For Clear Pest Pros franchisees in Virginia, what initial obligations must be fulfilled before commencing business?
Clear_Pest_Pros Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
plan to charge a fee for simple referrals where we do not directly manage the relationship with the customer, but we reserve the right to do so.
3. TRAINING AND GENERAL GUIDANCE.
A. TRAINING.
Your Managing Owner and, if applicable, Designated General Manager, must successfully complete our JumpStart initial training program (the "JumpStart Training Program") within two (2) months of signing this Agreement, before attending Initial Training (as defined below) and before the opening of the Clear Pest Pros Business. The JumpStart Training Program is our preparation program that includes numerous pre-opening activities.
The JumpStart Training Program is a self-guided process, with additional guidance from our training team, along with our Operations Manual (as defined in Section 3.E of this Agreement) which we will loan to you. All JumpStart Training Program activities are to be completed before attending Initial Training and before the opening of the Clear Pest Pros Business and are conducted in your hometown by you with assistance from our home office staff. You shall begin the JumpStart Training Program immediately upon your signing and return to us of this Agreement and the initial fees. During the JumpStart Training Program, we will schedule an Initial Training for you to attend at a later time. Initial Training sessions are typically offered each month.
We may waive your attendance at the Initial Training, in our discretion, if you already operate a Clear Pest Pros Business and you purchase an additional franchise from us.
Before you begin operating the Clear Pest Pros Business, we will furnish business manager and technical operations training (the "Initial Training") to the Managing Owner and, if applicable, the Designated General Manager, at no additional fee. The Managing Owner or, if applicable, the Designated General Manager must complete the Initial Training to our satisfaction and failure to do so will result in the termination of this Agreement. The Initial Training may not commence until you have paid all fees due to us and must be completed within four (4) months of the effective date of this agreement.
The Initial Training will last up to twelve (12) days in duration at our headquarters or another location designated by us. You will be responsible for all travel and living expenses that you and your employees/owners incur for this Initial Training.
In the event that you own multiple Clear Pest Pros Businesses and have your Managing Owner already at another Clear Pest Pros Business who has already completed the Initial Training, the Managing Owner will still be required to successfully complete the most recent online training modules essential to the role of ownership.
You may designate, with our approval and on a "space available" basis, additional persons to attend other sessions of the Initial Training for which you will be charged our then-current Initial Training fee. In addition, each person we approve to attend the Initial Training will be required to sign our then-current form of confidentiality and non-disclosure agreement before the start of training. The Initial Training fee will be due and payable before the start of the training program and you will be responsible for the payment of all travel and living expenses incurred by your designees while training.
The Managing Owner or, if applicable, the Designated General Manager, must attend the Clear Pest Pros Convention every year it is offered.
Source: Item 22 — CONTRACTS (FDD pages 67–68)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Clear Pest Pros' 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, prior to commencing business, a franchisee must meet several key obligations. The Managing Owner (or Designated Manager, if applicable) is required to successfully complete both the JumpStart Training Program and the Initial Training Program. The JumpStart Training Program must be completed within two months of signing the Franchise Agreement, before attending Initial Training, and before opening the Clear Pest Pros Business. This program includes pre-opening activities and is self-guided, with support from the Clear Pest Pros training team and the Operations Manual. All JumpStart Training Program activities must be completed before attending Initial Training and before opening the Clear Pest Pros Business.
The Initial Training, which lasts up to twelve days, covers business management and technical operations. It is provided at no additional fee, but the franchisee is responsible for all travel and living expenses incurred during the training. The Initial Training must be completed within four months of the agreement's effective date and cannot commence until all fees due to Clear Pest Pros have been paid.
Additionally, before attending Initial Training or upon any change to the legal entity ownership, the franchisee must submit a corporate resolution (or similar action) to Clear Pest Pros. This resolution must state the name of the corporation or LLC, the legal names of all partners or shareholders, the percentage of ownership each member controls, their place of residence, and their agreement to be bound by the terms of the Franchise Agreement. In cases with multiple owners, a dispute resolution procedure acceptable to Clear Pest Pros must be submitted, outlining how conflicts between owners will be resolved. The owners who executed the Franchise Agreement must control at least 67% of the franchisee entity, and any remaining owners must sign a personal guaranty, a written agreement to maintain confidentiality of trade secrets, and an agreement to abide by the covenant not to compete.