Stratus Clean
Stratus Building Solutions offers a unique executive-level master franchise opportunity within the $100+ billion commercial cleaning industry. Unlike traditional cleaning businesses, Stratus Master Franchisees are not responsible for performing cleaning services. Instead, they build and manage a regional commercial cleaning franchise organization by selling unit franchises, securing commercial cleaning contracts, and providing operational support to franchisees.
This is an ideal opportunity for experienced executives, entrepreneurs, and business leaders who enjoy building organizations, leading teams, developing relationships, and creating long-term enterprise value. With approximately 90% recurring revenue, high customer retention, multiple revenue streams, and a recession-resistant business model, Stratus has become one of the fastest-growing franchise systems in North America.
The Stratus Business Model
The easiest way to understand Stratus is that the Master Franchisee operates as the CEO of a regional franchise organization.
Rather than cleaning buildings themselves, Master Franchisees focus on three primary responsibilities:
- Selling unit franchises throughout their protected territory
- Building relationships with local businesses and securing commercial cleaning contracts
- Supporting and coaching their network of franchise owners
Once commercial cleaning contracts are secured, those contracts are assigned to unit franchisees who perform the actual cleaning services.
This creates a business centered around leadership, sales, marketing, recruiting, and operations—not janitorial work.
As Stratus representatives often say:
"You're in the commercial cleaning industry—but you're not cleaning toilets."
A Highly Predictable Recurring Revenue Model
One of the strongest aspects of Stratus is its recurring revenue.
Approximately:
- 90% of company revenue is recurring
- 90% of contracts renew
- Average commercial contracts remain active for more than four years
Commercial clients require cleaning every week regardless of economic conditions.
Unlike many franchise concepts that rely on constantly acquiring new customers, Stratus builds a stable base of recurring monthly revenue that compounds over time.
A Massive and Fragmented Industry
Commercial cleaning is one of the largest service industries in North America.
Industry estimates place the market at roughly $100 billion annually, with commercial cleaning representing over 70% of that market.
Even more attractive:
- Over 90% of businesses outsource their cleaning services.
- Approximately 80–85% of businesses report dissatisfaction with their current cleaning provider, creating continual opportunities to win new contracts.
- The industry remains highly fragmented, with no company controlling more than a small percentage of market share.
This provides significant runway for long-term growth in virtually every territory.
A Pure B2B Business
Stratus focuses exclusively on commercial clients.
Typical customers include:
- Office buildings
- Medical offices
- Hospitals
- Schools
- Government facilities
- Daycare centers
- Senior living communities
- Retail businesses
- Industrial facilities
Residential cleaning is not part of the business model.
Because customers are businesses rather than homeowners, revenue tends to be more stable and predictable.
Built for Economic Resilience
Commercial cleaning is considered an essential service.
Businesses continue requiring janitorial services during:
- Economic downturns
- Inflationary periods
- Political uncertainty
- Public health events
In fact, the COVID-19 pandemic increased awareness of professional cleaning and disinfecting services, highlighting the importance of the industry rather than diminishing demand.
For investors seeking recession-resistant businesses, Stratus stands out as one of the stronger opportunities in franchising.
The Master Franchise Structure
Unlike traditional franchise systems where owners simply operate a single location, Stratus uses a master franchise model.
Master Franchisees generate revenue from multiple activities, including:
- Initial franchise fees
- Ongoing royalties
- Commercial cleaning contracts
- Additional operational revenue streams
- Franchise support services
One particularly unique aspect is that Master Franchisees control the billing process.
Commercial clients pay the Master Franchise directly. The Master Franchise then deducts applicable royalties and distributes the remaining payment to the unit franchisee.
This means Master Franchisees generally do not spend time chasing royalty payments, which is a common challenge in many franchise systems.
Nine Revenue Streams
Most franchise systems generate one to three revenue streams.
Stratus has developed nine separate revenue streams, creating multiple ways for owners to grow profitability while diversifying income sources.
This multi-layered structure provides greater financial stability and more opportunities for expansion over time.
An Executive-Level Business
Stratus is designed for business leaders—not technicians.
Ideal candidates often have backgrounds in:
- Executive leadership
- Corporate management
- Sales leadership
- Operations
- Business ownership
- Multi-unit management
Success depends less on cleaning experience and more on the ability to:
- Recruit quality people
- Build relationships
- Lead teams
- Develop systems
- Support franchisees
- Drive business development
The company specifically looks for individuals with strong interpersonal skills, noting that technical skills can be taught, but the ability to build trust and lead people is essential.
Unit Franchisees Purchase Revenue
One interesting aspect of the Stratus model is how unit franchisees enter the system.
Rather than purchasing a geographic territory, they purchase a guaranteed book of business.
For example, a franchisee may purchase a business that begins with a guaranteed monthly revenue level, allowing them to start generating income immediately instead of spending months building a customer base from scratch.
The Master Franchise is responsible for acquiring and assigning those accounts.
Company History
Stratus was founded in 2006 and began franchising in 2008.
One particularly compelling aspect of the company is its ownership.
The current owners were originally successful Stratus Master Franchisees before purchasing the company in 2015.
Because ownership actively operates locations within the system, strategic decisions are often tested in their own businesses before being rolled out across the network.
This "operator-owned" philosophy creates strong alignment between corporate leadership and franchisees.
Growth and Recognition
Stratus has experienced remarkable growth over the past several years.
Highlights include:
- More than 95 Master Franchise offices throughout North America
- Over 5,500 unit franchisees
- More than 1,150 franchises sold in a recent year
- Ranked among the fastest-growing franchise systems for multiple consecutive years
- Ranked within Entrepreneur's Franchise 500
Perhaps even more meaningful is recognition from Franchise Business Review, which surveys actual franchise owners rather than ranking systems based primarily on objective business metrics.
According to company leadership:
- More than 88% of Master Franchisees reported they would invest again.
- More than 88% would recommend the business to friends or family.
High franchisee satisfaction is often one of the strongest indicators of a healthy franchise system.
Financial Performance
According to company information discussed during the presentation:
- System-wide sales exceed $238 million
- System sales have been growing approximately 18% annually
- Average Master Franchise revenue is approximately $3.2 million
- Top-performing Masters exceed $9 million annually
- The highest-performing territory generates over $15 million annually
Prospective franchisees should review the current Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD), particularly Item 19, for complete financial performance representations.
Training and Support
New Master Franchisees receive extensive onboarding, including:
- One week of corporate training
- Two additional weeks of on-site training
- Dedicated mentor from an experienced Master Franchisee
- Ongoing operational coaching
- Regional meetings throughout the year
- Annual conferences
- Peer mastermind groups based on business stage
Support continues well beyond the initial launch, with corporate maintaining close relationships with franchisees as they grow.
Why Stratus Stands Out
For candidates seeking a scalable business with recurring revenue, B2B customers, multiple income streams, and the opportunity to build a valuable enterprise, Stratus Building Solutions presents one of the more compelling master franchise opportunities available today.
Highlights
By the Numbers
Interested in Stratus Clean?
Book a free strategy session to learn more about this opportunity and see if it's the right fit.
Book a Strategy Session