FRANCHISEFOCUS IN V ESTMENT: FROM £28,22 5 The height of success
Paul Watts is ready to take Minster Cleaning Services’ Derbyshire franchise to new peaks
E
ven after a long and successful career, not everybody wants to put their feet up. Some people need a
new challenge, which is why Paul Watts bought Minster’s Derbyshire franchise after a brief early retirement. “I’d retired a couple of years before taking
on the franchise in June 2018, but 55 was way too early and I got bored, so went looking for something that would get me back in the swing of things,” says Paul, a former senior vice-president at Experian with more than 30 years' experience working in marketing data and analytics. The Derbyshire franchise was an
exciting proposition, offering him the right opportunity at the right time. “It was an established management franchise and
one that is local to me, not to mention the fact commercial cleaning is a relatively low-risk sector because businesses always need cleaning. There’s also lots of potential for development since no one has a huge market share.”
"Commercial cleaning is a relatively low- risk sector with lots of potential for development"
The strengths of commercial cleaning
speak for themselves. It’s an essential B2B service with multi-sector appeal, which helps protect franchisees from economic peaks and troughs. Plus the size of Minster’s territories gives enterprising franchisees huge scope for expansion. By securing contracts from just a small fraction of the market in your area, you can really build your customer base. Paul found the skills he honed during his time at Experian invaluable. “The principles you need to run a business are the same for Minster: new business generation, marketing, account management and the ability to manage personnel at all levels.” He’s put these to good use, building annual revenues from £650,000 when he took over less than a year ago to around £800,000 today. “We’ve invested in our people and vehicles, upgraded our technology and systems, and worked hard on generating and retaining new business. We also make sure we provide a great service, because that’s what
t Paul Watts
BUSINESSFRANCHISE.COM 91
keeps customers coming back. In addition, we’ve had great support from head office, particularly in terms of finance, IT and marketing.”
What Paul finds especially satisfying – aside from winning new business – is the multi-dimensional nature of his work. “I manage the big picture, the direction of the business, but I’m also deep in the day- to-day detail, which means there’s lots of variety. I’m busy, but never bored!” Paul aims to double revenues within
a few years, and by working with Minster Cleaning Services, the UK’s largest commercial cleaning franchise, he knows he’s got the backing of an experienced and reliable company. Established in 1982, it’s been a full member of the British Franchise Association since 1992 and has branches across the UK. Half of Minster’s franchisees have built up businesses with sales of more than £1million and the top branches achieve annual turnover in excess of £2million. In total, the group has more than 5,000 employees and yearly revenues of £40million. Training and support is crucial to
Minster’s success. Franchisees are given ongoing support with operational management, administration, bookkeeping, marketing and IT, not to mention professional advice in complex areas, including employment law, health and safety, and environmental legislation. The initial start-up cost of a new franchise is £28,225 plus vat, £5,000 of which is allocated to a marketing launch package using a highly effective strategy that’s constantly being refined. l
CONTACT Minster Cleaning Services Commercial cleaning management 0121 386 1722
minsterfranchise.co.uk minster@minsterfranchise.co.uk
Investment level: £20k-£50k
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