Franchise Anonymous 31+32: Disaster cabinet restoration, mobile aircraft detailing

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: Cabinet restoration for disasters and mobile aircraft detailing.

The business: Cabinet restoration for disasters

Most disaster restoration franchises try to do everything: mold, fire, flood, drywall, carpets, contents. This one picks a lane—cabinets—and owns it. They’re the specialized subcontractor insurance companies actually like working with.

What they do differently

• They don’t replace cabinets—they restore them. When a kitchen floods, most contractors gut it and start over. These guys remove the cabinets, prop up the countertops, restore everything off-site, and reinstall. It’s faster, cheaper, and keeps policyholders in their homes. That’s a big win for insurers.

• They’re not competing with the big boys. Most of the disaster restoration space is crowded and cutthroat. This brand has virtually no franchised competitors and a niche offering insurers want in their vendor list. That’s rare.

• Insurance is half the business. Around 40–50% of jobs come straight from insurance referrals. The rest is custom cabinet work or partnerships with mitigation companies. So you’re not starting from scratch every time the phone rings.

• 🚩Potential weakness: Operationally intense at first. You’re launching a shop, managing a crew, doing sales calls with mitigators and adjusters, and bidding jobs. It’s a grind early on. If you’re expecting a passive investment, look elsewhere.

The takeaway:

This one’s built for operators who can lead a team, build B2B relationships, and want to own a niche with defensible margins. If you’ve got experience in trades, insurance, or project management—or just like the idea of running a skilled trades business without swinging the hammer—it’s worth a look.

Interested? Let’s talk cabinet restoration.

The business: Mobile aircraft detailing

Aircraft detailing isn’t something most people think about—but private jets still get dirty. And unlike car washes, the stakes (and expectations) are a little higher. This brand brings professional detailing to a niche, high-dollar space with surprisingly little competition.

What they do differently

• Hyper-targeted, niche market. Most cleaning or detailing concepts go broad: homes, cars, maybe commercial fleets. This one goes deep on aircraft. They’ve carved out a category where the clients are few, wealthy, and picky—and that’s exactly the point.

• Mobile and low overhead. No hangars. No storefront. You operate on-site at local airports and FBOs, with a compact crew and zero real estate commitment. That’s unusual in aviation—and helpful if you want to stay asset-light while scaling.

• Recurring and high-ticket jobs. Planes don’t clean themselves, and owners don’t do it either. Most aircraft get detailed monthly, quarterly, or after long flights. Corporate fleets and insurance adjusters are a bonus B2B source. It’s not a one-and-done business.

• 🚩Potential weakness: It’s early, and unproven at scale. You’d be the first or second franchisee in your market. The brand has a 20-year history but only just started franchising. So, there’s no playbook for “what works in Florida” yet—just the founders’ Midwest model.

The takeaway:

If you’re a detail-oriented operator with a service mindset and an interest in aviation—or just want a defensible niche with high margins—this is worth a look. You don’t need industry experience, but you do need to hustle early on. Best for folks who like relationship-building, premium service, and don’t mind a tarmac or two.

Interested? Let’s talk aircraft detailing.

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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