Cleantastic
A business sprucing up the Wellington region
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Recent additions to the Cleantastic team; |
Paul is the master franchise owner of 35 Cleantastic franchises with $1.8m worth of cleaning contracts annually, and although he is mostly based in the office these days, when he first set up in the business seven and a half years ago, there were times when he donned a vacuum and duster himself.
In the first five years of owning the franchise, Paul admits it wasn’t unheard for him to be called in to rescue a franchisee. "Once I was on the way to a rugby game at Wellington’s ‘Cake Tin’ and got a call from a franchisee that needed a hand. At 1am I found myself cleaning two pubs that had been filled with rugby patrons – enough said!" laughs Paul.
Paul’s role now is Facilitator, marketing the business, generating new contracts and supporting the franchisees. And with a Business Development Manager and Service Manager in place, business is growing, even in today’s competitive environment.
It was eight years ago, while working as a Corporate Trustee, that Paul started dreaming of a more flexible lifestyle and being able to spend more time with his young family. He began researching franchise opportunities and Cleantastic was at the top of the list.
"Cleantastic appealed to me, not so much for the cleaning aspect, but for its business model. The model works because it is based on motivated owner-operators who have a vested interest in the business. Most of my family of franchisees are ‘twos’ – husbands and wives, mothers and daughters, or two business partners. When the owner is involved it gives clients the security of working with the same people all the time; people who are committed to delivering excellent service.
"And Cleantastic is very conscious about sustainability. We’re part of the Sustainable Business Network, working towards environmental certification, which is a great benefit to both the client and franchisee,"
says Paul.
Quality assurance is a key aspect of ensuring client satisfaction. It forms a large part of the Service Manager role Paul introduced earlier this year. The other part of this role is training and inducting new franchisees into the Cleantastic way. Refresher workshops are also held for ‘old hands’ to provide updates on new products, and allow sharing of useful tips and advice on better ways of working.
Paul works from his home office and although a qualified chartered accountant, he acknowledges that ‘doing the books’ wasn’t his main focus whilst busy running the business.
"I have been working with Bruce Stormer at Markhams Wellington for three and a half years now. Bruce put me on to the Xero accounting system and I’m delighted – it’s so easy and so effective.
"Bruce and Lisa also take care of my GST returns and end of year accounts. It certainly takes the pressure off me to know everything is sorted and the rules are being followed," says Paul.
Self employment may be stressful sometimes, but Paul believes running the Cleantastic franchise is the most rewarding thing he has ever done. "It is very satisfying to see a new franchisee come on board knowing they will be fully employed from day one, generating a great income for them and their families."
Published Spring 2011.
