Franchise Anonymous 17+18: We’re going industrial

Happy Sunday, folks. 

As a franchise consultant, I hear pitches from hundreds of different franchise concepts every year. 

I’m taking the most interesting ones, and telling you: 

• What sets them apart

• One potential weakness

• Who the ideal buyer is

My promise: you’ll learn something about franchising every time. 

Today’s mystery franchises: movable walls for work sites, and parking lot painting.

The business: Construction site containment

There’s a niche little corner of commercial remodeling most people never think about: temporary walls. Hospitals, airports, retail stores, etc need clean, professional containment if they’re being renovated while they are still open. Most solutions are ugly and inefficient. This one isn’t.

What they do differently

• White-labeled, reusable walls. Most containment setups rely on plastic sheets and duct tape. This brand offers sleek, reusable wall systems that can be branded for the client. That turns a construction mess into a controlled, professional-looking space which matters when you’re working in hospitals and high-traffic public areas.

• Minimal labor, B2B model. You’re not managing dozens of techs or trucks. A small team can handle installs, and you’re working with businesses, not homeowners. B2B means fewer emotional customers, more repeat clients, and larger contracts.

• Pre-set sales systems. You don’t have to figure out lead gen on your own. A centralized call center handles inbound leads, and you’re equipped with proven commercial sales playbooks from day one.

• 🚩Potential weakness: Niche market = niche sales cycle. This is a “gotta know somebody” kind of sale. You’re not handing out flyers to homeowners. You need to network into commercial facility managers and construction planners. Not impossible, but definitely not passive.

The takeaway:

If you’ve got a sales or networking background (especially in commercial construction, healthcare, or B2B services), this plays to your strengths. It’s a clean operational model with real room to scale, especially for multi-unit operators. No construction experience needed. Just bring your Rolodex and your follow-up game.

Interested? Let’s talk construction containment.

The business: Pavement maintenance

If you’ve never thought about who paints the lines in parking lots, you’re not alone. Most people haven’t. But this franchise has. They’ve turned a sleepy, fragmented trade into a branded, B2B service machine with national accounts and serious scale potential.

What they do differently

• It’s a systems-first business. Instead of a guy with a truck and a paint sprayer, this is a full-service model with proprietary coatings, CRM tools, and a clear sales process. Think “professional contractor” with franchise polish.

• Recurring revenue is built in. Parking lots need annual touch-ups. That means steady demand and repeat business without needing to invent new services.

• Low competition, wide-open market. No major national players in this niche yet. They’re first to market with a recognizable brand and a comprehensive offering. That’s rare, especially in a $29B space.

• 🚩Potential weakness: Night work and weather windows. This job doesn’t happen during business hours, and it’s weather-sensitive. Crews often work overnight. If you’re expecting banker’s hours, keep looking.

The takeaway:

This is a smart fit for someone who wants a scalable, blue-collar service business with white-collar systems behind it. No industry experience required. Just leadership, hustle, and the ability to manage teams. The niche is surprisingly big, and still wide open.

Interested? Let’s talk pavement maintenance.

If these aren’t doing it for you, I work with hundreds of other brands. Get in touch and we can find something that scratches the itch.

Thanks for reading!

Connor

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