Posted:07-September-2023
The family that are the architects of their own success
Chris and Diane Eales had built incredibly successful lives together with their two sons in South Africa. A practising architect, Chris had spent his career nurturing a love of the outdoors and the finer intricacies of homes and buildings. Diane, a cosmetic chemist, had focussed her professional development in marketing and advertising. Yet, despite their collective successes, both felt the real opportunities to forge a better future for themselves and their children were in the UK.
During the pandemic, as business slowed, the couple seized the opportunity to make their move. Having been introduced to franchising during her professional development training, Diane knew the industry – which is consistently proven to be highly resilient – offered a wide range of possibilities. But of course, one brand in particular stood out!
Launched in May 2021, My Window Cleaner (MWC) Barnet & South Herts has been the key to the Eales family’s new life. Using their business as a way of acclimatising to a new country and culture, Chris, Diane and their sons have reaped huge financial rewards by capitalising on the scalability of the MWC model.
“It’s a really proud moment to be reflecting on how incredible the last two years have been,” said Diane. “MWC has met all of our expectations perfectly – we’ve consistently hit our financial targets and milestones, and we’ve become franchisees in a brand that truly does provide everything it promises. We looked at so many different opportunities and potential career paths when we finally decided it was time to move to the UK – MWC stood out from the moment we were introduced to the brand and talked to the franchisor.
“At MWC, Chris and I have been able to combine our experience to develop a lucrative and secure business. And what’s better, we’ve been able to make our franchise a real family business – our two sons have been involved since day one and they’ve become well-respected, reputable operatives in our community!”
Founded in 1996, MWC introduced the UK to the future of the cleaning industry. The FIRST and ONLY window cleaning franchise brand, MWC has established itself as an exciting, highly profitable opportunity through identifying and leveraging a gap in the market. Offering customers a trustworthy, sophisticated window cleaning, gutter clearance and pressure washing service, MWC is a true family-feel franchise with good old-fashioned values at its heart.
“We were one of seven franchise territories that trained together ahead of launching, so coined the nickname ‘The Magnificent Seven’,” said Chris. “It’s wonderful to see our businesses thriving in a franchise brand that’s growing and evolving at such an impressive rate. Thanks to a franchisor that’s professional and knowledgeable, franchisees have the unique opportunity to grow a business in a way that suits them while equally immersing themselves in a business culture that truly protects and celebrates individual passions.
“As franchisees, we’re also given the chance to use our experience from our previous careers. I’ve always loved the outdoors come rain or shine and, of course, buildings – MWC is a match made in heaven! I always make sure I go the extra mile by talking to clients about their homes – my knowledge of materials and risk assessments very much makes my service a ‘blueprint’ approach and people love that!”
MWC attracts both first-time franchisees and seasoned entrepreneurs thanks to its impressive infrastructure, ground-breaking technology and family-feel approach. Franchisees are encouraged to fully exploit the success they can achieve within their territories by building a team of passionate and enthusiastic operatives. MWC’s approach of championing exceptional customer service is continuing to set high expectations for a service provider that has traditionally been met with negative experiences. Through recurring income and multiple revenue streams, low overheads, an impressive scope for growth and ongoing development, the opportunity for franchisees is huge.
“The franchisor has never missed a beat,” continued Diane. “As we were moving country at the time, we had to make sure our research and preparation was extensive. All our questions were answered perfectly and it immediately became evident just how well put together the business model is. Put simply, we fell in love with the entire business – not just the financials and service, but the people as well! It was a huge determining factor - we’re delighted to be able to say the franchisor and the rest of the network supports us professionally, personally and emotionally.
“This has been maintained throughout the whole franchise journey. We’ve found if we need something, we get answers. It really has helped us grow and scale our franchise and we’re now in a place where we can continue to be ambitious.”
Today, a network of 24 franchisees operates across the UK. Sophisticated branding, systems, operations and processes have established MWC as the LEADING voice in a saturated market, which has seen the franchise receive over 4,500 gleaming 5-star reviews from happy customers. With each franchise territory outfitted with the industry’s best equipment and with full access to MWC’s £650k online management software, ‘Gloria’, franchisees are empowered with the tools, confidence and skills to build a profitable business, fast.
With the aim of adding another van to their family fleet this year, Chris and Diane are continuing to prove the incredible financial opportunity and scalability as MWC franchisees. Turning over £17,000 in January 2023 alone, even before reaching maximum capacity with two vans, the pair are delighted to have further opportunities to push their business and grow as entrepreneurs. With the family and their additional team member driving the business forward, MWC Barnet & South Herts is fast approaching the next stage of their business goals.
“It’s brilliant to see consistent opportunities for further growth, and we know we’re operating in the best setting to achieve it. It’s so good to be a large family that supports and talks to each other in an extended environment where familiarity drives and encourages the business – the franchisor really has projected the culture of support and ambition across the whole network. We’re now consolidating our operation to make everything perfect as we grow, and we couldn’t be better championed throughout this process,” concluded Chris.
Interested and want to know more about My Window Cleaner?
The My Window Cleaner profile outlines all aspects of their franchise opportunity and allows you to contact them for further information or to ask a question.
