A
D A Y
IN THE LIFE The Step to Success
Bernadette Hanley on the day-to-day running of her Midlands-based Minster Cleaning fra nchises
F
ollowing a career in HR and banking, Bernadette Hanley became the owner of Minster Cleaning’s Birmingham franchise in
2002 with her business partner Kevin Jones. Months later the pair snapped up the neighbouring Black Country franchise. Together they built a thriving business which Bernadette now runs on her own. We asked her what managing a £3million-a-year turnover commercial cleaning enterprise involves day to day.
6.30AM – 8AM
I’m up early to go for a three-mile walk. I like to get the blood fl owing fi rst thing and it really helps take a chunk out of the 10,000 steps a day I’m trying to do.
8AM – 10AM
Once I’m in the offi ce, I start by reviewing the previous day and sorting out any issues for the day ahead. We have around 500 contracts and employ 400 cleaners so there are a lot of moving parts. We use very effective systems that enable us to run a smooth operation and quickly cover gaps in service when someone is ill, but inevitably challenges emerge which the management team and I will resolve as quickly as possible.
10AM – 12PM
Because the business is my baby, I oversee all the fi nancial side. We are responsible for a lot of people’s incomes, so it’s really important we get this right. I could be checking the invoicing, chasing payments or costing new jobs. If I’m not doing that I’ll be getting stuck into my emails which never stop arriving, whether its job applications, client questions or speculative customer enquiries.
12PM-1PM
One of the great things about running a Minster Cleaning franchise is the network of fellow franchisees eager to support you. I have a couple of franchisee buddies whom I speak to on most days, so when I have a spare moment I may fi t in a call to share advice, talk through problems or simply say hello.
1PM-2PM
At lunch I’ll head out for another walk to keep totting up those steps. I may also pop into the local pub for a bite to eat.
2PM-4PM
Every day is different and you have to get involved in every aspect of the business, which is one reason I love the job. In the early afternoon I might be heading out to see a potential client, or reviewing our previous month’s performance, including the effectiveness of our marketing channels. In the early days when we were getting established, I’d get involved with the cleaning if needed, although I’ve hung up my Marigolds now we have such a reliable team in place.
38
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68
