Wise Coatings Franchise is an emerging opportunity in the home improvement sector, offering specialty floor coating services. If you’re considering investing in a Wise Coatings franchise, it’s important to understand what this business entails and how it stacks up against a commercial cleaning business franchise. In this in-depth review, we’ll break down the Wise Coatings franchise model – including its background, benefits, costs, and performance – and then compare the floor coatings industry to the commercial cleaning industry. Finally, we’ll see how Assett Franchise (a commercial cleaning franchise) offers a different path that might deliver more stability and scalability for long-term success.
What Is the Wise Coatings Franchise Opportunity?
Company Overview and Industry
Wise Coatings is a floor coatings and garage enhancement franchise that falls under the home improvement industry. The company was founded in 2020 and started franchising in 2021. In just a few years, Wise Coatings has expanded rapidly – as of 2025, it has around 30 franchise units across the United States. This growth earned the brand a spot among Entrepreneur’s “Top New & Emerging Franchises,” indicating its momentum in franchising.
Wise Coatings specializes in epoxy and polyaspartic floor coatings, transforming residential garages, basements, patios, and even commercial floors with durable, decorative surfaces. The franchise also provides garage storage solutions, such as cabinets and organizers, making it a comprehensive garage makeover business. The industry it operates in – decorative concrete coatings – is a niche within home improvement. Demand for these services has been rising as homeowners invest in upgrading their garages and workspaces. In fact, industry analysts note strong residential improvement trends, with homeowners increasingly seeking property enhancements and storage upgrades. Wise Coatings’ leadership team brings significant experience: founder Brandon Vaughn and CEO Whitney White are known for scaling service businesses and implementing systematic processes into this franchise model. In short, Wise Coatings is a relatively new franchise brand in a growing niche, led by industry veterans and expanding nationally from its Florida headquarters.
What Franchisees Get
Franchisees of Wise Coatings receive a turnkey business in the booming home services market. The franchise’s services revolve around high-quality floor coating installations – typically one-day transformations of concrete floors using epoxy/polyurea coatings that add both visual appeal and protection. The primary customer base is residential homeowners (especially in middle-to-upper income suburbs with garages), although franchisees can also serve commercial and industrial clients for warehouses, showrooms, and other facilities. Wise Coatings positions itself as an “all-inclusive” franchise system: it provides extensive training, marketing, and operational support to its owners. New franchisees go through both hands-on and classroom training (about 50 hours on the job and 25 hours in class are typical) to learn the technical application process and business management skills.
A standout aspect of the Wise Coatings opportunity is the support infrastructure. The franchisor offers centralized marketing and administrative services so that “all you need to do is put the right people in place and follow our systems,” according to their franchise site. In practice, this means Wise Coatings corporate helps drive customer leads through digital marketing (SEO, social media, ad campaigns) and even assists with outbound sales and scheduling appointments for the franchisee. The franchise provides proprietary software and automation tools to handle tasks like lead follow-ups, customer reminders, review requests, and more. They even have live virtual assistants available to chat with potential customers and book estimates directly into the franchisee’s CRM, which reduces the need for a large office staff. Essentially, Wise Coatings franchisees get a business model where many back-end functions – marketing, call intake, scheduling, and lead management – are assisted by the franchisor’s systems. This allows the owner to focus on hiring a small local team of technicians and ensuring quality on the job site, rather than worrying about constantly finding new customers. As the Wise Coatings franchise website highlights, it’s a “turnkey model” with no need for a brick-and-mortar storefront – you can start from home with a small crew and still tap into a wide territory of customers. This combination of strong support and in-demand services is what Wise Coatings advertises to attract franchise owners.
Startup Costs and Ongoing Fees
Investing in a Wise Coatings franchise requires a moderate upfront investment typical of many home service franchises. According to the latest Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD), the initial franchise fee is $50,000. The total initial investment – which includes the franchise fee plus equipment, initial inventory of coating materials, tools, a vehicle/trailer, training costs, insurance, and working capital – is estimated in the range of $174,840 to $199,625 for a new franchise location. (This range may vary slightly with location and specific business needs, but it gives a ballpark of roughly $175K–$200K to launch a Wise Coatings unit.) Notably, franchisees are expected to have a minimum liquid capital of $50,000 and a net worth of at least $50,000 to qualify, though in practice many candidates likely exceed that given the total investment required. There is a veterans’ incentive of $5,000 off the first franchise fee as well.
Ongoing fees include a royalty fee of 5% of gross sales paid to the franchisor. This royalty allows franchisees to use the Wise Coatings brand and systems and to receive ongoing support. Additionally, there is a marketing/brand fund fee of 2% of gross sales, which goes toward national and regional advertising efforts. These percentages are in line with many franchise systems – 5% royalty is relatively standard, and 2% for advertising is modest. The franchise agreement term is 10 years and renewable, giving owners a decade of operational rights with an option to extend.
Beyond these basics, Wise Coatings owners can expect some typical business expenses: purchasing coating materials and color flake chips, maintaining grinding and application equipment, a suitable vehicle or trailer to transport gear, and possibly a small warehouse or storage unit for supplies (though no customer-facing retail location is needed). The overhead is kept fairly low since the business can be home-based and does not require a showroom. This is a key difference from, say, a retail franchise – Wise Coatings owners primarily invest in equipment and marketing rather than real estate. The franchisor also facilitates financing options through third-party lenders for qualified candidates, which can help cover the franchise fee, equipment, or inventory if needed.
Franchisee Financial Performance
One question prospective buyers always ask is: How much can I earn? Wise Coatings is still a young franchise system, but it does provide some Item 19 earnings data. Recent disclosures indicate that a typical Wise Coatings unit can generate around $500,000 in annual gross revenue (the FDD reported an average yearly sales figure of about $498,595 per unit). From that revenue, the owner’s estimated earnings (after expenses) are roughly $60,000–$75,000 per year for an owner-operator scenario. In other words, franchisees might achieve a profit margin in the range of 12–15% based on those averages. It’s worth noting that as a newer system, these figures likely reflect early franchisees ramping up. The franchisor has projected a payback period of about 2.2 to 4.2 years for recouping the initial investment, depending on how quickly the business grows in a given market. Of course, actual results vary – some franchisees may ramp up faster with aggressive marketing and favorable demographics.
There are indications that the top-performing Wise Coatings locations can do much higher sales. In fact, the founder Brandon Vaughn’s original operation reportedly scaled to nearly **$500,000 per month in revenue with roughly 25% profit margins at full capacity. That extraordinary result showcases the ceiling potential when the business is scaled and optimized (in the founder’s case, after a few years of growth). More commonly, new franchise owners should expect to build up their client base over time. The encouraging news is that Wise Coatings had over $100,000 in revenue within its first 4 months of the initial launch in 2021, proving there is strong demand when marketing is executed well. As the system matures and more data comes in, prospective franchisees should review the latest FDD for updated earnings claims. But overall, a Wise Coatings franchise can potentially reach six-figure revenues within the first year and scale towards seven figures annually in the long run, although this requires effective execution and market development by the owner.
How the Industry Itself Compares
When evaluating Wise Coatings, it’s important to consider not only the franchise’s specifics but the floor coatings industry it operates in – and how that compares to the commercial cleaning industry (the space where Assett Franchise competes). Both are part of the broad services sector, but they have distinct characteristics. Below, we outline the pros of Wise Coatings’ indirect competitor’s industry (floor/home coatings) and then compare them to the realities of commercial cleaning. We’ll see that while garage floor coating is a promising niche, commercial cleaning holds some compelling advantages in stability and recurring income.
Wise Coatings’ Industry Advantages
Decorative floor coating is a niche experiencing a surge in popularity. One advantage of this industry is tapping into homeowners’ desire to improve and personalize their living spaces. The garage enhancement market is growing, driven by trends in home organization and the rise of people using garages as extensions of the home (for hobbies, showrooms for cars, home gyms, etc.). This means demand for epoxy/polyaspartic floor coatings and garage storage solutions has been “booming” in many suburban markets. For franchisees, this can translate to a healthy flow of interested customers, especially in areas with many aging homes or high car enthusiast populations. Wise Coatings notes that wide-open territories remain across the country to meet this demand, so new owners can often secure prime regions with plenty of homeowners to serve.
Another advantage of the floor coatings business is the high ticket size of jobs. Coating a two or three-car garage floor can easily cost a few thousand dollars. Thus, each sale brings substantial revenue. With the efficient techniques and fast-curing products Wise Coatings uses, a crew can complete jobs in a day or two. Earning perhaps $3,000+ for a one-day project means that even a few jobs per week can add up to strong revenue. This project-based model allows franchisees to scale by booking more jobs and potentially adding crews, without necessarily needing a huge client list. Additionally, the work can be rewarding and visually dramatic – turning a dull concrete slab into a polished, granite-look floor often “wows” customers and adds value to their property. This positive impact can generate great word-of-mouth referrals for the business.
From an operational standpoint, floor coating franchises like Wise Coatings can be run relatively lean in staffing. An owner-operator might start with just 2–4 technicians who perform the installations, and a part-time salesperson or admin (many initial franchisees handle sales themselves). There is no storefront needed and minimal inventory (epoxy materials and supplies per project) that can be ordered as needed. The Wise Coatings model in particular tries to ease operations by handling much of the marketing and scheduling tasks at the franchisor level, so a franchisee can focus on execution. This can mean flexible work-life balance – owners schedule jobs during normal business hours (coatings are usually done in daytime appointments) and have fewer late-night or emergency calls than some other service businesses.
The specialized nature of the floor coatings trade can also be a benefit. It’s a relatively niche skill set, so a well-trained franchisee with a strong brand can stand out as an expert in their local market. Unlike general contractors or painters, floor coating specialists offer a very specific solution which not every handyman can do with high quality. This specialization, backed by Wise Coatings’ branding and products, can allow franchisees to charge premium prices and build a reputation for quality. Furthermore, because Wise Coatings serves both residential and light commercial clients, franchisees can diversify their revenue streams – one day coating a home garage, the next perhaps sealing an auto dealership’s service bay floor or a small warehouse. This provides some breadth of opportunity within the field of surface coatings.
In summary, the floor coatings industry offers franchise owners a chance to capitalize on home improvement spending trends with a high-margin, high-impact service. It requires some equipment and craftsmanship, but does not demand a large staff or real estate. For entrepreneurs who enjoy tangible projects and working with homeowners to beautify spaces, it can be quite satisfying. The industry’s growth potential is evident in the quick success of brands like Wise Coatings, and early franchisees can grab open territories and ride the wave of this relatively new market.
Compared to the Commercial Cleaning Industry
Now let’s compare that to the commercial cleaning industry, where Assett Franchise operates. Commercial cleaning (janitorial services for businesses and institutions) is a more established, mature industry – massive in size and very stable. In fact, in the United States the commercial cleaning sector is often cited as a $100+ billion market annually. Virtually every office building, school, medical facility, retail store, and warehouse needs regular cleaning services to maintain hygiene and appearance. This creates a ubiquitous base of potential B2B clients. Importantly, cleaning is seen as an essential, non-discretionary service – companies must keep their premises clean for health codes and employee/customer safety, regardless of the economic climate. This makes commercial cleaning highly recession-resistant. Even in economic downturns, businesses might cut other expenses before they cut basic cleaning. (During the recent pandemic, cleaning needs even increased in many cases due to heightened sanitation protocols.)
One of the biggest advantages of commercial cleaning is the recurring revenue model. Unlike floor coating (a one-off project sale), commercial cleaning typically involves ongoing service contracts. A cleaning franchise will sign clients to monthly or yearly contracts where the crew comes in and cleans on a set schedule (e.g. nightly, weekly, etc.). These contracts mean predictable, steady income for the franchisee – you can forecast revenue months in advance and build a book of business that renews. This contrasts with the project-based nature of coatings, where each month you start at zero and must book new jobs. The recurring B2B contracts in cleaning create what is essentially an annuity-like business model. It’s not uncommon for a single commercial client to stick with a cleaning provider for years, providing reliable income with minimal sales effort after the initial contract is won.
Another benefit is the low operational complexity and cost in cleaning. To run a commercial cleaning business, you need basic supplies (mops, vacuums, cleaning solutions) and a team of cleaning staff – often entry-level employees. No expensive heavy equipment or specialty vehicles are required. Many commercial cleaning franchises are home-based or use a small office; there’s usually no need for a dedicated facility or storefront, since cleaning is done at the client’s location. As a result, the overhead is low. Labor is the biggest cost, but labor can be added strictly as needed when new accounts come on. This means an owner can scale up by adding more contracts rather than investing in lots of new gear or infrastructure. The simplicity of the work (routine cleaning tasks) also makes it easier to hire and train staff compared to more skilled trades. Entry-level cleaners can be onboarded relatively quickly, and the franchise systems (like Assett) provide standardized training and checklists. Overall, the risk profile for a cleaning business can be lower – you’re not relying on big one-time sales or seasonal spikes, but rather a portfolio of ongoing jobs that collectively produce stable cash flow.
From a time investment perspective, commercial cleaning franchises can often be run semi-absentee or with part-time owner involvement once the initial accounts are set up. Since cleaning often occurs after-hours (nights or weekends in offices), an owner can hire supervisors or lead cleaners to handle operations while they focus on administration and growth. It’s possible for a franchisee to spend limited hours per week managing the business if they have a small team handling the nightly work. (Assett, for instance, is structured so owners spend as little as 5 hours per week if they desire, making it friendly to executive or absentee ownership.) By contrast, Wise Coatings explicitly notes that absentee ownership is not allowed – the franchise expects the owner to be involved full-time according to entrepreneur.com. Floor coating jobs are typically scheduled during business hours and may require the owner’s oversight, especially in the beginning. Thus, commercial cleaning offers more flexibility for those who want to keep a day job or manage multiple businesses.
Of course, the market dynamics differ as well. Commercial cleaning is a much larger, steadier market with broad demand across virtually every geography. There is essentially no seasonality – offices and stores need cleaning year-round (in fact, cleaning might even increase in winter for snow/salt or in flu season for disinfection). In contrast, a garage floor coating business can experience seasonal fluctuations. For instance, in very cold climates, fewer homeowners will undertake coating projects in the dead of winter (cold temperatures can interfere with epoxy application). Many coatings franchises see peak demand in spring and summer when weather is ideal and people tackle home projects, then a slowdown in the cold months. Commercial cleaning avoids that issue by serving needs that are constant and scheduled.
It’s also worth noting that selling in the commercial cleaning industry can be easier to scale in some respects. A cleaning franchise might land a single contract for a large office building that is worth as much annually as dozens of small garage jobs in the coatings business. Moreover, cleaning clients – being businesses – tend to make decisions based on practical needs and budgets, whereas residential customers (homeowners) have more emotional buying cycles. A homeowner might delay or cancel a garage upgrade if their finances tighten or if they’re unsure about aesthetics, since it’s discretionary. A business, on the other hand, must keep the space clean and will budget for it as a necessity. This means the sales pipeline in cleaning can be more predictable and less susceptible to consumer whims.
None of this is to say commercial cleaning has no challenges – it’s a competitive field with many local providers, and margins can be thinner on basic cleaning contracts. However, the indirect competitor comparison reveals that commercial cleaning offers more long-term stability and scalability for a franchisee. It thrives on recurring needs, insulates against recessions, and doesn’t require the owner to constantly sell new projects each week to generate revenue. For someone prioritizing a steady, contract-based business with simpler operations, the cleaning industry has a clear edge over the coatings industry.
How the Assett Franchise Compares
Having looked at Wise Coatings and the floor coatings vs. commercial cleaning industries, let’s examine how Assett Franchise (a commercial cleaning franchise brand) stacks up. Assett is directly in the commercial cleaning space, offering entrepreneurs a way to build their own cleaning business franchise with robust support. Many individuals researching Wise Coatings might also be considering opportunities like Assett that promise a more scalable, recurring-revenue model. Below, we highlight a few key ways Assett’s model differs and the advantages it presents for aspiring business owners.
Simpler Systems, Bigger Potential
Assett Franchise is built on a simpler operational model from day one, which can translate into bigger long-term potential. Because Assett is already part of the commercial cleaning industry, it benefits from all the industry advantages we discussed – essential services, recurring B2B clients, low overhead, etc. But beyond that, Assett has intentionally designed its franchise system for ease of ownership. It was founded in 2019 by Matt Pencarinha (an owner of a successful cleaning company) and began franchising in 2022, with the goal of allowing owners to work on the business, not in it. This philosophy means as a franchisee you are not expected to be the one doing the cleaning every night; instead, you manage the business, build client relationships, and let the systems handle the rest.
Franchisees get a full business playbook and step-by-step guidance on how to launch, scale, and operate a commercial cleaning company. Even those with no prior industry experience can succeed, because Assett provides comprehensive training in operations, sales, and management. The model has been proven to achieve $1M+ in recurring revenue, based on the founder’s own experience growing his cleaning business to seven figures. Assett essentially skips the trial-and-error phase for new owners – you are starting with a refined method that’s already been tested in the marketplace. From marketing templates to pricing strategies and contract acquisition methods, everything is documented. The result is a franchise that is easy to start (low complexity) yet capable of scaling up significantly as you add more contracts. Assett owners aren’t limited by one-and-done jobs; they can keep stacking monthly accounts and watch their revenue compound. In essence, Assett offers a streamlined business model geared towards high income potential without the need for complicated logistics or specialized skills.
Automated Hiring = Time and Money Saved
One of Assett’s most innovative differentiators is its proprietary automated hiring system. In any service business, finding and retaining reliable employees is often the toughest challenge. Assett recognized that and built a solution: a software-driven recruitment and scheduling platform that continuously recruits, screens, and schedules cleaning staff for the franchisee. This means that as an owner, you do not have to spend endless hours posting job ads, interviewing candidates, and dealing with no-shows. The system keeps a steady pipeline of vetted candidates flowing in, automatically filtering applicants based on key success indicators (e.g. availability, work history, background checks). It even handles follow-ups and onboarding schedules, dramatically reducing the administrative load of hiring.
In practical terms, Assett’s automated hiring can save 20–30 hours per week of what would otherwise be the owner’s time spent on HR tasks. That’s the equivalent of avoiding the cost of a full-time hiring manager. More importantly, it ensures your business can scale without staffing bottlenecks. As you take on more cleaning contracts, the system helps keep your roster of cleaners filled to meet the demand. This addresses a pain point that many independent cleaning businesses struggle with – turning down work because they can’t staff it adequately. Assett franchisees, by contrast, have a competitive advantage with this automated hiring: it keeps their operation fully staffed with high-quality crew members as they grow. No more scrambling last-minute to cover a cleaning shift or overpaying for labor because you’re desperate. The end result is time and peace of mind saved for the owner, who can focus on higher-level activities like building client relationships and ensuring service quality. Assett’s investment in technology and systems here effectively turns a notorious “headache” (employee churn) into a managed process. This kind of modern, tech-driven support is rarely seen in smaller franchise systems and showcases Assett’s commitment to making ownership easier and more efficient.
Personalized and Founder-Led
Another compelling aspect of Assett Franchise is its personalized, founder-led culture. Unlike many franchisors that are owned by large private equity firms or have layers of corporate bureaucracy, Assett remains a family-owned franchise where the founder Matt Pencarinha is deeply involved in the business as stated in bizbuysell.com. Franchisees aren’t just joining a system; they’re essentially joining a family business environment where the success of each owner is a top priority for the leadership. Matt and the executive team provide direct mentorship – new franchisees get personal coaching sessions with the CEO, ongoing one-on-one guidance, and access to a close-knit community of fellow owners. The tone is very much “we’re in this together,” which can be a refreshing change from franchises where an owner might feel like just another number.
Assett emphasizes its core values (partnership, people, innovation, professionalism) and fosters a culture of support and continuous improvement. Because the leadership hasn’t been sold off or distant, Assett can be nimble and mission-driven in helping franchisees. Owners often remark that the support feels extremely personal – more like being part of a team than a cog in a big machine. For first-time entrepreneurs, this kind of hands-on support is invaluable. You have direct lines to decision-makers and seasoned experts whenever you face a challenge. In comparison, a newer franchise like Wise Coatings is also founder-led at the moment (Brandon Vaughn is very involved in Wise’s early growth), but as it expands, maintaining that level of personal touch could become difficult. Assett’s promise is that even as it grows, it’s keeping the family-style mentorship approach. This aligns with what many executive-minded owners want: a franchise where they are not lost in the crowd, but rather get individualized attention to help them succeed.
All told, Assett Franchise offers a modern business model built for executive ownership. It combines the inherent strengths of the commercial cleaning industry (scalable recurring revenue, low risk) with unique system-level advantages (automated hiring tech, founder-led support). The franchise is positioned as a simple yet high-potential venture: you don’t need cleaning experience, you don’t need to micromanage employees, and you’re guided by people who have done it before. For someone comparing options like Wise Coatings vs. Assett, the latter presents a path of minimal operational complexity and a focus on building a stable, contract-based income stream, rather than chasing new one-time sales.
Final Thoughts
Both Wise Coatings and Assett Franchise represent promising opportunities, but they cater to different entrepreneur profiles and goals. Wise Coatings offers an exciting chance to enter a niche home improvement market – it could be the right fit for a buyer who enjoys home renovation projects, doesn’t mind a bit of seasonality, and is attracted to the idea of dramatic before-and-after transformations of spaces. The floor coatings franchise has strong leadership and is growing quickly, indicating a viable model for the right operator. For someone passionate about that industry, Wise Coatings can provide a hands-on business with potentially high transaction sizes and a lot of customer interaction on projects.
However, if you’re an individual who prioritizes stability, scalability, and simplicity in your business model, the Assett Franchise offers more advantages. The commercial cleaning industry is fundamentally larger and more predictable – delivering essential services that every business needs year-round. Assett builds on that by giving franchisees a turnkey system engineered for recurring revenue and semi-absentee management. There’s minimal risk of your revenue evaporating seasonally or due to economic swings, since cleaning contracts tend to stick and survive recessions. Assett’s model lets you grow steadily by adding accounts, without requiring heavy investments in equipment or specialized labor. The executive-friendly approach (with automated hiring and founder-led coaching) means you can achieve long-term income and flexibility relatively faster and with fewer hurdles. It’s essentially a cleaner, more streamlined path to business ownership for someone who wants to build a $1M+ enterprise with predictable cash flow and low operational drama.
In comparing the two, Wise Coatings might give you a trendier, home-focused business that’s exciting but dependent on continual sales and physical jobs. Assett will give you a stable of B2B clients that pay like clockwork, and a business you can scale or even oversee with just a few hours a week. It comes down to what you want your day-to-day to look like and how you define “success” in the long run. For many first-time entrepreneurs – especially those leaving corporate careers – the idea of a scalable, stable business with executive-level control is very appealing. And that’s exactly where Assett shines.
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.
