Cut out for cleaning

More than 70 years ago when George Formby sang, “Now I go cleanin’ windows to earn an honest bob,” he captured exactly what is so appealing about the cleaning industry; it’s long-standing, upfront, there is nothing fancy or extravagant about it and everyone needs it. Ovenclean CEO Julian Minwalla sums it up as, “an accessible market – people understand what it is about. It has no smoke or mirrors.”

Although some ventures require franchisees to get involved with some level of the cleaning, getting your hands dirty is one of the common misconceptions of cleaning franchises, as many are management based and are often some of the most corporate franchise organisations around! And with a management franchise, you employ staff to carry out the cleaning while you take on much more of an operational role.

So unlike George who spent his days cleaning away to “climb this blinkin ladder, till I get right to the top,” franchisees for cleaning companies start at the top and don’t even have to pick up a duster!

An added bonus is that the start-up costs can be relatively cheap. Mobile Car Valeting franchisor Terry Smith says: “With cleaning, the start-up costs are also low, the businesses can be run from home and it doesn’t require any premises.”

For franchisors, franchising is the perfect business model for a cleaning business, as New City Managing Director Laura Scattergood explains: “We took on contracts throughout the UK and found that when there was a problem it took us a while to get to the client to resolve it. So instead of employing a local supervisor who may not be as committed if something went wrong, we wanted regional directors to cope with any issues – so if anything went wrong it was their own business that would be affected.”

Whether a franchise targets commercial or domestic cleaning markets, every postcode area offers hundreds – if not thousands – of potential clients, as CleanMy Managing Director Ben Williams puts it: “Cleaning is a massive market, it’s worth billions – there isn’t a business, industry or person that doesn’t buy or require it.”

NewCity

Commercial cleaning franchise New City is a management franchise, which has recently branched out into car and van valeting, and UPVC restoration on window frames.

New City’s head office generates sales leads for its franchisees, but also responds to new leads that may come from franchisees. Managing Director Laura Scattergood explains: “If a franchisee sees a new office block opening, we always ask them to send through the details so we can follow it up.”

Each franchise territory has a least 15,000 business addresses (registered addresses with more than five employees) so the potential to grow the business is huge!

Duties involve attending appointments and showcasing New City products and services to the client and, if successful, the franchisee will then recruit a member of staff to carry out the cleaning work. The franchisee would also need to keep checking the work to ensure that the contract is running smoothly, and ensures staff members and clients are happy.

Franchisees receive five days’ training, which covers absolutely everything to get them up and running, including shadowing an established franchisee if requested.

Investment level:
£24,500 plus VAT
Website: www.newcity.biz
email: franchise@newcity.biz
Phone: 0800 511 8815

 

Ovenclean

Ovenclean is a specialist cleaning service for commercial and domestic ovens. The domestic sector offers the largest potential for growth with its core customers being the over 60s, busy families or for people who see it as an extension of other services, such as lawn cutting and house cleaning.

The business has thrived during the recessionary period, says CEO Julian Minwalla: “Although the property market took a hit, the lettings market remained buoyant, which means an oven cleaning service is often requested at the end of tenancy agreements.

“Secondly, many people are going back to cooking from scratch, to both save money and eat more healthily; thirdly, people are looking after their kitchens a lot more, particularly with credit not being so easily available to get a new one, and finally, through franchising the awareness of the oven cleaning service is increasing.

“Currently, in the Midlands and Northern Ireland, we have to turn down business because we don’t have the supply to meet demand.”
Marketing support is provided from pre-launch to launch. Ovenclean also sets up a promotional day in supermarkets offering its service in a new area. Julian explains: “Doing this is a great way to kick-start a franchisee’s business. You’re in contact with people who are going home to cook and will inevitably need to clean their ovens at some point.”

Training takes place over a two-week period and new franchisees have the opportunity to shadow an established franchisee for eight days. Uniquely, Ovenclean does not take a royalty fee, which means the bigger a franchisee grows the business, the more profit they make.

 

Investment level:
£14,995 plus VAT
Website: www.ovenclean.com
email: info@ovenclean.com
Phone: 0800 988 5453

 

CleanMy

CleanMy sells commercial cleaning products and now offers a brand new franchise opportunity that can be operated from home or developed into a larger management franchise.

Customers can range from restaurants and nightclubs to leisure and tourism. In fact, the scope is so large for franchisees Managing Director Ben Williams says: “Do you know any business that doesn’t require cleaning products?”

This franchise is also suitable for established cleaning companies who are looking to expand their portfolio by offering cleaning products.
Territories are divided according to post-code sector, so each franchisee is guaranteed a rich potential customer base.

Training takes place over four days and includes both classroom and on-the-job training. Uniquely, CleanMy does all of the invoicing for its franchisees, so “franchisees can concentrate on selling,” says Ben.

The simplicity of the business is what makes it a great franchise opportunity, according to Ben. “There is no hidden agenda, it’s a simple format and customers know what they are getting,” he says.

It is a business that is heavily reliant on selling, so ideally franchisees should have some experience of sales.

Investment level:
£14,950 plus working capital
Website: www.cleanmy.biz
email: franchise@cleanmy.biz
Phone: 01432 279 612

 

Minster Cleaning Services

Minster is a management franchise that is involved in the office cleaning industry. A franchisee’s primary role is to manage a large territory and organise the marketing, establish contracts, employ staff and overall, ensure a high level of standards and service is maintained.

Each territory is often the size of a county, so franchisees have plenty to get their teeth into! And as Minster is involved in the retail and health sectors, as well as conventional office territories, this gives franchisees the scope to generate high revenues.

And has the recession had an impact? Managing Director Mike Parker says: “It has been challenging, but the business has proven to be recession-resilient. Some companies have cut back on cleaning, but Minster works with its clients in these situations to ensure we don’t lose them as customers.”

Ideally suited to people who are experienced managers and who have good leadership, motivational and financial skills, Minster is a solid business opportunity that can offer high returns. 

Investment level:
£22,000 plus £40-60k working capital
Website: www.minstergroup.co.uk
email: minster@minstergroup.co.uk
Phone: 0121 386 1722

 

Molly Maid

Molly Maid offers a different approach to the domestic cleaning industry. All work is conducted on the basis of a written estimate resulting from an initial visit, and is carried out by highly trained staff using their own equipment and supplies. All staff members are fidelity bonded, fully insured and are easily identifiable in their branded uniforms and Molly Maid cars. The cars not only provide reliable transport, but also generate many customer enquiries and play an important part in the continuous process of further strengthening the brand.

Molly Maid came to the UK in 1984 and has grown from a standing start to 69 franchisees nationwide, with a current annual turnover of £13 million – that’s 800 staff, cleaning 250,000 houses a year with 380 Molly Maid cars on the road.

Molly Maid is a management franchise, and the franchisees’ duties include managing a wide range of activities and resources, routine administrative tasks and recruiting staff.

Molly Maid franchisees come from all walks of life; some run their businesses unaided while others share the management role with a partner. A sales background can be an advantage but the strength of the brand avoids the need for a hard sell. Common sense, the ability to get on with people and a willingness to work hard are vital.

Investment level:
£16,975 plus VAT and £12,000 working capital
Website: www.mollymaid.co.uk
email: andrew.parsons@mollymaid.co.uk
Phone: 0800 500 950

Moblile Car Valeting

Mobile Car Valeting (MCV) is an onsite car valeting operation that offers a fully self-sufficient customised cleaning service. What’s more, for people who get in there first – before the 1 January – a further £4,000 reduction will be offered on the franchise fee!

MCV doesn’t just limit its customer base to cars – it cleans vans, lorries, yachts, trains – anything! Franchisor Terry Smith says: “Once we even had a franchisee clean some grave stones, after he’d finished cleaning the vicars car!”

Companies use the service for their fleet cars, and with the rise in car rentals – as more and more people are choosing to rent a car rather than to own a car that they seldom use – MCV has benefited from a fast-growing pool of new customers.

What differentiates MCV from its competition is the territory sizes that it offers; they are huge! This means that franchisees have the potential to grow a large business, run it from the managerial side and form a multi-van operation. MCV charges a fixed rate per van – £250 for the first and £200 after that.

MCV also offers its franchisees an income straight away as head office ensures new franchisees have at least 20 jobs to start with. Training takes place over a two-week period and covers all aspects of the business. 

Investment level:
£10,000 plus VAT (before 1 January 2010 only)
Website: www.mobilevaleting.co.uk
email: terry@mobilevaleting.co.uk
Phone: 0800 781 7117