With decades of brand refinement but the flexibility of a new brand, Sparkle Squad — the window washing, pressure washing, soft washing and gutter cleaning franchise — has secured a unique spot in the market. Chris Stoness, founder and CEO of both Sparkle Squad and Elite Window Cleaning, has been in the industry for two decades, working to hone the Elite Window Cleaning business model in Canada. When he had the opportunity to bring a similar model to the United States, he jumped on it, and the brand has already seen incredible success.

“We found ourselves in a unique position. I’ve been doing this long enough that I can advise on exactly what to do and what not to do in most scenarios,” Stoness said. “After 12 years of aggregated mistakes as a franchise leader, we had a chance to reset the stakes by building a new brand to launch in the U.S. It felt like someone came to me and said, ‘If you could do everything again, what would that look like?’”

Asking what it would mean to do things “differently” unlocked all of the possibilities that drove Sparkle Squad to grow to 37 franchise owners across 75 U.S. territories in about a year. This rapid growth wouldn't be possible without the right franchisees, which is why Stoness places such a strong emphasis on attracting the best people.

“Thinking about ‘different’ included conversations about the type of franchise owner we would work to partner with as we grew Sparkle Squad,” Stoness said. “That became even more clear in recent weeks. We had our first combined conference with Sparkle Squad and Elite Window Cleaning franchisees, and the optimism was palpable. It’s hard to put it into words, but I stepped back and realized just how far we’ve come and how great the people are. It was so obvious to me that the people are the foundation of a great brand.”

As Sparkle Squad continues to grow, Stoness’s hands-on leadership and the brand’s unique advantage as a founder-led business set it apart, reinforcing the company’s commitment to supporting the right people within the system.

For Stoness, who started and scaled Elite Window Cleaning himself, the entire process is familiar. He has gone through the same challenges, celebrated the same wins and navigated the same scenarios that Sparkle Squad franchisees may encounter. While this experience allows him to serve as a valuable resource for Sparkle Squad owners should issues arise, his presence and influence means that, in most cases, the challenges are avoided before they even appear.

“I think there’s value in having the founder lead the system,” Stoness said. “One of the superpowers founders have is that we have personally felt the fear, risk and emotion associated with making that big investment and taking a leap. I have walked every stage of growing a window-cleaning operation from the first dollar to a multi-million-dollar company, and I have the knowledge and experience to solve the acute problems that come up in the needs of our business.”

Thanks to Stoness’ continued leadership, the guidance and resources Sparkle Squad franchisees receive is all based on real experience. Whether he is thinking back to what worked when first building the companies or sharing insights from current experiences with an existing corporate location, the advice isn’t hypothetical — it’s practical.

While Sparkle Squad is rapidly expanding, it continues to emphasize and focus on maintaining its value proposition as a founder-led brand with a strong internal culture. Rather than setting goals to award or open a certain number of territories, Stoness says he’s focused on finding and supporting the right people.

“A lot of people romanticize business, which is understandable, but not everyone has the stamina to go the distance,” he said. “We’re very open and honest about the realities of business ownership, but we also work to meet our franchisees where they are. Rather than dropping an entire business model on them in year one, we walk them through what a successful launch year looks like.”

By prioritizing this approach within the support team and working to identify entrepreneurs who have both stamina and grit, Sparkle Squad has built a culture of gratitude and communication.

“It’s exactly what I thought it would be,” Stoness said. “We have all of our owners active in comms channels; we get to learn as peers. And with that, there’s a cheering section every time an owner has a win, and there’s a sounding board if something goes wrong.”

For Sparkle Squad, this means creating a franchise model that goes beyond window cleaning. It's about building a supportive community and providing a pathway to entrepreneurial success. Sparkle Squad has done this, and as such, it is well-positioned for ongoing success in its market.

"There are only two things that make a franchise work: strong unit economics and the franchisee/franchisor relationship,” Stoness said. “Those need to be strong. If you have those, you'll pretty well overcome any obstacle a franchisee will face."

To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/sparkle-squad.