"We've Designed a Management Franchise, Not a Cleaning Job" Dawnn Hilton-Lito explains what makes One Less Thing different

What is One Less Thing and what makes the franchise different?

One Less Thing is a modern domestic cleaning and home services franchise built around giving clients exactly what the name promises: one less thing to worry about.

The core concept is simple. Our franchise partners build and manage a local cleaning agency from home. They do not do the cleaning themselves, employ cleaners, hold stock, or need premises. Instead, they focus on attracting clients, recruiting and vetting reliable self-employed cleaners, and matching the right cleaner with the right household using our systems, processes and purpose-built software.

What makes One Less Thing stand out is that it has been designed as a management franchise, not a hands-on cleaning job. It gives franchise partners a clear route into business ownership with a low-overhead model, recurring agency fee income and a strong support structure behind them.

The business is also very system-led. Franchise partners benefit from a professional brand, their own branch page on the One Less Thing website, online quoting and booking tools, management software, recruitment processes, documents, agreements, training and ongoing support. The first 60 qualified client enquiries are also included to help them start building their customer base from the early stages.

For clients, the difference is trust, convenience and professionalism. They can get a quote online, make an enquiry quickly and know that their cleaner has been carefully vetted. For cleaners, it provides regular local work without them having to find clients themselves. For franchise partners, it creates the opportunity to build a scalable, home-based business with recurring revenue over time.

At this next stage of growth, the franchise investment is £10,000 plus VAT, which makes it a more accessible opportunity compared with many franchise models that require premises, employed staff, vehicles, stock or much larger upfront costs.

What are the biggest strengths of the One Less Thing franchise model?

One of the biggest strengths is the recurring revenue model. Because clients usually book cleaning on a regular weekly or fortnightly basis, each new client can continue generating agency fee income month after month. That gives franchisees the chance to build their income steadily over time, rather than constantly starting from zero each month.

Another key strength is that this is a management franchise, not a hands-on cleaning role. Franchisees do not need to do the cleaning themselves, employ cleaners, carry stock or rent premises. They can run the business from home, keeping overheads lower and focusing their time on growing the client base, recruiting reliable self-employed cleaners and managing the service properly.

The technology also makes a big difference. Franchisees have access to our online quoting tool and management software, which helps them keep track of enquiries, clients, cleaners, KPIs and day-to-day operations. It keeps the business organised and makes it easier to respond quickly as enquiries come in.

Marketing and customer acquisition support is another important part of the model. Each franchisee receives their own branch page on the One Less Thing website, guidance on generating local enquiries and their first 60 qualified client enquiries to help them start building momentum early on.

Alongside that, franchisees receive 3.5 days of initial HQ training, followed by a 1.5-day scale-up support session after month four of trading, regular weekly support calls in the early stages, access to our operations manual, tried-and-tested documents and agreements, recruitment processes and ongoing system updates.

Overall, the model gives franchisees a strong foundation: a professional brand, a clear process to follow, practical support, purpose-built software, recurring income potential and a business that can be grown from home without the complexity of many traditional franchise models.

How do you maintain consistency and service quality across the franchise network?

We achieve this through a combination of training, software, documented processes, standard agreements and ongoing support.

Every franchisee receives initial training before they start trading, followed by additional support once they are up and running. This helps make sure they understand how the model works in practice, including how to handle enquiries, recruit and vet cleaners, match clients properly and manage the day-to-day operation.

A key part of the consistency comes from our purpose-built management software. Franchisees use this to manage enquiries, clients, cleaners and ongoing activity in one place. It helps keep the process organised, makes it easier to respond quickly and gives franchisees a clear structure to follow rather than running the business manually or in their own way.

We also provide an online operations manual, proven processes, documents, agreements and resources. These are designed to guide franchisees through each part of the business and help keep standards consistent across the network. This includes the client journey, cleaner recruitment and vetting, onboarding, service management and general business operations.

Cleaner vetting is also central to our quality standards. Franchisees are trained to recruit and vet self-employed cleaners carefully before matching them with clients, which helps protect the reputation of the brand and gives customers confidence in the service.

From a client perspective, the online quote and enquiry process also supports consistency. Clients follow the same professional route into the business, receive clear information and can be managed through the same structured system regardless of location.

As the network grows, we continue to support franchisees with guidance, mentoring, system updates and best practice. The aim is to give every franchise partner enough structure to maintain high standards while still allowing them to build strong local relationships in their own territory.

How does One Less Thing meet changing consumer expectations?

More households are busy, time-poor and looking for reliable help at home, especially when it comes to regular cleaning. Customers are not just looking for the cheapest option. They want convenience, trust, professionalism and a service that makes their life easier.

The whole idea behind the brand is to give clients one less thing to worry about by connecting them with carefully vetted self-employed cleaners in their local area.

People want to be able to find information online, get a clear price, make an enquiry and speak to someone who understands their needs. Our website and online quote tool are designed around that expectation, allowing clients to enquire at a time that suits them, including evenings and weekends.

Trust is another major expectation in today’s market, especially when someone is letting a cleaner into their home. Our franchisees follow structured recruitment and vetting processes, helping give clients confidence that their cleaner has been carefully checked and matched to their needs.

Many clients want ongoing weekly or fortnightly cleaning, which supports the recurring revenue model for franchisees while also giving customers continuity and peace of mind.

For franchise partners, the model has been designed to meet modern expectations too. It is home-based, low-overhead, system-led and does not require premises, stock or employed cleaners. The software and online systems help franchisees manage enquiries, clients and cleaners efficiently from wherever they are.

Overall, One Less Thing addresses today’s market by combining a traditional high-demand service with modern technology, strong branding, clear processes and a more professional customer experience. It is built for people who want reliable home support, and for franchise partners who want a flexible, scalable business.

What training and support do franchisees receive?

The initial launch training is 3.5 days at our HQ branch, where franchisees get hands-on guidance on how to run the One Less Thing model in practice. This covers the key areas of the business, including handling enquiries, recruiting and vetting self-employed cleaners, matching cleaners with clients, using the management software, following our processes and preparing to launch in their own territory.

Franchisees also receive access to their own branch page on the One Less Thing website, online quoting and management software, recruitment tools and processes, client and cleaner agreements, templates and our online operations manual.

To help them start strong, each franchisee also receives their first 60 qualified client enquiries. These come from people in their territory who have completed the online enquiry process and are actively looking for domestic cleaning services. This gives franchisees real opportunities to start converting enquiries and building their client base from the early stages.

Support continues after launch with weekly Zoom support calls, giving franchisees regular contact, guidance and accountability as they start trading. These calls help us review progress, answer questions, look at enquiries, cleaner recruitment, conversions and any practical challenges that come up in the early stages.

In month four, franchisees return to our HQ branch for a further 1.5 days. This is used as a review and scale-up session, looking at what has happened since launch, what is working well, where improvements can be made and what the plan should be for the next stage of growth.

Overall, the aim is to give franchisees a clear structure from day one, proper hands-on training, practical tools to run the business and regular support after launch so they can grow with confidence.

How do you help franchisees increase profitability over time?

A big part of the profitability comes from the way the business is structured. Franchisees work from home, do not need premises, do not carry stock and do not employ cleaners. Clients pay cleaners directly, so the franchisee’s agency fees are not being used to cover cleaner wages. That helps keep the business lean and gives franchisees a stronger opportunity to build healthy margins as their client base grows.

The recurring revenue model is also key. Because many clients use their cleaner weekly or fortnightly on an ongoing basis, each new client can keep contributing income month after month. Rather than constantly chasing one-off jobs, franchisees are building a base of regular clients that can grow over time.

We also support profitability through our systems and software, helping franchisees manage day-to-day operations in one place. This helps them stay organised, respond quickly and avoid wasting time on manual administration.

How do franchisees adapt to local markets while following the franchise model?

Every franchisee works under the One Less Thing brand and follows our systems, software, processes and standards. This includes how enquiries are handled, how cleaners are recruited and vetted, how clients are matched with cleaners and how the service is managed day to day.

At the same time, each franchisee has a large exclusive territory, so they can build their business around local demand, local competition and local opportunities. Franchisees can adapt their local marketing activity, build relationships in their community and focus cleaner recruitment in the areas where demand is strongest.

We also allow franchisees to set their own pricing within their territory, based on local competitor analysis and market conditions. This gives them the flexibility to stay competitive and commercially realistic while still operating within the overall One Less Thing model.

So the brand, standards and systems remain consistent, but the franchisee can use their local knowledge to make smart decisions for their own territory.

What technology and innovations have you introduced recently?

One of the biggest developments is our purpose-built management software, which helps franchisees manage enquiries, clients, cleaners and day-to-day operations in one place. It is designed to simplify the running of the business, improve responsiveness and reduce manual administration.

We have also built a stronger online customer journey. Clients can now request a quote online, complete the enquiry process and receive pricing details at a time that suits them. This means franchisees can receive enquiries even outside normal working hours, which is important in a market where customers expect convenience and quick responses.

All new enquiries, cleaner applications and client agreement signatures are communicated via email and text message to the franchisee. So even if they are away from their desk, they receive real-time updates on their business.

What are your growth plans for the One Less Thing franchise network?

Our plan is to grow the One Less Thing franchise network in a steady and controlled way by bringing in the right franchise partners and supporting them properly from launch onwards.

We have mapped out more than 140 exclusive territories across the UK, each designed to give franchisees a strong local market with room to grow. The focus is not just on selling territories quickly, but on building a network of franchisees who are a good fit for the model and who can represent the brand well in their local area.

As the network grows, we will continue developing the systems, software, training and support behind the franchise. The aim is to keep making the business easier to run, more efficient and more scalable for franchisees, while also improving the experience for clients and cleaners.

We also see further growth potential through neighbouring territories. Once a franchisee is established, there may be opportunities for them to expand into nearby areas, subject to availability, giving high-performing franchisees a route to grow their business further.