Case study of Ecocleen’s Peterborough Regional Director: Wayne Palmer

Wayne Palmer launched an Ecocleen franchise in Peterborough, East Midlands. He had been a Manager of a very large leisure centre which had been cleaned by Ecocleen so he had first-hand experience of seeing the business in action. Wayne could relate to Ecocleen’s commercial values of passionate service delivery, so when the region came up for re-sale he could confidently invest. 

Why did you go down the franchise route? And why did you choose your franchise?

I decided to go down the franchise route because I wanted to run my own business. However, it was important to me that I knew that the team’s processes and support were there for me to use to development the business.

Before I decided on which industry or if the franchising route was right for me, I found as many franchisees within the industry and compared them.

How did you raise the finance?

In order to raise finance to invest in the Ecocleen opportunity I used my savings and secured finance.

What training and support did you receive initially and ongoing?

Initially I received support from the team to look at finances and then received full induction training. The training included all I needed to know from HR, Marketing through to Cleaning Specifications, it was a steep learning curve but very thorough. I also received tailored sales training which is ongoing and I can revisit any topics I need again. We have weekly calls with the Commercial Director and Marketing team to ensure we are where we want to be and also have quarterly Network meetings, which are great.

What is a typical day for you as an Ecocleen franchisee?

On a typical day i am in the office at 7am to check what’s come in overnight on e-mail. From 8.30am -10am I focus on business development which includes calling potential customers and booking appointments. Admin work includes finding cover work or placing orders. After lunch I make site visits and deliveries and visit any new clients. I also meet customers to review the service we have provided in the past month. Lastly I catch up with staff to see how the cleaning is going.

What challenges have you faced?

I think the number one challenge for me is finding a way to balance the needs of your employees, as you find that everyone wants you at the same time! Every day brings new challenges whether that’s proactively looking for new business or employing staff.

Has becoming an Ecocleen franchisee changed your life, if so how?

Becoming an Ecocleen franchisee has certainly changed my life. I find it’s hard to switch off! I find myself noticing a whole host of things linked to cleaning even when you are out with the family!

What marketing/promotional tools do you use to grow your franchise?

There are a range of materials ranging from the traditional leaflet to savvy marketing campaigns. Online marketing is a whole new ball game to me but the franchise support team have my back.

What differentiates your franchise from the competition?

What differentiates Ecocleen from the competition is the network and support provided, which enables me to grow the business and myself. The great advantage is that you don’t feel like you are on your own.

In your opinion, what makes a successful Ecocleen franchisee?

A person who is willing to buy into the vision of the franchise should have the ability to manage themselves and drive their business forward, as there are occasions which you find yourself working alone and if you are not a strong person some may take the easy route and relax (to be successful in the earlier stages there really isn’t time to relax)!

What advice would you give to someone thinking of buying their first franchise?

My advice to someone thinking of franchising is to do your homework. Make sure that whatever industry you go into that you compare more than a couple of prospective Franchisors. Ensure that the one which you choose gives you that warm feeling once you have completed your due-diligence as there is obviously something there for you to feel that way in the first place.

What are your plans for the future?

For the future, I want to grow the business to a size where I have a team within an office who are able to work with me to drive forward and achieve the goal of becoming an established provider in the PE postcode area.

Would you do it again?

Yes, absolutely!

To learn more about Ecocleen Services please visit our FranchiseInfo profile page here.