5 Tips for Running a Domestic Cleaning Franchise

Elliott Fudge, writer

Published at 20/11/2021, Updated on 04/05/2022 , Reading time: 5 min

5 Tips for Running a Domestic Cleaning Franchise — Photo © 5-Tips-for-Running-a-Domestic-Cleaning-Franchise.jpg

Running a business is never easy. While one of the main advantages to running a franchise is the amount of training, support and development available to you, it’s still important to have the right advice when it comes to running a domestic cleaning franchise.

A large part of the everyday life of a domestic cleaning franchisee is taking responsibility for the ownership and day-to-day management of the franchise. If you’ve been thinking about starting your own domestic cleaning franchise or making a career change with a cleaning franchise, there are some key things to bear in mind when it comes to running your own business.

Why start a domestic cleaning franchise?

With all the disruption over the last few months, it’s no surprise so many people are looking to clean up their houses. While many cleaners were categorised as essential workers, most businesses are looking to seriously ramp up their client list with people starting to return to the office.

Demand for cleaners has been growing rapidly over the last few years as increases in some people’s disposable incomes has led to increased demand for cleaning services. And, although the pandemic has undoubtedly hit all industries hard, the cleaning sector still has a market worth of around £5.3 billion [Ibis World].

So, with all the economic metrics for the cleaning sector ticking up, here’s why you should choose a franchise to start your own business:

You’ll have excellent job security and will be safe in the knowledge that franchise businesses have great survival rates
You’ll have access to a tried-and-tested brand and customer base
You’ll be your own boss
You’ll be working in a busy and in-demand sector
Many franchise businesses are affordable

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5 tips for running a domestic cleaning franchise

There are simple and straightforward ways to go about running a domestic cleaning franchise, so we’ve compiled some of our key tips to help you get your business running smoothly.

1. Specialise your services

Domestic cleaners can focus their efforts on a potentially unlimited range of clients and services. So, while running your own business does afford you some specialism in how you operate, you will still also have some further flexibility in terms of what you provide and where you provide it. For example, you could consider specialising in any of the following services:

Commercial and corporate cleaning
Mobile and van-based services
Renewable and sustainably-based cleaning

Within the broad world of domestic cleaning services, there are lots of areas where you could choose to develop your business. This is one of the go-to ways to run a long-term, sustainably profitable business, so it’s well-worth looking at which directions you could take your business in the future.

2. Build around your employees

Times have been hard for businesses and customers alike, and while both your and the domestic cleaning sector look to get back to pre-pandemic levels of business, it’s important to remember that business recovery and growth should work for all parties.

Ultimately, your franchise’s employees are the face of your organisation. If you’ve recruited well, many of your employees will have the expertise and experience necessary to make a success of your business. Find out how you can get the best out of your employees and build your business with this in mind.

3. Keep ahead of the curve

There are lots of different technologies being introduced to this sector, and while this is making some firms stronger and more competitive, it also means that some businesses might be losing out. As a business owner and franchisee, it’s in your interest to stay ahead of the competition by keeping yourself informed about the new tech and ways of working.

Avoid falling into the trap of believing you have a ‘settled’ business. Some stability is good, but always be prepared to work flexibly and with new pieces of tech in mind. Consider, for example, cleaning robots and sustainably-sourced solutions.

4. Location, location, location

Do you really need a fixed location at all? As a franchisee, you’ll mainly be operating within a set territorial area. Within this area, you may find yourself in different parts of this zone from one day to the next, meaning that it might not be useful to have a fixed base of operations.

With so many people working from home and finding remote, sometimes entirely van-based solutions of their own, it’s worth considering whether or not you need a fixed location to carry out the administrative side of your business. You could save on rent and maintenance costs by operating remotely.

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5. Generate repeat customers

It’s official - repeat customers are more profitable and are more likely to spend money with you than new customers. For that reason, you should work out how best to not only attract customers, but most importantly, keep them coming back. Whether that’s loyalty schemes, discounts or exclusive offers, your franchisor will thank you for keeping your returning customers.

By increasing customer retention by just five percent, a company’s profitability will increase by an average of 75 percent. When you imagine future success, picture strengthening existing relationships rather than forging new ones. After all, 80 percent of future profits come from 20 percent of current customers. - Constant Contact.

Start your own cleaning franchise today

Running your own business always comes with challenges, but if you’ve been thinking about starting your own domestic cleaning franchise, you can join the ranks of the many thousands looking for profitable, satisfying business opportunities.

If domestic cleaning isn’t quite right for you though, you might want to turn your hand to some alternative cleaning sectors. You could consider the advantages of opening a commercial cleaning franchise or choosing the right carpet cleaning franchise. Or, if you’re looking for different opportunities altogether, try the UK franchise directory for a full list of available franchises.