Cleanliness has probably never been this top of mind for everyone.
While it may not be the most glamourous industry, contract commercial cleaning has been in continuous demand for decades, with COVID and other illnesses only increasing the demand. The premises of multiple sectors – including office buildings, hospitality venues, healthcare facilities, education campuses, and more – are in constant need of professional-grade cleaning and hygiene services. According to an IBISWorld report, the General Building Cleaning Industry in the UK is a £6 billion market that is “forecast to somewhat recover in line with the reopening of the economy.”
Even with as many sectors need commercial cleaning services, there still may be some areas you may have overlooked or may not be familiar with. Recent years have seen the rise of many niche and/or specialised cleaning services, a development that encourages even more franchise businesses to flourish, and provided even more options to prospective franchisees. These can range from carpet cleaning franchises, oven cleaning franchises, window cleaning franchises etc.
Consider the franchise Clear Brew, for example.
Clear Brew is a unique cleaning franchise that currently provides services to public houses, social clubs, sports clubs, holiday parks, hotels, bingo halls and cinemas. “In essence anywhere that pulls a pint through a dispense system will need to maintain and clean the lines on a regular basis, so as you can imagine, the marketplace is vast and varied.”
Advantages of a Commercial Cleaning Franchise over Independent Operation
People buy into franchises for many different reasons. Suppose you are enthusiastic about owning your own business, but can’t quite come up with a business idea of your own.
Or, maybe, you know exactly what you want to do, but the idea of doing all of the legwork in setting of a business – such as brand development, writing a business plan, learning the rules and regulations of the industry, finding how to supplement your existing skills in the area, figuring out marketing, etc. – makes your head spin.
For either case, franchising may be the best method for making your dreams come true. Although independent operators make up a large portion of the overall cleaning population because of the low barriers to entry, there are several advantages commercial cleaning industry franchisees have over their independent counterparts.
When you invest in a franchise, you take on the methods of a business that (1) understands its established target market, and (2) has proven itself profitable and sustainable. These are two of the primary reasons many people find the prospect of a driving franchise very attractive.
Independent companies that go into business without the support of an established partner often struggle to penetrate the market. They often misunderstand what their customers want and how to fulfill that desire. It can take a long time, along with trial and error, for an independent company to get their service offering right.
On the other hand, franchises tend to enjoy more immediate success because the parent company has done their market research. The franchisor has spent time developing their services and products to meet the standards expected by their customers.
When you invest in a franchise, you inherit not only the immediately recognizable branding of the parent company but the tried-and-tested business model focused on a client base who already know and trust their service model. In addition, the franchisor, typically, already has an existing supply chain and vendors that already know what the business needs. You also take on the parent company’s hard-earned reputation—and reputations are hard to build in the marketplace.
It should also be noted that some prospective franchisees are worried about not having the skills needed. Not a problem.
In franchising, your franchise parent company typically provides a training package for you and your employees to ensure that you can maintain their hard-earned reputation. Some types of cleaning require specialised equipment that requires trained operators to use. This is beneficial for cleaning franchises because even companies are unlikely to go out and buy the equipment themselves. This also helps to drive the demand for commercial cleaning companies to do the task for them.
Beyond training, many franchise partners also offer a range of business support functions, including administrative support such as invoicing, credit control and payroll services. Many also offer sales and marketing support.
Furthermore, franchisors tend to set their franchises up in territories they have faith the business will succeed in. After all, their ultimate success is dependent on the success of their franchisees.
NOTE: Many franchise opportunities in this field are management based. Meaning you don’t have to perform the manual labor – unless you desire to. If you wanted, many franchise opportunities allow for you to run your franchise by building a team of qualified service people. You oversee the operation and concentrate on bringing in additional business and performing other administrative tasks.
Money Matters: Franchising vs Independent Businesses
Traditionally, cleaning franchises are on the less expensive part on the scale of franchise affordability. However, if you need help coming up with your start-up funds—for a vehicle, for instance—becoming a franchise owner can potentially serve you well in this area. Investing in a franchise is often considered a safer option than creating an independent business from the ground up.
Over the years, franchises have been more likely to appeal positively to banks and moneylenders and draw the necessary capital to start the business since franchises have a more demonstrated history of feasibility and market sustainability. Conversely, independent companies often find it a challenge to obtain loans with sensible borrowing rates since they have no evidence that their business will reach potential. This lack of faith from lenders has the potential to jeopardise their company from the start.
Having enough money before you start is important. The first couple of years of any business can bring challenges, placing most independent businesses at imminent financial risk. Without the ability to generate enough revenue to cover initial and operating expenses, independent business owners will likely find the venture unviable. In fact, more than half of all independent start-up companies go out of business within the first two years in the UK.