washing company a few years ago, it only had two north american locations. they now have 11 franchises in nine locations and according to the franchise business review get high satisfaction ratings from the franchisees. all of this growth, because the piece of green plaid cloth. a window washer at work on a sunny afternoon. it s not an unusual sight. but in a kilt? we have a lot of fun with it. corporate policy, you got to wear something underneath. for nicholas brand it all started with a simple idea that took root in 2002. i decided on starting a window cleaning business. we re trying to come up with it as an idea. a name. and i met with a couple friends having a couple drinks, not drunk, and one of my buddies blurted out you should wear your kilt because you re scottish. and you know, at first we all had a laugh and then i thought, that s not a bad idea. people won t forget us. and that was how the window washing company men in kilts was born. wearing a kilt that his wife
that s not a bad idea. people won t forget us. and that was how the window washing company men in kilts was born. wearing a kilt that his wife made him, nicholas went door-to-door offering his window washing services. right away, his outfit was an attention grabber. now, you can see kilt-clad window washers and tartan vehicles at work in all the major cities in canada. and seattle. one of nicholas business partners was vice president of operations with 1-800-got-junk and during her time there she saw the company go from 40 franchises to 350. she sees the same growth potential for men in kilts. in canada, i was the first market i really looked at there s no national brand at all. and in the states there s some national brands but they re not offering the mix of services that we re offering. wherever they go, heads turn. and some of the onlookers become future customers. like debbie mcdonald, owner of a branch of the seattle coffee shop forza.
hi there, everyone, i m j.j. ramberg and welcome to your business where we give you tips and advice to help your business grow. standing out from the rest of the pack isn t easy. but for nicolas brand, the founder of the window washing company men in kilts, the uniform does most of that work for him. we went to seattle where his tartan army is out in full force to see how this company is using a little humor, and a lot of professionalism to get customers. a window washer at work on a sunny afternoon. it s not an unusual sight. but in a kilt? we have a lot of fun with it. corporate policy, you ve got to wear something underneath. for nicolas brand it all started with a simple idea that took root in 2002. i decided on starting a
for nicholas brand, it all started with a simple idea in 2002. i decided to start a window cleaning company. we wanted to think of an idea. one of my buddies pointed out we should wear a kilt because you re scottish. at first we all had a laugh and i thought that s not a bad idea. people won t forget us. that was how the window washing company men in kilts was born. nicholas went door to door offering his window washing services. right away his outfit was an attention grabber. even if it was just me in an home made kilt driving around in an old accord, i had people saying you ve got a great idea. you re on to something here. now can you see kilt-clad window washers that work in all the major cities in canada and seattle. tressa wood is one of nicholas s business partners. she was vice president of operations with 1-800-got-junk.