After a career spent in the corporate world, often in companies that were frequently acquired or sold off, Troy Oliphant 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 Sparkle Squad, the quickly growing window cleaning franchise backed by Happinest Brands.

“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. Sparkle Squad 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. 

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 https://1851franchise.com/sparkle-squad.