When I bought a chem dry franchise in 93 I bought a carpet cleaning franchise, they were just starting on the insurance side, it was just coffee spils, small radiator leaks etc, through good service and marketing, and a dedicated, motivated network, The chem dry name was built up and established, bigger and more complex, lucrative insurance jobs came in, I saw the writing on the wall 5 years ago when 2 of the directors moved to canada and america respectively, the remaining chairman was getting older and I guessed he would sell up , which he did last year, only a plc or a multinational would have bought the company, they did , I have since found a nice niche, drying commercial buildings, 4 months a year, and a bit of cc, the rest of the time. The farnchissees I speak to are being "encouraged" to build up thier cc business , this is fair enough, as the insurance work was an extra or bonus from day one back in 93, . However many cds have large overheads, pay high prices for chemicals, licence fees, are auditted, monitored closely, and the equipment prices are out of this world. I am glad I got out when I did, part by design ,part by luck.