Start a OpenWorks Franchise in 2025

Franchise 500 Rank: N/R Not ranked last year

Initial investment: $4K - $134K

Units as of 2024: 447 35% over 3 years

Founded in 1983 by Eric Roudi, OpenWorks is a national commercial cleaning service provider. OpenWorks serves healthcare, education, manufacturing, and property management businesses by keeping their facilities clean, safe, and healthy.

Aside from cleaning, OpenWorks provides pest control, electrical and lighting, landscape maintenance, plumbing, and supply replenishment.

Headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, OpenWorks delivers its trademarked, specialized TotalWorks commercial cleaning, disinfection, and integrated facilities services. OpenWorks may have a network of elite service providers in the United States.

Since beginning to franchise in 1988, OpenWorks has opened more than 600 franchises in select states around the United States.

Why You May Want To Start an OpenWorks Franchise

OpenWorks is looking for smart, hardworking, and strategic-thinking franchisees willing to put in the work necessary to build a successful business. No matter how an OpenWorks franchisee chooses to scale their operation, big or small, the company will expect you to operate your location to its fullest potential.

Not only should OpenWorks franchisees be passionate about improving work and home environments for customers, service providers, and employees, but they should also be willing to learn and implement a proven business model.

What Might Make an OpenWorks Franchise a Good Choice?

OpenWorks may come with a set of customers that a franchisee do not need to secure themselves. This is by design; OpenWorks’ national sales team handles client accounts. So whether you're a new OpenWorks franchisee or an existing business owner that wishes to expand their reach by franchising, OpenWorks may have customers to add to your list of serviceable customers.

To be part of the OpenWorks team, you should make sure you're financially ready for an initial investment made up of a franchise fee and other startup costs. In addition, you should prepare yourself for ongoing fees that will include advertising, royalty, and potential renewal fees.

How To Open an OpenWorks Franchise

An OpenWorks franchise typically gives out as much as you give in. Though franchise support includes features that allow you to focus on the actual job, it is always good to know your potential audience. Coming to the table with this knowledge may show OpenWorks’ corporate team that you're dedicated to the brand. So, as you undertake a screening and disclosure process that will take several weeks, make sure you take time to explore the opportunity.

Research the brand and your local area to see if an OpenWorks franchise would do well in your community. See if your community allows you room to grow and if not, ask about how local and regional territories work within the franchise. This will be especially important to know to calculate your potential employees' commute times.

If awarded a franchise, franchisees may receive support from the OpenWorks brand throughout the franchising process. OpenWorks offers ongoing training that may help you and your team stay updated on the latest cleaning technologies and internal opportunities.

It may be a good idea to speak with an attorney or financial advisor to ensure that you have the necessary financial resources to own and operate an OpenWorks franchise.

Company Overview

About OpenWorks

Industry	Maintenance
Related Categories	Commercial Cleaning, Miscellaneous Maintenance Businesses, Cleaning/Restoration
Founded	1983
Parent Company	O.P.E.N. America Inc.
Leadership	Eric Roudi, Founder & CEO
Corporate Address	2355 E. Camelback Rd., #600 Phoenix, AZ 85016
Social	Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube

Business Overview

Franchising Since	1988 (37 years)
# of employees at HQ	50
Where seeking	This company is offering new franchises throughout the US.
# of Units	447 (as of 2024)

Information for Franchisees

Here's what you need to know if you're interested in opening a OpenWorks franchise.

Financial Requirements & Ongoing Fees

Here's what you can expect to spend to start the business and what ongoing fees the franchisor charges throughout the life of the business.

Initial Franchise Fee Definition: The initial fee paid to a franchisor to join their system What you need to know: Found in Item 5 of the FDD, this may be a flat fee, or may vary based on territory size, experience, or other factors.The franchise fee is an up-front (one-time) cost that a new franchisee pays to the franchisor. This fee is usually due at the signing of the franchise agreement and covers the right to use the franchisor's trademarks, name, and related business systems.	$2,500 - $72,000
Initial Investment Definition: The total amount necessary to begin operation of the franchise What you need to know: The initial investment includes the franchise fee, along with other startup expenses such as real estate, equipment, supplies, business licenses, and working capital. This is outlined in a chart in Item 7 of the FDD, showing a range of possible costs from low to high.	$4,250 - $134,480
Cash Requirement Definition: The minimum liquid capital you must have available in order to qualify to become a franchisee of this company.	$14,850 - $62,000
Veteran Incentives Definition: A discount or other incentive offered to military veterans who buy a franchise with this company.	10% off franchise fee
Royalty Fee Definition: A ongoing fee paid to the franchisor on a regular basis. What you need to know: Most franchisors require franchisees to pay an ongoing royalty fee, which is detailed in Item 6 of the FDD. This fee is typically a percentage of weekly or monthly gross sales, but may also be a flat weekly, monthly, or annual fee.	15%
Ad Royalty Fee Definition: An going fee paid to the franchisor on a regular basis to support advertising or marketing efforts. What you need to know: This may also be called advertising fee, marketing fee, brand fund fee, and more, but the basic purpose is the same-- to support promotion of the brand systemwide. As with the royalty fee, it is detailed in Item 6 of the FDD, and can be a percentage of weekly or monthly gross sales or a weekly, monthly, or annual fee.	2.5%
Term of Agreement Definition: The length of time your franchise agreement will last. What you need to know: Franchise terms are typically anywhere from 5 to 20 years in length, but are sometimes instead dependent on factors such as the term of your lease. Once your term is up, you may have the option to renew your agreement, typically for a smaller fee than the original franchise fee.	10 years
Is franchise term renewable?	Yes

Financing Options

Some franchisors offer in-house financing, while others have relationships with third-party financing sources to which they refer qualified franchisees.

Third Party Financing	OpenWorks has relationships with third-party sources which offer financing to cover the following: franchise fee, startup costs, equipment, inventory

Training & Support Offered

Franchisors offer initial training programs and a variety of ongoing support options to help franchisees run their businesses.

On-The-Job Training	20 hours
Classroom Training	15 hours
Ongoing Support	Newsletter Meetings & Conventions Toll-Free Line Online Support Security & Safety Procedures Field Operations Site Selection Proprietary Software Franchisee Intranet Platform
Marketing Support	Regional Advertising Social Media SEO Website Development Email Marketing

Operations

Additional details about running this franchise.

Is absentee ownership allowed?	No
Can this franchise be run from home/mobile unit? Definition: The business can be run from your home and/or a vehicle, and it is not necessary to have a retail facility, office space, or warehouse.	Yes
Can this franchise be run part time? Definition: This business can be run by the owner on a part-time basis (less than 40 hours per week) and/or as a side business; it is not necessary for the business to be open/run full-time.	No
# of employees required to run	2
Are exclusive territories available? Definition: An exclusive territory is a fixed area in which you are given the right to operate and in which no other units of the same franchise may be opened. What you need to know: Territory size may be based on factors such as radius, population size, zip codes, and more. Details can be found in Item 12 of the FDD.	No