Q&A: Does Safeclean Franchise in the UK?

Alice Tuffery, writer

Published at 22/04/2018, Updated on 04/05/2022 , Reading time: 5 min

Q&A: Does Safeclean Franchise in the UK? — Photo © Safeclean_Logo.jpg

Starting a domestic or commercial cleaning business could be a great way to become your own boss and develop a good level of income and job satisfaction. Luckily, there are lots to choose from across the UK, but here we’re asking: Does Safeclean franchise?

Safeclean provides professional maintenance and care for carpets and upholstery. It works with both residential and commercial customers, and offers a number of niche services too, such as infection control and stain removal. Plus, it uses a specialised treatment to help eradicate substances causing inflammation, asthma and allergies.

Safeclean is a van-based business, operating on the go and responding to call-outs throughout the day.

Does Safeclean franchise?

Yes, and it’s on the lookout for investors who can help take the franchise to new heights. If you’re interested in launching your very own domestic or commercial cleaning franchise business offering specialist stain removal services, Safeclean could be the brand for you.

History of Safeclean

Established in 1965, Safeclean is one of the longest-running franchises in the UK and now has over half a century of experience providing cleaning services. It was founded by Desmond Cook and gives savvy investors the chance to launch their own businesses, either as a sole trader or a manager.

In 1985, Safeclean partnered with the furniture insurance specialist Guardsman, which also works with some of the biggest retailers in the UK, including DFS and Furniture Village. In 1991, the franchise officially became ‘Safeclean by Guardsman’.

The partnership extends to providing spot and stain removal services for Guardsman, which creates an additional source of revenue for Safeclean franchisees. In fact, you can expect five to 10 percent of your income to originate from Guardsman insurance work if you join the franchise.

Safeclean now has more than 50 franchisees and is actively looking for new franchising opportunities.

Running a management franchise has enabled me to take on more territories, which means more work and an increase in revenue. To complete all this work, I’ve recruited two technicians as well as my wife, who is responsible for a lot of the administration work. – Martin Jordan, franchisee

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Starting a Safeclean franchise unit

When you join the Safeclean franchise, the team at its HQ will allocate you an exclusive postcode territory. You’ll get around 100,000 households in your region, which should give you the chance to launch a profitable business without compromising on quality by over-stretching yourself.

As a Safeclean franchisee, you’ll develop a pool of loyal customers who return to your business again and again. In fact, the company suggests you should aim 80 percent of your operations at repeat business by your second year. Rather than spending time and effort trying to drum up new leads - one of the toughest parts of running a business - you’ll focus on providing great service so customers keep coming back.

Becoming a Safeclean franchisee:

Safeclean is looking for investors with “tenacity and drive”. You don’t necessarily need experience in carpet or upholstery cleaning, but you’ll need good business acumen if you’re to pass the application stage.

Once you’re on board, you can either operate your Safeclean franchise unit as a sole trader, carrying out jobs yourself, or as a manager, employing technicians in multiple vans.

How much you need to invest:

The Safeclean franchise’s minimum initial investment currently stands at £15,000, but the typical start-up cost for a business unit is £29,995.

If you don’t have this amount of capital in savings, banks are often willing to lend franchisees up to 70 percent of their total investment cost.

Once you’ve established your Safeclean franchise unit, the brand will ask you to pay royalties of £550 per month or 11 percent of your turnover - whichever is higher. Plus, you’ll contribute to the company’s marketing fund, putting 10 percent of your sales turnover towards brand-wide promotional activity.

What you get for your investment:

When you first join the Safeclean franchise network, you’ll get access to its training programme. You and one other person will have the chance to learn the technical skills required to deliver a high-quality service using the franchise’s tools and chemicals in various scenarios.

The first part of the induction course is followed by field-based training; you’ll shadow an existing franchisee to get a feel for day-to-day operations in the business. You’ll be able to learn from someone who has already gone through the set-up process and overcome the challenges you might face in the future.

Then, you’ll end your training by spending some time with the Safeclean franchise manager.

Safeclean just seemed to fit into everything I was looking for; reasonable investment that I could afford and a business that involved being out on the road. Having always dreamed of running my own business, in charge of my own hours and workload, I felt that Safeclean offered the right support to enable me to confidently launch in the market. – Matthew Clarke, franchisee

Once you've got your business up and running, the Safeclean franchise team can offer a great deal of support. You’ll get access to the digital systems used across the entire franchise, including online contact forms, a dedicated phone number and a Safeclean email address. So, you’ll be able to uphold the business’s professional standards in your own cleaning franchise unit.

The brand also provides access to high-quality marketing materials, which should help you promote your business in its early stages and establish it as part of the Safeclean franchise family.

On an ongoing basis, you’ll also benefit from extensive mentoring and support services from the Safeclean franchise team. They’ll be able to make sure you’re using the business’s systems efficiently and maximising your chances of success.

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Find more fantastic cleaning franchise opportunities here at Point Franchise

The franchise industry has a wide range of different cleaning franchise opportunities - so, if Safeclean isn’t quite right for you, you’ll probably find another one to suit your requirements. Take a look at our high-quality franchise opportunities or browse our other business guides here at Point Franchise.