40 years of franchise success

Safeclean has been setting people up in business for four decades

Safeclean celebrates its 40th year in franchising in 2010 - the first-ever Safeclean franchise was sold on May 3, 1970. Safeclean is proud to be a founding member of the British Franchise Association, and has been a full member ever since.

Andy Earnshaw, field services and franchise director at Safeclean, attributes the franchise’s long history of success to three important factors. "Safeclean’s ability to adapt to change has kept us consistently ahead of the competition," says Andy. "We are always looking at adopting new technology to make our franchisees’ lives easier and their businesses more profitable.

"We also keep our finger on the pulse of the general market and use that information to improve the franchise offering. For example, we were the first national network to launch a full organic cleaning system. The continuing demand for this service sets Safeclean apart, resulting in more work for our franchisees and happier customers."

Proven system

Andy points out that: "Safeclean also has the benefit of a proven system that we know works. One of the most important advantages of investing in a franchise over starting your own business is to benefit from a tried-and-tested business plan. This removes much of the risk of a new venture and means that the valuable first months are spent growing the business, rather than ironing out small organisational issues. Because this is such a major consideration in the decision to franchise, it’s important that your chosen franchise has thoroughly tested its business concept."

Andy also identified reputation and a strong brand as being vital to long-term franchising success. He says: "I love the Safeclean brand because I think it really encompasses the business and what we’re about. The name says it all - safe and clean. This brand is recognisable and trusted by customers, and so helps franchisees attract new business.

"The backing of the Guardsman brand is also very valuable to us, both in terms of industry knowledge and contacts, because of the national call-out work we gain from them and also franchisees’ access to Guardsman customers."

Ryan Dowling, Safeclean’s newest addition to the network, is looking forward to experiencing many of the advantages of being a Safeclean franchisee. Ryan was born in Wokingham, where he now lives, but spent 17 years living abroad teaching scuba diving. Upon returning to the UK , he decided to go into franchising because, as it involves using a triedand- tested business formula, he saw it was safer than starting an independent business, while still giving him the independence and decision making power of being his own boss.

Longevity

Ryan chose Safeclean because he was impressed by the longevity of the business, as he felt that if the company had been franchising for 40 years it must be a safe bet as a franchising partner. He was also attracted by the popularity of the Guardsman warranties, which are available to all franchisees.

The link with Guardsman, the UK’s only specialist furniture protection supplier, is one of the key advantages of a Safeclean franchise. Each franchisee has access to a database of over 7,000 Guardsman warranty holders in their area, who they can contact for marketing purposes. This, combined with extensive marketing support from head office, helps the new franchisee hit the ground running. Ryan was also attracted to the exclusive areas the Safeclean franchise offers, meaning there is no internal competition for work.

Ryan is particularly looking forward to the interesting and varied workload his new Safeclean franchise will offer, especially meeting and interacting with people. He is also pleased that he will be planning his own schedule, and will be able to spend the weekends with his family. Ryan has a four-year-old daughter, and hopes to build his business into a management franchise and one day leave it to her. When asked what else he was looking forward to, Ryan added that another key aspect of his Safeclean franchise would be: “Hopefully making lots of money.”

As Safeclean celebrates its anniversary of 40 years in franchising, and looks to the future in the form of new franchisees like Ryan, Andy is thrilled with Safeclean’s position in the marketplace. "I love knowing that we’re helping our franchisees build their businesses, as their success is our success," he says. "So as long as we look after our franchisees, the next 40 years should fly by."

Free info no: 4064

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