Dublcheck franchisees enjoy guaranteed turnover*

'Retirement is not on the agenda, but it is nice to know that when I decide to, it will be at my own discretion.'

franchisee Graham Hey

\"We're looking for committed, people-to-people individuals - we get the cleaning contracts for them.\"

Dublcheck Founder Carol Stewart-Gill

'The larger your investment the more business you are guaranteed by Dublcheck.'

Franchisees Hayley Ward'and Gabor Ivan with Founder Carol Stewart-Gill

When Graham Hey was made redundant from his role as Managing Director of a large textile firm he decided to take control of his future by investing in a Dublcheck franchise. 'Facing redundancy in my 50s was unsettling,' explains Graham. 'I needed job security, as I had no intention of retiring in the foreseeable future and wanted to regain control of my life. Running my own business was the ideal solution. I chose to invest in a franchise because I did not have the time to test a business model or product and franchising allowed me to be my own boss and receive ongoing training and support.' Graham researched different business ventures in magazines and visited franchise exhibitions at London and Birmingham NEC.

While recruitment franchises initially interested him professional commercial cleaning company Dublcheck's 15-year track record coupled with its management franchise package and guaranteed turnover appealed to him more.

He says: 'I was happy to explore opportunities in different industries. I felt the notion of a guaranteed turnover* would allow me to focus my energy on the other areas within the business, confident in the knowledge Dublcheck would ensure I would meet my target. I believe a lot of businesses fail because they miscalculate their projected turnover and overspend, so for me a guaranteed turnover* was a good safety harness.

'A management franchise was ideal because I wanted to utilise my previous managerial experience and leave the day-to-day running to my staff, enabling me to focus on the bigger picture. When I spoke to Dublcheck at the exhibitions I was impressed by their professionalism, openness and realistic aspirations. I have been a Dublcheck franchisee for four years now and in this time my business has experienced significant growth. In February 2004 I took over an existing franchise with a £48,000 turnover package. Today I am enjoying an annual turnover of £350,000 with over 80 accounts on the books and the business invoicing £30,000 a month.'

Graham found the transition from textiles to cleaning daunting in the first six months, as he had to learn about a new industry and a new business model. However, the ongoing training and support Dublcheck provides its franchisees helped him stand on his own two feet. He found the 24-hour employment helpline invaluable with its advice on employment legislation ensuring, as an employer, he did everything by the book.

'I am very happy with my decision to invest in Dublcheck,' he reflects. 'I love the fact that the harder my team and I work the higher the returns. My team consists of an Operations Manager, Administration Manager, Supervisors and cleaners. Together they work together to manage the day-to-day running of the business. Over the next five years I aim to continue building up the business. Retirement is not on the agenda, but it is nice to know that when I decide to, it will be at my own discretion.'

Guaranteed turnover in a recession-proof industry
Dublcheck ensures the transition to the cleaning industry is painless for prospective franchisees as Gabor Ivan and Hayley Ward found. The couple joined Dublcheck already possessing a good working knowledge of franchising, having previously owned a pizza franchise. After selling the business, the couple decided to look for a new franchise.

Initially the couple looked at coffee shop opportunities but, after conducting research for alternative business ventures at a franchise exhibition and online, were inspired by professional commercial cleaning company Dublcheck. The company's promise of a guaranteed turnover in a recession proof industry instantly appealed and shortly after hearing the positive experiences of existing Dublcheck franchisees, Gabor and Hayley joined the network.Since the launch of their franchise in February they have received a lot of interest from customers in their territory, generated through Dublcheck head office's marketing programmes. In fact, in under two months Gabor and Hayley managed to secure £30,000 worth of contracts and they are confident of achieving their guaranteed turnover level of £62,500 within the next few months as new contracts continue to come through.

'Our decision to buy into the business at an annual turnover level of £62,500 was based on Dublcheck's sound advice,' explains Gabor. 'The company suggested we invest a small sum to start off with to see if we liked the industry and could cope with the transition from the food sector to the cleaning industry. Obviously the larger your investment the more business you are guaranteed by Dublcheck. By investing a small amount we have been able to take things at our own pace and once we are ready to take the plunge we know we can invest more money and obtain a higher guaranteed turnover.

'At the moment we are establishing the business with Dublcheck finding the contracts for us, but our aim is to build it up and eventually take control of the sales and marketing side completely, perhaps with the aid of telesales.'However, the ability to take control of your future and the prospect of a guaranteed turnover are not the only benefits of investing in Dublcheck's franchise opportunity as franchisee Len Donnelly has found. He says: 'Since I became a Dublcheck franchisee my work/home life balance has improved a great deal. I can spend more time with my wife Sue and see more of my three grandsons.'

Previous cleaning industry experience is not a requirement for prospective Dublcheck franchisees, as Founder Carol Stewart-Gill explains: 'We're looking for committed, people-to-people individuals from all backgrounds who, because we get the cleaning contracts for them, can deliver a service that's second-to-none, either hands-on or fully managed and supported by the Dublcheck brand. We also have a number of Master Franchise opportunities available throughout Europe and welcome enquiries from overseas.'

Visit Dublcheck on stand V80 at the National Franchise Exhibition at the NEC in Birmingham on 3rd and 4th October.

Reported by: Jess Sturman

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