It all started back in 1983, when Swisher started offering businesses the opportunity to have their facilities sanitised by a true specialist. From the very first day, the response was overwhelming.

It's not surprising. Hygiene has a real impact on a business's bottom line - increased absenteeism, lowered productivity, customer dissatisfaction and even possible legal consequences are all directly related to poor hygiene practices. Record numbers of businesses today are looking for partners who can implement programmes that will allow them to provide an environment that's safe, clean and healthy and outsourcing makes perfect sense.

Consider virtually any company you know, and you can be confident that their employees don't want to service washrooms. That translates into a large and growing marketplace for Swisher. Swisher first came to the UK in 1997, and in that time, the organisation has built a brand that is among the most well recognised in the hygiene services industry.

What is most impressive for prospective franchisees though, is that all of this success has come with only a modest level of market penetration. Swisher has focused its attention on a fraction of the number of businesses that can benefit from their offerings and there remains an exceptional number of customers who have yet to be approached regarding their services. "We're very well established in the food service industry," explains Bruce Mullan, Chief Operating Officer for Swisher International, Swisher Hygiene's USA-based parent company. "The experience we've earned making a name for ourselves there is coming in very handy as we reach out to other market segments: retailers, institutions, health clubs, child care centres...you name it. We have a tested strategy for building our brand and our customer base and our franchisees are really starting to benefit from that know-how."

NEW MANAGEMENT, NEW OPPORTUNITY
Mullan and his management team's efforts have been met with great enthusiasm from the company's franchise community. That is in large part because they represent a new approach to customer service and programme administration. Swisher's master licence was repurchased by the American parent organisation and the transition has been marked by a greatly enhanced level of support. Today, Swisher's franchisees can confidently approach customers across a broad range of industries and offer programmes that have been calibrated to address very specific needs. This vastly expanded customer base has opened up new possibilities for revenue generation and profitability.

"Since new management has taken over our product lines have increased greatly, enabling us to reach out to a much larger number of potential customers beyond the traditional pub and restaurant market we have generally been in," says Chris Beal, Swisher's Leeds franchisee. "This will take us into more stable market sectors that, serviced correctly, should be customers for a long period of time."

OPERATIONAL SUPPORT
Quality product offerings are only part of the reason why Swisher's franchises have been able to function so successfully under the new management structure. Day-to-day business support has also been increased, with a large number of resources being dedicated to the empowerment of franchisees and the improvement of their ability to operate effectively. Among these are:

• Training and business coaching
• Sales and marketing support
• Bespoke Business Systems
• Centralised purchasing

Taken together, they are a set of advantages that are driving Swisher's business forward quickly. As the company sees its prospects growing, it is seeking to broaden its roster of franchisees with proven, professional entrepreneurs who are motivated to succeed in one of today's most talked-about industries.

Every day we are made more and more aware of just how important the proper practice of hygiene is and Swisher stands at the forefront of a movement to create a world that is cleaner, safer and more sanitary than ever before. Ownership of a Swisher franchise is the surest way to capitalise on this growing awareness and build a rewarding business, while serving the public good.

Reported by: Swisher