Quick Verdict · who it fits
Next Step Franchising, LLC fits first-time franchise buyers looking for a mid-scale cleaning concept.
The numbers a buyer needs first — straight from the filing.
Initial investment (Item 7)
$41K - $1.7M
Franchise fee (Item 5)
$60K
Royalty (Item 6)
6% + 2% ad
Item 19 median rev
$689k
System size (Item 20)
81 +2
Item 3 litigation
2 suits
Buyer qualifications
Data extracted from the 2026 FDD filed with state regulators. Fees and terms may have changed since filing — request the current FDD from the franchisor before deciding. Not legal, financial, or investment advice. Full disclaimer.
Drag to your projected annual sales. Royalty 6% + ad fund 2% on gross sales.
PROJECTED ANNUAL SALES$690,000
$100k$2M
Royalty (6%)
—
Ad fund (2%)
—
Total / year
—
▪ Of-sales fees only · excludes rent, labor, COGS, and one-time costs · for illustration
Free AI summary — the first read on the filing.
83
Total units open
2
Units opened last year
1
Units closed last year
2
Net unit growth
What our analysis flagged across the 2026 filing.
5
Risks to review
4
Strengths identified
5
Questions to ask
How Next Step ranks against 129 Cleaning & Maintenance peers we've analyzed.
Initial investment
13th pct · of 129 peers
Franchise fee
77th pct · of 129 peers
System size
48th pct · of 129 peers
Cleaning & Maintenance industry averages
Avg investment
$172K - $436K
Avg franchise fee
$45K
Avg system size
477
Franchises analyzed
129
Closest concepts by category and investment.
| Brand | Item 19 | Fee | Investment | Royalty | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Next Step | Disclosed | $60K | $41K - $1.7M | 6% | 81 |
| Wavemax Franchise, Llc (unit Franchise)Similar price | Disclosed | $55K | $356K - $1.6M | 6% | 5,665 |
| Jani-King of CaliforniaBiggest system | None | $3K | — | 11% | 202,320 |
| Vanguard CleaningTop-rated in category | Disclosed | $100K | $165K - $473K | 5% | 48 |
Free explainers to go deeper before you sign.
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Window Genie's 2026 FDD discloses a $387K median AUV across 90 units, with a $128K-$828K interquartile range that tells the real story. Inside the Neighborly portfolio, the verdict depends on how the brand fits adjacent operations.
Brand Analysis
Tide Cleaners' 2025 FDD shows total investment of $698K to $2.5M, a $20K-$50K franchise fee, and a 6.5% royalty plus 4% ad fund. The 12-14 year typical payback period is among the longest in major U.S. franchising. Here's the honest math and the buyer profile that makes it work.
Next Step Franchising, LLC requires a $60,000 initial franchise fee and a total initial investment range of $40,900–$1,672,000, per the most recent FDD on file.
Yes. Next Step Franchising, LLC discloses Item 19 financial performance representations with reported revenue around $688,694. See the financials sub-page for the full distribution.
Franchisees pay a royalty of 6% and an advertising fund contribution of 2% on gross sales as defined in Item 6 of the FDD.
As of their 2026 FDD, Next Step Franchising, LLC has 81 total locations, with 2 new locations opened in the most recent reporting year. This information comes from Item 20 of the FDD.
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