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.
The current downturn in the economy has led to increasing concerns amongst employees about job security, and the future of their finances. The continuing troubles in the stock market, as well as the massive governmental bank bailouts are some of the concerns on peoples’ minds as they plan for their own futures. With uncertainty being the only thing that’s certain, those that were looking to retire in the near future are rethinking their plans.
In fact, one in five bosses of small and medium sized firms are choosing to delay planned retirement, a new survey by Clifton Asset Management shows. With 62 per cent of those surveyed saying their retirement is further down the road than it was a year ago, it doesn’t look like people are willing to give up their jobs just yet. The survey also shows that 18 per cent of respondents now have no plans to retire!
This notion of delaying retirement may come as a disappointment for those looking to spend more time with family and friends, have a flexible lifestyle and be able to make decisions for themselves instead of having to answer to a boss. However, the solution may not necessarily involve having to keep your current job.
Instead, you can opt to invest in the franchise of your choice, and start a business of your own! By choosing to become a franchisee, you can be your own boss and reap the profits of your hard work. Instead of having to work for someone else, you can be sure that what you put into it, you will get back. You can apply the knowledge you’ve gained through past work experience and use it to the benefit of your new business.
Also, a home based or part time franchise option will allow would-be retirees to gain the time to spend with loved ones, pursue hobbies and passion that have been on the back burner for years and keep a flexible schedule. Investing in a franchise could be the solution to delaying retirement without having to keep up the grueling pace of your current work situation.
There has been a lot of discussion and worry about the current economic situation, as people are in danger of losing jobs and savings they may have. But there’s been a steady increase in people that are starting their own businesses, as they seek job security in an uncertain time. Many of these new business owners hail from London, as well as the southeast and east of England, and up to a third of them are choosing to start these new ventures in their spare time.
Not only are new businesses doing well, home-based businesses are also thriving, despite the economy. In fact, there has been an increased turnover for two-thirds of home based businesses this year and almost three-fourths of these businesses are continually getting new customers. Since these work from home opportunities are doing so well, 58% of the businesses are developing new products or streams of revenue for their market. That is sure to bring these home-based businesses even more success!
According to research from BT, the number of people starting their own businesses in their own home increased 16% this year, and there are now 2.5 million home-based businesses in the UK.
Home-based businesses truly are appealing, especially at a time when the economy takes a downturn. When you work from home, you will need to drive less, which means you save money on petrol and spend less time in traffic on the roads. This also allows stay-at-home parents to still take care of the children whilst running a business that can earn a valuable extra income.
They also provide you with the ability to be your own boss, which means you have job security that isn’t plausible when you’re someone else’s employee. Of course, the ability to achieve work/life balance is also a drawing factor to home-based business and franchise opportunities.
If you are considering a home-based business, please browse through Franchise Direct’s extensive directory of home-based opportunities for the one will help you create a successful business for yourself!
If you’re contemplating which franchise you want to invest in, make sure you choose one with a comprehensive training programme. The programme should include both sessions at the Head Office to learn about the franchise’s business model and basic business skills, as well as on-the-job training. This is crucial to your success as a franchisee and the overall success of the franchise brand.
The reasons?
- There are a wide range of people from different professions that choose to invest in a franchise. You may choose to start your business in a completely different industry than the one in which you previously held a job. That means comprehensive training is crucial to the your ability to start and run a successful franchise operation in a new industry. Without it, you won’t know what to do! But don’t be discouraged if you don’t know anything about the industry you’re entering — franchisors don’t necessarily prefer people with previous experience in the same industry, because people may bring bad habits or negativity about certain industry issues into the franchise.
- Training helps you get on board with the franchise’s business model, and can help you successfully engage in day-to-day business activities. That way, all franchisees will continue to steer their individual franchise operations into the same direction that the franchisor envisions. It will mean the franchise has a unified image, and will keep the brand strong.
- Comprehensive training will also help you understand business skills that can play key roles in the development of the new business. For instance, skills in marketing, sales, finances and staff management are crucial to building a business, and it is important that you have a solid grasp on how to perform these skills.
- On-the-job training can often provide a valuable look at how daily operations will go, and can help you apply the theoretical aspect of training to real life situations. While sitting down and listening to a lecture on the business model is important, so is actually enacting those same principles in the operation of your business.
- It’s important that you can either get refresher courses on the initial training you receive, or support when you can’t remember something you learned during training. Franchisors often offer ongoing training opportunities and support, which is what makes franchises a less risky investment than starting a new business on your own.
Make sure you find out exactly what each franchise is offering for their initial training, and subsequently, what kind of ongoing training they offer. Find out if the training will cover how to operate the franchise, the franchise’s business model, how to perform certain business skills and on-the-job training. If any of these components are missing, you may want to look for another similar franchise opportunity that does emphasise a comprehensive training programme. It will prove to be crucial to your success!
Even small changes in overhead and cost matter when it comes to running a small business or franchise. That’s why it’s becoming increasingly important to adopt energy-saving “green” habits to make your business more energy efficient… and cost effective. In fact, Britain’s Environment Agency said that complying with green legislation will also allows small businesses to save millions of pounds! Currently £58 million is being saved by those in compliance.
Research shows that smaller companies are twice as likely to be aware of the environment than larger ones. In fact, a survey conducted of 12,001 workers in England shows that 1/3 of small business employees have addressed climate change with behavioural changes, whereas less than 1/5 of large, international companies’ employees have done anything.
So take your part in helping make your business greener with these practical tips:
- Work from home. If your franchise or business allows it, try to stay away from commuting to and from work everyday. Fuel costs are high, and you will be saving yourself lots of money by working from home.
- Change the light bulbs to energy efficient ones. At the end of the day, you’ll be saving costs and the environment if you change the light bulbs in your leased office space or home office to the high efficiency ones. The energy efficient bulbs may be more expensive, but your investment will pay off when you look at your electric bill for the month.
- Turn off lights at night. This also includes office equipment, like computers, which are very energy intensive. If you need to leave your computer on, at least switch off the monitor.
- Clean filters on refrigerators and condensers annually. This can significantly lower your fuel bill by getting the refrigerator to run more efficiently and save energy.
- Turn down heating and air conditioning. Try to raise the temperature slightly in the summer, and lower it slightly in the winter. Although this seems like a simple gesture, it will actually save you money!
- Improve insulation systems. This will help with your electricity bill, as you won’t have to adjust the thermostat quite as much during the cold of winter or heat or summer.
Follow these simple tips and you’ll find that you’re making a difference not only with the environment, but also in your small business or franchise’s checkbook.
