If you’re exploring franchise opportunities in 2025, Pet Passages might be on your radar. Pet Passages is a unique franchise that offers pet funeral and cremation services – an opportunity that appeals to passionate pet lovers looking for a purpose-driven business. In this in-depth review, we’ll break down what the Pet Passages franchise entails, including its background, services, costs, and support. We’ll then compare the pet aftercare industry it operates in to the commercial cleaning industry, to see how each stacks up in terms of stability, scalability, and financial potential. Finally, we’ll show how the Assett Franchise (a commercial cleaning business franchise led by founder Matt Pencarinha) measures up, highlighting why commercial cleaning can be a cleaner, more scalable alternative for aspiring business owners.
What Is the Pet Passages Franchise Opportunity?
Pet Passages is the first national franchise in the pet aftercare sector – essentially a pet funeral home and cremation service business. For an entrepreneur with a love of animals and a desire to help people in their time of need, Pet Passages offers a chance to turn compassion into a profitable venture. Let’s look at the company’s background, what franchise owners receive, and the investment required.
Company Overview and Industry
Pet Passages was founded in the late 2000s by Mike Harris, a third-generation human funeral director who saw a critical gap in care for pets. In 2008, after the loss of his own two dogs, Harris was struck by the lack of professional, dignified pet funeral options. He decided to create a service that applied the same level of compassion and respect given to human family members. The first Pet Passages location opened around 2009, and the concept began franchising by 2016, making Pet Passages the pioneer of the pet memorial/cremation franchise model according to sharpsheets.io. Over the next several years, the brand expanded steadily. As of mid-decade, Pet Passages has roughly 18–20 locations across the United States, with franchise units operating in about 13 states. It remains the original and most experienced pet cremation franchise, often credited with creating the pet aftercare franchise category and setting the standards for this niche industry.
The pet aftercare industry that Pet Passages serves is an emerging segment within the booming pet care market. Pet ownership is at an all-time high in the U.S., and more pet parents are treating their animals like family members even in end-of-life care. This means services like pet cremations and memorials are in high demand and expected to grow. Pet Passages positions itself as the nation’s leading and most trusted name in this space. For prospective franchisees, the company touts this field as a “recession-resistant opportunity in a high-demand industry,” noting that even during economic downturns, people prioritize dignified care for their beloved pets. In other words, like human funeral services, pet aftercare addresses a need that is inevitable and not easily cut from the budget. Pet Passages franchise owners operate at the intersection of a compassionate mission and a business opportunity – providing a service that truly matters to grieving families while tapping into a growing market.
What Franchisees Get
A Pet Passages franchisee essentially runs a pet funeral and cremation service in their exclusive territory. This involves a variety of specialized services aimed at helping pet owners through one of life’s hardest moments. Franchisees offer private pet cremations, pet funeral ceremonies or viewings, memorial planning, grief support resources, and even keepsake products like urns and memorial jewelry. In practical terms, a Pet Passages location might have a small facility (sometimes home-based or light industrial space) where pet remains are received and cared for, a cremation unit (retort) if the franchisee opts to perform cremations on-site, and a viewing room or memorial area for families who want a funeral service for their pet. They also typically provide transportation (pickup of the pet from the home or veterinary office) and ensure the return of the pet’s ashes within a guaranteed time frame (e.g. within 72 hours, per company standards).
What sets Pet Passages apart is the level of professionalism and technology they bring to pet aftercare. Each franchisee and their staff are trained and certified as Pet Funeral Directors, ensuring they uphold high standards of compassionate care and ethics. The company developed a proprietary tracking system called Secure Passages™, which allows pet owners to follow each step of their pet’s journey through the cremation process for full transparency. There is also a Pet Parent Gateway – an online portal for clients to handle arrangements and memorialize their pet. Pet Passages was among the first to introduce online memorial tribute pages and virtual planning tools in this industry. All of these tools help franchisees deliver a “gold standard” pet memorial experience, giving grieving pet parents peace of mind that their pet is treated with dignity.
Beyond the services offered to customers, Pet Passages provides robust support and training to its franchise owners. New franchisees attend an initial training program (about 7–10 days) at the Pet Passages Learning Center and headquarters. This comprehensive training includes hands-on learning in pet cremation procedures, handling remains respectfully, comforting grieving families, and daily operational routines. By the end of training, franchise owners earn their Certified Pet Funeral Director credential, unique to the Pet Passages system. After launch, support continues with ongoing education, regular virtual meetings, and a suite of digital tools to help run the business. Each franchisee gets access to a digital operations portal with resources and is backed by an in-house advertising/marketing team for continual promotion of their services.
Notably, Pet Passages heavily emphasizes building relationships with local veterinarians. The franchisor helps owners implement a Veterinary Partnership Program with strategies for connecting to vet clinics and animal hospitals. Since many pet owners turn to their vet for guidance when a pet passes away, these referral relationships are a key driver of business. Pet Passages corporate even has established partnerships with major veterinary groups to facilitate referrals. As a franchisee, you receive marketing materials and software tools to make referring clients easy for vet offices, positioning your franchise as a trusted extension of their care. This B2B aspect (working closely with vet practices and even humane societies) supplements the B2C nature of serving pet owner families. In short, franchisees benefit from proven systems, technology, and a supportive network that enable them to focus on compassionate customer service in their community.
The customer base for Pet Passages is primarily individual pet owners (households). Every household that has a dog, cat, or other beloved pet could be a potential client when that pet passes away. Given that 70% of U.S. households have a pet, the client pool is broad. However, marketing is delicate – families usually need this service unexpectedly or with little lead time. That’s why being top-of-mind with local veterinarians and having a strong local reputation is crucial. Some franchisees also form partnerships with animal shelters and pet hospice services. While the service is ultimately sold to consumers, the business relies on a mix of direct consumer marketing and professional referrals to reach those in need at the right time.
Startup Costs and Ongoing Fees
Launching a Pet Passages franchise requires a moderate investment that can vary widely based on how you set up your operation. According to the Franchise Disclosure Document, the total initial investment ranges roughly from $71,000 on the low end up to about $450,000 on the high end. This investment includes everything needed to start the business: the franchise fee (which ranges from about $55,000 to $75,000 depending on territory size), costs to secure a facility or modify an existing space, equipment purchases, initial inventory of supplies and urn products, licensing and insurance, and three months of working capital. The wide range is because some franchisees may opt for a smaller home-based model (outsourcing the actual cremation to a partner facility initially), whereas others will invest in a full on-site crematory setup with specialized equipment. The single largest expense can be the cremation retort (oven) which can cost well into six figures, but Pet Passages notes that in some cases a new owner might start with a third-party cremation service until they can justify that equipment purchase. The company requires franchise candidates to have at least around $70,000 in liquid capital and a minimum net worth of about $300,000, to ensure they can secure financing for the total investment.
In terms of ongoing fees, Pet Passages franchisees pay a royalty of 6% of gross sales to the franchisor. This royalty fee covers continued support, use of the brand and systems, and ongoing innovation. There is also a national advertising/marketing fund fee which is relatively low – about 1% of gross sales is contributed to the brand’s marketing efforts. (Some sources note a 2% marketing fee, but Pet Passages’ FDD indicates a 1% national ad fee, making it a modest requirement by franchise standards.) Additionally, franchisees pay a small technology fee (around $250 per month) to maintain the proprietary software systems like Secure Passages™. Other costs to budget for include typical business expenses: staff wages (many owners start as owner-operators with 1–2 staff and scale up to perhaps 5–6 employees as they grow), lease or rent for a facility (unless operating from home), fuel and vehicle maintenance for pet pickup service, utilities for running the cremation equipment, and local marketing beyond what corporate provides.
Importantly, Pet Passages does include an Item 19 (Financial Performance Representation) in its FDD, meaning they disclose some financial data from existing franchises. This helps prospective owners gauge the earning potential. While exact earnings will vary by location and population served, recent data gives a sense of the averages. On average, a Pet Passages franchised business generates around $270,000 to $300,000 in annual revenue per location. The franchisor’s marketing materials boast “margins of up to 30% or more” for franchisees, and indeed a well-run pet cremation operation can have healthy gross margins (since each service – cremation or memorial package – has a relatively low direct cost outside of labor and fuel). However, the actual owner’s take-home earnings (after paying expenses and royalties) are more moderate. Industry analysis estimates franchisee owners net around $38,000–$48,000 per year on average. That would equate to roughly a 15%–18% profit margin at the average sales volume. Some franchise owners certainly perform above average, but these figures suggest that reaching a six-figure income may require growing the business beyond the average volume or operating multiple territories.
Considering those numbers, the return on investment timeline can vary. Pet Passages’ own materials mention that franchisees might achieve a full ROI in as little as 12 to 18 months – likely in cases where an owner keeps startup costs lean (for example, starting without expensive equipment) and quickly builds a high volume of clients. In more typical scenarios, third-party analyses have calculated a franchise payback period of roughly 10 years based on average revenues and investment levels. In other words, it could take around a decade of operation for the cumulative profits to recoup the initial investment, assuming average performance. This is not unusual for a brick-and-mortar service franchise, but it’s an important consideration. The relatively finite market in each territory (i.e. the number of pet deaths per year in your area) means there’s an upper limit to revenue unless population or pet ownership in the area grows significantly. That said, Pet Passages franchise owners benefit from being first-to-market in many communities – often facing little or no direct competition for specialized pet memorial services – which allows them to capture the bulk of local demand and potentially outperform those averages if they execute well. The business can also be emotionally rewarding and comes with the intangible benefit of helping people in a meaningful way, which for some owners is as important as the financial returns.
How the Industry Itself Compares
Choosing a franchise isn’t just about the brand – it’s also about the industry you’ll be operating in. Pet Passages sits in the pet services industry, specifically pet end-of-life care. Its closest “indirect competitors” might not be another pet funeral franchise (since Pet Passages is one of the only ones), but rather other pet service businesses or even human funeral homes expanding into pet cremation. However, many entrepreneurs considering Pet Passages could also be weighing totally different industries for franchise ownership. One such comparison – and the focus of this discussion – is the commercial cleaning industry, where Assett Franchise operates.
The commercial cleaning industry (janitorial and maintenance services for businesses) is drastically different from pet aftercare in day-to-day operations. Below, we’ll outline the advantages of Pet Passages’ pet aftercare niche and then compare them to the advantages of the commercial cleaning business. In doing so, we’ll see that while Pet Passages offers a purpose-driven niche, the commercial cleaning industry offers some compelling benefits in terms of scale, stability, and profit potential.
Pet Passages Industry Advantages
Despite being a niche, the pet aftercare industry that Pet Passages leads has a number of attractive qualities for the right entrepreneur. First and foremost, it’s driven by the robust pet industry overall. Americans’ spending on pets has been rising every year – the total U.S. pet industry expenditures reached an estimated $152 billion in 2024 and continue to grow. While pet aftercare is just a slice of that (veterinary and related services are about $38 billion of the pet sector), the key point is that pet owners are willing to invest in their pets’ well-being and dignity, even when it comes to end-of-life services. This emotional connection means the market for compassionate pet funerals and cremations is likely to keep expanding as long as pet ownership stays high.
Another advantage of the pet aftercare business is its purpose-driven nature. Many franchise owners are drawn to Pet Passages because it offers the chance to help others and make a positive impact during a difficult time. It’s not just cleaning or fixing something; you’re guiding families through grief and honoring their beloved companions. For someone who finds deep meaning in that mission, this industry can be very fulfilling. The work you do often earns heartfelt gratitude from customers, which can be personally rewarding in a way that, say, a transactional business might not be.
The Pet Passages model also benefits from being relatively unique and differentiated. In most communities, the main alternative for pet aftercare might be whatever your local veterinary clinic offers (often a basic cremation service, sometimes outsourced to a third-party crematorium with ashes returned weeks later). By introducing a “gold standard” franchise-backed service – with dedicated facilities, trained pet funeral directors, tracking technology, and personalized memorial options – a Pet Passages franchise can quickly become the go-to provider and establish a strong reputation. Being the first in a market can confer a huge competitive advantage. Pet Passages emphasizes that exclusive territories are going fast, encouraging entrepreneurs to “claim your market” while it’s still open. For a franchisee, this means you often enjoy a local monopoly of sorts in premium pet aftercare, especially given Pet Passages’ nationally recognized brand credibility.
In terms of revenue characteristics, the pet aftercare business is somewhat resilient to economic swings. Sadly, pets will continue to age and pass away regardless of the economy. And many pet owners, when faced with that loss, will prioritize finding the best care they can afford for their furry family member. This can make the demand for pet cremation steady year-round and year-to-year. It’s not highly seasonal – pets pass away in all seasons, and while there may be minor fluctuations (for instance, some regions see more pet euthanasias in summer due to heat or after holidays due to age – anecdotal observations), there isn’t a pronounced “off-season.” Moreover, because it’s often an emotional, once-in-a-lifetime purchase for each pet, customers tend not to penny-pinch as much; they often choose the service that feels right to honor their pet’s memory, rather than just the cheapest option. This dynamic can support healthy margins. Franchisees have reported gross margins around 30% on services, and the sale of memorial products (urns, pawprint molds, tributes) can add additional high-margin revenue.
Finally, the pet aftercare industry offers relatively manageable operations at a small scale. A Pet Passages franchise typically can be run with a small team (often 1–3 people to start), especially if the owner is actively involved. It’s not a business that necessarily requires dozens of employees or multiple crews in the field. Many franchisees operate from a single location that serves their entire territory, so logistics are simpler than businesses that dispatch to many job sites daily. The franchisor’s systems (like scheduling software, logistics for pet pickup/delivery, etc.) help streamline the workflow. For an owner-operator, this contained scope can be comfortable – you’re primarily dealing with one “job” at a time (each pet/family), rather than juggling numerous simultaneous client demands. If you have empathy, organizational skills, and don’t mind being on-call for urgent situations (e.g., when a pet passes in the middle of the night, many franchises provide 24/7 phone availability), you can handle the operations with a tight-knit staff. This intimacy and focus on service quality can also translate to strong community relationships and word-of-mouth referrals, as you personally interact with customers and referral partners.
In summary, the pet aftercare industry (and Pet Passages in particular) offers high demand, emotional fulfillment, first-mover competitive advantages, and steady demand for those who are passionate about pets. It gives you a chance to be part of the large and growing pet sector, with a business that genuinely helps people.
Compared to Commercial Cleaning Industry
Now, contrast the above with the commercial cleaning industry, which is the domain of Assett Franchise and other janitorial service franchises. Commercial cleaning involves providing cleaning and sanitation services to businesses, offices, schools, medical facilities, and other commercial properties. It’s a very different business model from pet aftercare – and it comes with its own set of advantages that make it one of the most popular franchise sectors. In fact, when looking at practical, financial, and operational factors, commercial cleaning often proves to be a stronger long-term bet for scalability and profitability. Here’s why:
Market Size and Demand: The commercial cleaning industry is enormous. In the United States alone, the janitorial services market is estimated to be around a $100 billion per year industry. Nearly every commercial building needs cleaning, usually on a recurring schedule. This market dwarfs the pet aftercare niche in size. For a franchise owner, a larger market means more potential customers and the ability to grow a very big business if desired. Moreover, cleaning services are in constant demand – dirt and germs don’t take a break, and businesses must keep their facilities clean as a matter of basic operation. This drives reliable, ongoing need for services.
Essential, Recession-Resistant Service: Commercial cleaning is widely considered a recession-resistant business. Cleaning isn’t a luxury; it’s a necessity for health, safety, and professionalism in the workplace. Even in economic downturns, companies and institutions cannot simply stop cleaning their premises without serious consequences. During the COVID-19 pandemic, for instance, the emphasis on sanitation skyrocketed, reinforcing just how essential cleaning is. Because cleaning is critical for preventing illness and maintaining a functional environment, businesses will budget for it in good times and bad. They might scale back frequency a bit if under financial strain, but they won’t eliminate cleaning altogether. In fact, franchises like Jantize and others note that during recessions, many clients stick with their cleaning contracts because they cannot afford to compromise on cleanliness and hygiene in their facilities. This means as a cleaning franchise owner, your revenue stream is buffered against economic swings. By comparison, pet aftercare – while needed eventually – might be considered somewhat discretionary in terms of how much a family spends (in a severe recession, some pet owners might opt for a basic low-cost cremation or even backyard burial rather than a premium memorial service). Cleaning, on the other hand, is a line-item that businesses must maintain.
Recurring Revenue and Predictability: One of the strongest pros for commercial cleaning is its recurring revenue model. Cleaning franchises typically secure long-term contracts with clients – for example, a contract to clean an office building 5 nights a week, or a school every day, etc. These contracts often run for years and provide a stable, predictable income each month. Because of this, a commercial cleaning business builds a book of reliable recurring accounts. You don’t have to “resell” the client each time; as long as you keep them happy, the work (and revenue) repeats on a regular schedule. This contrasts sharply with pet aftercare, which is more transactional – each pet death is a one-time event. A Pet Passages franchise can certainly get repeat customers over the long run (many pet owners have multiple pets over a lifetime and will return when the next pet passes), and referrals, but it doesn’t have the equivalent of an ongoing service contract. The commercial cleaning model is more akin to a subscription: many clients pay monthly, and the lifetime value of one commercial client can be very high. The result is that cash flow in a cleaning franchise is smoother and more forecastable. You can reasonably project your monthly and annual revenues based on signed contracts, whereas a pet aftercare business might see more ebb and flow (some months a surge of customers, other months quieter) and must continuously find new clients as pets pass away.
Scalability and Income Potential: Because of the recurring-contract nature and vast market, scaling up a cleaning franchise can lead to very high revenues. It’s not uncommon for a successful commercial cleaning franchise owner to build a business with $1 million+ in annual recurring revenue by adding more contracts over time. The model is highly scalable – if you want to grow, you simply hire more cleaning crews and take on more buildings. There’s typically no need for expensive new facilities or equipment as you expand; you can operate from a modest office (or even home office initially) and the cleaners go out to client locations. This means low incremental costs to grow. In pet aftercare, scaling is more constrained: you generally have one facility and a finite capacity for how many pet remains you can handle per day (especially if you have one cremation unit). To significantly increase volume, you might eventually need a second unit or larger facility, which is a big capital investment. And your market is limited by geography (one territory). Commercial cleaning, particularly with Assett’s model, can often serve a wide range of clients in a metro area and even expand into adjacent territories or multi-unit operations. The income potential in cleaning is therefore often higher in the long run – you’re not capped by a narrow niche demand.
Operationally, commercial cleaning is simpler and less equipment-intensive than many specialized service businesses. You don’t need complex machinery (no cremation ovens or specialized tracking software necessary to prove the job is done – you literally can see a clean floor). Cleaning equipment consists of affordable items: vacuum cleaners, mops, cleaning solutions, etc. The overhead is low; in fact, one reason cleaning franchises weather recessions well is that their overhead costs are minimal – no expensive inventory or high-tech gear, and usually no costly retail storefront. You also typically don’t need to lease large buildings or special facilities; many commercial cleaning businesses operate out of a small warehouse or even a home garage for storing supplies, since the work is done at the client’s site. By contrast, a pet aftercare franchise often needs a physical location that meets certain zoning and environmental requirements (for a crematory) and possibly a nice customer-facing area for memorial services, which can drive up costs.
Another upside of the cleaning industry: It can be run on a semi-absentee or executive ownership model more easily. Once you have contracts and a trusted staff, the day-to-day cleaning tasks are handled by employees while you manage scheduling, client relationships, and business development. Many commercial cleaning franchise owners choose to work on the business rather than in it, overseeing operations with as little as a few hours of supervision per week. In fact, the commercial cleaning industry’s predictable routines (cleaning often done after-hours on set days) make it feasible to hire supervisors or use systems to monitor quality, freeing up the owner’s time. Pet aftercare, in comparison, tends to demand a more hands-on presence, especially in the beginning. Clients expect to interact with the owner or a trained funeral director for that personal touch. Also, emergencies (a pet dies suddenly at 3 AM) might require the owner’s involvement. While Pet Passages does allow semi-passive ownership and encourages building a team, the nature of the service means personal engagement is valuable to build community trust – you as the owner often are the face of the business in a sensitive moment.
Client relationships and sales also differ greatly. Commercial cleaning deals with professional B2B clients who make decisions based on quality, reliability, and cost. It’s a more pragmatic sales cycle – often involving proposals and contracts. Once you win the client, they generally stick with you unless you give them a reason to leave, since switching cleaning providers frequently is a hassle. Pet aftercare deals with consumers in an emotionally charged situation. Marketing is largely about being compassionate and building awareness before the need arises, and sales is about guiding someone through a tough time rather than a logical B2B negotiation. Both require strong customer service, but the cleaning industry’s customers operate on business logic and ongoing relationships, whereas pet aftercare’s customers act on emotion and one-time needs. For many entrepreneurs, especially first-timers, the B2B model can be easier to navigate – you’re scheduling routine services, not constantly finding new individual customers. There’s also less emotional strain; with cleaning, if a job isn’t perfect you’ll hear a complaint about a trash can missed – not the kind of raw grief you encounter in pet aftercare.
Finally, consider competition and market saturation. It’s true that commercial cleaning is a competitive field – there are many providers from small mom-and-pop janitors to large national chains. However, because the pie is so huge ($100B+), there’s ample opportunity for new entrants. By differentiating on service quality and focusing on high-demand segments (like disinfecting medical facilities, green cleaning for eco-conscious companies, etc.), a franchise can carve out a robust client base. Pet aftercare, conversely, might have less direct competition but is a much smaller pie overall; essentially you’re competing against the default option (vet clinics or local crematories). In some ways, that means part of your job is educating the market on why your specialized service is worth it. Commercial cleaning customers already know they need cleaning and often actively seek providers. Pet owners may not be aware that a standalone pet funeral service exists until you establish your reputation. Over time Pet Passages is building brand awareness to change that, but it’s a consideration.
Bottom line: The commercial cleaning industry offers scale, stability, and simplicity that the pet aftercare niche can’t match. It’s a massive, essential service industry with recurring B2B revenue streams, recession resilience, low cost of entry, and high ceiling for growth (multi-million dollar revenues are achievable). It doesn’t have the emotional complexities or specialized equipment needs that pet aftercare does, making it easier for a first-time entrepreneur to systematize and potentially run semi-absentee. Cleaning can be started relatively quickly and scaled flexibly without huge capital outlays as you grow. For someone whose primary goal is to build a profitable, scalable enterprise with predictable income, commercial cleaning tends to be a very attractive arena.
On the other hand, for someone who specifically wants a purpose-driven venture and is prepared for the hands-on, empathetic role of a pet funeral director, Pet Passages offers something unique that a cleaning business doesn’t: the chance to help people heal and memorialize their pets. Ultimately, the “best” industry depends on your personal goals and what you want your daily work to look like. Next, let’s see how Assett Franchise – a player in the commercial cleaning business – positions itself against a concept like Pet Passages, and why Assett might be a cleaner fit for many corporate escapees.
How the Assett Franchise Compares
Assett Franchise operates in the commercial cleaning industry discussed above, and it’s designed specifically for entrepreneurs who value simplicity, scalability, and work-life balance in a business. In comparing Assett to an indirect competitor like Pet Passages, a few key themes emerge. Assett offers simpler systems with bigger potential, an innovative automated hiring process that removes a common headache, and a personalized, founder-led support structure. Let’s break down these advantages.
Simpler Systems, Bigger Potential
One immediate difference is that Assett is already in the commercial cleaning industry, which as we’ve seen provides a straightforward path to building a large, recurring-revenue business. Assett’s whole model is built for owners who want to work on the business, not in it. This means as a franchisee you are not expected to be out pushing a mop or doing the cleaning yourself – instead, you focus on growing the client base and managing your team, while the system takes care of the operational details.
Comparatively, a Pet Passages owner often needs to personally handle delicate tasks (like meeting grieving families or even handling pet remains) especially early on. Assett, by virtue of being a cleaning business franchise, allows for a more executive style of ownership from the start. You can hire cleaners to perform the nightly or weekly cleaning jobs as soon as you have contracts in place. The business’s processes (scheduling, quality checks, supply restocking) can be documented and delegated, following Assett’s proven playbook.
Speaking of a playbook – Assett provides a full business playbook and training so that even someone with no prior cleaning industry experience can succeed. You don’t need any technical background or special certification to own a cleaning franchise. This is in contrast to pet aftercare, where while prior funeral or veterinary experience isn’t required, the nature of the work is very specialized and can involve a learning curve in handling emotional situations. Assett’s training will cover how to price contracts, how to market to local businesses, and how to manage cleaning crews effectively – all with the goal of ramping you up to speed quickly in the commercial cleaning arena.
A huge selling point for Assett is its income potential. The franchise touts a $1M+ recurring revenue potential, meaning that with the right effort and execution, an Assett franchise can scale to over a million dollars in annual revenues from its cleaning contracts. Hitting seven figures in a Pet Passages franchise would likely require multiple territories or unusual volume, given the average unit’s sales are around a few hundred thousand dollars. Commercial cleaning simply has a higher ceiling per market because a single big account (say a large office complex or a hospital system) could be worth hundreds of thousands a year alone. Assett’s model is about building a portfolio of contracts that collectively generate high steady income. And since those contracts renew, the business can snowball over time as you add more accounts without losing existing ones.
In short, Assett Franchise offers a simpler operational system with potentially bigger financial upside. You’re tapping into a massive market with guidance from a franchisor that has refined a straightforward service (cleaning) into a lucrative executive business model. For an owner who wants a stable and scalable business that doesn’t require constant personal intervention, Assett provides that path.
Automated Hiring = Time and Money Saved
One of the most innovative and valuable features of the Assett Franchise model is its automated hiring system. In any service business – whether cleaning, pet care, or something else – finding and retaining good employees is often the number one challenge. Commercial cleaning in particular can have high turnover, as cleaning jobs are typically low-wage, part-time roles. Many cleaning business owners find themselves spending endless hours recruiting, interviewing, and training new cleaners to keep up with growth or replace those who leave. Assett recognized this pain point and built a proprietary system to automate and streamline the hiring process.
With Assett’s automated hiring, much of the legwork of sourcing candidates, screening them, and even initial onboarding is handled by technology and proven processes. The system might utilize online ads, automated resume filtering, and perhaps even scheduling of interviews or training sessions without the owner manually doing each step. The result is that franchisees don’t have to be HR experts or dedicate a huge chunk of their week to finding staff – the system continuously pulls in qualified applicants as the business needs them. This ensures that when you sign new cleaning contracts and need to add a cleaning team, you have a pipeline of pre-vetted workers ready to go.
The impact on the owner’s time and budget is significant. Assett estimates that this automated hiring system can save owners 20–30 hours per week that would otherwise be spent on HR tasks, or equivalently save the cost of needing to hire a full-time manager to handle recruiting. In other words, the franchise’s technology does the heavy lifting that might normally require another salaried employee or many late hours by the owner. Over the course of a year, that’s a huge amount of time freed up – time that can be redirected to signing more clients or simply enjoying a better work-life balance as a business owner.
Just as importantly, Assett’s hiring system ensures quality control in your workforce. By automating the vetting and training pipeline, the franchise can maintain high standards for who is representing the brand in the field. This means as you grow, you’re not sacrificing service quality – each cleaner or crew member is brought in through a consistent process that emphasizes reliability and thoroughness. For clients, this translates to consistent service; for franchise owners, it means less worry and firefighting over staffing issues. You can scale up your operations with confidence that the people element is handled in a scalable way.
This is a critical differentiator from most franchise businesses. Pet Passages, for instance, doesn’t face the same scale of hiring (since it’s a smaller operation), but if a key staff member (say a trained pet funeral director or a crematory operator) quits, the owner must invest time to find a suitable replacement, because those roles require specific qualities like compassion and attention to detail. Assett’s approach creates a pipeline of talent so the business is never caught short-handed. In summary, Assett Franchise not only gives you a strong business model but also an efficient engine for one of the hardest parts of running a service business – building and maintaining a great team. This saves significant time and money, and it lowers the operational complexity for the owner dramatically.
Personalized and Founder-Led
Another area where Assett Franchise shines is in its personalized, founder-led support structure. Assett is a family-owned franchise brand, led by its owner Matt Pencarinha and a close-knit leadership team – not a faceless corporation or private equity firm as stated in bizbuysell.com. This means that when you become an Assett franchisee, you’re gaining a direct relationship with the people who created the business model and truly care about its success.
In practical terms, Assett franchisees get direct access to leadership and guidance that is often hard to come by in larger franchise systems. Have a question or a challenge? You can reach out to the founder/CEO and get insights straight from the source. Matt Pencarinha’s vision and experience are accessible to the owners in the system. This kind of mentorship and open-door policy can be invaluable, especially for first-time business owners making the transition from a corporate career. You’re not just “franchisee #210” to a large support call center; you’re a part of a smaller franchise family where your success is a priority to the founders.
Assett’s ethos is community-focused with a clear mission. As a commercial cleaning franchise, part of that mission is to provide healthier, cleaner workplaces in local communities – something very relevant in today’s health-conscious environment. But beyond the service itself, Assett is focused on building a community of franchisees who support each other and share best practices. Because the brand is not under pressure from outside investors for rapid expansion at all costs, it can grow carefully and ensure each franchisee is well-supported. This contrasts with some franchise systems that, after being bought by private equity, might become more rigid or purely numbers-driven. Assett remains agile and family-run, which often results in more personalized attention.
We discussed earlier how Pet Passages franchisees benefit from a caring mission and support, and indeed Pet Passages is also founder-led (Mike Harris is very involved in the brand’s direction). So in this respect, both franchises share the advantage of having passionate founders at the helm rather than absentee owners. The difference is that Assett’s mission is tailored to entrepreneurs seeking a modern, lifestyle-friendly business. The entire model is built to help you “build a business that works for your life,” as Assett’s philosophy might put it. This means prioritizing systems and efficiency (like the automated hiring) so that franchisees can achieve flexibility and control over their schedule and income. The leadership leads by example on these values, continuously improving the system based on feedback from the field.
Furthermore, being personalized and founder-led means Assett franchise owners have a voice. Your feedback can directly influence the development of the franchise system. If you have a suggestion or local marketing idea that works, the company listens and can implement changes quickly. This kind of nimbleness and collaborative culture is often lost in larger franchise networks. Assett’s size and leadership style ensure that each franchisee feels like a true partner in the brand’s growth and mission.
In short, Assett Franchise provides an ownership experience where you’re supported by people who know your name, understand your local challenges, and are committed to helping you succeed. It’s a stark contrast to some franchise experiences where franchisees might feel like just another unit in a portfolio. Assett’s family-owned, mission-driven approach aligns well with those who want not only a profitable business, but also a supportive business community and a say in their franchise’s evolution.
Final Thoughts
Both Pet Passages and Assett Franchise offer compelling opportunities – but for different types of entrepreneurs. If you are someone with a deep passion for pets and you feel called to provide compassionate end-of-life services, the Pet Passages franchise can be a fulfilling choice. It has the strengths of a growing niche, heartfelt work, and the backing of the leading brand in pet aftercare. For the right buyer – perhaps a former funeral director, veterinary professional, or any empathetic pet lover – Pet Passages provides a way to build a purposeful business and become the premier pet memorial service in your community.
That said, it’s important to weigh those qualities against what you want in terms of stability, scalability, and lifestyle. This is where the Assett Franchise and the commercial cleaning industry have clear advantages for many first-time business owners. Commercial cleaning is a scalable, stable business with recurring revenue and essential demand. It offers low operational complexity (you’re managing cleaning crews and schedules, not delicate one-off emotional events), and it’s relatively low risk with faster potential ROI due to lower overhead and steady cash flow. Assett Franchise amplifies these industry benefits with modern systems like automated hiring and a hands-on support network, making it a modern cleaning business franchise model built for executive ownership and growth.
In comparing the two, if your goal is to build a scalable, sustainable source of income that can grow to seven figures, with predictable recurring revenue and minimal daily firefighting, Assett Franchise is likely the better fit. It provides a cleaner (pun intended) alternative – a business that is recession-resistant, can be run semi-absentee, and doesn’t require you to be on call 24/7. On the other hand, if your heart is set on a pet-focused venture and you’re prepared for the hands-on nature of that work, you might find Pet Passages rewarding despite its narrower scope.
Ultimately, Assett Franchise offers more advantages for someone seeking long-term income, flexibility, and control. You get a simpler business model, a huge market, recurring clients, and a support system to automate the hardest parts of the business – all of which help de-risk the venture and speed up your path to ROI. Plus, you’ll be joining a franchise where the founders know you personally and are invested in your success, which can make your journey that much smoother.
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.
