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Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Hawkeye's Home Sitters vs Sonitrol including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.
Start-Up Costs and Fees |
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Investment | $5,000 - $10,000 | $148,000 - $474,000 |
Franchise Fee | $4,000 - $8,000 | $20,000 - $50,000 |
Royalty Fee | 4% | 2.5% |
Advertising Fee | - | - |
Year Founded | 1987 | 1964 |
Year Franchised | 1997 | 1965 |
Term Of Agreement | 5 years | 10 years |
Term Of Agreement | 5 years | 10 years |
Renewal Fee | $125 | - |
Business Experience Requirements |
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Experience | - | |
Financing Options |
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In-House/3rd Party | In-House/3rd Party | |
Franchise Fees | No/No | No/No |
Start-up Costs | No/No | No/No |
Equipment | No/No | No/No |
Inventory | No/No | No/No |
Receivables | No/No | No/No |
Payroll | No/No | No/No |
Training & Support |
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Training | - | - |
Support | Newsletter, Toll-free phone line, Grand opening, Internet, Security/safety procedures, Purchasing cooperatives | Newsletter, Meetings, Internet, Field operations/evaluations, Purchasing cooperatives |
Marketing | Co-op advertising, National media | Ad slicks |
Operations |
Franchise can be run from home. 75% of all franchisees own more than one unit Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 1 - 2
Absentee ownership of franchise is NOT allowed. (100% of current franchisees are owner/operators) |
15% of all franchisees own more than one unit Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 20 Absentee ownership of franchise is allowed. (90% of current franchisees are owner/operators) |
Expansion Plans |
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US Expansion | - | - |
Canada Expansion | No | No |
International Expansion | Yes | Yes |
Dennis and Connie Pysyk started a home-sitting business in Edmonton, Alberta, in 1987 and began franchising in 1996. Having been a police officer since 1973, Dennis Pysyk was familiar with residential security issues. While the homeowner is away, the house sitter looks after pets, plants and appliances, picks up newspapers and mail, and gives the home a 'lived-in' look. Since it started, Hawkeye's has dealt with flooded basements, hailstorms and a tornado and cared for cats, dogs, birds, chickens, rabbits, rodents and reptiles.
Robert Baxter originally founded Sonitrol in 1960 as a company that would incorporate his various sound-related inventions. Everything changed when police officer and alarm company owner Al Cronk hired Baxter to manage his company's equipment. Baxter's innovations proved so successful that Sonitrol soon evolved from an invention company into a security franchise opportunity in 1965. A subsidiary of Tyco International Ltd., the Sonitrol Network has franchisees in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.