Sparkle Squad Window Cleaning Services

After a 13-year career in corporate IT,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/rider-knouse/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=franchise-commercial-growth-rider-knouse-2731324" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Rider Knouse</a> 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&nbsp;<a href="https://sparklesquadfranchise.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=franchise-commercial-growth-rider-knouse-2731324" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Sparkle Squad</a>, 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&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/sparkle-squad/info">Sparkle Squad</a>, 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.<h2>Building a Commercial Powerhouse and Sustained Success</h2>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.&nbsp;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.“<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisstoness/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=franchise-commercial-growth-rider-knouse-2731324" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Chris Stoness</a>, 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.<h2>The Strategic Value of Commercial Work</h2>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.”<h2>Knouse’s Future in the Commercial Space and Advice for Fellow Franchisees</h2>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&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/sparkle-squad">https://1851franchise.com/sparkle-squad</a>.&nbsp;

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Sparkle Squad Franchise Success: Scaling with Commercial Contracts

1851 Franchise

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.

This brand page has been paid for by SPARKLE SQUAD WINDOW CLEANING SERVICES. Content within this page that is paid will showcase a Sponsored icon. This means the brand has engaged 1851 FRANCHISE to write the content. Content without the Sponsored Icon is aggregated media placements the brand earned. Questions can be sent to editorial@1851franchise.com

How Commercial Efficiency Helped This Sparkle Squad Franchisee Start Strong, Lay the Foundation for Scalability

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After a 15-year career in commercial real estate development and investing, where he helped grow a New Jersey development firm from 1 million to 7 million square feet under management,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanfraser6">Ryan Fraser</a> knew the ins and outs of property management. He also had the “entrepreneurial tilt” that led him to business ownership, and specifically to franchise ownership with&nbsp;<a href="https://sparklesquadfranchise.com/">Sparkle Squad</a>, the fast-growing window cleaning franchise backed by&nbsp;<a href="https://happinest.com/">Happinest Brands</a>.“I felt that bringing a differentiated mindset to what was historically a very non-institutional business, while being a local owner, would serve me really well,” Fraser said. “I liked the partnership with Happinest. In my mind, they were the original home service franchise business, and I felt really confident that they would be able to help franchisees grow those types of businesses.”Since launching in Northern New Jersey, Fraser has focused intently on leveraging his professional network and previous experience with commercial properties to establish a diversified mix of business for&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/sparkle-squad/info">Sparkle Squad</a>.While many Sparkle Squad franchisees focus on servicing residential clients, there is plenty of opportunity in the commercial space, too.“I know how property managers operate and think, and I understand the expectations they have of contractors and vendors,” Fraser said. “When the opportunity to acquire the Sparkle Squad franchise came up, I felt like the network and reputation that I had built in Northern New Jersey commercial real estate would translate really well to the business.”Fraser’s previous experience positioned him well to deliver great service to commercial clients, and he found additional operational perks in the commercial space, too.“The economics tend to be better, mostly because it’s larger projects,” he said. “I think the property management and the facilities personnel that you’re working with [also] have a good understanding of what good execution looks like, so they tend to be easier to work with.”While commercial projects drive strong business growth, Fraser is sure not to ignore the residential side of the business, either. Relying on the franchisor’s call center to handle residential inquiries allows him to funnel his energy toward larger-scale commercial bids.“You don’t want to ignore residential,” he said. “You’ve got to find the right split for your market, for your team, for the seasonality … It definitely makes a lot of sense to take that time and effort and apply it towards commercial work.”This strategy has allowed Fraser to build a successful 70/30 split between commercial and residential projects, and he maintains the health of both revenue streams by staying focused on great customer service.Building a strong reputation requires a commitment to excellence that goes beyond just completing a project to satisfaction. Fraser is committed to “wowing” clients to stand out above competitors in the market.For new owners, he says this type of success starts with communication.“Make sure that you’re reaching out prior to work, and make sure that you’re reaching out after the work is finished,” he said. “Just take the extra time to be differentiated relative to competition in the market, and I think a lot of that comes through customer service.”As he continues to grow, Fraser remains focused on healthy growth that will position him for long-term success, and he advises the same for others considering the same path.“You’re going to have to have patience,” he said. “It’s going to take time to build your reputation and build the business. It doesn’t happen overnight, but the opportunity is there, and the team is there to support you.”To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/sparkle-squad">https://1851franchise.com/sparkle-squad</a>.

Sparkle Squad Franchise - Ryan Fraser - Franchisee Feature - 1851 Franchise

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After a career spent in the corporate world, often in companies that were frequently acquired or sold off,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/troy-oliphant">Troy Oliphant</a> realized he was tired of the cycle and didn’t want to return to the corporate grind. This realization pushed him to franchising and ownership with&nbsp;<a href="https://sparklesquadfranchise.com/">Sparkle Squad</a>, the quickly growing window cleaning franchise backed by&nbsp;<a href="https://happinest.com/">Happinest Brands</a>.“I never thought we’d end up with window cleaning, but as we got deeper and deeper, we realized that it’s something that everyone needs,” Oliphant said. “There are opportunities in residential and commercial, which is super powerful. And we met the people. It was the people who really persuaded us that this was the right direction to go.&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/sparkle-squad/info">Sparkle Squad</a> was still very young at the time, but we believed the model would work, and we really liked the people.”Since launching in Kansas City, Oliphant has focused intently on developing a great customer experience — something informed by his own experience with a devastating house fire in 2022.“The house fire ordeal lasted for about two years, with us being out of the house for almost the first full year,” Oliphant said. “We were battling with insurance and contractors. We still have problems with the jobs we had done. That was really impactful; it defined how we want to be perceived by and deal with our customers. We don’t want to be the transactional contractors who talk the good talk, then disappear. That’s not how we operate.”In line with this philosophy, Oliphant has taken a relationship-first approach to the business, leveraging a genuine connection with potential clients before a job is ever booked.“This focus does mean that there’s a lot more work on our side. I’m making the calls, having the conversations and creating a custom quote that details who we are, what we do and how long it will take,” Oliphant said. “We don’t blindly send out quotes. When someone reaches out to us, we talk to them to understand what they want to do and why they want to do it. I want them to feel confident that we’ll do exactly what we say we will.”This attention to the interpersonal aspect of the business and commitment to reliability has become Oliphant’s “secret weapon” in expanding his business, including his commercial portfolio.While residential work can have seasonal ebbs and flows, slowing down in seasons when homeowners are less focused on the exterior of their homes, commercial contracts provide a steady stream of revenue. Regardless of the season, weather or other external factors, businesses must maintain their appearance to create a clean, welcoming atmosphere for customers.&nbsp;Focusing on relationships and staying ingrained in his community through networking groups and the chamber of commerce has helped Oliphant connect with and begin building deeper trust with people like property managers who need reliable vendors. By positioning himself as someone who can offer a solution to a persistent need, Oliphant has unlocked a steady stream of large-scale work.“There’s one property management company in particular … Once we had established that relationship, they learned I was ‘the easy button,’” he said. “They had a job, they could point at it, and I would get them a work summary and quote immediately. That helps them maintain their relationship with their customer, and I then have a steady source of income that is higher than my residential revenue flow. Every single month, they have more jobs for us. It bumps up the bottom line significantly.”Building this momentum has been a team effort. Oliphant’s wife, who has deep experience in logistics, has been a vital part of Sparkle Squad’s presence in Kansas City, representing the business in networking spaces and organically promoting the business through genuine, friendly conversations.As the business continues to grow, Oliphant says he looks forward to the future. Though the learning curve has been “straight up” at times, he says the rewards of ownership have already revealed themselves. In addition to the financial benefits of franchising, he has had an opportunity to lean into leadership and people development. Long-term, he aims to leverage this passion to support team members in growing from window cleaners into managers — a step that will also allow him to run the business from a higher level.“We want growth, of course; we’re not in this for altruistic reasons,” he said. “But as a part of this, we’ve discovered how much we like building our culture. Mentoring our employees is part of that, and it has been way more fulfilling than I expected. The opportunity to help our team members grow into leadership positions while building something we can be proud of is incredible.”To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/sparkle-squad">https://1851franchise.com/sparkle-squad</a>.&nbsp;

Sparkle Squad Franchise - Happinest - Troy Oliphant - 1851 Franchise

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How Commercial Efficiency Helped This Sparkle Squad Franchisee Start Strong, Lay the Foundation for Scalability

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