How One Less Thing Is Redefining Domestic Cleaning Franchising
Daniel Atherton, Founder and Director of One Less Thing, explains how his experience building service businesses over more than 20 years has shaped a modern domestic cleaning franchise built around systems, software, recurring revenue, and local customer demand. In this interview, Daniel shares how the model works, what makes the opportunity different, and the qualities he looks for in successful franchisees.
Tell us a bit about yourself
For more than 20 years I have built, operated and grown service businesses using systems, technology and simple processes to make businesses easier to manage, more scalable and more profitable. My strong belief is that successful businesses don’t need to be complicated; they need the right structure, the right systems and consistent execution.
That experience has helped shaped One Less Thing. I wanted to create a franchise model that gives people a clear, practical route into business ownership, with a focus on building a recurring-revenue business using proven systems, strong branding, customer acquisition processes and purpose-built software.
Can you tell us about the One Less Thing franchise
One Less Thing is a domestic cleaning and home services business designed to help busy households outsource their cleaning, save time and reduce stress.
The model is built around franchise owners recruiting and vetting self-employed cleaners, generating local client enquiries, and matching clients with suitable cleaners using our systems, software and operating processes. Franchisees do not employ cleaners, carry stock, lease premises or do the cleaning themselves, but focus on growing and managing the business.
We chose the franchise route because the service has strong local demand and the model works best with committed local owners who can build relationships, develop local reputation and grow recurring revenue in their own protected territory. Franchising allows us to combine local ownership with national-level systems, branding, training, software and support.
Each franchise owner operates in a large exclusive territory. We have mapped out over 140 large territories across the UK, each designed to offer strong demand and room for growth.
The core service is regular domestic cleaning. Clients are matched with vetted self-employed cleaners, while the franchise owner builds the local client base and manages enquiries, cleaner onboarding and ongoing operations through the One Less Thing management system. There are also opportunities for franchisees to add on other services, such as AirBnB cleaning and gardening, for example.
Tells us more about your target market
The domestic cleaning market is huge, and estimated to be worth around £8 billion per year. Our core market is busy households that want a reliable, professional cleaning service and the peace of mind that their cleaner has been carefully vetted.
The demand is driven by a simple long-term trend: more households are outsourcing cleaning because they want to save time, reduce stress and free themselves from jobs they either cannot fit in or do not want to do themselves. Our service is particularly attractive to working professionals, families, older clients, and anyone who values the benefit of having one less thing to worry about at home.
The nature of domestic cleaning is a particularly good opportunity as it is inherently a repeating service. This means successful franchisees can target year on year growth, using with our sales and marketing tools to consistently add more clients and retain existing ones by providing a great service.
Why is One Less Thing franchise a great investment for potential franchisees?
One Less Thing is designed to offer a relatively simple, flexible and scalable route into business ownership, with relatively low risk but large potential returns.
The business is home-based, with no stock, no premises, no employed cleaners and no requirement for the franchisee to do any cleaning. That helps keep the model operationally simple and overheads comparatively low.
The main attraction is recurring revenue. Because clients typically continue using their cleaner on an ongoing basis, each new client can generate agency fee revenue month after month. Franchisees can target £90,000+ per year in recurring agency fee revenue within four years, although results are not guaranteed and will depend on factors such as effort, skill, local market conditions, pricing, marketing activity and client retention.
The franchise package also includes an exclusive territory, initial training, onboarding, a branch page on the website, online quoting and booking tools, management software, recruitment tools, documents, agreements, ongoing support and the first 60 qualified client enquiries.
What differentiates One Less Thing from the competition?
We’ve created One Less Thing to be a modern and premium domestic cleaning agency, to help franchisees attract and retain the best clients (and cleaners) in their area, deliver a high quality service and create a profitable business that they can be proud of. Everything we’ve built stems from that approach.
Many other brands in the domestic cleaning industry are bland, old-fashioned and instantly forgettable. With One Less Thing we wanted to create a modern and fresh feel that stands out. We’ve invested huge amounts in creating a fantastic software system that simplifies and manages the key elements that make the business work - reducing admin so franchisees can focus on growth. And our training and support is focused on helping franchisees to build the best One Less Thing branch with a clear roadmap to success.
Many cleaning businesses rely heavily on manual processes, phone calls, spreadsheets or the owner being involved in every small operational detail. We have developed a more structured model using online quoting, online booking, automated enquiry capture, management software, cleaner onboarding processes, e-signature documents and a documented operations manual.
Clients can request a quote and book online, including outside normal working hours. Enquiries automatically appear in the franchisee's management software, where clients, cleaners and day-to-day operations can be managed.
The model also avoids some of the complexity associated with traditional cleaning businesses. Franchisees do not employ cleaners, do not need premises and do not carry stock. Their role is to build and manage the local agency model using our systems, brand, marketing support and software.
What is the role of one of your franchisees?
A One Less Thing franchisee partner’s role is to build and manage a local recurring-revenue domestic cleaning business.
They focus on recruiting and vetting self-employed cleaners, generating local client enquiries, and matching those clients with suitable cleaners using our proven systems and processes.
They are not expected to do the cleaning themselves. Instead, they focus on customer acquisition, cleaner recruitment, onboarding, client matching, customer service, local reputation, and ongoing business growth.
Franchisees work from home and use the One Less Thing management software to manage enquiries, clients, cleaners, documents, agreements and day-to-day activity. Over time, their aim is to build a stable base of recurring clients who continue using their cleaner on an ongoing basis.
What qualities do you look for in a One Less Thing franchisee?
We look for people who are organised, reliable, proactive and willing to follow a proven system.
A successful franchisee does not need cleaning industry experience, but they do need to be comfortable dealing with people, following processes, building local relationships and taking consistent action. This is a service business, so responsiveness, professionalism and attention to detail matter.
The best franchisees are likely to be those who understand that recurring revenue is built gradually. They are prepared to recruit cleaners consistently, follow up with enquiries quickly, maintain high standards, invest in local marketing and keep improving their conversion and retention.
We also look for people who are comfortable using software and online systems, because the business is designed to be managed through our digital tools and operating processes.
What challenges have you had to overcome?
One of the biggest challenges in domestic cleaning is creating consistency in a market that can often be fragmented and informal.
Customers want reliability, professionalism and peace of mind. Cleaners want regular work in areas that suit them. Franchise owners need a model that is simple enough to manage but strong enough to scale. Bringing those needs together requires clear systems, strong processes and good communication.
We have also had to adapt to the way customers now expect to buy services. People want quick online quotes, simple booking processes and the ability to make enquiries outside normal office hours. That is why our model includes an online quote and booking system, automated enquiry capture and management software.
Another challenge is cleaner recruitment and vetting. Our model addresses this by giving franchisees recruitment tools, onboarding processes, documents, agreements and software to manage cleaners through each stage of the process.
What have been One Less Thing’s biggest achievements?
We have created a professional brand, an optimised website, online quoting and booking tools, management software, cleaner recruitment processes, e-signature documents, an operations manual, and a training and support structure for franchisees. These are proven to work and can be setup very quickly as each new franchisee joins our network. This gives our franchisees an unfair advantage compared to local competition, or trying to go it alone.
We are also proud that One Less Thing is a member of the British Franchise Association.
Another major achievement is turning a traditional local service into a structured recurring-revenue business opportunity. The franchise package has been designed to give new franchisees the tools they need to launch and grow, including their first 60 qualified client enquiries.
What does the future hold for One Less Thing?
The future for One Less Thing is focused on building a strong national network of franchise owners across the UK.
Our aim is to help franchisees build profitable recurring-revenue businesses in their own exclusive territories, supported by our systems, software, customer acquisition processes and ongoing guidance.
Franchisees can target £80,000-£90,000+ per year in recurring agency fee revenue within three to four years, with further growth potential beyond that. These figures are illustrative and not guaranteed, but they show the type of opportunity the model has been designed to support.
Crucially, our monthly franchise fees are designed to grow in proportion with franchisee’s revenue. We’ve found that others work on a higher, fixed fee approach which can initially sound appealing, but in reality means that franchisees pay much more in their early days when the business needs the most support. Our approach instead means that we’re all incentivised to help each branch grow and maximise its success.
What expansion plans have you got nationally and internationally?
Our current focus is national expansion across the UK.
We have mapped out over 140 UK territories, each designed to provide a large exclusive area with strong demand for domestic cleaning services and the potential to build a profitable local business.
The priority is to recruit the right franchisees, support them properly and build the network in a sustainable way. Once a franchisee is established, there may also be the option to purchase neighbouring territories, subject to availability.
What advice would you give to someone considering franchising their business?
My advice would be to systemise everything before you scale, and constantly look to review and improve those systems to help franchisees thrive.
A franchise is not just a business idea; it’s a repeatable business model that someone else needs to be able to operate successfully. That means your processes, training, documents, marketing, technology, support and operating standards all need to be clear, repeatable and practical.
You also need to be honest about what franchisees will need to succeed. A good franchise model should give them structure and support, but it should also be clear that success still depends on their effort, consistency and ability to follow the system.
Finally, do not underestimate support capacity. Bringing franchisees into the business creates responsibility. You need to be ready to train, guide, mentor and continue improving the model as the network grows.
If you had to do it all again, what would you do differently?
I would probably place even more emphasis on documenting and simplifying processes earlier.
When you are building a business yourself, it is easy to carry knowledge in your head or solve problems as they appear. But when you franchise a business, that knowledge needs to be captured, structured and made easy for someone else to follow.
The more you can simplify the model, automate routine tasks and create clear operating systems, the easier it becomes for franchisees to focus on the activity that really drives growth: finding clients, recruiting cleaners, delivering good service and building local reputation.
That lesson has strongly influenced how we have built One Less Thing. The franchise has been designed around software, documented processes, online tools and recurring revenue so that franchisees have a clear structure to follow from day one.
Interested and want to know more about One Less Thing?
The One Less Thing profile outlines all aspects of their franchise opportunity and allows you to contact them for further information or to ask a question.
