How Killer Branding Made Men In Kilts A Leader In The Exterior Cleaning Industry

If you glance out your window and notice your neighbor getting their windows cleaned, you probably won’t think twice about it. But if that window cleaner is wearing a kilt, you might start asking some questions.

Men In Kilts , the nearly 50-location exterior home cleaning franchise, has leveraged eye-catching branding to emerge as a leading player in the highly fragmented, $621 billion home-maintenance industry . Now, the franchise has joined Threshold Brands , a multi-brand franchisor that houses national home service brands including MaidPro , FlyFoe , Pestmaster Services , Sir Grout , USA Insulation , Plumbing Paramedics and Heating + Air Paramedics , to leverage Men In Kilts’ enviable positioning for large scale growth in markets across the country.

Founded in Vancouver, British Columbia in 2002, Men in Kilts started as the brainchild of an independent window cleaner who decided to throw on a kilt while washing windows. Instantly, that cheeky sartorial choice generated enough buzz to help the business dominate its local market, and then neighboring markets, continuing to grow for a decade until Men In Kilts launched franchise opportunities in 2012.

Franchise growth

Currently, the brand has 28 franchise owners spread across 29 territories, with an additional 19 territories set to open in 2022, leaving a considerable amount of whitespace open for potential franchise owners to capitalize on.

“One of our first franchisees was a fairly successful window cleaner in Calgary who, after experiencing a lot of growth, had seen his business plateau,” said Jennifer Faz , Men in Kilts’ marketing manager. “He learned about Men In Kilts and decided to convert all of his locations to join the franchise, and it was a complete shot in the arm. He doubled his revenue in just a few years.”

Faz, who joined the brand first as a franchisee before taking a role on the corporate team, says the franchise’s branding is about more than just name recognition; it opens up an entirely new customer base.

“Some people think of window cleaning as a necessity and some think of it as a luxury, but many people simply don’t think of it at all — until they see someone in a kilt cleaning their neighbor’s windows. Then they Google us,” she said.

Operational model

However, Men In Kilts didn’t become the leader in the segment based on branding alone. The brand’s lucrative operational model offers a diverse and complementary variety of services that appeal to all homeowners, regardless of where they live. Services include window cleaning, power washing, gutter cleaning and house washing, all of which provide multiple revenue streams for franchise owners.

A diverse array of offerings also allows Men In Kilts owners to service a range of needs all year round, a critical benefit in an industry that otherwise experiences seasonal peaks and valleys. Meanwhile, a low-cost operational model allows franchisees to recoup their initial investment quickly and begin turning a profit.

“We have deliberately kept the startup costs as low as possible so we can attract the most qualified franchisees, regardless of their liquidity, and help them focus on growth,” Faz said. “There is no inventory to manage, which keeps overhead extremely low.”

What was already an attractive franchise opportunity for interested candidates suddenly became even more desirable during COVID-19. Proving itself to be pandemic-proof, Men in Kilts experienced a surge in both consumer sales and franchise development throughout the course of the pandemic.

“People are spending more time at home than ever before, and they are reprioritizing home maintenance,” said Men in Kilts brand president, Rachel Southard . “The home service industry is experiencing a boom and we are particularly well-positioned to make the most of that boom. Our services are performed outdoors, which allowed us to keep operating safely while other businesses were shutting down.

Additionally, an increasing number of people are leaving corporate jobs and taking their careers into their own hands. They are looking for lucrative business opportunities that are fun and make them excited about their work. Men in Kilts is an attractive prospect in that respect.”

Partnership and resources

In 2020, Threshold Brands acquired Men In Kilts’ U.S. franchise, Then, in 2021, it acquired Men In Kilts Canada. Now, Men In Kilts is leveraging Threshold’s extensive resources, including a thriving network of home-service franchisees across different categories, for its most ambitious growth plans yet, aiming for a 50% increase in locations by end of year.

“Since Men In Kilts Canada became part of the Threshold Brands family early in 2021, I have seen the corporate support grow to a new level,” said Nicholas Brand, founder and owner of Men in Kilts Vancouver. “Dedicated operations, coaching and marketing teams have all allowed us to grow the business in Vancouver unlike ever before. Most importantly, Threshold Brands is not trying to impose their way of running the business. Rather, they are talking to the franchise owners, listening to us and working to develop systems that support the specific work that we do at Men in Kilts.”

Now, as Men In Kilts prepares for widespread growth across both Canada and the U.S., the franchise is targeting key markets throughout the Sunbelt, including Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, and Atlanta, for development.

“Our mission has always been to become the largest and most-loved home cleaning business in the world,” Southard said. “I’m excited to say that we’ve never been in a better position to achieve that goal.”