Franchise Focus Business News…

Despite the current economic climate, cleaning franchises are still performing well. People are more strapped for time than ever before, as they struggle to make ends meet by taking on second jobs or starting a new business for job security reasons. And they still need clean homes, so they are increasingly turning to domestic cleaning services for help.

In the last three years, the UK domestic cleaning market has grown at a rapid pace. In fact, 2.7 million UK households and 1.3 million Ireland households are spending approximately £11 billion on domestic cleaning. The cleaning industry’s overall immunity to the economic downturn is an attractive reason to consider investing in a cleaning franchise.

If you don’t want to actually do the cleaning, most domestic cleaning franchises offer the option of a ‘management franchise.’ This means you will find clients who want their homes cleaned and match them up with cleaners that you employ. You ensure that the clients are happy and take care of the administrative duties, such as scheduling, whilst the cleaners actually go to peoples’ homes and do the cleaning. This option is attractive for people who have more experience with management and administration, and want to apply those skills to a new business.

There are other benefits to cleaning franchises that will contribute to a successful business turning a healthy profit. They include:

• Abundance of niche markets. There are a plethora of domestic cleaning opportunities that exist, apart from the traditional residential maid services. There are carpet cleaning, window cleaning, tile cleaning and driveway brightening franchises available for those who either specialise in one of these areas, or who want to pursue a slightly different market from the traditional house cleaning market. You can always find a niche that has untapped potential in domestic cleaning, as there is no shortage of things to clean in a person’s home!
• Low overheads. Since you don’t have to rent out an office space and you don’t have to purchase a lot of inventory stock to sell, you won’t have to worry about high overheads that detract from your profits. Cleaning franchises usually give you the flexibility to work from home, so you save money on expensive leasing and commuting. They also are designed so that you won’t have cash flow problems, since you don’t have to buy lots of stuff that you have to sell to turn a profit.
• Flexible lifestyle. Working from home means you can achieve a greater work/life balance. It also allows you to spend time with your children, if you are a stay-at-home parent. The best part is you can usually operate a cleaning franchise part time or full time. That leaves you with ample time to pursue other important priorities in your life, or you can maximise on the opportunity to work full time and create a very large profit for yourself.

If you are interested in pursuing a franchise opportunity with these benefits, Franchise Direct’s comprehensive directory of domestic cleaning franchises is the best place to start your search.