There are lots of reasons Minster Cleaning continues to thrive over 40-years on from its launch. But underpinning all of them is the human relationships it builds with all its franchisees.
“Regularly engaging with franchisees has a huge role to play in supporting, training and motivating everybody across the business. We want every franchise to succeed, therefore we want franchisees to know they have someone to turn to when challenges emerge, whether it’s one of our staff or a fellow franchisee” says managing director Mike Parker.
Building these networks and sharing knowledge are key elements of engagement with franchisees. The fact that half of franchisees have been with the company for 20 years or more, with the average length of franchisee 17 years, is testament to its success.
“We expect our franchisees to engage with their clients, so it’s important we do the same with them. Commercial cleaning may be the end service but at all levels it is a people business. We pride ourselves on creating strong, honest person-to-person connections that are the foundations for prosperous, not to mention happy, franchisees,” says Mike.
It is easy to see why franchisees rarely leave when these supportive relationships are combined with the large and exclusive territories Minster Cleaning offers and the stable nature of commercial cleaning, which is recession resistant and has bounced back quickly from the pandemic.
Franchisee engagement includes national meetings which are held twice a year. These bring together franchisees from across the UK and can include round table discussions, expert talks on various aspects of running a successful franchise, training and social events. Regional meetings are also held periodically.
Senior leaders from Minster Cleaning, including the managing director, also regularly visit franchisees to discuss any issues or challenges they’re facing and assist with activities such as financial health checks and IT audits.
Alongside supporting franchisees, Minster Cleaning is keen to amplify their voices so they can offer input on the direction of the business. With this in mind, working parties made up of franchisees and members of the Network Support Centre focus on marketing and operations. Not only does this give franchisees the opportunity to contribute to Minster Cleaning’s future, they are able to trial new initiatives and systems, providing vital feedback that benefits everybody.
Regular online meetings and communications keep franchisees up to date with the latest developments. Perhaps most importantly, on a day-to-day level, they are able to pick up the phone and talk to someone at Minster Cleaning’s Network Support Centre, whenever they need to. Rob Wilson, franchisee at Minster Cleaning Essex, believes that:
“The support from the teams in admin, finance, operations, marketing, TEAMS software and IT is efficient and they respond quickly when the need arises.”
It is a relationship that clearly works. Minster Cleaning’s turnover is now £50 million, with the top franchises earning more than £2 million per year and half bringing in over £1.2 million.
If you’re interested in developing a low-risk business, backed by a respected brand and enjoying unrivalled support, all our new and existing franchise opportunities can be found at minsterfranchise.co.uk. For new territories, the initial start-up cost is £20,000 plus vat, which covers licence fee, territory, IT equipment and training, plus a comprehensive marketing launch package. In addition, a minimum of £35,000 working capital plus personal drawings is required. Finance support is available from leading high-street banks, subject to status.
Starting a new business venture can seem an uncertain prospect. That’s why if you start a greenfield territory with Minster Cleaning, we guarantee that you can achieve a gross profit of £45,000 in your first year of trading! Terms and conditions apply.
Shaun M Jooste, Point Franchise ©
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