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Posted:13-January-2021

Interview: Minister Cleaning Services father-daughter partnership exceeds £1 million turnover!

Franchisee Names: Arthur and Emma Fenlon

Franchise: Minster Cleaning Services, Lancashire

Established: 1996

Arthur joined Minster in 1996 when he bought the Accrington branch. His daughter, Emma, joined the business nine years later.

Minster Cleaning Services' Lancashire franchisee, Arthur White, bought the Accrington branch in 1996. Arthur, previously managing director of a manufacturing company, joined Minster after deciding that his management capabilities and experience could be put to good use running a commercial cleaning franchise of his own.

He identified franchising as an excellent way of establishing a business quickly and with the minimum risk. After looking at many franchise opportunities, Arthur chose Minster Cleaning Services. He liked the brand’s openness when it came to disclosing facts and figures and the idea of a business that is not subject to dramatic swings in fortune dependent on the prevailing economic climate. He was also attracted by the fact that Minster is very much a ‘people’ business, which would fit well with his proven skillsets.

The branch had previously been successfully run by the company and had a well-established and solid customer base, but Arthur believed, that with his enthusiasm and management ability, there was ample scope for further development. This was certainly the case and the Accrington branch was soon achieving a turnover of over £1million.

In 2005, Arthur asked his daughter, Emma, if she’d like to join the company in the role of business development manager. After graduating from the University of Leeds with a business management degree, Emma worked at Halifax as a business analyst for two years before joining Minster. She was soon making a positive impact on the business and was promoted to operations director. She became the joint franchisee in 2011.

Today, Emma takes care of most of the day-to-day running of the management franchise and loves the challenges that being involved in such a very varied mix of business brings.

“You must be capable of thinking on your feet; one day I can be involved in sales and health and safety, the next marketing, site visits or accounts. Our contracts cover a broad range of commercial organisations across Lancashire.

“There’s no room for complacency; we have to be prepared to improve continuously and adapt our strategy to suit the market conditions. It’s not a nine-to-five job but the rewards are there if you are organised and work hard. I still find time to keep fit, go away on holiday and enjoy weekend breaks, so it’s not ‘all work and no play’ by any means.

 “We are always trying to improve the way we operate and we intend to keep on expanding the business by offering excellent service levels, value for money and a flexible service that is tailored to the individual needs of our clients. The size of Minster’s territories means that there are always plenty of potential clients for us to contact.

“Since I joined Minster, I’ve developed personally and feel that I’ve proved myself within the business. I know every single aspect of the process and can now confidently present to prospective clients at all levels. I am very proud of our success."

To learn more about franchise opportunties with Minster Cleaning Services please request an obligation-free prospectus here!

Interested and want to know more about Minster Cleaning?

The Minster Cleaning basic profile outlines aspects of their franchise opportunity

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