Posted:03-June-2026
From Property Investment to Commercial Cleaning: Why Chris Cocum Chose Green Machine
After building a successful residential property investment portfolio, Chris Cocum was looking for a new business opportunity that offered long-term growth and recurring revenue. He found exactly that with Green Machine, a commercial cleaning franchise specialising in medical and educational facilities. Drawn to the strength of the business model, the value of the franchise offering and the hands-on support provided by the franchisor, Chris launched his Brighton-based franchise in March 2026 and is already embracing the challenges and opportunities of business ownership.
Can you tell us a bit about yourself and what you were doing prior to buying your Green Machine franchise business?
Before buying the franchise I was building a residential property investment portfolio with my family. Due to tax and legislative changes that sector no longer presented the opportunities to grow that it once did and so I chose to exit.
Can you also tell us about Green Machine?
Green Machine is an exciting new franchise from a very successful family run commercial contract cleaning business. It has a focus on quality of service and a niche of small to medium size medical and educational facilities.
Why did you go down the franchise route? What made you choose the cleaning industry? And why Green Machine?
The franchise route was appealing to me as it presented an opportunity to learn from a business with a proven track record. I chose the industry as the contracted model with recurring revenue is an appealing business model to me and the product is not complicated. I chose my franchise because the offering represented fantastic value for money and the energy and dynamism of the owners was very impressive. The opportunity to learn directly from the business owners is very rare and the hands on nature of the approach of the owners is a fantastic opportunity to learn.
How did you raise the finance?
Proceeds from my other business.
What training and support did you receive initially and ongoing?
Initially I attended a week long course at Green Machine HQ which comprehensively covered all areas of owning and running a commercial cleaning company. It was well structured and I learnt a lot about the technical aspects of cleaning, as well as the business side. There was also the opportunity to go on evening work with the mobile cleaning teams and this exposed me to operational sides of the business which was brilliant.
Ongoing, there are periodic one to ones with one of the owners and these are great opportunities to learn and be kept accountable. Depending on the tier of franchise you buy you receive different levels of support at Green Machine but the support at my level has been well beyond what I would have expected in advance.
There are also franchisee led initiatives such as the Franchisee Forum which is a periodic meeting of just franchisees where we can discuss growth and give feedback to the franchisor with regards to systems and communications of the franchise model.
How would you describe your day-to-day role as a franchisee
As my franchise is relatively new I am very focused on the sales side of things and learning about recruitment. I am also building a network of connected services so I can look to offer my customers a one stop shop for soft services in the area. As well as that I spend a lot of time familiarising myself with the business processes and getting the setup complete so that I am ready when the operations require it.
Have you had to overcome any challenges?
Again, being only a few months in there is a limited timeframe to pick from. I think that the challenges of cold calling to someone not used to that model can be great but I have overcome this by adjusting my attitude to be less emotionally attached to each lead and have an abundance mindset so that I do not get attached to any individual prospect.
Has becoming a franchisee changed your life?
It has not specifically changed my life but it has given me a new enthusiasm. The prospect for growth is massive and the partnership between myself and Green Machine feels like a powerful force which could yield great results.
How do you achieve a work-life balance?
With great difficulty as I love to throw myself in to whatever is in front of me.
How do you retain your best staff and keep morale high and productive?
Regular check ins are important, especially as within our business it may not be uncommon for someone to be working part time in the evening alone everyday. I have also learnt things from the franchisor such as always messaging on someone's birthday and sending tokens of appreciation such as gift vouchers to recognise performance.
Can you tell us about any community involvement?
I am involved in a local charity called Breadwinners. This is a charity for refugees who are trying to find work in the UK but are unable to as their CV has no recognised experiences on. The charity gives them a job working a bread stall at a market on the weekend and I am a mentor.
What is the most invaluable piece of advice you could give someone looking to buy their first franchise?
Don't wait for perfection.
In your opinion, what makes a successful franchisee?
A collaborative approach and willingness to learn.
What are your plans for the future?
Continue to grow and learn within the industry.
If you had to do it all again, what would you do differently?
Nothing!
Interested and want to know more about Green Machine?
The Green Machine profile outlines all aspects of their franchise opportunity and allows you to contact them for further information or to ask a question.
