“I had previously worked in banking, investments and sales and had studied for an HND in Business Management as a full-time mature student. Having spent a couple of years searching for the right business opportunity, I knew I had hit on the right idea when I read a review of domestic cleaning franchises. I was attracted to Merry Maids as I preferred the business franchise plan rather than an agency style franchise. Merry Maids has a proven track record around the world and is the largest domestic cleaning franchise in the UK.”
“Building up and running your own business is extremely rewarding but not for the fainthearted! You need to be prepared to put in all your time and effort. However, as you expand and become more established, you not only benefit from higher levels of profit but also some flexibility with your time.”
“A few years ago I received the ServiceMaster Award of Excellence from my Franchisor; one of two top awards presented annually to the network. This kind of recognition makes you pause from the day-to-day whirl to note your achievements! My business had grown from nothing to a limited company employing 18 people in just over 4 years. I am now in my 9th year of trading and have received Merry Maids highest accolade, The Dallen Peterson Founders Award.”
“Part of my award involved an enjoyable trip to Memphis, the US home of Merry Maids, with my husband. The inspirational seminar with the Merry Maids business owners from USA and Canada motivated me to expand my business further. I have since taken on the franchise for the Preston area and now have my work cut out to build up our business in Preston as well as continuing to expand in the Fylde and Blackpool areas.”
“Despite the recent recession in the UK economy, my business has managed to grow every single year which is an excellent sign that we are offering a good service that people are willing to pay for.”
“My Merry Maids Operations Brand Manager is always just a call away. I am visited to check how things are going. We meet twice a year for a formal regional meeting and once a year for a national Merry Maids Seminar. I keep in touch with other franchisees in between and we often contact each other for help and support. We receive regular correspondence from our franchisor and there is a formal franchisee representative body to discuss issues and strategy for the Merry Maids network with the franchisor. I currently represent my area at these meetings.”
“Being of a competitive nature, I plan to see my business continuing to climb its way up our league tables – based on turnover. As well as looking to expand our customer base and increase our turnover, I am working on increasing profitability and ensuring we maintain the highest level of customer satisfaction in order to keep our existing customers. The same applies for looking after valuable staff. Good employees are harder to find and it is important to value them; they are the face of your business that customers see regularly.”