Domestic cleaning franchisees making the most of opportunities

Natalie of Maid in Your Place explains why some cleaning businesses are booming in the downturn

Cleaning, for many, is a necessary evil - we don’t like to do it, but it’s got to be done. Few feel happy in a messy house, but as the tough economic climate forces more families out of the home and into work, there’s less and less time to spend on household chores.

Working families don’t always have the time to clean - that’s where cleaning services come into their own. For a relatively small outlay, families can continue to manage the difficult balance of home and work life with one more job ticked off the list. So while families cut back on luxuries, this is one extra that’s becoming an essential utility worth finding the pennies to pay for.

In fact, in February 2012 Prime Minister David Cameron revealed the Government is considering introducing tax breaks for people who hire cleaning services in order to free more people to join the workforce.

Selling houses
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With belts tightened across the UK, families wanting to sell their homes are also looking to cleaners to help make their properties as attractive as possible in a slow market. At Maid in Your Place, we’ve seen families invest in weekly cleaning services so that they can be sure their home is always in tip-top condition whenever a potential buyer comes knocking. And it pays off.

Investing to reduce landlord costs
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Homeowners are not the only ones feeling the need for clean - it also extends into the rental market.

Far from simply investing in an annual clean between tenants, we’ve observed landlords including cleaning services in rental agreements, calculating that investing in regular maintenance of the kitchen, bathroom and soft furnishings helps avoid having to shell out on a complete refit once tenants move out.

Franchises are positioned for success
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All cleaners have the opportunity to pick up new clients in the current climate for the reasons outlined, but franchise holders can find themselves in a stronger position for one simple reason: reputation.

A cleaner, after all, is someone you let into your home - possibly when you’re not there - and trust to protect and care for all your material possessions while they are there. Few would hire into such a responsible position without references, so it is often through word of mouth recommendation that we find our ideal cleaner.

While individual cleaners might eventually benefit from a local reputation, national franchises benefit from a national reputation, which a good head office will work hard to grow and maintain for the benefit of all its franchise holders.

Starting out with a trusted brand name can make the challenge of winning those first few breakthrough customers a whole lot easier. Could you be cleaning up with a cleaning franchise?

ABOUT MAID IN YOUR PLACE
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Maid in Your Place is an elite cleaning agency, now expanding nationwide in partnership with driven and motivated franchise business owners.

A tried and tested system - coupled with how-to guides and ongoing support from head office - puts Maid in Your Place franchise holders at a competitive advantage, helping them thrive in every aspect of their business, from marketing to management.

With all Maid in Your Place franchises comes:

* Exclusive rights to an agreed trading territory.

* Area specific branding, eg Maid in Birmingham.

* Four-day training package.

* Additional ongoing training and business coaching.

* Franchise webpage.

* Email account and online diary.

* Accounts and payroll package.

* Help desk support.

* Full operations manual.

* Complete stationery pack.

* 25,000 marketing leaflets.

Getting started costs just £9,995 (plus VAT). After that, there is a monthly service fee of just 7-10 per cent of turnover, depending on territory.