If you’re exploring franchise opportunities and want to build a business that delivers stability, recurring revenue, and semi-absentee ownership, you may be comparing pest control opportunities like Complete Pest Solutions Franchise vs. commercial cleaning franchises. This article digs into what Complete Pest Solutions offers, compares its industry dynamics to commercial cleaning, and shows how Assett Franchise stacks up.
What Is the Complete Pest Solutions Franchise Opportunity?
Company Overview and Industry
- Type of Franchise: Home services / pest control / wildlife control / nuisance wildlife removal. Complete Pest Solutions offers general pest treatment (ants, bed bugs, roaches, etc.), wildlife intrusion management (bats, raccoons, squirrels, etc.), possibly sanitation and odor control in some markets according to FranchiseHelp.
- Founding Year and Expansion History: Founded in 2008. The business began in Canton, Ohio, by Anthony Farrell, who had previous experience in his family’s pest control business. It has expanded regionally (Northeast Ohio and Western Pennsylvania) and more broadly in other states. Franchising appears to have started around 2020 or 2021.
- Number of Locations & Milestones:
- As of the most recent data, there are 7 to ~12 units (franchised + possibly traditional ones) across several states.
- They serve 22 counties across 3 states in some descriptions.
- They’ve weathered economic challenges: founded in 2008 (during recession), survived fleet and building losses (like a fire in one of their locations), and reportedly grew revenue ~ 80-87% between Q1 2020 and Q1 2021 during COVID lockdowns.
What Franchisees Get
- Services Offered:
- Comprehensive pest control services (common pests) for residential and commercial customers.
- Wildlife / nuisance animal removal.
- Possibly sanitation / odor control, in some versions. Some sources mention sanitation and germ removal etc.
- Support Systems, Tools, Training Provided:
- Strong training: initial training includes field training, hands-on practice, software & administrative tools.
- Ongoing support: marketing, sales support, regional workshops, updates to methods, field support.
- Systems: software for scheduling, customer management, back-office operations.
- Customer Base (Residential vs Commercial):
- Both residential and commercial clients. The breadth of services (wildlife, pests, etc.) supports multiple customer types.
Startup Costs and Ongoing Fees
- Initial Investment Range / Liquid Capital:
- Total initial investment is somewhere between US$72,000 and US$128,000 in many sources.
- Liquid capital needed typically $50,000 or more. Some sources say $30,000 minimum cash in certain offers but more credible numbers seem higher.
- Franchise Fee, Royalties, Marketing Fees:
- Franchise fee is about $60,000 for a single‐unit franchise.
- Royalty fee: around 6-9% depending on the source.
- Advertising / Ad fund fees: around 3% in some sources.
- Additional Fees:
- Possibly equipment, licensing, insurance etc., though precise numbers are less consistently reported. As is common in pest control: regulatory licensing, chemical handling, vehicle/equipment. Although Complete Pest Solutions emphasizes low overhead and home-based model in early days.
- Other Financial / Ownership Requirements:
- Net worth required: about $150,000 in many sources.
- Discount for veterans in some cases.
- Earnings Claims / Performance Metrics:
- They cite growth: ~80-87% revenue growth from Q1 2020 to Q1 2021.
- No public Item 19 data (or very little) in what I can find – the earnings claim per franchisee is not clearly published or diversified.
How the Industry Itself Compares
Now let’s compare the pest control / wildlife / Complete Pest Solutions opportunity to the commercial cleaning industry. This includes practical, financial, and operational comparisons. My goal is to help someone see what trade-offs there are — and why a cleaning business franchise often ends up being a more favorable path for many entrepreneurs.
Complete Pest Solutions Industry Advantages
Here are strengths of a pest control franchise like Complete Pest Solutions:
- Essential and Often Recession-Resistant: Pest control is considered essential; health, safety, and property risk force consistent demand even during downturns. People don’t want infestations, wildlife intrusions, etc.
- Service Breadth / Upsell & Diversification: Because they offer wildlife removal, different pest types, recurring treatments (monthly/quarterly), possibly protections, sanitation, odor control etc., there are multiple revenue streams.
- Potential for Scaling Territories: Multiple units, scaling across counties and states; possibly master franchises.
- Lower Customer Emotions Barrier (in some cases): While pest issues can be urgent and unpleasant, people are motivated to solve the problem. There is often less comparison shopping (once the urgency is present) than with, say, choosing a cleaning company where price/quality tradeoffs are frequent.
- Recurring Revenue: Many pest control contracts (maintenance, prevention) can be recurring (monthly, quarterly, seasonal). This gives somewhat predictable cash flows.
- Home-based model / less retail overhead: No storefront often required; vehicles and equipment needed, but less capital tied up than brick-and-mortar retail operations.
Compared to Commercial Cleaning Industry
Now, comparing pest control to commercial cleaning (particularly a strong cleaning business franchise like Assett), here’s how the cleaning industry often has advantages in long-term stability, scalability, and profitability. Some of these are inherent; some come from how a well-run cleaning franchise is structured.
| Feature | Commercial Cleaning (Assett-style) Advantages | Pest Control / Complete Pest Solutions Limitations or Trade-Offs |
|---|---|---|
| Market size & demand stability | Cleaning is used everywhere: offices, medical facilities, warehouses, schools. Market size is large (often cited as $100B+). Essential even when businesses cut back, often they still need cleaning for safety, regulatory, health compliance. | Pest control is essential, too, but can have more variability based on season, climate, local weather, etc. Some pest issues are seasonal; wildlife intrusion sometimes more niche. Demand may dip or shift. |
| Recurring vs Repeat Business | Cleaning contracts tend to be recurring (daily, weekly, bi-weekly, monthly), especially B2B contracts. Once a relationship is established, high client retention. | Pest control also can have recurring agreements (maintenance), but many services are reactive, occasional, or seasonal (e.g. wildlife intrusion, termite outbreaks). The recurring portion may be smaller proportion depending on territory. |
| Cost of Entry and Overhead | Lower equipment investment (cleaning supplies, maybe some larger machines), no heavy licensing in many cases, less regulatory compliance, fewer hazardous materials. Staffing is simpler. Real estate / facility costs minimal (often just storage / warehouse or small office). | Pest control requires licensing, handling chemicals, vehicles, insurance, possibly greater liability. Training for safety, environmental compliance. Equipment costs (sprayers, protective gear, chemical inventory) are more specialized. |
| Operational complexity & risk | Cleaner operations: cleaning is more straightforward, less risk of chemical mishandling, fewer specialized certifications, less regulatory complexity. Training is easier to replicate. | More risk (chemical safety, wildlife, liability, environmental rules). More regulations and oversight in many jurisdictions. Also potential liabilities if treatments are done incorrectly. |
| Scalability & semi-absentee possibilities | Many cleaning businesses can be run semi-absentee: hire operations managers, supervisors; owner focuses on sales and scaling. Growth largely about adding contracts and staff. | Pest control can be scaled, but field work often requires technical staff; quality control is critical. Semi-absentee ownership is possible, but more challenging to ensure regulatory compliance, customer satisfaction, and safety remotely. |
| Lower sensitivity to externalities | Cleaning demand is less subject to public perceptions; even during downturns, many cleaning contracts are maintained (health / safety) or even increased (sanitation, COVID etc.). | Pest control demand can fluctuate with weather, pest population cycles, local regulations, environmental concerns. Also, negative incidents (e.g., misuse of chemicals) may damage reputation more severely. |
| Simplicity for first-time entrepreneurs | Systems are more straightforward; fewer specialized technical skills. Easier to learn, replicate, and scale. | Need to learn technical treatment methods, licensing, safety, chemicals, species identification, etc. Steeper learning curve. |
Overall, while pest control offers strong possibilities, it tends to be more complex, higher risk, and sometimes higher capital or regulatory requirements. Meanwhile, commercial cleaning can deliver consistent recurring revenue with lower risk and somewhat simpler operations, especially under a strong franchise system.
How the Assett Franchise Compares
Here’s how Assett Franchise (your brand, run by Matt Pencarinha) stacks up vs. an opportunity like Complete Pest Solutions. If you’re evaluating business ownership, these are points that may tip the scales.
Simpler Systems, Bigger Potential
- Assett is already in the commercial cleaning industry, which has many of the advantages listed above: large market, recurring B2B contracts, essential service, less regulatory complexity.
- The model is built for people who want to work on the business, not in it: Assett provides a full business playbook, proven systems, standard operating procedures. Someone with no prior cleaning or facilities management experience can get started efficiently.
- Potential for $1M+ recurring revenue businesses is realistic with commercial cleaning, especially via multi-unit contracts (offices, medical, industrial, warehouses) and retainer or recurring schedule clients. The margins after labor, supply, overhead can be strong.
Automated Hiring = Time and Money Saved
- One of the biggest challenges in service-based businesses is staffing (hiring, training, retention). Assett’s automated hiring systems reduce time spent by the owner or require less reliance on hiring specialists or managers early. This saves 20-30 hours/week or reduces the need to pay a full-time operations manager.
- Ensures more consistent workforce quality, which is crucial for reputation, customer satisfaction, and scaling.
Personalized and Founder-Led
- Assett is family or founder-led (Matt Pencarinha) rather than being part of a large conglomerate or PE firm. This means franchisees often have direct access to leadership, faster feedback, more adaptive support according to bizbuysell.com.
- A mission-driven, community-focused model often builds trust with clients and within the franchisee network; that can lead to better retention, stronger brand reputation.
Final Thoughts
If you’re exploring franchise opportunities like Complete Pest Solutions, they do offer some real strengths: essential services, recurring revenue, the potential for diversification, and proof of growth even in tough circumstances. For the right buyer — someone who is comfortable with technical complexity, licensing, chemicals, regulatory work, and willing to manage more risk — it could be a good fit.
But for many people, a commercial cleaning business franchise like Assett Franchise may offer more advantages:
- Lower regulatory burden and lower technical risk.
- More straightforward operations and staffing.
- Easier to scale semi-absentee.
- Predictable recurring revenue from B2B contracts, across many business types (offices, healthcare, industrial).
- Potential to hit $1M+ recurring revenue with less capital risk, fewer liabilities, and simpler training.
If you’re exploring franchise opportunities and want a model that can deliver long-term income, flexibility, and control — we’d love to show you how Assett Franchise can help you build a business that works for your life. Visit https://assettfranchise.com to connect with our team and learn more.
