If you’re exploring franchise opportunities to escape the 9-to-5, one option you might be considering is the Any Lab Test Now franchise. Any Lab Test Now offers a chance to run a retail healthcare business, but how does it stack up against a simpler cleaning business franchise model? In this comprehensive review, we’ll break down the Any Lab Test Now opportunity, compare its industry to the commercial cleaning industry, and show how Assett Franchise (a commercial cleaning franchise founded by Matt Pencarinha) provides advantages in stability, scalability, and long-term income potential.
What Is the Any Lab Test Now Franchise Opportunity?
Company Overview and Industry
Any Lab Test Now is a retail health services franchise specializing in direct-access laboratory testing for consumers. Founded in 1992 by Dr. David Perlow in Atlanta, GA, the concept pioneered letting people get medical lab tests without a doctor’s order. The company began franchising in 2007 and has since grown steadily. As of recent data, Any Lab Test Now operates around 240+ locations across the United States, making it the nation’s largest lab testing franchise. This growth includes surpassing 200 units by the end of 2021 and continuing expansion even through pandemic years. The franchise is headquartered in Alpharetta, Georgia, and has built a strong presence in the retail healthcare market by offering convenience and transparency in lab services.
Any Lab Test Now occupies a niche within the direct-to-consumer healthcare industry. It provides thousands of standard lab tests to the public in a professional retail setting. Customers can walk into an Any Lab Test Now center to get blood work, DNA tests, drug screens, STD tests, and more without needing a physician referral or insurance. This model taps into a growing consumer demand for control over personal healthcare and quick results. The direct-access lab testing market is expanding – projected to grow from roughly $3–4 billion in 2024 to over $8 billion by 2034 – but it remains a much smaller sector compared to giant industries like commercial cleaning (more on that comparison later).
In summary, Any Lab Test Now is a health and wellness franchise with a 30+ year track record. It carved out an “urgent care for lab tests” niche, serving individuals who want affordable, convenient testing and businesses that need employee or court-ordered tests. The brand has earned recognition in franchise rankings (Entrepreneur Franchise 500, Inc. 5000, etc.), signaling its prominence in this segment. For entrepreneurs interested in the healthcare space without needing to be a doctor, it presents an intriguing opportunity.
What Franchisees Get
When you invest in an Any Lab Test Now franchise, you’re essentially getting a turnkey retail lab business. Franchisees receive the right to operate an Any Lab Test Now center – typically a small storefront or medical office setting – offering a wide menu of lab testing services. The services include general health panels (like cholesterol checks or vitamin levels), wellness tests, DNA/paternity tests, drug and alcohol screenings, STD tests, and even specialized exams like nutritional injections or COVID-19 travel tests in some locations. The franchise partners with a nationwide network of certified laboratories to process the samples, so franchisees themselves do not need to run a full lab in-house. Essentially, your center is responsible for collecting specimens (blood draws, swabs, etc.), handling customer service, and coordinating results, while third-party labs perform the actual analysis.
Customer Base: Any Lab Test Now franchisees serve a mix of B2C and B2B clients. On the consumer side, typical customers are health-conscious individuals who want to manage their own healthcare with privacy and speed – for example, someone with a high-deductible insurance plan who opts to pay out-of-pocket for a discounted lab test. Clients may also seek confidential testing for sensitive matters (STD tests, teen drug tests) or convenient walk-in exams for personal wellness. On the business side, franchisees can build B2B relationships providing testing services to physicians, employers, legal agencies, and schools. Doctors’ offices might send patients for lab work; local employers and staffing agencies need pre-employment drug screenings; family law firms require DNA tests; and technical colleges may send students for required health tests. This diversified customer base means franchisees can generate multiple revenue streams – from individual walk-ins to corporate accounts – all from one small facility.
Training and Support: Any Lab Test Now provides a structured training program for new owners. No medical background is required to become a franchisee – the franchisor will train you in all aspects of running the business, and you will hire medical assistants or phlebotomists to handle specimen collection. Initial training includes an extensive online learning portal and coursework (including a brand certification program for medical assistants) followed by a one-week hands-on training at corporate headquarters in Georgia covering daily operations, customer service, and the technical procedures of lab testing. By the time you open, you and your key staff should be fully versed in how to safely collect samples, follow regulations (like OSHA/CLIA for handling specimens), use the franchise’s systems, and deliver a good customer experience.
Ongoing support is a notable part of Any Lab Test Now’s offering. Each franchisee is assigned a Franchise Business Coach and a Franchise Implementation Manager to assist with launching and growing the location. The franchisor runs a Client Care and Support Center (a centralized call center) to help handle customer inquiries and appointment scheduling, which can take pressure off the local owner. There are also marketing programs in place – including national advertising fund campaigns and guidance on local marketing – to drive awareness of your lab testing services. Another benefit is very minimal inventory: apart from basic medical supplies (needles, collection tubes, test kits) and some retail items, you won’t stock large quantities of perishable goods. The franchise’s volume-based partnerships with suppliers help keep your supply costs low. All of these systems – from training to supplier networks – are designed to let a franchisee focus on running the center and serving customers, rather than reinventing the wheel.
In short, franchisees get a proven business model in a box: a recognized brand in healthcare testing, a diverse menu of services with broad appeal, and a support infrastructure (training, operations coaching, marketing, and lab partnerships) to help you run the business smoothly. Your role as the owner is to manage your staff (typically a small team of 2-4 employees per center), build community relationships to grow referrals, and maintain quality and compliance. It’s a customer-service-driven business in a professional environment – quite different from a home services or contracting franchise.
Startup Costs and Ongoing Fees
Launching an Any Lab Test Now franchise requires a significant upfront investment to cover build-out of the retail lab location, franchise licensing, and medical equipment. According to the company’s 2024 Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD), the initial investment for a standard Any Lab Test Now center ranges from about $166,900 to $293,900. This range includes virtually everything needed to open the doors: a one-time franchise fee (up to $54,500), costs to secure and build out a suitable retail space (leasehold improvements, counters, signage, etc.), medical/lab supplies and equipment, initial training fees, insurance, and some working capital for the first few months. The higher end of the range would apply to larger standalone locations or higher-cost urban markets, while the lower end might reflect smaller cities or second-generation retail spaces that need less renovation. Notably, Any Lab Test Now has introduced a more compact “Micro Market” franchise model as well, which can bring startup costs down – in some cases as low as around $60,000 total investment for a kiosk or micro-location in a host business. However, the primary model for most franchisees is the full stand-alone center, which is why the typical investment is in the six-figure range.
In terms of ongoing fees, franchisees pay a monthly royalty and marketing contribution out of their sales. The current royalty is 7% of gross revenue per month (with a minimum floor of $500, which ensures the franchisor gets at least that amount even in slower months). Additionally, there is a national marketing fund fee of 2% of gross revenue that goes toward brand advertising campaigns. The franchisor may increase this to 3% in the future, and in some markets franchisees might also contribute up to 1-3% for local co-op advertising if a regional group campaign is implemented. All told, you can expect about 9%+ of your sales to go toward royalties and advertising fees on an ongoing basis. Beyond these, costs of doing business include typical expenses like rent, staff wages, lab service fees (you pay the third-party labs that process tests, though these are built into the cost of tests you sell), utilities, insurance, and replenishing medical supplies.
One thing to keep in mind: running a lab testing center has some unique cost considerations. For instance, you must properly dispose of medical biohazard waste (usually via a contracted service), maintain certain certifications or CLIA waivers for any on-site testing you perform, and implement HIPAA-compliant systems for handling sensitive health information. These are standard in the industry but add to operational overhead and responsibility. The FDD’s Item 7 (summarizing startup costs) shows line items such as medical supplies ($1,000–$1,400) and lab equipment ($800–$1,600) which are relatively low because most heavy lab work is outsourced. The biggest cost is actually the real estate and build-out ($55,200–$130,000) to create a clean, professional clinic environment. Unlike many service franchises, Any Lab Test Now does require a physical location in a commercial area (often a strip mall or medical office plaza location with good visibility). This means real estate and initial construction are significant expenses up front – and rent will be a fixed ongoing cost.
Earnings Potential: While costs are one side of the equation, you’re likely wondering how much revenue an Any Lab Test Now franchise can generate. The franchise’s Item 19 (Financial Performance Representation) provides some insight. According to the 2024 FDD, the average annual gross revenue for a franchised Any Lab Test Now location in 2023 was around $339,000. Performance does vary widely: top-performing locations (top 25% of franchisees) achieved over $600K in annual sales, while the bottom quartile averaged around $136K. Median revenue was roughly $347K, indicating a few high-volume centers pull the average up slightly. These figures show that a successful lab franchise can produce a healthy income stream, but it may take time and effort to build up testing volume in your market. The customer-driven nature of the business means sales depend on how many individuals and corporate clients you can attract for testing services week in, week out. Keep in mind also that gross revenue is not the same as profit – from those sales, you’ll be paying the lab processing fees, staff salaries, royalties, etc. Still, knowing the averages helps set expectations: an average Any Lab Test Now might do about $300K–$350K in sales annually (roughly $25K–$30K per month). Owners who actively market to doctors, employers, and health-conscious consumers, and perhaps add new offerings (like B12 injections or COVID travel tests during peak demand), could push well above that. Others who struggle to gain awareness might see lower figures. It’s also worth noting these numbers can fluctuate with trends – for example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, some lab franchises saw a surge in testing revenue (COVID testing, antibody tests, etc.), whereas routine test volumes might dip in other economic situations.
Overall, Any Lab Test Now requires a mid-range franchise investment and yields an income that, on average, aligns with many other retail-type franchises of similar scale. The key question for a prospective owner is whether the healthcare testing industry – with its requirements of staffing medical personnel, maintaining compliance, and driving consumer traffic – is the right fit and worth the upfront costs compared to other industries.
How the Industry Itself Compares
When evaluating Any Lab Test Now, it’s important to step back and look at the lab testing industry it operates in – and compare that to the commercial cleaning industry (the arena of Assett Franchise). Both industries offer franchise opportunities but differ drastically in market dynamics, operational complexity, and long-term outlook. Below, we’ll consider what it’s like to run a direct-to-consumer lab testing business versus a commercial cleaning business, highlighting the pros and cons of each. We’ll be honest about Any Lab Test Now’s advantages, but also illustrate why commercial cleaning is often a more stable, scalable, and profitable path for someone seeking a resilient business.
Any Lab Test Now Industry Advantages
The lab testing industry, especially the direct access lab segment, has some clear attractions for franchise owners. First and foremost, it taps into the booming health and wellness trend. Consumers today are increasingly proactive about their health, seeking out information and tests to monitor their well-being. Any Lab Test Now capitalizes on this by offering a convenient way for people to get lab work done on their own terms. There is a sense of serving an important need – helping people understand their health – which can be rewarding. Also, healthcare spending tends to rise over time, and preventive care awareness is growing. This suggests a tailwind for businesses like Any Lab Test Now as more individuals opt for direct testing services. In fact, the direct-to-consumer lab testing market is expected to grow at double-digit rates in coming years, reflecting this rising demand. In short, Any Lab Test Now’s industry is growing, not shrinking, which is a good sign for future franchisee prospects.
Another advantage of Any Lab Test Now’s space is that it is somewhat insulated from seasonality and weather. People need medical tests year-round, and while there may be slight seasonal upticks (for example, wellness tests often increase in January as people kick off New Year health goals, or there could be localized spikes if there’s a health scare), you’re not tied to spring/fall seasonality like some service businesses. There’s also a bit of recession resilience in health testing – during economic downturns, elective tests might dip, but certain tests (like drug screens or necessary blood work) still have to be done. Healthcare in general is considered essential; Any Lab Test Now locations even remained open as essential services during parts of the COVID-19 pandemic. So while it’s not completely immune to recessions, the business isn’t as discretionary as, say, a luxury service – many tests are needed for jobs, school, or personal health monitoring regardless of the economy.
From an operational standpoint, running a lab test franchise means business hours and a controlled environment. Most Any Lab Test Now centers operate during regular work hours (e.g. 8am–6pm weekdays, maybe a half day on Saturday). This can be appealing if you prefer a more typical schedule; you’re generally not dealing with late-night calls or emergency visits. In contrast, some home-service or emergency repair franchises have 24/7 on-call aspects. With a lab testing center, once you lock the door at closing time, business is done for the day. The work environment is also clean, professional, and customer-facing – you’re interacting with clients in an office setting, not working on construction sites or dealing with messy situations. Some entrepreneurs are drawn to this “white coat” environment over blue-collar settings.
The brand and support in this industry is another plus. Any Lab Test Now is a well-established name in direct lab testing, often ranking at the top of its category. The franchise system has decades of refinement, which means new owners get the benefit of that experience (proven SOPs, marketing playbooks, and supplier deals). For example, the partnership with top laboratories means franchisees can offer a huge variety of tests without needing massive equipment – that’s a strategic advantage a lone independent lab wouldn’t have. Additionally, the franchise’s reputation helps in gaining trust – doctors and employers may be more likely to refer patients to “Any Lab Test Now” knowing it’s a standardized, nationwide operation. The company has even racked up industry awards and made Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500 list multiple times, adding credibility.
Finally, the income model for lab tests can be attractive on a per-customer basis. Many tests have decent gross margins. For example, a test that costs the franchisee $50 from the lab might be sold for $100+ to the customer. With efficient operations, a single small team can process dozens of customers a day. There’s also the possibility of upselling – someone who comes in for one test might opt for an additional wellness panel or Vitamin B12 shot if you educate them. And if you build relationships with recurring clients (e.g. an employer who sends every new hire for a drug test), you create a repeat revenue stream. In short, the healthcare franchise space offers a sense of purpose and growth, and Any Lab Test Now provides a turnkey way in. It’s a good choice for owners who are passionate about health services and like the idea of running a medical-style business without requiring an MD.
Compared to Commercial Cleaning Industry
Now, let’s contrast the above with the commercial cleaning industry, which is where Assett Franchise operates. Commercial cleaning (janitorial services for businesses and facilities) may not sound as exciting as healthcare, but from a business perspective it has major advantages that make it one of the most consistently successful franchise sectors. Here’s how a cleaning franchise opportunity stacks up:
Market Size and Demand: The commercial cleaning industry is enormous – over $100 billion in annual revenue in the U.S. alone. Every office building, school, medical facility, retail store, and warehouse needs cleaning. The sheer size and universality of demand mean there is a deep well of potential clients for a cleaning business. In contrast, the direct lab testing market, while growing, is only a few billion dollars globally. Cleaning simply has more ubiquitous demand. Importantly, janitorial services are essential and recession-resistant. Companies must keep their facilities clean for health, safety, and image reasons – it’s not optional. Even in economic downturns, businesses may cut other expenses before they cut cleaning; in fact, facilities often require regular cleaning by regulation (think of medical offices or restaurants – cleanliness isn’t negotiable). Historically, cleaning has been considered a recession-resistant sector because offices, schools, and hospitals still need to be cleaned regardless of economic cycles. We saw this during COVID-19 when cleaning services were in high demand for sanitation. Compare that to a lab testing center, which is helpful but not as universally mandatory – many people might postpone elective health tests if money is tight. Thus, cleaning offers stability of demand that can translate into a steadier business.
Recurring Revenue Model: Perhaps the biggest advantage of commercial cleaning is its built-in recurring revenue. Most commercial cleaning contracts are ongoing arrangements – for example, a business might contract you to clean their offices 3 times a week, every week. This means when you sign a client, you have revenue that repeats on a weekly or monthly cycle. Over time you can accumulate a book of recurring contracts that underpin your income. It’s not uncommon for cleaning franchise owners to have multi-year contracts with clients, providing predictable cash flow. By contrast, Any Lab Test Now’s revenue is mostly transactional – one customer = one sale (or maybe a short series of tests). Even if you have corporate accounts for drug testing, those tests happen only when new hires or random testing schedules occur. The cleaning industry’s long-term contracts create a compounding effect: you keep clients year after year while adding new ones, so revenue grows steadily. This is how an Assett franchise owner can realistically build a $1M+ revenue business over time – by scaling up a roster of recurring B2B clients. In the lab testing business, reaching $1M in annual sales would likely require either multiple units or an exceptional volume of one-time customers, since the average unit does about one-third of that according to franchisechatter.com. Cleaning is simply structured for scalability in revenue.
Lower Cost of Entry and Overhead: Commercial cleaning franchises generally have a much lower barrier to entry in terms of cost. Many are home-based businesses that don’t require a retail storefront or expensive equipment. For example, some janitorial franchise packages start well under $20,000 for a small owner-operator setup. Even larger cleaning franchise investments (for a bigger territory or initial client contracts) rarely approach the $300K mark that an Any Lab Test Now might cost. Assett Franchise, in particular, emphasizes a “low cost, high potential” model. You don’t need specialized machinery or lab devices – basic cleaning equipment and perhaps a vehicle are the main needs. No costly leasehold improvements either; many cleaning businesses operate from a home office or a small warehouse for supplies. This means less initial risk and often no need for large loans. Additionally, ongoing overhead is low: cleaning supplies are inexpensive (usually a few thousand dollars covers a lot of jobs), and there’s no perishable inventory. Compare that to a lab franchise where you’re paying for prime retail rent, maintaining medical-grade facilities, and have higher insurance and compliance costs. The lean cost structure of cleaning allows more of your revenue to convert to profit, and it’s easier to start small and scale up.
Operational Simplicity: Running a commercial cleaning business is straightforward – not easy (you still work hard to get clients and ensure quality) – but it doesn’t involve complex technical processes. You’re coordinating cleaning crews, supplies, and quality checks. The labor is manual but relatively low-skill (in the sense that workers can be trained quickly; you don’t need licensed technicians as in healthcare). There are no delicate medical privacy issues or regulatory hoops like handling lab specimens or HIPAA compliance. For a first-time entrepreneur, a cleaning franchise can be much easier to grasp and manage day-to-day. Many franchisees in cleaning come from completely unrelated backgrounds and do fine because the learning curve is gentle. In contrast, a lab testing franchise has a steeper learning curve and more specialized operations – you’re effectively running a healthcare outlet, which entails understanding medical terminology, strict protocols for bloodborne pathogens, etc. Even with franchisor support, it’s a more technical business to operate. Cleaning is often described as “simple to execute, hard to mess up” provided you have good systems for hiring and quality control. That simplicity can be golden when you want to focus on growing the business rather than troubleshooting complex operations.
Semi-Absentee Potential: One of the promises of Assett Franchise and similar cleaning franchises is the ability to run the business in a semi-absentee or executive-owner capacity. Because of the recurring nature and the fact that cleaning typically happens after-hours (when clients’ offices are closed), it’s possible to delegate day-to-day tasks to a general manager or a lead supervisor. Assett’s model, for instance, is built for owners who want to work on the business (strategizing, building client relationships) rather than in the business (physically doing the cleaning). With the right team and systems, an owner could oversee a million-dollar cleaning operation with only a handful of hours per week dedicated to high-level management. In fact, Assett highlights that its franchise can be run with as little as 5 hours per week of owner involvement (thanks to their automated systems, discussed below) – essentially a part-time oversight role. While individual experiences vary, the point is that flexibility is greater. Compare this to an Any Lab Test Now center: a retail operation that must be staffed whenever open and often relies on the franchisee to manage day-to-day customer service, especially in the beginning. Unless you hire a full-time manager (an added expense), a lab franchise will require your daily attention during business hours. It’s less amenable to being an absentee investment, particularly because quality and compliance need close supervision. So if your goal is eventually to step back and let the business run itself, commercial cleaning provides a clearer path to that.
Scalability: Commercial cleaning businesses can scale rapidly without heavy capital investment. Need to grow? Sign more clients, hire more cleaners – you don’t necessarily have to open a second location or buy more territory (unless restricted by franchise terms). You can cover a wide geographic area from one office by deploying crews. And scaling doesn’t require doubling your fixed costs; you add variable costs (labor, supplies) which are covered by new revenue. The infrastructure (your scheduling system, your management team) can handle a lot more volume once established. On the other hand, if your lab test center is maxed out with customers in the lobby, you can’t increase capacity much without either expanding hours or opening another unit. Each lab location has a natural ceiling of how many tests it can do per day. To significantly increase revenue, you might have to invest in a second franchise location with all the associated startup costs again. Thus, cleaning offers a less capital-intensive growth trajectory. It’s feasible for a single cleaning franchise owner to build a multi-million dollar enterprise by scaling operations, whereas a single Any Lab Test Now unit will likely top out at a fraction of that.
Competitive Landscape: The competitive factors also differ between the industries. In lab testing, you face not only other direct competitors (like fellow Any Lab Test Now franchises or similar franchises such as Arcpoint Labs) but also large medical corporations (hospital networks, Quest Diagnostics/LabCorp partnerships) and even the emerging at-home testing kits. It’s a quickly evolving space with technology and big players potentially squeezing margins (for instance, as at-home testing grows, fewer people might visit physical labs for basic panels). Commercial cleaning, by contrast, is fragmented and localized. There are franchise giants in cleaning too (like Jani-King, Jan-Pro, etc.), but the market is so huge that no single company dominates. Small local operators compete as well, but cleaning isn’t easily disrupted by technology – robots won’t replace crews entirely any time soon, and you can’t clean an office building “virtually” or via an app without human labor. In fact, many clients prefer a reliable, accountable cleaning service (with a good reputation and insurance) over the cheapest independent cleaner. So a franchise like Assett can differentiate on quality and systems in a space where demand exceeds supply of truly professional providers. In short, the cleaning industry has a lower risk of major disruption and plenty of room for new franchisees to win contracts, whereas the direct lab testing niche could face disruption from healthcare giants or telehealth trends over time.
To sum up, while Any Lab Test Now’s industry offers growth and the allure of healthcare, the commercial cleaning industry comes out ahead in practical terms for many entrepreneurs. It boasts a massive, steady market; recurring contract-based income; lower startup and operating costs; simpler operations that can be managed in fewer hours; and nearly unlimited scaling potential without needing multiple locations. It’s also worth mentioning lifestyle: cleaning contracts often happen on evenings/weekends, meaning you can structure your schedule more freely (or have crews working when you’re off the clock). Many owners appreciate that they can maintain a day job initially or have more family time while the cleaning crews work at night. With Any Lab Test Now, you or your staff have to be at the store whenever it’s open, typically 40+ hours a week during the day.
Bottom line: If your goal is a scalable, stable business with strong cash flow and less complexity, the commercial cleaning industry tends to be a better bet. Next, we’ll look at how Assett Franchise specifically leverages these industry advantages while also addressing some of the traditional challenges of running a cleaning company.
How the Assett Franchise Compares
So, given the above comparison, how does Assett Franchise — a commercial cleaning franchise brand — position itself as a superior opportunity for prospective business owners? Assett Franchise (founded and led by Matt Pencarinha) has engineered its model to maximize the benefits of the cleaning industry while solving pain points that often plague cleaning business owners. Here’s a look at what makes Assett stand out when compared to an opportunity like Any Lab Test Now.
Simpler Systems, Bigger Potential
Assett Franchise is built on the premise of simplification and scalability. As part of a $100B+ essential services industry, Assett is inherently operating in a proven space of high demand. But the franchise goes further by creating systems that make running the business straightforward for first-time owners. Everything in the Assett model is designed for owners who want to work on the business, not in it. That means as a franchisee you’re not expected to be out there mopping floors yourself; instead, you manage a team and follow a blueprint to grow the enterprise. Assett provides a full business playbook that distills years of commercial cleaning experience into step-by-step processes. This includes how to quickly ramp up client acquisition, how to bid contracts profitably, and how to manage quality across multiple client sites. You don’t need prior janitorial experience — no industry experience at all is required — because the training and playbook cover everything from cleaning techniques to business management. This is analogous to Any Lab Test Now teaching medical processes to non-doctors; Assett teaches cleaning business success to non-cleaners.
The income potential with Assett is a key differentiator. While a single lab unit might average a few hundred thousand in revenue, Assett’s cleaning franchise model is unapologetically focused on building a seven-figure recurring revenue business. In fact, Assett’s leadership emphasizes that their goal for franchisees is to reach the $1M annual revenue milestone and beyond, through scaling contracts with local businesses. Because of the recurring contract model, hitting $1M isn’t a far-fetched dream – it’s a clear target that many commercial cleaning franchisees in various systems have achieved by accumulating clients like offices, schools, and medical facilities. Assett’s materials frequently mention building a “million-dollar business” as the expectation, not the exception. This bigger potential is enabled by the simplicity and low overhead we discussed: you can reinvest cash flow into marketing and hiring to keep growing, rather than being capped by a single location’s foot traffic. Assett gives you systems to scale efficiently – for example, guidance on when to promote a field manager, how to structure teams as you grow, and how to maintain service quality across 50+ client sites. With these systems, an owner can realistically multiply their business size without multiplying headaches.
In short, Assett offers a simpler operational model in a huge industry, with an explicit emphasis on high income potential. You’re joining the commercial cleaning field already armed with a proven model that can ramp up to $1M+ in recurring sales (something that would require multiple units in the lab testing world). The franchise’s ethos is about working smarter, using modern tools and support, so that you can grow a large business while keeping your personal workload light. It’s the classic “work smarter, not harder” approach – and as we’ll see next, a big part of working smarter is how Assett handles the toughest part of cleaning (hiring staff) for you.
Automated Hiring = Time and Money Saved
Ask any experienced cleaning business owner what their #1 challenge is, and you’ll likely hear “finding and keeping good employees.” High turnover and constant recruiting are notorious in the janitorial industry. Assett Franchise tackled this issue head-on by developing a proprietary Automated Hiring System that essentially eliminates the franchise owner’s heavy lifting in recruitment. This is a game-changer and a signature advantage of Assett’s model.
So, what is the automated hiring system? In simple terms, it’s a technology-driven recruitment pipeline that continuously finds, screens, and onboards cleaning staff for your business without you having to manually do it all. The system runs 24/7 in the background: posting job ads, collecting applications, filtering candidates through assessments, and even scheduling interviews or orientations. It uses defined criteria (Key Success Indicators) to identify reliable, quality candidates and weeds out those likely to flake or underperform. By the time a candidate reaches you, they are pre-vetted and often already understand the basics of the job. Essentially, Assett built an HR engine for hiring cleaners so that franchisees don’t get stuck in what is traditionally a 20+ hour per week chore of recruiting and interviewing.
The impact of this system on an owner’s life cannot be overstated. According to Assett, the automated hiring platform saves an owner roughly 20–30 hours per week that would otherwise be spent posting jobs, reviewing resumes, calling candidates, and scheduling interviews. It cuts what used to be a part-time job (or the need to pay a recruiter) down to just a couple of hours of oversight. Instead of scrambling to fill crew vacancies or panicking when an employee no-shows, you have a steady pipeline of qualified workers ready to step in. This means your cleaning contracts don’t suffer from staff shortages and you, as the owner, aren’t pulled into emergency cleaning duty due to lack of personnel. Assett’s system also uses automated follow-ups and scheduling to reduce no-shows in the hiring process and improve retention. The end result is a consistently staffed operation where jobs get done on time and to standard, and you’re free to focus on growing the business rather than constantly hiring.
Financially, automating hiring saves money too. High turnover can be costly – ads, training time, lost work – and some cleaning companies resort to hiring full-time HR managers at considerable salary cost. Assett franchisees avoid that expense. By keeping your business fully staffed through an efficient system, you also maintain service quality, which keeps clients happy (no skipped cleanings due to lack of crew). Happy clients lead to steady, recurring revenue and referrals, powering your growth. In effect, Assett solved the chronic labor problem of the cleaning industry, turning it into a competitive strength. It’s an innovation that indirect competitors in other industries (like Any Lab Test Now) don’t even have to consider – but for cleaning, it’s revolutionary. An Any Lab Test Now owner might hire a couple of medical assistants and be done; a cleaning franchise owner might need dozens of cleaners as they grow, so this automated system makes scaling possible without the usual HR bottleneck.
For you as a prospective franchisee, Assett’s automated hiring means peace of mind and time back in your day. Instead of spending evenings and weekends recruiting or plugging staffing gaps (a common scenario for independent cleaning operators), you can trust that your workforce needs are being handled systematically. This translates to at least 20 hours a week of time savings that you can reinvest into higher-value activities – such as signing new clients, strengthening customer relationships, or simply enjoying your life as a business owner rather than being chained to an HR role. By solving the toughest part of the business, Assett allows you to scale up faster and with less stress than a typical cleaning company owner. It’s like having an always-on hiring manager that doesn’t charge a salary.
Personalized and Founder-Led
Another way Assett Franchise distinguishes itself is through its company culture and support structure. Assett is a family-owned and founder-led franchise – not a huge corporate machine or private equity-owned conglomerate. This means when you become an Assett franchisee, you’re joining a close-knit franchise family where you have direct access to the top leadership. In fact, Assett’s founder and CEO, Matt Pencarinha, is personally involved in onboarding and mentoring new franchise owners according to bizbuysell.com. Matt built the original Assett Commercial Cleaning business himself and knows the ins and outs of scaling a service company. Franchisees benefit from his experience and passion: as the founder, he’s deeply invested in each franchisee’s success (something that can get lost in larger systems where owners never meet the CEO). Assett’s culture emphasizes one-on-one coaching, responsive support, and a partnership mentality with franchisees. This is a stark contrast to some franchise systems where you might feel like “just another unit” in the chain.
Being founder-led also means the company can adapt quickly and prioritize franchisee feedback. There are fewer bureaucratic layers when the person at the helm is the entrepreneur who started it all. Assett prides itself on maintaining an entrepreneurial spirit – they listen to what’s happening on the ground with franchise owners and iterate on systems as needed. For franchisees, this translates into a more personalized support experience. If you have an issue or idea, you can get the ear of leadership and trust that they understand your perspective. This kind of agility and personal touch is harder to come by in older, massive franchise systems (like some cleaning competitors or a national lab testing chain) that may be run by professional managers rather than the original founder.
Assett Franchise is also mission-driven and community-focused. As outlined in their mission statement, the goal is to remove the burden of facility cleaning for clients so those clients can better achieve their own missions. In practice, this means Assett franchisees approach their work as a partnership with local businesses and institutions – helping schools be safe for kids, helping healthcare facilities maintain infection control, etc. It’s about more than just making money; it’s about making a positive impact in each community by ensuring clean, healthy environments. This focus attracts franchise owners who care about service quality and relationships. The company encourages franchisees to be involved locally and build trust with their client base as a reliable partner. That dovetails with the family-business ethos: honesty, integrity, and treating clients and employees like part of the family. When you compare this to a franchise like Any Lab Test Now, which is also helping people but in a clinical way, Assett’s impact is very tangible in the community – your work is seen and appreciated daily by schools full of children, offices full of workers, etc. Some entrepreneurs find that very fulfilling.
Lastly, because Assett is privately owned and not controlled by outside investors, decisions are made for the long-term health of the brand and its franchisees, not just short-term profit. Many franchise brands that get bought by private equity can experience shifts in culture or cost-cutting that affect franchisees. Assett’s family ownership ensures that maintaining quality and supporting owners remains the top priority. The founder’s reputation is on the line with every franchisee, so they go the extra mile in providing guidance and maintaining high standards. New franchisees get direct training from the founder’s team, private coaching sessions during launch, and ongoing access to top leadership as needed. This high-access, high-support model is something Assett can offer as a newer, entrepreneurial franchise system.
In summary, Assett delivers a personal touch and leadership accessibility that can make your journey as a franchise owner much smoother and more rewarding. You’re not navigating challenges alone; you have the founder and a community of fellow owners by your side. The company’s family-oriented culture means you’re treated as a partner, not just a number. That kind of environment can make a huge difference, especially for first-time franchisees who benefit from hands-on mentorship. It’s a stark comparison to considering an Any Lab Test Now franchise, where you’d be entering a larger corporate structure in a regulated industry – in that scenario, your interactions might be mostly with field reps or corporate departments, not the CEO. With Assett, you have a seat at the table with the people who created the system.
Final Thoughts
Any Lab Test Now is a solid franchise for the right type of owner – if you’re passionate about healthcare services, comfortable with a retail operation, and excited by the idea of helping consumers take charge of their health, it could be a fitting choice. It offers a recognized brand in a growing niche, a structured model, and the cachet of running a medical-related business. However, for many entrepreneurs, the Assett Franchise offers more advantages when you weigh the long-term journey of building a business. Commercial cleaning, as delivered by Assett, provides a scalable, stable platform where you can achieve significant income ($1M+ recurring revenue) without the complexity that industries like healthcare can bring. You’re investing in a simpler concept that fulfills an essential need in all economies, and you’re doing so with the backing of a franchise that has innovated key systems (like automated hiring) to remove the usual risks and headaches.
In comparing the two opportunities, consider your own goals and lifestyle. Any Lab Test Now might appeal to someone who wants a daytime business with a healthcare angle and doesn’t mind the upfront costs and compliance. But if you want a business that grows via repeat contracts, with low operational complexity, and that can be managed flexibly or even semi-absentee, a cleaning franchise like Assett is hard to beat. You won’t need to bet on walk-in customer traffic or follow medical regulations – instead, you’ll build relationships with clients who stick with you for years. The risk is lower, the market is broader, and thanks to Assett’s modern approach (automated systems, founder-led support), the path to profitability is faster and more predictable. It’s telling that even franchise industry insiders often describe commercial cleaning as a “boring but beautiful” business model – boring because it’s simple and behind-the-scenes, but beautiful because it reliably generates cash flow and withstands economic ups and downs.
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.
