Special Feature
Ovenclean Graham Kerridge
After 16 years as a prison officer, in 2013 Graham decided that the time was right for a change, so he invested in an Ovenclean franchise and hasn’t looked back since.
What drew you to franchising and Ovenclean in particular? The professional corporate image and interesting story stood out for me, so as soon as I could, I went online to find out more.
I liked what I’d seen so much I
accordingly booked myself onto one of Ovenclean’s ‘find-out-more’ open days at their head office in the Midlands. It’s fair to say I was even more impressed with the offering once my wife and I had attended the open day – we left with huge grins on our faces and eager to get started!
How did you find the initial training and ongoing support?
excellent health. From pet care to car care, oven cleaning to home repairs, there’s a huge choice for anyone looking to escape office life and hit the road in their new business. Around eight per cent of the nation’s 900-plus franchise brands are van-based.
Emily continued: “Mobile franchises offer serious scaling-up opportunities; there’s generally a lower-cost initial investment level and often an option to add more vans to an existing territory, meaning expansion costs are often also low.” Here, we chat to three franchisees that have hit the road and not turned back…
The head office has been a huge support since my launch to help increase demand for my services locally. For example, even though I was sceptical about social media marketing, they recommended I put together a Facebook page for my business and it’s been a huge success. I’d say about 40 per cent of my leads come through this source now!
How have you found trading so far? What benefits are there to working in this industry/ being out on the road? It’s hard work but you don’t mind putting the effort in, as at the end of the day, you’re the one reaping the rewards. I once read a poem, which really struck a chord with me and I will always remember the key message: success begins with a fellow’s will; it’s all in the state of mind. At the end
of the day, you only get out what you put in and I’m determined to make my Ovenclean business a huge success. You’re not doing it alone though; the advice and support I get from head office really is invaluable – I can’t praise them enough.
In what ways has your life changed? My wife has also decided to leave the prison service and set up her own business, so I’m now able to help her out between cleans. I plan my diary around my needs and if I want to take a day off, I can – without having to plan too far in advance or ask for permission.
“Around eight per cent of the nation’s 900-plus franchise brands are van-based.”
What advice would you offer potential franchisees looking to join a cleaning franchise?
Do your homework, speak to existing franchisees and get as much information as you can. Ask lots of questions and get to understand the local competition. In my case, even though there are a reasonable number of competitors in my area, I haven’t had to worry too much. The professional Ovenclean branding really helps us stand head and shoulders above the rest and, with increased national advertising planned next year, I’m confident we will absolutely maintain our position as industry leaders!
June 2016 |
BusinessFranchise.com | 19
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