Leading contract cleaning services provider Jani-King UK has made a radical change to the way it recruits franchisees. Chairman, Ian Thomas, says, “We’ve recognised the need for a strategy that’s based on mutual professional investment and personal development of the individuals who join us ... not just a fiscal contribution."
High quality partners in growth
"Reflecting our own evolution as a business," says Ian, "our future growth now depends on the quality of our partners in growth, not the quantity – and that’s something that we’re keen to communicate to potential franchisees.”
Constantly battling potential franchisees’ perceptions of the work involved, and in an economic climate that’s still geared towards expansion ‘at any cost’, this is an important decision by a company that’s one of the biggest players in the UK’s contract cleaning sector.
“In the last couple of years we’ve completely changed our approach to delivering services,” says Ian. “We’ve raised standards and secured multi-million pound contracts with blue-chip clients like Travelodge, Odeon Cinemas, H&M and Monsoon. Although we’re continuing to provide high levels of service for our individual site clients, our focus as a business is moving towards multi-site operators – companies that want to benefit from the huge economies of scale we can provide. As a result, we need partners who understand the importance of professionalism and are committed to nurturing the relationships we’ve worked so hard to establish. That means recruiting a select number of high-calibre individuals, and investing just as much in their future as they invest in ours.”
Mutual investment strategy
Positioning itself as a management franchise, this means that the business opportunity is a far cry from the ‘man-with-a-van’ image that Jani-King fights to dispel. Ian is passionate about the potential for ‘partners in growth’ to develop as independent business owners, with in-depth training and support from Jani-King - it's a mutual investment strategy.
Ian says, “To be successful in our industry today, it’s all about boardroom business, not buckets and mops. At Jani-King, our most successful partners are seeing turnover in excess of £1.5m per year. It’s true, you don’t achieve those levels of income without hard work, but our mutual investment strategy is designed to attract individuals who are enthused and excited by our dedication to them. That level of ambitious desire and professional aspiration is vital for success.”