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'Part of my success has been down to the fact that I have not felt any affects of the downturn because no matter what the economic climate is like businesses still need cleaners.'

When Mike Keiller began looking for a business to invest in his main requirement was that it would not be affected too much by the economic climate. A few months on since launching his Dublcheck franchise Mike has achieved his goal and is already increasing his target turnover.

'For 25 years I worked as a sales executive for a company that made ladies hats,' reveals Mike (pictured). 'For the last few years trade was becoming increasingly difficult and I was working harder and harder but getting nowhere. I decided that I wanted to do something different and start my own business, so I began looking for something that wouldn't be affected by the market.

'I first came across Dublcheck at a franchise exhibition and the business immediately felt right. The head office team that I met seemed really nice and, although they were prompt in answering all my questions, they weren't too pushy. Another big attraction for me was the fact that the Dublcheck sales team organised the first cleaning contracts for you and in my case they had fulfilled all their promised contracts within the first two weeks.'

Dublcheck provides a commercial cleaning service and the franchise can be run either as a hands-on or a white-collar management business. The cost of a Dublcheck franchise can range from £9,000 to £190,000, depending on the guaranteed turnover a franchisee is looking for. 'When I bought my Dublcheck franchise I was guaranteed a turnover of £26,500, however within two months I was already on target to get £32,000,' explains Mike. 'Part of my success has been down to the fact that I have not felt any affects of the downturn because no matter what the economic climate is like businesses still need cleaners.'

As part of his franchise package Mike received comprehensive training from Dublcheck before he launched his business. He recalls: 'I went on a one-week intensive training course held at the Dublcheck head office. The cleaning aspect of the business was done in-depth, however the training also covered other aspects of running a business such as accounts, health and safety and employment law. Furthermore, Dubcheck brought in specialists to speak about their subjects and provide us with a thorough knowledge on how to run a successful business.

'Since I launched my franchise the support from head office has been excellent. Not only have they provided help and advise whenever I have needed it, they have also fulfilled all their obligations in getting contracts for me. A great aspect of the Dublcheck business is that the head office team really help to get your business going, as well as being nice and professional people.'

Although still in its infancy Mike is pleased with the way his business is developing. 'My immediate plan is to improve my income through developing and building up my business,' he reveals. 'At the moment I'm enjoying the feeling of not being employed by someone else!'

Reported by Derin Ibrahim

*Guaranteed turnover is not a guarantee of profit