Is a domestic cleaning franchise for you?

The domestic cleaning sector is worth around £9 billion per annum in the UK and set to grow even more. With the demand of long working hours and family commitments there is no free time for clearing up and staying on top of the household chores and hiring a cleaner is becoming more and more appealing. 

Competition within the domestic cleaning sector is fierce however by becoming a franchisee you have the opportunity to earn a good income and a successful business.

Hear from Yvona Brandstatterova who has been a franchisee with Bright & Beautiful since May 2013. The Bright & Beautiful Franchise is a profitable, flexible and Ethical Domestic Cleaning Business for contemporary, professional women.

Why did you go down the franchise route? And why did you choose your franchise?

I chose to buy my franchise as I felt it would be a safer route into the world of enterprise. I liked the fact I’d be a part of a bigger network with all the support and advice available. I chose Bright & Beautiful because their values matched mine perfectly and also I liked the fact that it supported lots of professional women and mothers in becoming business owners who create jobs locally.

What did you do before taking up a franchise?

I was a Project Manager in economic and sustainable development.

How did you raise the finance?

I was made redundant more than once prior to buying my licence and the funds I’d received from the redundancies helped me finance the business start-up.

What training and support did you receive initially and ongoing?

Rachel was very supportive in providing all the information about the franchise prior to my buying the licence. After that I received an intensive course led by her and a team of Franchise Development Consultants (FDC).

Once I set the business up, the initial support had been quite intense with monthly catch-up calls with my FDC, however I have also been able to speak to my FDC any time I needed outside these scheduled calls. 

Currently, we hold our catch up calls every two months and I usually visit the HQ for my annual business review. Apart from that we also have an annual conference in January and June and 6 monthly regional training sessions.

What is a typical day for you as a franchisee?

The day always starts with seeing my teams, makings sure they’re set for the day and wishing them a great day. This could be followed by a quote visit, quality check or some recruitment activity.

I always try to have one day ‘in the office’ to keep on top of any admin and planning but the most exciting moments are the ones when I meet new interesting people who need our help and value the work the teams do for them.

What challenges have you faced?

Personally, my biggest challenge was recruitment, retention and development of my teams. My Professional Housekeepers are the biggest asset of the business and I’m still learning about motivation, management and leadership so that I can find and retain people who share our values and vision and help us build the business locally as well as nationally as part of the network.

Has becoming a franchisee changed your life, if so how?

I have become a lot more resilient, resourceful and determined to achieve my goals. Running a business can be very testing but the feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction when I read our clients’ reviews and when I see my teams feeling proud of what we’ve achieved is something I’ve not felt in any of my jobs.

What marketing/promotional tools do you use to grow your franchise?

There are many channels I utilize, the teams being one of them. Quite often they get asked by our clients’ neighbours about the service so I always make sure the team leaders always have a business card handy.

The other tools include Facebook, testimonials on Google+ and our website, leaflet drops, networking and I’ve also been on the local radio a few times and had an article in a local magazine.

Of course it always helps when one of your clients is a journalist and willing to write a piece about you! 

What differentiates your franchise from the competition?

We provide a holistic housekeeping service. We are not just about ‘cleaning a house’, we are about providing a quality of life to busy people. The service is very comprehensive with a focus on high quality standards, eco-friendly products, professional and friendly behaviour, fully trained and uniformed teams who become ‘managers’ of people’s homes. We tailor the service to our clients’ needs which can include things like letting a dog out for a run whilst the team are looking after the house.

In your opinion, what makes a successful franchisee?  

Belief, vision, determination, good planning and people skills, resilience, willingness to learn from own mistakes and move on, following the business model.

What advice would you give to someone thinking of buying their first franchise?

Do your due diligence and research the business you’re looking to buy thoroughly. If you like a particular franchise, speak to the Franchisor, existing franchisees as well as the former ones. Consider what the best and worst case scenario could be and how you’d deal with them. Read a few books about franchising and starting a business and always get legal advice on your franchise agreement.

What are your plans for the future?

My plans are to grow the business and become the largest and best professional housekeeping service in Cambridge.

Find out more about running your own Domestic Cleaning Franchise and explore our range of franchise opportunities available here

Domestic Cleaning franchises you might be interested in..

Poppies Domestic Cleaning Franchise

With a Poppies Domestic Cleaning Franchise, you can earn £100,000+ a year from domestic and contract cleaning without getting your hands dirty!

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One Less Thing Domestic Cleaning Franchise

One Less Thing are Looking For Up To Four Pilot Franchisees To Join them, Where They'll Buy The Franchise For You!

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Diamond Home Support

Diamond Home Support provides you with an award winning Cleaning Franchise with Home Help and Gardening – 3 Businesses in 1.

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