Many franchises live and breathe on repeat business, but none more than those in the cleaning and maintenance industry. There aren't many things that people can count on in the world, but one of them is that everything gets dirty, and that is precisely the fact that keeps this industry alive and thriving. Businesses and homes consistently accumulate filth again and again, and most of them are more willing to pay the cost of hiring someone else to clean than they are to spend the time doing it themselves. If a small business in cleaning and maintenance sounds like a good idea to you, here are some great opportunities for investment.

Maintenance Franchises

A good example of a great maintenance franchise is the growing industry of duct cleaning. Businessmen and homeowners alike are becoming fans of having their ducts cleaned, in part because of recent increases in publicity surrounding the dangers of allergens and mold spores that can build up in them. The market is growing, and two companies that can get you in on that growth are DUCTZ Duct Cleaning and Rotobrush. For fairly low startup costs, franchisees with each business are taught everything there is to know about operating a franchise and physically operating a duct vacuum system. And operating that vacuum can be very profitable. In fact, Rotobrush claims that a work from home franchisee can make anywhere from $25,000 to $75,000 per year by only working part time, that's only 2 or 3 service calls a week, and the income potential for someone working full time could easily be double or triple. If financial freedom is what you want, this is the market. DUCTZ Duct Cleaning affords its owners another opportunity that is more on the humanitarian end of things. Each franchisee is invited, once trained, to join what they call the National Service Team, a group of DUCTZ Duct Cleaning franchisees ready and willing to dive into emergency situations around the country and take responsibility for removing contaminants from the air, protecting those in the area..

Not all maintenance needs are overhead; some are underfoot. Whether carpeted or plain hardwood, flooring is easily one of the dirtiest parts of any home, because what is on the ground outside is nearly always tracked inside, all over everywhere. When a vacuum or broom just doesn't cut it, and a person doesn't feel like renting a steamer or buffer, N-Hance and Oxi Fresh Carpet Cleaning are the companies they call, and you can be a franchisee with either.

With your own N-Hance home based business, you operate a business with two streams of income. First, the wood-restoration services you provide are second to none and highly desired by everyone with weathered cabinets and floors. And second, you make a bit more on the top by retailing the very same quality cleaning products that you use, so that your clients can continue cleaning for themselves.

But carpets get filthy too, and Oxi Fresh Carpet Cleaning franchisees are able to deal with that. The equipment in the Oxi Fresh Carpet Cleaning franchisee's proverbial tool belt are unlike any other, giving a deep clean without any remaining residue where other companies only scratch the surface and leave a sticky film to prove it. Customers love this product, and they recognize the company's name because all the franchises are given access to a central marketing group that does everything for them, including building a custom website. The service is great, and thanks to the franchisor, everyone knows it.

Cleaning Franchises

Though we may be most accustomed to associating the word cleaning with the image of a maid in someone's home, a lesser recognized, though equally profitable cleaning sub-market, is commercial cleaning, and a great option is Coverall Cleaning Concepts. With nearly 9,000 franchisees serving 45,000 clients worldwide, they know how to make a commercial cleaning franchise work, and they can teach you how to effectively operate every aspect of your business from marketing and equipment maintenance to employee hiring and schedule development. What's more, when a franchisee is ready to really dive in, this franchisor is prepared to convert you to a master franchise over a whole region.

A little more in line with that classic image of a maid with a feather duster, there are a number of excellent opportunities in the residential cleaning industry, and two of those are The Maids Home Services and Home Cleaning Centers of America. If professional opinion means something to you, then The Maids Home Services deserves your attention and appreciation, because Entrepreneur Magazine has listed them as the number-one residential cleaning service for the last two years and the fastest growing in the industry for the last five. There is still something to be said for the competition, particularly Home Cleaning Centers of America, who also provide all your marketing needs, but widen your business options just a little. Though the majority of the company's business comes from residential cleaning, they offer the availability to expand into the world of commercial cleaning as well, so the franchisee with big plans for the future is not boxed in. It's always good to have options.

Cleaning and maintenance is a huge industry, offering plenty of opportunities to anyone willing to dive into one of the most cyclical and regular markets around. Whichever side of it you prefer, whatever plans you have for the future, and regardless of how much time and energy you have to put in right this moment, there is a viable business model available to you.