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Forging A New Alliance
At the British Cleaning Council’s recent board meeting, members were given a presentation by a new trade organisation which has been established to help raise standards in the domestic cleaning sector.
The Domestic Cleaning Alliance is the brainchild of Stephen Munton, and board members were really impressed with his passion for what is one of the most demanding jobs in the cleaning industry.
Stephen wants to change the negative perception of the domestic cleaning sector, and the BCC is right behind him, as board members feel this important strand of the cleaning industry has been neglected for far too long.
His aim is to improve the quality of the service offered, and to help new domestic cleaning start-ups build their businesses in the right way.
It may not get much publicity, but the domestic cleaning market is highly lucrative, and seems to be growing. A recent survey found that a million more people are employing a cleaner compared with a decade ago, when the last such survey took place, suggesting that people now see hiring domestic help as a necessity rather than a luxury.
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Stephen told the BCC board that it was definitely a ‘sellers’ market, as there were far more people wanting cleaning services than there were businesses to supply it. But one of the major problems he found was the lack of good customer service from operators. He’s been told on many occasions that people would rather do their own cleaning than have someone in their homes who they didn’t like or trust.
Because it’s relatively easy to start a home cleaning service, people think it’s a little bit like cleaning their own home, with the bonus of getting paid for it. But those who take the plunge and start a business, quickly discover there’s far more to it than that, with numerous hurdles to clear before they have any hope of earning a good living.
Stephen says the inspiration for starting the DCA was a burning desire to help new start-ups overcome these hurdles and build solid, profitable businesses. He was surprised at just how little business knowledge they had, and says the member’s forum on the DCA website is proving highly invaluable in dispending sound business advice.
In this month’s column, Lee Baker, PR and Media Manager for the British Cleaning Council, tells us all about the Domestic Cleaning Alliance, and the drive to improve standards in the home cleaning market.
There are several key things that the DCA is trying to achieve that chime with the BCC’s own aims. Issues like training, health and safety, fair pay and delivering higher standards, are all core principles that the Council wants to see across the industry.
Life at the coal face of the cleaning industry can be tough, but there’s no reason why commitment to standards should be any less important than they would be for a multi-million pound cleaning contract.
It is for that reason that the BCC has offered the Domestic Cleaning Alliance a 12-month associate membership, giving Stephen the opportunity to attend meetings and pick the brains of some of the UK’s most experienced cleaning industry professionals.
The Council is always open to new members who are offering something positive for the cleaning industry, and the DCA will get the very best help and encouragement as it tries to grow its membership and be a key resource for the domestic cleaning sector.
www.domesticcleaningalliance.co.uk www.britishcleaningcouncil.org
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