CleanStart Systems franchise
2022 filing · April 14, 2022Fewer locations
CleanStart Systems at a glance
A commercial janitorial and cleaning business serving offices and other commercial buildings. At the end of 2021 there were 3 CleanStart Systems locations in the US, 2 franchised and 1 company-owned.
The business
- Franchisor
- Cleanfran, LLC
- The company that sells the franchises
- Franchisor based in
- Auburn, New York
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $25K–$33K
- Fee, build-out and opening working capital
- Franchise fee
- $19,500
- Paid once, when you sign
- Royalty
- 10% + 3%
- 10% of gross revenue, paid monthly and reduced as monthly revenue grows, plus 3% for billing and collection services
- Brand fund
- 2%
- 2% of gross revenue, paid monthly
- Renewal fee
- $5,000
- When the agreement ends and you sign again
- Agreement length
- 10 years
- Territory
- Limited
- Limited protection
- Franchisor financing
- Some financing offered
Where it is
- US locations, 2021
- 3
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 2
- Company-owned
- 1
- Change in 3 years
- −1
- Franchised locations, 2019–2021
- States
- 1
- Most in New York
From Cleanfran, LLC’s 2022 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
CleanStart Systems among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | CleanStart Systems | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $28,950 | Costs less than 99% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $19,500 | Lower than 92% of franchises |
| RoyaltyShare of sales paid to the franchisor | 10% | Higher than 95% of brands with a set rate |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 3 | Fewer than 78% of franchises |
How much a CleanStart Systems franchise costs
Opening one CleanStart Systems costs an estimated $24,900 to $33,000. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital. It is one of the franchises under $30K.
The biggest costs are initial franchise fee ($19,500) and technology, office equipment and supplies ($1,000 to $3,000). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $19,500 | ||
| Leasehold Improvements and Signage | $0 | ||
| Vehicle | $0 | ||
| Capital Equipment and Supplies | $1,000 | $2,000 | |
| Technology, Office Equipment and Supplies | $1,000 | $3,000 | |
| Start-Up Marketing | $500 | $1,000 | |
| Insurance | $800 | $1,000 | |
| Professional Fees | $300 | $1,000 | |
| Licenses/Bonds | $200 | $400 | |
| Your Out-of-Pocket Expenses While Attending Training | $600 | $2,100 | |
| Working Capital (Additional Funds over next 3 months) | $1,000 | $3,000 | |
| Total | $24,900 | $33,000 | |
Source: Cleanfran, LLC, 2022 filing, page 14
CleanStart Systems franchise fee
The franchise fee is $19,500. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: Cleanfran, LLC, 2022 filing, page 10
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 10% of gross revenue, paid monthly and reduced as monthly revenue grows, plus 3% for billing and collection services. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | 2% of gross revenue, paid monthly. |
| Technology Fee | $100 |
| Renewal Franchise Fee | $5,000 |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: Cleanfran, LLC, 2022 filing, pages 11 and 12
Other fees as filed, from pages 12–13. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
No figures CleanStart Systems does not share sales or profit figures for its locations. Talking to current and former franchise owners is the usual way to learn what a location earns.
Source: Cleanfran, LLC, 2022 filing, page 34
Growth and closures
Share of franchised locations, 2021 / 2019–2021. Typical means the median: half of brands are above it, half below.
| Measure | CleanStart Systems | Typical commercial cleaning brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| GrowthNet change in franchised locations | −33% / −33% | +3.1% / +14% | +1.2% / +10% |
| ClosuresTerminated, not renewed or stopped operating | 33% / 33% | 6.2% / 25% | 3.9% / 16% |
| Bought backLocations the franchisor took back | 0% / 0% | 0% / 0% | 0% / 0% |
Typical commercial cleaning brand is the median of the 15 brands in commercial cleaning franchises with three years of counts.
How CleanStart Systems compares
Of the 45 commercial cleaning franchises on this site, CleanStart Systems is the 14th cheapest to open and the 33rd largest by number of locations.
| Figure | CleanStart Systems | Typical commercial cleaning brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $25K | $66K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $33K | $134K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $20K | $35K | $40K |
| Royalty | 10% | 7% | 6% |
| Brand fund | 2% | 1% | 2% |
| US locations | 3 | 47 | 21 |
| Shares earnings figures | No | 31 of 45 | 2,147 of 3,352 |
Typical is the median across the 45 brands in commercial cleaning franchises; typical franchise, across every brand here.
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned | Opened | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 3 (0) | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | 3 (0) | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | 2 (−1) | 1 | 0 | −1 |
Closed or left counts terminations, non-renewals, locations bought back by the franchisor and locations that stopped operating.
See which brands grew most in the fastest-growing franchises rankings.
More in the guides: cleaning franchise costs and franchise failure rates.
Source: Cleanfran, LLC, 2022 filing, page 35
Where CleanStart Systems locations are
At the end of 2021, CleanStart Systems had locations in 1 state. The most are in New York.
- New York3
| State | Franchised | Company-owned | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 2 | 1 | 3 |
Source: Cleanfran, LLC, 2022 filing, page 35
Who owns CleanStart Systems?
CleanStart Systems franchises are sold by Cleanfran, LLC.
From Cleanfran, LLC’s 2022 filing.
Lawsuits and bankruptcy
| Lawsuits and regulatory actions | None. The filing says no litigation has to be disclosed. |
|---|---|
| Bankruptcy | None. The filing says no bankruptcy has to be disclosed. |
Franchisors must disclose lawsuits and bankruptcies involving the company, its parents and affiliates, and its executives. Many cases are routine disputes with franchisees over fees or contracts; read the descriptions in the filing and ask current owners about anything that worries you.
Source: Cleanfran, LLC, 2022 filing, litigation on page 10, bankruptcy on page 10
CleanStart Systems filings
The figures on this page come from Cleanfran, LLC’s 2022 filing, issued April 14, 2022, on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 filing | April 14, 2022 | NASAA depository | Costs, fees and locations, 2019–2021 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
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