Starting a Dryer Vent Business

Perhaps the Strongest Industry You've Never Heard Of

This unique niche business could be the right franchise for you

What would be an entrepreneur's dream? How about identifying a market with significant customer needs, unlimited growth potential, and with limited companies servicing the demand. Well, that would be a good start. And that was precisely the market landscape that inspired the founding of Dryer Vent Wizard^®.

A New Industry Emerges

Only 30 years ago, most North American homes were designed with the laundry room against an exterior wall, which meant quick and easy ventilation. However, builders began prioritizing homeowner convenience in the ensuing years, moving laundry rooms nearer to the bedrooms. The result? Longer dryer vent ducts, a less direct path for airflow, and the perfect conditions for underperformance.

Lint buildup and blockage, frequent dryer hazards, malfunctions, and breakdowns became the familiar culprit of poorly installed or improperly maintained dryer vents. And a niche industry was born.

We Pioneered the Industry and Remain the Leader

In response to homeowner demand for improving dryer performance, Dryer Vent Wizard was launched in 2004. Since then, we've become the leading company specializing in residential, business, and multi-unit dryer vent cleaning, repairing, and installation in the U.S.

What's more, we're one of the only, by far the largest, national franchises specific to our industry, experiencing steady year-over-year growth since our inception.

We've got the right expertise in a dramatically underrepresented market. We're passionate about helping improve homeowner safety with our superior service while enjoying what we do.

All of this, combined with the community and business benefits of being part of the Neighborly^® family of service brands, creates a remarkable opportunity for entrepreneurs to get things flowing toward the future with a lifestyle they've been searching for.

"I am proud to be a Dryer Vent Wizard. I love that we are a niche market, and we are the best at what we do." – Megan Lavalle, Franchise Owner

Benefits for a Better Bottom Line

Home-based Business

Without the need for a large office, staff, or inventory, most of our Dryer Vend Wizard franchise owners operate their franchise as a home-based business. This model helps keep ongoing costs low.

Even as franchisees grow their business to the point of hiring technicians, they can keep the business functioning as a home-based franchise. This is because as the business grows, the structure doesn't change. Technicians perform all of their work onsite, at the customer's location, which means there is no real need for a physical office location.

Relatively Low Investment

With costs continually on the rise, many other franchise opportunities have also increased their investment levels. Our unique, home-based opportunity has been able to keep the minimum initial franchise fee below the $100,000 mark since inception.

The investment level is great for franchisees who do not have a lot of capital to invest yet want to take control of their futures by owning their businesses. Our investment requirements state prospective franchise owners should have a minimum net worth of $100,000, with $30,000 being liquid and accessible for investment.

Low Overhead

Our franchise opportunity provides a very lean business model that results in low overhead. Our franchisees avoid the high, ongoing cost of office space, employees, and inventory storage as an owner-operated, home-based business.

As the business grows, it can still be run as a home-based business with low overhead. Thanks to our Scheduling Center, franchisees do not need to add employees to field calls and schedule appointments. This service allows owners to keep costs down,

Benefits for a Better Life

An Executive Ownership Model

You're the boss. Manage your business and leave the technical work to your team of dryer vent service professionals.

Join a Team That Feels Like Family

Get into business with the backing of a powerful international brand in a needed service industry niche, but with the family-style culture you'd miss if you were anywhere else.

Improve Your Lifestyle

Take control of your professional life with an opportunity to own one of the strongest brands in a surprisingly high-demand industry.

A Van, a Plan, and an Impressive Opportunity

Dryer Vent Wizard understands that our franchise owners' success is our success, and we help with our system of training and ongoing support programs. We begin working with franchisees immediately after they sign their franchise agreement and continue to provide a high level of ongoing training and support throughout the franchise relationship.

Sure Start Training

Our Sure Start program takes you through classroom-style business and marketing training and hands-on service instruction, so you know how to manage every aspect of your franchise.

Staying Connected

Count on your fellow Dryer Vent Wizards for ongoing guidance, training, and growth strategies with a dedicated online communication platform. Take advantage of a third-party, industry-leading recruiting and onboarding platform to help you find the right service professionals for your team.

Marketing Support

Access powerful print and digital marketing collateral and innovative strategies to help boost visibility in your community and help you entice new and returning clients.

Help From Our Friends

A family of key partnerships with appliance repair businesses and local first-responders helps us educate every market we're in.

Dryer Vent Wizard Scheduling Center

Successfully starting an owner-operated, home-based business requires hard work, detailed planning, and a way to take a lot of phone calls to continue booking business.

Unfortunately, these phone calls can be difficult for the average owner trying to make their start.
The standard options are answering the phone at inopportune times (while with a customer) or hiring staff to handle the calls, which can be very expensive. Neither of these options may seem like a great plan, but with a Driver Vent Wizard franchise, you do not need to worry about either.

Our National Scheduling Center is staffed from 7:00 am EST to 9:00 pm EST Monday through Friday, from 8:00 am EST to 5:00 pm EST on Saturdays, and from 11:00 am EST to 3:00 pm EST on Sundays.

Our well-trained and knowledgeable scheduling center representatives handle all incoming calls for our entire system of franchisees across the U.S. and Canada. This professional staff answers questions and books appointments using our web-based calendaring system that all franchisees use to manage their weekly schedules.

Finally, the scheduling center also places outgoing calls to existing customers to schedule maintenance and re-cleaning appointments on behalf of franchise business owners. This service provides an excellent opportunity for ongoing business and recurring revenue for our franchisees without the need for them to take the time to place the calls themselves.

Recession-Resilient Demand

Dryer lint is dangerous. Tragically, many consumers don't treat the root cause of their dryer issues in time to avoid the potential danger. By seizing the opportunity to educate homeowners about the risks – you can help mitigate the potential hazards caused by improperly maintained vents. The numbers confirm the dangers:

Protecting Lives and Property

• Every 36 minutes a dryer fire occurs¹
• 14,360 estimated yearly fires involving clothes dryers¹
• $222M yearly in direct property damage caused by dryer fires¹
• 420 estimated yearly injuries due to dryer fires¹
• 9 estimated yearly civilian deaths¹

¹National Fire Protection Association report, "Home Fires Involving Clothes Dryers and Washing Machines," 2017. National Fire Protection Association report. https://www.nfpa.org//-/media/Files/News-and-Research/Fire-statistics-and-reports/Fact-sheets/WasherDryerFactSheet.pdf

Market Differentiation

When you own a niche business like dryer vent maintenance, you have the advantage of automatically distinguishing yourself from much of the competition. And while a dry vent business is considered a niche industry, the demand for the service is growing.

The market has been valued at over $360 million, with a projected compound annual growth rate of 3.7 percent from 2019 to 2029.²

²https://www.factmr.com/report/538/dryer-vents-market

And as health and safety concerns remain at the forefront of consumers' priorities, this necessary business will become even more critical in the future.

"Our business literally saves lives. We have serviced hundreds of customers over the last year. Three of those homes were close to a fire that could have sparked at any moment." – Gayle Patrick, Franchise Owner

When It's Time for Something New

Our franchise owners come from all walks of life. Some have held executive positions in corporate environments and are looking for a career change. Others are technicians who have worked in the home service industry and recognize they can boost their earning potential by owning their own business. And some simply decide to start their careers as independent business owners.

Regardless of background, however, our franchisees have a shared passion for providing a good and necessary service to customers while enjoying the many benefits franchise ownership can provide.