Franchisees' tips for success: Crest Commercial Cleaning

Irshad and Shema Ali, the west Auckland-based owners of a Crest Commercial Cleaning franchise.

Irshad and Shema Ali bought a Crest Commercial Cleaning franchise in 2011, and the couple were Crest’s first west Auckland franchisees (there are now 36). The Ali’s franchise now has three staff, and Irshad also trains new franchisees as an Auckland regional trainer and assessor for the company.

I understand this is your first business. Why did you decide to go for a franchise and why this one in particular?

Yes, this is my first business. I decided to go for a franchise because I felt it was a safer option, offering benefits like a guaranteed income because you're provided with the work, and others do the marketing for you.

One of my nieces actually already had a Crest franchise, so I went and talked to her about it and asked how it was going. She told me it was going well - that she was working hard, but it was rewarding. So that's how I knew about Crest.

Myself and Shema both had full-time day jobs, so we started off with Crest part time back in 2011 to see how we would go. It was quite hard keeping up with working night and day, but when we saw what we were earning in that part-time franchise, after about four months we said 'it's about time to give up the day job'. I liked that the harder you worked the more you could earn - it was very rewarding.

One of the things I liked about Crest was they provide full training for new people that come on board, which includes three weeks' induction training, and two modules to gain a certificate in cleaning. That gave me confidence, especially because I was going into a new field.

What were you doing beforehand?

I was a compliance vehicle inspector for eight years. I'm an auto technician by trade, so this business was totally different for me. But I just love it, and I really enjoy the training and teaching side of it as well. I've trained nurses, builders, accountants - people from lots of different backgrounds.

What factors do you think have made you successful in your franchise and have helped you grow your business?

I've found that customer satisfaction is the primary challenge in this business, but it's also a key to being successful. You have to always deliver what we sell, so that's providing a service to the same standard every day without compromise. And also going a little bit further.

So, a little example might be that if we're cleaning the entrance door at a site and the glass to the side of the door has a few fingerprints on it we'll go the extra mile and clean that as well. That's not in our contract but they're things that might take us a minute to do, but clients really notice them when they're working in that environment all day.

For me the wonderful management backup we get is also a factor. So if you want to grow your business further, you can meet with your regional manager and they'll find you work that suits you. So, for example, there are some people who love working during the day, so their managers will find them that work. And if there are any issues, the manager steps in and takes all the heat off the franchisee, rather than them getting all stressed and dealing with the situation on their own and not knowing what to do about it. They really back us up.

You do also need to be dedicated and be prepared to work hard. This is a business where we work at night, but then at times I also have training commitments during the day. At those times I take on more of a supervisory role in my own business and rely on great backup from my team.

What are your three top tips for success as a franchisee?

1. Deliver a quality service.
2. Deliver what you promise to your client.
3. Be honest and dedicated in your work.

Coming up in Your Business: When, why and how do entrepreneurs come up with their ideas? And how do they turn that initial idea into reality? If you've got an interesting story to tell about how you came up with your business idea, drop me a note: nzhsmallbusiness@gmail.com