A crystal clear opportunity to be part of a new window cleaning franchise

Matt Bone: Firstly, why did you decide to turn your business into a franchise?

Karen Perks: In the past, I have had multiple problems with window cleaners, most were unreliable and the standard of work always dropped with time. Not being told when they were coming was a real pain as I was not able to get all of my windows cleaned, all of which was very frustrating. That’s why MWC was created & has thrived for almost 20 years. We wanted to be the windows cleaners that people turned to for the best service possible.

The reality is that most of us have experienced bad window cleaners at some time or another. There is a huge market for window cleaning in the UK, as typically householders and commercial property occupiers do not do this work themselves. Even the gadget addicts, who have gone off and bought the latest window cleaning home systems, soon get tired of doing it themselves.

The truth is, in today’s world, people just don’t have the time or inclination to do those horrid, time-consuming domestic chores themselves. My Window Cleaner Franchising Limited has been specifically formed to act as the launch pad for franchise development throughout the UK. As the current market is very fragmented, creating opportunity for a well-organised business to increase market share in well-established areas, and penetrate new areas with significant growth potential.

MB: What does My Window Cleaner offer over rival opportunities?

KP: The ‘uniqueness’ is that MWC manages the complete customer relationship, including taking and arranging the bookings and confirming all cleaning dates before they take place. There is always someone at the end of the phone when a client calls us, as opposed to an answer machine, which may not be checked regularly.

Our admin office ensures nothing is missed by always responding to client emails and texts quickly. The customer enjoys a reliable service along with the professional relationship, which is quite different to a usual window cleaner, who just turns up unannounced.

We have utilised technology and implemented this into the daily running of the business, so that reminders are now sent by email or text, and we operate a paperless billing system with many customers paying by standing order or bank transfer. It all adds up to a seamless and simple operation and service.

MB: What do you think is the most important thing to customers in this industry, and how does My Window Cleaner meet their demands?

KP: We pride ourselves on our simple but very effective message:

Fed up with unreliable window cleaners and poor standards of work? Fed up with never knowing when your window cleaner is going to call OR even worse whether they’ve been? Fed up with only ever getting part of the job done because you’re out when they call? Then you’ve come to the right place!

We are more than just a window cleaning company though; we are a network of people who can share community information fast. If there is a local burglary, we can get a message to all our customers in minutes, warning them to be extra vigilant. If our customer is locked out but have left a top window open, they know they can turn to us for help (subject to showing us ID) and we will prioritise their needs in an emergency. If an elderly customer’s security light bulb needs changing, our window cleaners will offer their help. Simply, we believe that in life, what you put in, you get out, and that’s why we all love our jobs.

MB: Are you looking to bring on franchise owners in the next year? If so, how many?

KP: Even though we have already had a huge amount of interest in our franchise, we will only look to secure four to five new franchise owners in the next year. Our franchise owners will need to meet our criteria – we will be very selective in awarding our franchises. We want to work with other like-minded people. Thereafter we will add numerous more as we expand throughout the UK.