Domestique Ltd - Franchise for sale - Cleaning franchises

The initial training takes place over three full days in Bracknell.  Accommodation is provided in an exclusive hotel in Ascot and all meals will be provided too.  The training is for one or two people who will be involved in running your new business.

The training will include all the basics you will need to start getting your first customers and recruiting your first cleaners.  You will learn how to operate the CRM and will be given full access to our online help desk which also includes full access to our operations manual.

In addition to training on the Domestique system and operation you will also have a half day meeting with a trained accountant who is a specialist in the use of our accountancy package.  The accountant will advise on the best type of company formation based on your situation.  He can also complete all necessary documentation and register your company if you wish.  As a team we will all agree your business plan for the coming months and agree any areas you feel we should focus our initial support on.

You leave with all the basic information you need to get started.  Shortly after you get started one of the Domestique Central team will visit you in your territory to give extra support and encouragement.  And within three months you will be attending your first quarterly business development and goal setting event.

Our training and support is ongoing and tailored to your specific goals and business plan.

I can assure you, from previous personal experience, that good support in the franchise industry is an exception and certainly not the rule.  Domestique is all about support.  Excellent and relevant support is the foundation on which we build our success. 

Ongoing Business Coaching. 

Domestique would probably not be franchising today had it not been for the valuable support Leigh received from his business coach and mentor.  This is not pie in the sky – ‘what do you think about that?’ sort of coaching.  This is practical business coaching that will help you to grow your business and improve your performance and profitability.  Every three months we will meet to help you set performance goals, review business plans and share knowledge and best practice across our network.  Every three months you will go back to your business re invigorated with clear goals and objectives that will guide you on to future success.

This is all covered by our training levy so you don’t need to worry about finding the fees from your cash flow.  And, Domestique will subsidise the first few sessions as you build your business. 

Your Earning Potential.

There are numerous opportunities to earn a significant income with a Domestique franchise.  Here we will focus just on the main one – the regular income.

The average amount a client spends per month is around £45.  Therefore a client signed up in month one will pay £45 every month for as long as they remain a customer.  The residual impact of this is clear and an average client pays £540 per year.  By the end of year 3 that could be more than £13000 per month in revenue. 

This information is based on our experience and proven performance but must not be considered a guarantee.  ‘A franchise is a blueprint for success, not a guarantee.’  We strongly recommend that you do seek independent financial advice before buying any franchise.

The charts included are for guidance only too and although believed to be accurate should not be relied upon as your sole or main method of judging the profitability of the Domestique business model.

If you chose to meet us we will after the second meeting also provide you with a detailed spreadsheet that you will be able to use to build your business plan.  This planning tool will help set your initial growth goals and may be useful assisting in arranging finance if necessary.

Is Domestique right for You?

We recognise that you have a choice and so do we.  It is imperative to the success of your business and of course to ours that we partner with the most compatible people.

Owning a Domestique Franchise will not suit everyone.  Starting any business is daunting and very hard work that requires a level of commitment you are unlikely to have made before.  Owning a business can be all consuming.  It is not a nine to five job that you can close the door on each night.  Owning a business brings a great deal of responsibility.  To be successful you will absolutely have to be a self starter.  We have a great system for you to follow but without your devotion, drive and commitment you will not succeed.

We recognise that great franchisees can come from all walks of life with varying levels of experience.  We are not looking for cleaners.  We need proactive action orientated business leaders.  We can help with the business knowledge and know how.  We can not however, change your character and work ethic.  The right attitude is undoubtedly the most important characteristic of successful business owners. If you are positive, proactive and diligent and have the desire to work hard to achieve great results you will do well.  You will need the ability to communicate effectively with many different people, probably of many different nationalities.  You will be friendly and approachable yet firm and not shy of tackling awkward situations.  Ultimately Domestique is a people business.  You and your business will be managing relationships between your clients and their cleaners as well as your suppliers and business partners and of course the team at Domestique Central.

As part of the process to join Domestique you will be asked to complete a compatibility assessment.  This profile assessment is quick and easy and it helps us identify your strengths.  This process would normally be completed on your second meeting with Domestique. 

We started framchising in 2010 and although we have exceeded our growth expectations we probably still have a territory available near you.  Please contact us and we can confirm.

Online Accounting Package. 

As your business grows keeping tight control over your finances will be key.  Many new businesses, franchises or independent start ups, fail because the owner doesn’t know his numbers.  It is no use at all waiting until the accountant has completed the year end to see if you are profitable.  By keeping fully in control you can spot any trends before they break your business.  Domestique has invested a lot of time and resource in finding a solution and now uses the most intuitive accountancy tool around. Every month Domestique will work with you to review your figures and help you to make improvements that will further improve your profitability.

Online CRM

When Domestique first started a simple spreadsheet was enough to keep track of the customers.  A spreadsheet quickly becomes very cumbersome though so we have again researched Customer Relationship Management tools (CRM) and found the one that meets all the needs of our system.  We will show you how to use this and support you with training and onsite support to make sure you are getting the most advantage from this powerful business tool.

Central Booking of all Sales Appointments

Waiting for the phone to ring is no way to run a business.  A proactive business owner needs to be out there getting more business and helping his existing customers.  It is believed that rather than leaving a message, around 70% of callers hang up if they go to voice mail or an answer phone.  We will arrange for all you incoming sales calls to be fielded consistently and professionally and when a lead generates an appointment we will allocate this appointment on your online diary.  This will save you so much time and allow you to really grow your business professionally.

Central Management of Key Marketing Activity

Domestique has a wealth of experience in marketing our services.  Marketing is the single most important aspect of any business.  Marketing mistakes can be very expensive.  Over the years we have defined what works and what doesn’t.  Some marketing needs to be generated locally by you but we have our own Google specialist and we will happily manage your PPC (Pay Per Click) campaigns for you.  This management is paid for out of the fees you pay to Domestique too so again you get no sudden expense surprises.

Incentives and bonuses Inspiring you to grow your Business

Businesses perform better when they have clear goals and objectives.  You will obviously want your business to perform well and be profitable.  Domestique Central organises special incentives that you can take part in.  These are serious incentives - not just a few pounds off here and there but rewards of real value that you will want to achieve.  We want you to be successful – after all our success depends on your achievements.

Meetings and On-Line Forum

Regular sharing of best practice helps us all to develop and benefit from the experience of others.  We hold regular regional/national meetings that you will actually want to attend.  There is also an online help facility that franchisees can use to share ideas and information.  This facility also gives you access to the full online version of our operations manual and hosts a forms library so you can print off documents that you will need to run your business.

Immediate Telephone Support

If you want to bounce a new idea around with someone at Domestique Central or need advise on how to handle a particular situation arising with one of the cleaners or your customers we are just a phone call away.  Monday to Friday your call will be answered and the most appropriate person at Domestique Central will happily discuss the issue and advise on what should be done.

The Background behind Domestique

Very simply Domestique recruits cleaners and introduces them to perspective clients.  The client pays Domestique for this service and also pays a retainer to Domestique to manage the ongoing relationship.  Basically the client wants a cleaner but not the hassle typically associated with finding and managing an independent cleaner.

Domestique operates as an agency specialising in sourcing reliable and honest cleaners to work directly for local customers.  The recruitment/selection process is thorough and in-depth.  If an applicant is suitable Domestique will recommend this cleaner to a local client and from then on Domestique manages the relationship between customer and cleaner.  Domestique provides the structure that ensures a continuous supply of good cleaners.  Our tried and tested marketing methods will help you to generate a significant business.

The cleaning industry is notoriously inconsistent and the companies that crack this problem quickly gain an excellent reputation and grow significantly and quickly.

Your Domestique business is a management franchise.  You will not be a cleaner.  No cleaning work should be carried out by you.  Your role is to manage the cleaners, build relationships with your customers and market your business.

The Business/ The Proposition

Supporting you is fundamental to everything we do.  Leigh Prendiville set up Domestique after experiences of franchising form the other side of the fence with no less than three franchised businesses in the UK.  A common denominator within all these systems was the lack of effective franchisor support.  Support was offered but seldom actually materialised, and/or the system was so ridged there was no flexibility and it did not feel like he actually owned the business.  Leigh realised that to be truly successful a franchise had to be structured in such a way that it encourages the flair of the individual franchisees but also had a clear framework that was thoroughly backed up by real and valuable support that did actually exist and continued long after the initial franchisor training had finished.

Domestique is a structured business format franchise proven to be successful and easily replicable.   Some aspects of Domestique are similar to 3 or 4 other cleaning franchises nationally.  This is no coincidence – we have studied these opportunities in depth and improved on their systems.  Many aspects of the Domestique franchise are completely unique and these significant differences are why we believe you will get a more profitable business more quickly by following our system.  We believe this so wholeheartedly that we actually guarantee it.  We will give your franchise fee back, plus 50% more if it isn’t working for you (see our guarantee for details).  No other cleaner company, probably no other franchise of any type can offer this.

The Market

The domestic cleaning market continues to grow year on year in the UK.  As more and more women forsake the full time mother/wife/homemaker role and are employed the growth of ‘Cash Rich – Time Poor’ households continues to proliferate.  Having domestic help is no longer the preserve of the very wealthy.  The vast majority of households employing domestic help are relatively modest dual income families with children.    Research indicates that around £3billion is spent by consumers annually on domestic cleaning help in the UK.  An estimated 2.4 million homes either employ domestic help or express their amenability to do so. 

A very significant consideration for any cleaning business is the fact that nothing ever stays clean for long.  Nearly all families that do employ regular domestic help do so on a weekly basis.  This ongoing repeat business is key to the cleaning industry’s buoyancy and is set to continue its prolific growth over the next few decades at least.