navigate the bid.
“Chris Stoness, the CEO of Sparkle Squad, is amazing to work with,” Knouse said. “His energy is amazing, and his willingness to answer every single question… After I quoted every building, I met with Chris, and he went over it and let me know if the quote was high, low or perfect.”
With that guidance, Knouse secured a five-year contract with Southern Methodist University and devoted most of his first summer in business to ensuring the campus looked its best.
While residential work remains a vital part of the Sparkle Squad business model, Knouse has also identified the unique financial and operational advantages of commercial contracts.
“You definitely have greater efficiencies with commercial projects,” he said. “You can do one commercial job or eight residential ones. It’s about the same size, but it doesn’t take as long. If you’re driving between eight houses, you’re going to be spending 10 to 20% of your time driving. If you’re at a single commercial site and in the same general area for the whole day, you reduce costs and increase the number of windows you can clean.”
Beyond the time efficiency, commercial accounts also provide a level of stability that can be hard to find in the residential space.
“Usually, commercial projects operate on a recurring basis,” Knouse said. “The potential for the service to fall off their radar completely, like it sometimes does with residential clients, is smaller, in my experience. Commercial clients have standards they must uphold, and they’re more tuned in to what’s required to do that.”
Now that he has fully transitioned out of his corporate role, Knouse is using his technical background to innovate and drive his Sparkle Squad franchise forward.
His vision for the future includes deepening his existing commercial relationships by expanding his service offerings. For example, at SMU, he has looked beyond window cleaning and stepped into holiday lighting displays for key campus spots. Knouse also sees massive potential for growth with local senior living communities, window cleaning, soft washing, and holiday lighting.
“This year, we plan to pretty much do the same thing but better,” he said. “We know a lot more about how to do it, and we know what to avoid. Having an existing book of business will be great for continued scale.”
For fellow Sparkle Squad owners looking to break into the commercial sector, Knouse emphasizes the value of consistent visibility, but he also points to the blueprint provided by the franchisor.
“You definitely have to be willing to be an extrovert; you’ve just got to do it,” he said. “But above all else, you need discipline. Especially with this system, they’ll tell you exactly what you need to do. When you follow those proven systems, your business is much more likely to thrive."
To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/sparkle-squad.
Sparkle Squad Window Cleaning
SPONSORED
Rider Knouse combined personal grit and franchisor guidance to secure a five-year contract shortly after launch, paving the way for long-term stability in his window and exterior cleaning franchise.
After a 13-year career in corporate IT, Rider Knouse had developed deep expertise in process and system development. When a franchise consultant reached out to him asking if he had ever considered the franchise path, he ignored him twice. With the third outreach, Knouse decided to have a conversation, which ultimately led him to Sparkle Squad, a rapidly growing franchise that specializes in window cleaning, gutter cleaning, house washing, pressure washing and holiday lighting services.
“The consultant was persistent, so I said, ‘Sure, why not?’ And really, the only thing I was interested in was home services,” Knouse said. “As someone who has lived in homes, people come and go, and I always think, ‘It would have been great if they did this,’ or ‘Why didn’t they do that?’ It was easy to see myself in that position.”
Through the exploration process, Knouse reviewed several Happinest Brands franchise models and ultimately landed on Sparkle Squad, partially driven by personal experience struggling to clean his own windows. Knouse recognized Sparkle Squad’s services as highly valuable to homeowners and planned to bring them to the community.
When Knouse launched in February 2025, he already had his sights set on commercial opportunities.
“I did have one commercial white whale — someone I really wanted to do business with,” Knouse said. “Southern Methodist University is in my territory, and I earned my MBA there about eight years ago. I thought that was something I’d love to be a part of because I’d take deep pride in making the campus look amazing. I tried to find any connection I had to the people responsible for those decisions and worked to craft a value proposition that would resonate.”
After a Southern Methodist University graduation ceremony, Knouse stopped by an office with some donuts and a commercial deck to discuss the opportunity. Before he got home, he received a request for proposal and began preparing a quote for 100 buildings.
The opportunity for a contract of this size was a major milestone for the young business, and Knouse leaned on Sparkle Squad’s corporate support resources to navigate the bid.
“Chris Stoness, the CEO of Sparkle Squad, is amazing to work with,” Knouse said. “His energy is amazing, and his willingness to answer every single question… After I quoted every building, I met with Chris, and he went over it and let me know if the quote was high, low or perfect.”
With that guidance, Knouse secured a five-year contract with Southern Methodist University and devoted most of his first summer in business to ensuring the campus looked its best.
While residential work remains a vital part of the Sparkle Squad business model, Knouse has also identified the unique financial and operational advantages of commercial contracts.
“You definitely have greater efficiencies with commercial projects,” he said. “You can do one commercial job or eight residential ones. It’s about the same size, but it doesn’t take as long. If you’re driving between eight houses, you’re going to be spending 10 to 20% of your time driving. If you’re at a single commercial site and in the same general area for the whole day, you reduce costs and increase the number of windows you can clean.”
Beyond the time efficiency, commercial accounts also provide a level of stability that can be hard to find in the residential space.
“Usually, commercial projects operate on a recurring basis,” Knouse said. “The potential for the service to fall off their radar completely, like it sometimes does with residential clients, is smaller, in my experience. Commercial clients have standards they must uphold, and they’re more tuned in to what’s required to do that.”
Now that he has fully transitioned out of his corporate role, Knouse is using his technical background to innovate and drive his Sparkle Squad franchise forward.
His vision for the future includes deepening his existing commercial relationships by expanding his service offerings. For example, at SMU, he has looked beyond window cleaning and stepped into holiday lighting displays for key campus spots. Knouse also sees massive potential for growth with local senior living communities, window cleaning, soft washing, and holiday lighting.
“This year, we plan to pretty much do the same thing but better,” he said. “We know a lot more about how to do it, and we know what to avoid. Having an existing book of business will be great for continued scale.”
For fellow Sparkle Squad owners looking to break into the commercial sector, Knouse emphasizes the value of consistent visibility, but he also points to the blueprint provided by the franchisor.
“You definitely have to be willing to be an extrovert; you’ve just got to do it,” he said. “But above all else, you need discipline. Especially with this system, they’ll tell you exactly what you need to do. When you follow those proven systems, your business is much more likely to thrive."
To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/sparkle-squad.
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