The Return of the franchise owner

When former Safeclean franchise owner Kevin Lane decided to return to self-employment, where better than a new, improved Safeclean franchise network?

When Kevin Lane sold his Safeclean franchise after nine years in 2003 to become a delivery driver for a local company, he didn't realise quite how much he would miss being his own boss. 'I wasn't really enjoying couriering, and I didn't find anything else I could sink my teeth into so I decided to look into franchising again,' he reflects. 'I like running my own business and working my own hours. I guess I missed that when I left.'

Once Kevin started his search again, he couldn't help but look at his old franchise to see what, if anything, had changed. 'I guess I originally chose Safeclean because of its friendly relaxed approach and because it was a van based franchise with little overheads. I saw it as an opportunity to pass it onto my family when they are older. Safeclean really know what they are doing, they have a great training facility and the support at head office is fantastic. Plus they are always up-to-date with the industry changes which makes them very competitive.

'I saw the Safeclean advertisements in the franchise magazines and websites and noticed how much they had changed. The franchise offers a lot more support than it did back then, and I liked the fact that they have gone organic with most of their cleaning products. They've also updated their image so it caught my eye straight away.'

Safeclean's services include cleaning of carpets, upholstery, curtains, mattresses, rugs (oriental and modern), stain removal and stain protection. The company has been operating for over 38 years and now cleans carpets and soft furnishings with a unique organic system that outperforms conventional methods. Its national clients include Guardsman™, the UK's leader in furniture and carpet protection policies.

Kevin started trading at the end of February and is raring to go with his renewed enthusiasm. 'This is a real boost for Safeclean,' comments Safeclean Franchise Operations Director Paul Fennell. 'After all, how many other franchisors can say they have franchise owners coming back to them? Kevin's return is a fantastic compliment to Safeclean and its team. We wish him continued success in his franchise.'

Reported by Franchise Development Executive Emily Webster