WHY CLEANHOME CONSIDERS TRAINING TO BE AN ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENT FOR THEIR BUSINESS PARTNERS SUCCESS.

Here at Cleanhome we understand that business partners (franchisees) become successful with hard work, determination and by being excellent communicators.  However they also require excellent training and support to enable them to launch and grow their business successfully.

To that end, Cleanhome provides a thorough training programme alongside all the required marketing materials and ancillary services to every business partner regardless of their background.  Our training prepares each partner for the realities of running their own business, allowing them to thrive.

Prior to the launch of our partners new company, we are sometimes asked “can your training really teach me how to run my own business?”  The answer to the question is, yes it can, and here’s why: –

• Cleanhome’s award winning training programme is recognised for its inspirational and unique approach.

• The robust training builds our partner’s sales and recruitment knowledge base and will teach each partner how to run a successful business. It will give them the confidence to sign up clients and cleaners from day one.

• Cleanhome provides each partner with a tried and tested business model of proven success, to help them develop their business to suit their specific needs and circumstances.

• It doesn’t end there. Our highly experienced management team empower our business partners to be the best they can be through ongoing training and support.

Many of our franchisees have never run a business before, and so we believe it’s important that they understand the ‘back end’ of the business, including all the necessary legal and finance obligations, enabling them to feel confident in their dealings with both clients and cleaners.

We also offer participative development programmes including role-playing exercises which help partners with their confidence, and there’s an opportunity to shadow an experienced partner so that they can see first-hand how to deal with existing and potential clients.

In addition to the training package, we also believe in the importance of offering our business partners continuous support whilst growing their business.  All they need to do is pick up the phone.

Cleanhome is proud of the training and support we offer, because it is recognised as one of the best course packages within the franchise market.

We thought it might be worthwhile sharing some feedback on the training from a selection of some of our recent partners:

“Really enjoyed my 2 days training, so informative.  Lots to learn, but loving it.  Thanks Karen top draw!” John Polston, Cleanhome Wokingham

“Karen is fantastic at training and building confidence.  I had a very informative and fulfilling 2 days.” Christina Smith, Cleanhome Ashford

“I feel much more confident in the running of Cleanhome Weybridge. Karen has covered all my concerns on how to handle situations. I thoroughly enjoyed the course. Karen was brilliant!!” Julia Harrold, Cleanhome Weybridge

“Excellent delivery and explanation of the entire process as a new franchisee. Great.” Neil Cartwright, Cleanhome Stockport

“ The course was well paced and presented.  It was interactive with questions raised and answered throughout.”  Catherine Johnson, Cleanhome Haywards Heath

“I enjoyed the course and feel that I am now equipped to go out and start running the business.”  Mark Underhill, Cleanhome Sutton Coldfield

We look forward to running our next training sessions very soon!

Advertisement

Wokingham joins Cleanhome’s growing network of business partners

Cleanhome is excited to announce that John Polston (Cleanhome Wokingham) is the latest business partner to join its rapidly growing network of franchisees.

John joins from a footballing background, having enjoyed a career as a professional footballer for over 17 years.  John retired from the game at the age of 33 and has continued working in footballing circles ever since.

Always on the lookout for something new and long term, 6 months ago John started to search for a franchise business opportunity.  John explained, “I wanted to start a business in my area of expertise however, I quickly realised that the football market sector in and around Wokingham was saturated with a plethora of related businesses, so it was back to the drawing board.”

John previously owned a commercial cleaning company, and based on his cleaning business knowledge, his next step was to review cleaning franchise opportunities.  He contacted a number of different cleaning franchises, and spoke to a number of people prior to making the decision to start a Cleanhome business.

When asked why he chose Cleanhome John stated “The business prospectus was very informative and the numbers looked good.  I didn’t want to participate in cleaning myself and I recognised that the business is a management and introductory model, which was perfect.  I had a good feeling about the company before I even made contact.”  John added, “My confidence grew after the initial conversation with Karen, it was honest, open and gave me all the detail I needed to make an informed decision.”

The next step for John was to speak to other business partners.  John clarified, “Immediately after speaking to each partner I thought, I’m going to go for this” John added “I felt certain that the numbers were going to work, and my goal is to earn a reasonable living whilst enjoying my job.”

Karen Kelly, founder of Cleanhome said “it was obvious from the moment I started talking to John that he is a people person, he is a very positive and charismatic character, and I am delighted that he decided to join the Cleanhome team.”  Karen concluded “John will be a fantastic addition to our network, and I know he will be hugely successful with building his new business.”

Cleaning up St Albans, from £0 – £73,000 in only 12 months!

Husband and wife team Adam and Andrea own the Cleanhome business in St Albans.  They have been extremely successful within their 1^st year of trading, reaching a whopping £73,000 turnover – of which over £65,000 is pure profit

Starting the business in October 2020 during the pandemic, Adam and Andrea have worked hard and their business has gone from strength to strength.

Adam spent 35 years of his career in sales management and explained, “I have always been employed in the corporate world, and I often felt frustrated by organisational hierarchy, at times being managed by people less skilled than myself, I quite often thought about running my own business.”

Andrea also has a corporate background, but decided to go it alone and has been self-employed for over 19 years.  Andrea comments “We both felt our work/life balance was poor we wanted to address this by finding something we could do together, enjoy together and reap the rewards together.”

The couple explained it was a scary decision for them both to be self-employed but they were determined to be successful, and the business has grown quicker than even they anticipated.  They have worked hard but they knew that putting the effort in at the beginning of their journey would allow them to reap the rewards later on.

Adam remarks “The change to our life has been massively positive.  I’m now my own boss and I don’t answer to anyone, I enjoy being the ultimate decision maker in my own life.”  Andrea added “I can’t stress how absolutely brilliant the decision to sign with Cleanhome was.”

Karen Kelly, founder of Cleanhome summarised by saying, “I am over the moon for Cleanhome St Albans.  From the moment I met them I knew they’d be successful, it was the quickest business set-up I’ve completed, and that’s because both Adam and Andrea couldn’t wait to get started.”  Karen added “I’m very proud of their achievement to date, and can’t wait to see where they eventually take the business – the sky’s their limit.”

Cleanhome announces new franchise for Stockport

Cleanhome, one of the leading domestic cleaning business franchises in the UK has recently welcomed Neil Cartwright to join its rapidly expanding franchise network.

Neil, from Cleanhome Stockport, spent time researching a number of franchise organisations, in many different sectors, before finally narrowing down his search to the domestic cleaning management market.  Following a number of meetings with different companies, and considering all options, he made the decision to move forward with Cleanhome.

Neil explains, “Cleanhome ticked all the boxes for me, the work-life balance, the hugely attractive earning potential and the excellent management system caught my interest.”  Neil added, “I made the final decision to go ahead based on the discussions held with Karen (founder of Cleanhome) together with a number of Cleanhome Business Partners.  I’m confident in my choice of franchise, and I’m excited to get started.”

Having worked for over 38 years in International Sales within the fast-paced cleaning and hygiene industry, Neil was looking for a change in direction. He felt it was the right time in his career to start his own business, travel less, achieve a better work/life balance and continue to generate a strong annual income.

Karen Kelly, founder of Cleanhome summarised by saying, “I am excited to announce the opening of Cleanhome Stockport.  With over 38 years of sales experience I know that Neil will be hugely successful in managing domestic cleaning for homeowners in the Stockport area.”  Karen added “Congratulations Neil, we are delighted that you’re joining the franchise network and welcome to the team!”

A Strong Push

Having a strong and efficient marketing strategy when you first launch your business is an essential part of your success. Regardless of your previous business experience, your franchisor should be working with you on your marketing strategy and ensure that you are able to access marketing tools and insight as part of your initial investment.

The benefit of becoming a franchisee is being able to use an established brand and this includes marketing tools which the franchisor will make readily available to you from the very beginning. For example, as part of our package we offer new franchisees a Royal Mail leaflet delivery drop worth £3,000 which will help them get their business in front of their target audience. This sets them on their journey to start growing their business in their local area.

The most successful franchisors assign the appropriate resources to support the marketing strategies of franchisees to help them get an income rolling in and see a return on their investment as soon as possible. The amount and type of support will vary from franchisor to franchisor, however the franchise you choose should know what sort of marketing works best and help you prepare a marketing plan to promote your business.

This could include a range of channels such as Google Adwords, social media guidance and direct mail resources. They should have already done the legwork and have a clear idea of what will yield results and guide you through the different options.

Planning and working with your franchisor on your marketing strategy can be an enjoyable process, so when researching for the ideal franchisor make sure you choose one who recognises the value of marketing.

Rome wasn’t built in a day and crafting a killer marketing plan takes time and effort, however if your franchisor is on your side it can make a world of difference!

Forget about Work Life Balance

Yes, you read that right! One of the things we have always been hot on is establishing a good work life balance, however we have seen that the term has started to lose its meaning. The pressure to strike the perfect balance between work and personal life, trying to fit everything in, from exercise to achieving business growth, has become an overwhelming quest many of us fail to achieve.

Finding the ‘Goldilocks zone’ of work-life balance doesn’t come naturally, it’s always a work in progress. So our advice is to forget about what work-balance looks like on paper and find your own way of doing things. Following these suggestions will hopefully help you become a happier and healthier you in 2020.

Everything is subjective

There are plenty of articles and experts out there explaining what the perfect middle way is and how to achieve it but in reality you won’t always relate to what others’ perceptions of the perfect work-life balance. This is because it is different for everyone as it depends on their background, belief system and cultural references. Some things that are negotiable to you may not be to others and the other way around. You need create your own version of balance and happiness.

Pick up the phone or not…

Let’s face it, most of us are hooked on our phones and we’re constantly connected to work emails to make sure that nothing gets missed. Many experts will tell you that it’s best to switch off all devices when having time off work. If you’re one of those people who can put their devices aside and not think about them that’s great, however if doing that means that you are constantly stressed about missing something important then consider staying connected but only responding to emails that need an immediate response.

It’s OK to daydream

Daydreaming is often seen as the antithesis of productivity but that’s not always the case. Research shows that more parts of the brain are active when we let our mind wander than when we’re focused on a single task. Embracing daydreaming can help you think more creatively which in return can enhance your problem-solving skills so don’t feel guilty next time you find your attention wandering.

Set simple boundaries

When it comes to setting boundaries, focus on the simple things. What keeps you going every week and makes you feel balanced? Is it going for a long walk twice a week? Attending your children’s swimming lessons? Once you decide what matters most, you can make time for those activities and work out the rest on a day to day basis.

Our Year in Review

We’re delighted to announce that our network turnover has exceeded £5m in cleaning services and is still growing at over 20% a year. As the domestic cleaning market continues to grow in the UK and more and more people need help to keep on top of the housework. Our franchisees help them find cleaners who understand their needs and deliver a quality service.

We’re also really proud that we have helped our franchisees achieve their dream of becoming their own bosses by helping them build successful businesses and achieving a good work/life balance! We are looking forward seeing what the New Year will bring!

New Prospectus

This year we revealed our brand-new prospectus which reflects the values at the heart of our network: innovation, best practice and work/life balance.

You can have a look here and learn more about Cleanhome, how we started and find out if you have what it takes to become your own boss and join our growing network.

You can also find more information about earning potential and read our franchisees’ success stories.

 
Franchisees going from strength to strength

Seeing our franchisees grow and prosper is one of the most important things for us so we want to congratulate them for achieving – and surpassing – their targets.

In the past year Patricia and Garry Burchett, owners of Cleanhome Shrewsbury were awarded the 100 Club Award for smashing through their hundredth client and are still growing rapidly.

Jane Clement, owner of Cleanhome Stafford and David Lowe, owner of Cleanhome Sutton Coldfield signed up their hundredth client and the business continues to grow.

Also, congratulations to our franchisees Philippa James, owner of Cleanhome Sevenoaks & Beckenham and to Rebecca Greenall, owner of Cleanhome Norwich who successfully reached 200 clients.

And last but not least, well done to Phil and Sharon Bradley, owners of Cleanhome York for smashing through their 300th client target!

They are all really passionate about running their own business and building a career that fits around their personal life!

New Cleanhome Family member

This year we welcomed Lisa and Martin Johnstone to the Cleanhome family. Lisa and Martin returned to the UK from Singapore, where Martin worked for the oil and gas industry, and were keen to make a new start so they decided to become their own bosses by launching Cleanhome Cheshire South.

This was a completely new experience for them as neither of them had run a business before so we made sure they acquired all the knowledge and tools they needed to make a success of their business. Welcome on board!

Our App is Going Live!

Over the past year, we have been tirelessly working on our app which we’ll be launching in 2020. The app allows cleaners to arrange cover for their clients in their absence thereby reducing the administrative burden on the franchisee. The cleaners will be able to post their cover clean requests on the app and other cleaners within the network can pick them up directly. While the process does not involve the franchisee, they still have full visibility of the process and can still get involved if needed. We understand how much of a burden admin can be for a small business owner so our goal is to reduce time spent on it to allow our franchisees to focus on growing their business.

It’s Time to Reflect

In our experience the last few weeks of the year are a great time to reflect on the past 12 months, take stock of everything that’s happened and plan for the year ahead. Below are some tips on how to make the most of the quieter pre-holiday time.

What went well?

This is a very simple question that we often forget to ask ourselves but it’s important to recognise and celebrate all the good things that happened over the past year. We get caught up in all the things we want to change and ignore what we have already achieved. Remembering and celebrating all the great things that have happened over the course of the year can help you feel motivated and positive about the future.
What did we learn?

Every experience you’ve had over the past year – regardless of the outcome – will have taught you something. This stretches beyond the technical skills you may have developed e.g. learning how to use a new project management system. Did you encounter a situation that required you to use your resourcefulness or did you have to build a trusting relationship while working with someone? All those are integral and transferable skills which can help you grow in your professional and personal lives.

What can we do better?

When it comes to self-reflection, more than often we feel pressured to leave all our self-limiting behaviours and bad habits behind without a second thought. For many of us, the start of a new year symbolises a fresh beginning where we will be rid of all the behaviours that have been holding us back. However, it’s easier to think of it as work in progress. We don’t need to discard ways of doing things in one go, we can take time to think how to do it better and at a rhythm that suits us best.

Avoid unpleasant surprises

Sometimes things hit us out of the blue but often, when looking back, you can recognise that there may have been signs you ignored because you were focusing on other things. Take a step back and think about a situation where the outcome would have been completely different if you had been paying attention to the warning signs. Keeping an open mind and being more attuned to your environment can help you be prepared for things that are just around the corner.

The end of the calendar year is a great time to set goals for the new year but you cannot move forward unless you understand how you got to where you are so spending some time reflecting on the past can help you prepare for all the great things that lie ahead!

Catching up with Cleanhome’s Longest Standing Franchisee, Richard Mathers, from Cleanhome Gatwick

How long have you been running your Cleanhome franchise?

My partner and I were the first Cleanhome pilot franchisee and have been running the business for over eight years.

Why did you decide to start your own business?

I can’t say it was something we had planned or spent much time thinking about, it pretty much happened. I knew Karen and watched her build the first Cleanhome branch in Thames Valley into a successful business. My partner and I both worked in the aviation industry as cabin crew and when Karen offered us the opportunity to become Cleanhome’s pilot franchisee (excuse the pun!), we decided to give it a shot. We knew the business model had worked well for Karen and we had the determination and transferrable skills to replicate her success.

What do you wish someone had told you before you started?

I was fully aware of the work that becoming my own boss would entail. The great thing about setting up as a franchisee is that someone has been there before you. Of course, every geographical area is unique and comes with its idiosyncrasies, but the nature of the work is the same. Even though we were first franchisee, we knew that the business model was going to be successful.

What is the most invaluable piece of advice you would give to someone looking to buy a franchise?

Firstly, do your research and take time to speak to existing franchisees. That way you can get a better idea of the network’s culture and understand what it will be like running the business on a day to day basis. Secondly, look for a franchisor which charges a set franchisee fee which will not increase as your business grows. You need to be the one profiting from all your hard work, not the franchisor. And last but not least, trust the process. Someone has already tried and tested everything so take their word for it!

In your opinion what makes a successful franchisee?

Being organised, not afraid of hard work and being determined to make it work for you!

What’s the most important lesson you have learnt?

Never leave a problem to fester. If something isn’t quite right, tackle it head on. It’s much easier to resolve a problem when it arises instead of ignoring it and having to deal with it later.

Have you seen any changes to your industry over the recent years and how have you adapted to them?

The way we get business has changed over the years. We now use social media and technology alongside more traditional channels including leafletting and face to face meetings.

Is there something that you think will always play an important role in the industry?

Despite today’s technology driven society, people skills are still important. Nothing beats face to face interaction and developing a personal relationship with your clients can go a long way.

What’s your biggest achievement so far as a Cleanhome franchisee?

We are extremely proud that we have the highest client retention within the network. I put this down to the fact that for us, our clients always come first.

Avoid the Winter Blues

It’s that time of the year again; the days are getting shorter, temperatures are dropping and the winter blues start kicking in.

According to the Mental Health Foundation, one in 15 people in the UK experience seasonal affective disorder (SAD) in the sunlight-scarce days of winter. SAD, which is a form of depression that occurs at the same time each year, can affect your mood, sleep, appetite, and energy levels, taking a toll on all aspects of your life including work. And for small business owners, anything affecting your mood can have a knock-on effect on your performance and your business.

Here at Cleanhome, we think it’s important to keep conversations about well-being in the spotlight. Regardless of whether you’re diagnosed with SAD or experience certain symptoms of it, it’s important to put measures into place to keep your good mood topped up during the winter months.

Set small goals

Setting small goals for each day can help you manage stress and boost your productivity. Working towards small achievable goals can help you feel that you’ve accomplished more which will give you a much-needed boost, warding off feelings of stress and worthlessness.

Let there be light

Increase the amount of natural light in your home and workplace by opening blinds and drapes and sitting near windows. When sunlight enters the eye, messages are passed to the part of the brain that controls our mood, appetite, temperature and sleep. Light triggers the production of mood-boosting hormones which can help with your SAD symptoms.

Get out of the house

This is particularly important if you’re running your business from home. With the colder temperatures, you may be avoiding going outside which could affect your mood negatively. Try to take a few little breaks in the day to be outside. Soaking up some sunlight and fresh air can help the brain focus, bring a new perspective to your day, and clear the mind so wrap up warm and get out there!

Get social

Participating in social activities is vital in reducing isolation and helping you manage SAD symptoms. During the colder months it may feel more comfortable to retreat into yourself but try to be around other people even if you don’t feel like it as it can help boost your mood. Meet your friends or family more often or perhaps take up a new hobby where you can meet new people.

Eat well

Eating small, well-balanced meals throughout the day, with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, will help you keep your energy up and minimise mood swings.

Staying motivated while running a business during the colder, darker winter months may seem more difficult which is why it’s important to look after yourself and make changes to your lifestyle to help you stay focused and happy.