I’m always fascinated to hear about people’s motivation for setting up their business, not least because people who are passionate about their reasons for running their business are also the ones who tend to offer the best service and go the extra mile.
So let me tell you a little bit about me and why I started Cleanhome.
When it comes to launching your own business, it can be a struggle to find the right time to start but coming up to 50 I knew I wanted to have more time to myself and spend less time commuting! At the time, I was having difficulty finding a reliable cleaner for my own house. I looked at what was out there already and the cleaning companies I found didn’t encourage relationships to build between a cleaner and their client.
This experience gave me the idea to start a residential cleaning services company which would make the relationship between the two parties a priority. For me, it’s vital to develop trust between the cleaner and the client, otherwise you’re essentially letting a stranger into your house and that’s not going to give anyone peace of mind. All our clients meet their cleaners in person and approve them before any cleaning, they can communicate with them easily and can be reassured that it will be the same cleaner who visits every week.
As my business grew more and more successful in a very short time frame, I decided to franchise the business so more people could benefit from the same profitable model that also helped me achieve a work/life balance. Having worked as Head of UK and Ireland Sales at Virgin Atlantic and as the Country Director for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts in the UK, it made sense for me to utilise my experience in sales and recruitment to help other people run their own business.
Cleanhome currently has 17 franchised outlets across the UK and even though I am a franchisor, I still run my own (original!) Cleanhome branch in Thames Valley. This means that I immediately know of any changes in the industry and I also understand the pressures and challenges my franchisees face running the business on a day-to-day basis. I want them to feel they can use me as a sounding board when they need support. My franchisees also know that I have as much invested in Cleanhome continuing to be successful, as they have – and I think they really value that commitment.
Over the next few years I want to expand the business so people can access Cleanhome services anywhere in the UK – it’s such an exciting time for franchisees to come on board and our current franchisees really appreciate that their input and idea’s will help create the shape of the business now and in the future.
If I hadn’t started Cleanhome when I did, I think I would have started a training business as training has always been one of my passions throughout my career – so another of my ambitions is that I also want to establish the Cleanhome name as a leader in franchisee training.
I’m incredibly passionate about what Cleanhome offers both the clients and the franchisees and it has genuinely given me the work/life balance I always wanted. I know that I’ve been really lucky all the way through my career and have worked with some brilliant brands and companies and have been taught great skills by many very talented, generous people. Franchising Cleanhome means that I can pass on some of that luck and experience to enable other people to also become successful business owners and find their own work/life balance. If you’d like to find out more about the company and hear from some of our franchisees about their experiences, keep an eye on the blog over the coming weeks.
In the meantime, if you would like any more information about our services or the franchise opportunities available then do give me a call on 07791 044434
Until next time,
Karen
Cleanhome UK News 