Janitorial services in the United States reached $ 72.66 billion in total value in 2020. Though there is a slight decline due to the health crisis hitting in that same year, the demand for disinfection services for offices and homes remains strong.

One business to keep an eye on if you’re looking to franchise a janitorial and disinfection business is JAN-PRO. They’ve been in business for 30 years and provide cleaning services to the United States and internationally.

How much does it cost to open JAN-PRO Cleaning Franchise? To franchise this janitorial service, you’ll need a minimum liquid capital of $150,000 and a minimum net worth of $1,000,000. Expect the initial investment to be $4,170 to $56,020 and the franchise fee to be around $2,520 to $44,000 depending on the market.

Learn more about how to franchise JAN-PRO in my guide here. This cleaning franchise has advantages and disadvantages compared to the competition. Take our 7-minute franchise quiz to find the best option for you. 

Financial Requirements and Fees

These are the financial requirements that JAN-PRO requires for prospective franchise applicants. They also require a royalty fee of 10% and an ad royalty fee of 1%. JAN-PRO also offers a veteran’s discount. The term of agreement to run JAN-PRO is 10 years.

Average Sales / Revenue per Year

According to Statista, JAN-PRO’s revenue has increased since 2014. Their sales in 2020 were reported to be $587 million. This covers all of their franchises around the world. JAN-PRO has several plans when you franchise their business so your revenue depends on which one you get and how many accounts you’ll be able to handle.

Their starting business package can generate as little as $500 a month in revenue. This would allow someone to test the business model part-time without going all in on the business right away.

JAN-PRO Cleaning Franchise Facts

It was in 1991 when Jacques Lapointe started JAN-PRO in Providence, Rhode Island. It only took him a year in the business to decide on franchising JAN-PRO to the rest of America. The growth that JAN-PRO undertook has allowed them to emerge as JAN-PRO Systems International with over 8,000 Cleaning Franchisees and 125 Regional Development Franchisees in 41 states and 9 countries.

The services that JAN-PRO offers are the following:

• Auto dealership cleaning
• Daycare and Pre-schools cleaning
• Government facility cleaning
• Property management cleaning
• Commercial and Retail center cleaning
• Banks and Financial Institutions cleaning
• Fitness Center cleaning
• Industrial and Manufacturing cleaning
• Religious Facilities cleaning
• Schools and Universities cleaning
• Business Office cleaning
• Medical Facilities cleaning
• Restaurant cleaning
• Other Industries (Hotels, stadiums, movie theaters, and more)

JAN-PRO also offers Green Cleaning services. This is the use of eco-friendly cleaning aids such as detergents, glass cleaners, and other products that are safe for the environment and safe for people. Their products have no toxic fumes, irritant chemicals, and do not have any harmful residues. They’re also 100% biodegradable.

As mentioned above, JAN-PRO isn’t just about offering to clean your homes and offices. They’re all about disinfecting your area too. JAN-PRO uses green cleaning technology for this as well known as EnviroShield disinfecting system which eliminates bacteria and viruses by 99.9 %

To franchise JAN-PRO, complete the franchise application form provided on their website or contact them at 678-336-1780. Once the company has heard from you, they’ll set up a meeting to discuss the details of the business operation and agreement. Afterward, should you still be interested, the Development team will share the business’s updated Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD). At this point, you have 14 days after you sign the document and receive the disclosure receipt, and you’ll be eligible to purchase a JAN-PRO franchise.

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One does not need to have any experience to franchise JAN-PRO. The training and development team guide you through a five-course certification program that will help you run your cleaning and disinfection business. Franchisees also need not worry about finding accounts by themselves since JAN-PRO has a team of sales professionals help find clients for you.

At present, JAN-PRO is found in the United States and in Australia, Brazil, Canada, India, Mexico, New Zealand, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, and the United Kingdom. Gary Bauer is the brand president of JAN-PRO. Their office is headquartered in Alpharetta, Georgia.

How Much Does JAN-PRO Cleaning Make in Profit?

According to the FDD, the annual average gross profit of 71 master franchises of JAN-PRO is $1,455,074. Though there is no official data, according to the Trusted Cleaner, the average income of a business that deals with cleaning services are around $35,000 to $100,000 annually. But do bear in mind that this depends on the client base and service charges your business has.

Advantages of a JAN-PRO Cleaning Franchise

What can you get out of from franchising JAN-PRO, you wonder? Here are some of the advantages this business brings:

Green Cleaning

A business that looks out for the environment is quite impressive. JAN-PRO takes extra care in making sure that the cleaning aids they use are safe for both the people and the environment. And it’s not just the cleaning aids they use. The disinfection system they apply is eco-friendly too.

Not a lot of cleaning services offer such options so if you franchise JAN-PRO, you’ll elevate the cleaning service industry with this Green Cleaning package.

Positive Reviews from Customers

JAN-PRO has a couple of positive reviews from customers who availed of their services. One customer, David Hindman who had his daycare center disinfected, says that using their EnviroShield disinfection system ensured the health and safety of their children. Jan Edmonds who runs a children’s center says that JAN-PRO was prompt and consistent in their services which resulted in a decrease in contagious diseases. Diane Tinker from a school says that they’ve never had a problem with JAN-PRO when they request for extra services to be done.

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All in all, the service that JAN-PRO Cleaning gives to their customers is received with favorable reviews which assure you of how it is going to be like when you’ll be running this business.

Strong Global Presence

As mentioned above, JAN-PRO is found not just in the United States but in 9 countries as well. The global presence of JAN-PRO Cleaning is strong which boosts your credibility. And with the business running for 30 years, you’ll be assured that they have a proven and tested business model that works.

Services

JAN-PRO isn’t just limited to cleaning houses. Their services cover almost every industry there is. From medical facilities to offices, to even schools and large grounds like stadiums, JAN-PRO Cleaning can do it.

It’s nice to have a business that can have so many services because this way, your customers will only look for you and not go to someone else for another type of cleaning.

Disinfecting Service

At this time of the pandemic, it’s great to cover disinfection services in addition to cleaning services. This is usually seen as a need nowadays so for JAN-PRO to include this means that they’re quick thinkers and can plan in no time.

Challenges of a JAN-PRO Cleaning Franchise

“It’s too good to be true! There must be some disadvantages that JANI-PRO will bring.” Well, you’re right. All businesses have their set of challenges. Here are some you can expect so they don’t manage to catch you off guard.

Bad Franchisee Reviews

There may be positive customer reviews for JAN-PRO but there are a lot of bad franchisee reviews for this business.

One complaint mentioned how it was difficult to get their accounts and that JAN-PRO was a fraud. Another one mentioned that the business did not make them enough money because of the low bids that they receive. One even mentioned that it felt like they were working for JAN-PRO instead of having a business of their own.

Though the article was written a long time ago, we hope that there were improvements done now to help franchisees who wish to receive better accounts and better bids in order for them to make money.

Lawsuit

JAN-PRO was known to have been in a lawsuit in 2019 where Jerry Vasquez, a franchisee in California, felt like he was an employee of JAN-PRO rather than a franchise owner.

This lawsuit can be a big red flag to those interested in franchising JAN-PRO. It’s best to have a lawyer look into the Franchise Disclosure Document so you’ll know if there are any terms and payments you might miss out on or check if the business is in favor of you or not.

Lead Quality and Value

Lead quality and value is a challenge by many operators in this industry. Many corporations and businesses ask for bids from a variety of cleaning service providers so that they can get the best rate possible. The criticism from some janitorial service operators is that the bids are too low to turn a profit after paying for cleaning supplies like soaps, disinfectants, and employees.

While collecting leads from corporate can be helpful, if you are able to conduct your own networking and marketing it will strengthen your position as a business owner. You may be able to find opportunities that are more lucrative through your own efforts. Of course, this will require additional time on your end.

Labor Intensive Business

If you want to scale a janitorial services business, you’ll need to be able to hire employees. After all, your personal time as a business owner is limited and you can only be at one site at a time. If you want to grow, you’ll need to hire.

As has been heavily reported, the United States is going through a major worker shortage according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. In 2021 alone, more than 47 million workers quit their jobs. The leisure and hospitality industry was particularly hard hit with more than 5% of employees regularly quitting their jobs each month. This level of high-turnover makes it challenging to operate a business when you’ve got to be constantly finding and training in new employees to replace the ones that leave.

Is the JAN-PRO Cleaning Franchise Right For You?

JAN-PRO offers a lot of cleaning services that customers need. From cleaning to disinfecting, they seem to cover all areas. But as for being a great franchise business, it’s difficult to confidently say that they’re the best especially since they have complaints and a lawsuit that tarnishes their image.

As mentioned above, having a lawyer and a financial adviser go through the Franchise Disclosure Document with you should be able to help.

What is an alternative JAN-PRO Cleaning franchise?

A cleaning service program that functions like JAN-PRO Cleaning is Steamatic. They offer restoration services as well as cleaning services for offices and homes. They’ve been operating for 50 years and can be found in 10 countries. To start, expect investments to be at $120,000.

Another option is Jani-King with startup costs between $13,000 and $218,000. This company is a direct competitor of JAN-PRO, but they only have 44 total units in the United States. There are mixed reviews about this business from past operators as well so make sure to do your research.

With this guide, I hope you are able to make a more informed decision in choosing a next cleaning service franchise. Make sure to take the time to complete your due diligence on any cleaning company before you join. Not all opportunities are created equal in this or any industry.