24
and a service that will always if you grow too quickly it is likely that you’ll drop the quality.”
s
R
obust, longstAnding
be needed are just some of the ways that people in the Monitoring the quality of work carried out is a big part of any
cleaning industry describe it. the fact is “there will always franchisee’s job.
be a demand for cleaning” says Richard samarasinghe, operations Managing staff, Angela admits, also brings its challenges. “i manage
f
o
c
u
director at techclean, which is what continues to make this sector an about 10 members of staff. You need to be firm but fair and get on
attractive option for potential franchisees. well with everyone. if staff cannot make it into work because their
Cleaning is extremely well suited to franchising. Whether you children are poorly, for example, you need to sympathise. You need
are involved in the domestic or commercial sector, whatever your to step in and do the cleaning sometimes.
m
a
r
k
e
t

territory size, every house or business is a potential customer. For the “the run up to Christmas is especially busy and you have a
domestic sector it has become an affordable necessity and, since the loyalty to the customer to get the job done.”
Health and safety at Work Act 1974, commercial premises must be Many cleaning franchises have low start-up costs as they often
kept clean as part of an employer’s duty of care to its employees. can be run from home. it cleaning franchise techclean, for example,
one of the most common myths with franchising is that starts at £18,950, “there are no premises and no vans. You can use
franchisees have to clean. the truth is they generally don’t go a normal saloon car to carry out this work,” says Richard. in turn,
anywhere near a mop and bucket! Most are management-based so this means it can be much quicker to get up and running and start
franchisees can grow it to the size and scale they wish. dublcheck, making a profit, particularly as premises are not involved.
for example, offers variable investment levels so franchisees have And does cleaning bode well in a tough economy? if you want
the choice of taking on either a partly or wholly managed venture. something resilient, cleaning can be a good option as cleaners
likewise, Richard explains: “lifestyles have changed and people want are always needed. new City franchisee Paul davies launched his
the freedom to work when it fits in with them.” franchise in the middle of the recession – a big test for any business
good management skills and the ability to deal with lots of people – however, Paul barely noticed any turbulence, he says: “i was slightly
are crucial to run a successful cleaning franchise. Molly Maid CEo concerned, but generally people will always need their premises
Pam bader says: “Franchisees are responsible for interviewing staff, cleaned and there was still an opportunity to develop the business.”
conducting more than 25 estimations per week, flyering, marketing Furthermore, the recession has made a lot of people and
and the development of cleaners and staff. HR and interpersonal companies re-assess the level of service they may have been
skills are essential.” With Molly Maid you can be managing up receiving from previous suppliers. Paul adds: “Many of the larger
to 30 members of staff. Molly Maid turns over £13 million companies are asking smaller cleaning firms to quote, which means
per year and cleans up to 4,000 homes a week. Cleaning is, locally-based companies like new City can offer more competitive
without a doubt, big business! rates and secure new contracts. i already have taylor Woodrow,
With a growing network comes the tough task of Monsoon and spa on my books.”
quality control. Many of the cleaners work remotely
so franchisees are responsible for ensuring the if you are interested in cleaning up with a polished business
jobs are carried out to the standard required. model that offers sparkling results, hear what some of the people in
Molly Maid franchisee Angela lofthouse the sector have to say… 8
says: “You need to grow at the right pace.
April 2010 www.businessfranchise.com
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