A Day in the Life: What It Takes To Run Your Own Cleaning Franchise

Becky Martin, writer

Published at 13/09/2020, Updated on 04/05/2022 , Reading time: 6 min

A Day in the Life: What It Takes To Run Your Own Cleaning Franchise — Photo © cleaning-franchise.jpg

The cleaning industry is booming at the moment, so you might be wondering what it takes to run your own cleaning franchise. Whether you’ve been interested in entering the franchise world for some time or are just intrigued by what a cleaning business owner gets up to, this article should provide some clarity.

Cleaning businesses in the UK provide a vital service for the public. They make sure that our workplaces, transport, schools, hospitals, homes, and public spaces are in tip-top condition and pleasant to use. The cleaning industry contributed more than £54.5 billion to the economy in 2018 and its turnover has increased by 28 percent since 2013. This is double the 14 percent turnover the overall economy experienced in the same period (ONS). Employment in the industry has also increased by five percent between 2015 and 2018, which again is higher than the whole economy that had a three percent growth.

Here we take a look at what a cleaning franchise owner might get up to during the day.

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A day in the life of a cleaning franchise unit owner

1. Maintaining health and safety standards

One of your biggest responsibilities as a cleaning franchise owner is making sure that you follow health and safety standards. This will include writing a health and safety policy for your business, managing risks in your business, consulting your employees, providing training, having the right workplace facilities, getting insurance and more.

You can head over to https://www.hse.gov.uk/cleaning/getting-started.htm to see a full rundown of what you need to do to make sure your cleaning franchise complies with health and safety law.

2. Implementing stringent cleaning protocols

Surfaces can be contaminated when people who are infectious touch, cough or sneeze on them. Therefore, regular cleaning plays a crucial role in limiting transmission of COVID-19 and other viruses.

It is your responsibility as a cleaning franchise unit owner to make sure that you are using the right products and following stringent cleaning protocols to make sure you play your part in controlling the virus.

You can find out more information about COVID-19 and cleaning in non-healthcare settings outside the home at the gov.uk website.

3. Using industry-leading products

There’s always a fantastic new product flying onto the domestic and commercial cleaning scene. To make sure your cleaning franchise has the best chance of success and stands out from competitors you should always use industry-leading products.

These include innovations like the Scotch-Brite Clean and Shine Pad that cleans and shines floors in one.

4. Having the latest innovative tools and gadgets

The technology used in the cleaning industry is evolving. Many cleaning franchises have only just started to welcome the new tech with open arms. Some of the biggest trends at the moment are based on the Internet of Things, which can provide managers with real-time information about the status of cleaning products. There are also smart touch-free dispensers that track hygiene compliance.

5. Telephoning prospective client enquires.

In the morning, you will probably spend some time replying to any client enquires that came in overnight, as well as any that weren’t followed up successfully the previous day.

6. Communicating with your clients successfully

Now, more than ever, it’s important that you communicate with your clients regularly and use marketing effectively. Your existing and prospective clients will want to know that you are maintaining all of the necessary health and safety standards and are using stringent cleaning protocols. Make sure this message is communicated clearly. Also ask your customers for feedback of their experience and discuss it with your cleaning team.

Advantages of joining the cleaning industry

Millennials offer a high-potential market. The professionals of the future might be more likely to shell out for a cleaner rather than do it themselves. Some people think that this generation suffers from a shortage of practical skills, so businesses that offer hands-on services stand to benefit now and in the future.
Cleaning promotes mindfulness. Influencers like Marie Kondo have encouraged people to be more aware of the mental health benefits of keeping things tidy. This new trend will help get your business on the right track from day one.

Challenges of joining the cleaning industry

Physically demanding. Many people that choose to become a cleaning franchise owner take a managerial role and delegate responsibilities to their trusted team of employees. However, if you were to take a more active role in the day-to-day operations and perform the cleaning duties yourself, you might find that it can be hard work, and at times, exhausting. However, flipping this on its head, you might actually see this as a positive and an opportunity to get fit while earning money at the same time.

Start your own cleaning franchise

Let’s take a look at two of our top cleaning franchises at the moment.

Bright & Beautiful

Bright & Beautiful has already made its mark in the UK domestic cleaning industry, with over 65 franchisees providing exceptional service to clients.

Becoming a Bright & Beautiful franchisee: It’s on the lookout for hard-working individuals who are business-minded and eager to run their own successful cleaning business with the support of the Head Office team.
How much you need to invest: To be accepted for this franchise programme, you need to make a minimum investment of £10,000 and a total investment of £29,950. If you work hard, there’s scope to turn this into £1 million in net profits over 10 years!
What you get for your investment: To help you get to grips with all aspects of the business operations, you will take part in a comprehensive, five-day training programme at its head office. When you’re up and running, you can benefit from an ongoing support network, national and regional training sessions, and your very own regional business development manager.

Ovenclean

Ovenclean is the UK’s original oven cleaning specialist, founded in 1992. It’s looking out for investors who are passionate about delivering great customer service, as the franchise gets much of its business from word-of-mouth recommendations.

Becoming an Ovenclean franchisee: In the initial stages, you'll be set up with one van and one dedicated territory. But if you have the ambition to grow your business, you can expand into a multi-van operation. You don’t need any oven cleaning or business ownership experience, and the business model is simple to learn, straightforward to manage and flexible enough to grow when you’re ready.
How much you need to invest: The franchise costs £14,995. With low overheads, you’ll have a good chance at a high profitability, which means your earning potential will be impressive.
What you get for your investment: One of the biggest plus points when it comes to investing in Ovenclean is its national promotional campaign – it’s currently the only oven cleaning brand to advertise on television. You’ll also get the flexibility to choose the hours you work and benefit from unlimited earnings.

Use our UK franchise directory to browse opportunities

The cleaning industry has come a long way and businesses are no longer simply a ‘maid service’ like they were years ago. The COVID-19 crisis proved how essential cleaning businesses are, with many commercial companies being busier than ever making sure that public spaces are safe.

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If reading this has confirmed that investing in a cleaning franchise is the right business move for you – great! We have lots of lucrative cleaning opportunities on our books at the moment. Our cleaning franchises page is the best place to start, and we also have more niche opportunities like carpet cleaning franchises too.