The Investment

You are responsible for your transportation to, from, and during your initial 6-day STOP training visit. We will arrange and pay your living expenses for the STOP Initial Training, including a hotel (one room) and food (up to two people) during this training visit. You will be responsible for your travel and incidental expenses to attend your “Advanced Training” courses, which are offered regionally (and regularly) by the I.I.C.R.C., an industry training and certification body.

Your business may be operated out of your home until a shop is necessary, based on the volume and size of jobs received. Your first shop will need to be a 1000-2500 square foot commercial space. Real estate costs vary from city to city. “Drive-by” visibility is not necessary for your business.

It is your responsibility to find a site for your business. We must approve the site and facility. This approval takes no more than three days. You will need an office, work area, cleaning area with sinks, counters, etc., tool/storage area, and, in colder climates, you may need inside parking for your vans/trucks.

You will need certain office equipment and supplies to begin your business (computer, scanner/printer, internet access, calculator, letterhead/envelopes, postage, etc.). A computer system (CPU, monitor, printer), if you do not own one, costs approximately $1,000.

A van or cube van is needed to perform most cleaning, repair, and restoration work. A new or good used van should be obtained before or upon opening. We have arranged for your purchase of a new heavy-duty van, equipped with shelving and signage, at a very competitive “fleet sales” price that you may buy directly from this arranged industry supplier. Van can be delivered to a major city or to your door for an additional cost. There is no additional charge for assisting you in this purchase.

You will need certain equipment and supplies (water extraction machine, air movers, dehumidifiers, hand and/or machine tools, cleaning agents/disinfectants, sponges, etc.) to perform work when you initially open your business. Also required are items and services related to accounting and estimating software, internet marketing (website and SEO program), professional apparel, industry “certified” technical training, promo materials, and signage. We have arranged discounted prices for our franchisees and for us from many manufacturers and suppliers. We offer many of the items you will need.

You are required to attend certain advanced, “industry-certified” technical training courses. Thirteen (13) days of additional classroom and hands-on training (after STOP’s 6-day Initial Training) plus a 12-hour estimating software training course are part of this package. We also provide you with a localized STOP website, specific web content to begin your site’s SEO (search engine optimization) efforts, and a webmaster to upload any news or blogs you provide in the future. Also included in the package is a business kick-off kit of STOP apparel, marketing aids such as brochures and postcards, and truck signage. We have assembled the items and services from many suppliers.

This item estimates your initial start-up expenses for a three-month period. These expenses include the costs of preparing for business, employee salaries, and expenses incurred during pre-opening training (such as travel), and sufficient funds to cover any excess of expenses over cash flow from operations during the first three months you conduct business. We estimated these expenses based upon a typical service company with average revenue, and the actual amount you will pay will vary depending on your revenue and other factors. Personal living expenses, as well as an estimate of the cost of financing or the amount of debt service obligation you undertake, are not included in this item. We do not offer financing for any portion of these incidental initial investment costs. The availability and terms of financing depend on the availability of financing generally, your own creditworthiness, and the collateral you possess.