Ovenclean Franchise News Feed Ovenclean celebrates most successful month on record - 19-November-2021 Increased influencer marketing and TV advertising has led to Ovenclean celebrating its most successful month on record for new customer enquiries. In October, Ovenclean, one of the UK’s original oven cleaning companies, recorded a 36 per cent increase in customer enquiries compared to the same time last year. This also equates to over £5K worth of work per franchisee being generated in just one month. Backed by an influencer campaign encouraging new customers to get their ovens cleaned ahead of the Christmas rush, as well as advertising activity on Channel 4 and clever email marketing, the figures have resulted in the company’s best ever month for consumer leads. Additionally, leads generated between 1st January-31st October 2021 compared to the same period in 2020 increased by 44 per cent, demonstrating strong growth as the company moves towards the end of the year. Ovenclean’s Marketing Manager Rebecca de Chair said: “Christmas is always such a busy period across our Ovenclean network, with many of our specialists sometimes having to book customers into the new year if they contact us just that little bit too late to fit a clean in before Christmas. “This year, to ensure we could satisfy every customer in plenty of time, we decided to front load our marketing and start our festive campaign earlier than ever before. We harnessed the networks of some key influencers including @thisgirlcanorganise and @littlehouseinlondon, and devised some clever TV advertising that really demonstrated to viewers the difference a clean oven can make to your cooking. “Additionally, we’re still benefitting from the increased focus consumers are placing on cleanliness both inside and outside of their properties because of COVID-19. As a result, we enjoyed our best month on record and while lots of our Ovenclean specialists are now fully booked between now and the end of the year, encouraging them to book early means customers aren’t missing out – a great result all round.” Launched in 1994, the Ovenclean network currently stands at just over 100 franchisees operating across the UK. Ovenclean franchisees clean all domestic oven brands and models, including electric ovens, gas ovens, ranges, microwaves, hobs, extractor fans and also barbecues. 5 Top tips for those out of work after furlough ends - 08-October-2021 With the furlough scheme now ended, there are widespread fears that business owners still unable to welcome back their pre-pandemic workforces will be forced to make mass redundancies leaving millions more out of work. But this isn’t the only scenario seeing people exit their roles. Many have used the forced lockdown to reflect on their careers, leaving them wondering whether positions with greater autonomy might offer a better work/life balance. Meanwhile, the surge in ‘rage quitting’ demonstrates that some employers haven’t yet taken heed of the flexibility and improved conditions workers wish to experience; many employees are, as a result, taking a stand and leaving their jobs without having an alternative in mind. Below, we have comments from Annabel Wilson, Franchise Support Manager at the B2C Division of Franchise Brands, which includes nationwide networks ChipsAway, Ovenclean and Barking Mad, on how people can use the learnings from the pandemic to find a role which better suits their forever-changed outlook and needs from a job. It’s never too late to retrain “If your job was made redundant because of the pandemic, or if you’re feeling disillusioned with the role you’ve always done, you aren’t alone – and there’s probably a reason why. Don’t be afraid of retraining in a different role that you feel more drawn to. It’s never too late to start again, and life is too short to simply stick with what you know. Change is good – it keeps your brain active, challenges you to step out of your comfort zone and expands your skillset which is what every good employer is looking for.” Seek a job/career that’s good for the soul “Lots of different hobbies and passions can actually be turned into fully fledged jobs, from cleaning and organising, to looking after animals or working on cars. If you seek out a job that centres on something you enjoy in a personal capacity, it won’t even feel like you’re working. Being financially and professionally rewarded for a hobby goes against our nature, but can be truly rewarding and will mean you never dread work again.” Put yourself first “During the last 18 months, we’ve all made sacrifices for the benefit of other people. That’s a great thing, and it was absolutely the right thing to do, but when it comes to your job you should put your happiness first. Find a job that suits your lifestyle, rather than one which asks you to adapt. For example, by joining a franchise, you can choose your own hours and the amount of work you do every single day. By making a choice for you, you’ll enjoy work more and will begin to see positive changes in other parts of your life too, like with your family and friends.” Choose a recession-proof market “The pandemic was lucrative for some industries and devastating for many others. Before moving into another role, make sure you do your research. Look for the industries that are in demand – if they’ve survived a pandemic, you can count on them not experiencing a downturn any time soon. Think about all the things we’ve depended on while we’ve been in lockdown and consider if you can see yourself in one of those roles.” Become your own boss “No-one should have more control over your life than you. If you’ve always answered into others but are a complete self-starter and know you could work independently, consider whether now is the right time to become self-employed. Yes, running your own business brings with it different challenges but if you relish being answerable to yourself, you’ll thrive making your own decisions about your future. Who knows where it might take you?” Ovenclean celebrates most successful year on record for customer enquiries - 06-July-2021 Ovenclean is celebrating its most successful year to date, citing the UK lockdown and a surge in home cooking behind a record number of leads generated for franchisees. In the year to 30th June 2021, Ovenclean leads increased by 37 per cent compared to the previous 12-month period, and for the first six months of 2021, leads were up 69 per cent in comparison to the same period in 2020. This equates to an average of £3-4k worth of customer enquiries per franchisee per month! For one of the UK’s original oven cleaning companies, the figures mark its most successful ever year for leads in the company’s 27-year history. In 2020, Ovenclean overhauled its branding and ramped up its social media and digital marketing activity, which helped generate a wealth of new leads. However, the company also cites the UK’s pandemic lockdown as a reason behind the surge in new business and increase in repeat customers. Ovenclean’s Marketing Director Robin Auld said: “We’re delighted to be able to celebrate such fantastic results for our franchisees, especially given the wider economic climate and the impact the pandemic has had on so many industries. “In our case, the Covid-19 restrictions saw people invest the money they were saving from commuting and socialising into their homes instead, as they wanted to improve their living spaces which suddenly had to become multi-functional. “Because people couldn’t eat out, inevitably their ovens got used more meaning they got dirtier, more quickly. Additionally, many people who previously had a lack of interest in cooking used the spare time that lockdown granted them to experiment in the kitchen. “Encouragingly, even as lockdown has eased over the last three months or so, we’ve continued to see record numbers of leads from customers who have discovered our service in the past year and now never want to go back to DIY oven cleaning. These people are so impressed with what we can offer, that they’re recommending us to their friends and family. We’re so pleased when we see this happening, because it’s testament to the hard work our specialists put into their role. “Since returning to work after the first lockdown, our franchisees have ensured the public’s homes can be a place of sanctuary rather than stress, whilst adhering to all safety guidelines. I want them to know their hard work and dedication is recognised and appreciated.” Launched in 1994, the Ovenclean network currently stands at over 100 franchisees operating across the UK. Ovenclean franchisees clean all domestic oven brands and models, including electric ovens, gas ovens, ranges, microwaves, hobs, extractor fans and also barbecues. Ovenclean Ranked the Top Professional Oven Cleaning Franchise in the UK - 14-May-2021 Ovenclean has been ranked as the top Professional Oven Cleaning franchise in Franchise Direct’s Top 100, as well as ranking as number 66 across all franchise categories in the UK. The Franchise Direct Top 100 highlights those that stand out from hundreds of franchises that are currently trading in the UK. The top 100 franchises are ranked by several different criteria, including size of brand, turnover, stability and growth, right through to social responsibility, awards and recognition. Despite the recent challenges brought about by the pandemic, Ovenclean has continued to grow over the last 12 months and even experienced their best summer ever for customer enquiries in 2020. Demand has continued to soar and Ovenclean has also just recorded it’s best Jan-Apr in spite of the lockdown restrictions, up 18% on it’s previous best Jan-Apr, which was achieved in 2019. Ovenclean’s Marketing Director, Robin Auld commented: “We are proud to be recognised in the Franchise Direct Top 100 and the only professional oven cleaning franchise named on the list. The last 12 months have been challenging, but by making safety a priority for our franchisees and customers alike, we are delighted to witness continued growth and demand for the service. “We welcome any budding entrepreneurs interested in becoming their own boss with the backup and support of a well-known and respected brand, to get in touch and find out more about how the turnkey Ovenclean franchise opportunity can help them achieve the work / life balance they deserve.” Ovenclean reveals new 'changed world' logo - 10-March-2021 Franchise network Ovenclean, owned by Franchise Brands plc and one of the UK’s original oven cleaning companies, has unveiled a new company logo designed to better reflect its customers and franchisees. With a more contemporary look and feel, featuring crisp, clean lines and a brighter colour palette, the logo benefits from an updated strapline which, Ovenclean Marketing Manager, Rebecca de Chair says, ‘better communicates the benefits of its service’. The new ‘Less grime, more time’ strapline was first introduced by the brand as part of a social media influencer campaign in 2019 and having achieved strong results, will now replace the former – ‘The original oven cleaning specialists’ – to achieve greater resonance with the network’s audiences. For familiarity and continuity in between designs, some iconography of the previous logo – including the ‘swoosh’ on the ‘V’ in Ovenclean – has been retained. The typography, however, has been replaced by friendlier, lower case lettering. The new logo will be rolled out to all company collateral going forwards, starting with the website and digital marketing, as well as stationery, print advertising and their nationwide network of vehicles. Rebecca de Chair, said: “We’re hugely proud of the success that Ovenclean has achieved for more than a quarter of a century. In that time, the Ovenclean logo and branding has changed very little, yet the world around us has changed at a phenomenal pace – especially in the last 12 months. Now more than ever, people value their time so much, and our professional oven cleaning service means our customers don’t need to spend hours scrubbing away at the oven, when there are so many other things they’d rather be doing. “Given this, and to keep up with ever-changing tastes and styles, we felt it was time for a refresh. Our updated logo feels more modern, friendlier, and we believe better appeals to our customers and franchisees. “We’ve had a great response internally from our network of specialists and employees at Head Office, and we’re now keen to see how this update is received by our customers. Our hope is that it truly engages with our audiences, making Ovenclean an even more memorable brand for those who use our services.” Ovenclean is the longest established and most successful domestic oven cleaning franchise in the UK, providing specialist oven cleaning services to a large, virtually untapped marketplace. Franchisees operate from professionally liveried vans and so benefit from low overheads and high flexibility. The top quality, powerful yet safe Ovenclean product range, exclusive to franchisees, effectively cleans ovens and hobs, Aga range cookers and barbecues, restoring them to pristine condition within a matter of a few hours. Learn more about franchise opportunities with Ovenclean here. Oven Cleaning is Top of the Agenda for Homeowners, Says Ovenclean - 27-October-2020 Cleaning is top of the agenda for UK homeowners, according to professional oven cleaning franchise Ovenclean, who has experienced their best Summer for customer enquiries ever. The oven cleaning franchise has just witnessed nearly a third more leads than the same time last year. The 28% increase, seen from June to September, reflects that oven cleaning services are more in demand than ever. Rebecca de Chair, Marketing Manager at Ovenclean, said: “We are really proud to offer our cleaning service to this increased demand, which is partly a result of increased home baking during lockdown, and generally because cleaning has become more of a priority for UK homeowners in recent months. Together with more people working from home, it’s never been easier to organise a professional deep oven clean. “What’s more, it shows our comprehensive, national marketing campaigns, which include social media advertising, Google Pay Per Click, TV and influencer activity are continuing to work really effectively! “Coronavirus has put enormous pressure on everyone, and it’s understandable that people will be worried about going to work or having people come into their homes. But we’re doing everything in our power to keep our oven cleaning franchisees and their customers safe, adhering to Covid-19 secure practices at all times.” Ovenclean’s Covid-19 secure measures include: - Quoting and booking appointments for oven cleans over the phone or by email - Making sure our franchisees maintain a two-metre distance from customers - All Ovenclean franchisees wear masks, gloves, coveralls and over shoes where appropriate - Disinfecting all surfaces the franchisee has come into contact with - Ovenclean is also operating a paper and cash-free system where possible, and all franchisees are using the NHS’s Track and Trace App. As the UK’s original oven cleaning franchise, with a network of over 100 established franchisees across the country, Ovenclean is continuing to grow to help fulfil increasing demand for its services, and offer more and more entrepreneurs the opportunity to run their own business. OvenClean is actively seeking franchise partners across the UK. Click here to lean more. Ovenclean franchisees celebrate most successful July on record - 19-August-2020 Increased investment in marketing and the easing of lockdown restrictions has led to Ovenclean celebrating its most successful July on record. In the month of July, Ovenclean, the UK’s original oven cleaning company, recorded a 25 per cent increase in customer leads compared to July last year, marking its most successful July ever in the company’s 26 year-history. Website sessions also increased by 59 per cent year on year, with its advice blog – offering handy hints and tips on how to clean your home – performing exceptionally well. Ovenclean’s Managing Director Tim Harris said: “The pandemic and resulting lockdown measures not only caused everyone to become extraordinarily conscious about cleanliness, but with no option for going out to eat, it also meant more people than ever were cooking and baking at home, resulting in lots of dirty ovens! “Our TV exposure on Channel 4 really helped get the brand name out to our customers, and by sharing cleaning advice and recipes via our blog, our website became a hub of activity, which has led to these record figures for our online marketing. And though, while some homeowners do like the challenge of getting their oven clean themselves, many are time-poor and really value the professional deep-cleaning service our specialists are able to offer. “As soon as we were able to safely re-enter people’s homes, bookings for our services rocketed and in turn we are celebrating our most successful July ever – a real landmark achievement.” Launched in 1994, the Ovenclean network currently stands at 100+ franchisees operating across the UK. Ovenclean franchisees clean all domestic oven brands and models, including electric ovens, gas ovens, ranges, microwaves, hobs, extractor fans and also barbecues. Learn more about franchise opportunities with OvenClean here! Life After Redundancy: Taking the Leap into Self-Employment - 17-July-2020 Redundancy can be one of the most devastating experiences in life, but for some it can be a blessing in disguise. Nigel Colson, owner of Ovenclean Swindon decided to take the leap into franchising after being made redundant. Having faced redundancy from his Regional Manager role in the home furnishings industry, Nigel decided he wanted a complete change of direction in his working life. Nigel explains “I wanted a complete change, but still customer facing. A successful business where I was not in an office or at home, but out interacting with customers. My biggest dilemma was that I didn’t know how to start a new business or where I could get business advice from.” “My wife and I began to look at businesses that I could start straight away, but nothing stood out to us, so we decided to attend the Franchise Exhibition for inspiration. Franchising seemed to meet our requirements, I wanted a business where I could start earning from day one and my wife could be involved with the management.” “After the exhibition, my wife and I met with half a dozen franchise businesses but we didn’t feel these businesses were right for us. In some cases, we just didn’t buy into the people we met and felt pressured into saying yes by some. “We discovered Ovenclean online and arranged an appointment to meet the Head Office team. We attended an Ovenclean open day and we were so impressed with the support team. They had such enthusiasm and provided the ongoing business support we wanted. It was obvious to us, just how much the team wanted their franchisees to succeed. After the Ovenclean open day, we continued with our research and spoke to as many Ovenclean franchisees as possible, to understand the day to day running of the business. I also spent a full day out with a local Ovenclean franchisee to truly understand how the business works.” “We were really impressed with Ovenclean and it offered everything we were looking for in a business. So, in 2016 we purchased Ovenclean Swindon and haven’t looked back since.” “In the first two weeks I completed comprehensive on the job training with my business mentor. Then the head office team supported me through very successful business launch, which meant we had leads coming through immediately. On day one of training we were fully booked up for 3 weeks in advance.” As with any new business Nigel faced challenges, but his determination, together with the support of the head office team encouraged Nigel to make his franchise a success. “The first six months were hard, I sometimes felt like fish out of water” Nigel said. “But I knew I had to make a personal success of this business and prove to myself that I could not only start a business but also run it successfully. This together with the support of the franchise team, drove me on.” Nigel’s advice to someone looking at starting their own business after facing redundancy is “to be successful in franchising, you have to be determined and have a strong business plan. You have to constantly market your business, whether that be through local adverts, leafleting or social media. In my experience if one form of local marketing isn’t generating leads, don’t be afraid to try something new. But it is all worth it to see the satisfaction on my customer’s faces.” Since 2016 Nigel has worked hard to build a loyal client base in Swindon. Nigel explains: “I have built a regular customer base through a high standard of work, professionalism and responding to customers enquiries as soon as possible. Customers always favour a quick and personal response.” Nigel’s journey into franchising started as a result of redundancy, but now Nigel and his wife are thriving in self-employment. “Being self-employed is fun and very rewarding, but you also need the support of those closest to you.” Learn more about franchise opportunities with OvenClean here. Feeling Finished at 40? Now is the Perfect Age to Buy a Franchise - 11-February-2020 80.8% of Ovenclean franchise owners were aged 40 years or older when they bought their oven cleaning businesses. The average start age of a new Ovenclean franchisee is 47, with ages ranging from 28 to 67 years old when they became part of the Ovenclean network. In 2019, the number of self-employed workers increased by 90,000 to reach a record high of 4.93 million in the three months to March 2019. [1] Changing careers over 40 can be a daunting life decision, however this research suggests the most popular age to start a franchise cleaning business is in your fifties, followed closely by forties. This is likely dependant on a number of factors including investment, experience, work life balance and franchise support. For most, forties and fifties represent a time of financial security. Statista UK notes a correlation between cash savings and age, due to individual priorities. [2] Ages 18-34 are more likely to be saving for large purchases such as a car or house, whereas over forties are likely to have no mortgage and spare capital for a new business. Richard Metcalfe, Ovenclean franchisee since 2016 commented: “After working in operational management for over 25 years, I turned to franchising because I wanted a career that offered financial security and had the potential to generate a great income.” An additional explanation for 40+ being the most popular age to buy a franchise is down to the work, life balance aspect. Owning a franchise allows the franchisee to manage their own diary, permitting more time for family, holidays and hobbies. The final explanation relates to the support franchisees receive from a franchise company. Starting a business alone over 40 comes with risks, especially if there is no prior experience in the industry. 60% of new businesses in the UK will fail within three years, and 20% will close within just 12 months.[3] This statistic could be linked to a lack of training, experience and support. Whereas reputable franchise companies, like Ovenclean offer full ongoing technical, business, sales and marketing training, so no experience is necessary. Tim Harris, Managing Director of Ovenclean commented: “We are seeing an increasing shift towards franchising, especially in the over 40s. With full training, marketing and business support – franchising is the perfect solution for an over forties career change.” In the UK alone, the number of franchisee-owned businesses has increased by 14% in two years with most of the businesses, on average, turning over more than £250,000 every year[4]. It is therefore little surprise that individuals who are facing critical career change decisions now view the option of franchising as a viable alternative to full-time work. [1] Office for National Statistics, Labour market economic commentary: May 2019. [2] Statista UK Mean amount of cash savings in the United Kingdom (UK) in 2017, by age group. [3] Telegraph - Start-ups across the UK are going bust - they need more careful management for our economy to boom. [4] British Franchise Association: Franchise Industry Research Former Employee Takes on Shining Business! - 01-March-2019 After 14 years with Ovenclean, the UK’s leading professional oven cleaning specialist, franchisee John Dyer is selling up one half of his thriving business to his employee Richard, and is now on the hunt for a buyer for his other territory, which stretches from Norwich to Stowmarket! Having spent 20 years in a senior logistics role, in 2004, John decided the time was right for a fresh challenge. John looked at various different franchises, across a variety of markets, but soon came to the conclusion that Ovenclean was the one for him. “I was confident I could easily do the work, and the fact the service is a great customer pleaser with a nice repeat business model, was the icing on the cake! “I get to meet so many interesting people. I even have a few customers from the music industry and a very famous chef lives in my area, so no day is ever the same as there are always new people to meet.” Richard joined John 15 months ago, to help him service his second territory, so when John made the decision to sell, Richard was in the perfect position to be able to take it on. “I’ve worked in engineering my whole life and simply wasn’t enjoying it anymore. When the opportunity to join John came along, I jumped. It is totally different to anything I’ve done in the past, but I love it!” enthuses Richard. “I don’t want to blow my own trumpet, but customers are always delighted with the results I can achieve using the Ovenclean system. In fact, the best part about it is the customer satisfaction! I’ve never had a customer-facing role before, and rarely even got any recognition for my work, but now I get to put a smile on customer’s faces everyday – you can’t beat it! “As you can imagine, John has grown a fantastic customer base over the years, and so I now also benefit from the database of contacts, not to mention brand awareness, that John has built up.” Says Richard. John is thrilled that Richard will be taking on this half of the business and wishes him the best of luck with his new venture. “My advice for Richard is simple; stay loyal to the brand, customers and above all yourself, and you will do well.” Ovenclean is the longest established and most successful domestic oven cleaning franchise in the UK, providing specialist oven cleaning services to a large, virtually untapped marketplace. Franchisees operate from professionally liveried vans and so benefit from low overheads and high flexibility. The top quality, powerful yet safe Ovenclean product range, exclusive to franchisees, effectively cleans ovens and hobs, Aga range cookers and barbecues, restoring them to pristine condition within a matter of a few hours. John remains working on his other territory whilst also searching for another buyer and is looking forward to a well-deserved rest! Celebrating a Decade of Ovenclean Ownership! - 23-November-2018 Franchise Brands plc is delighted to be celebrating 10 successful years owning, operating and developing Ovenclean, the UK’s original network of oven cleaning specialists. “Since acquiring the franchise back in 2008, we’ve been able to help so many franchisees from all different walks of life with our tried and tested business model.” says Tim Harris, Managing Director of Ovenclean. “Becoming a full member of the BFA in 2015 was a great milestone for us. We’ve worked hard to ensure new and existing franchisees have the best support possible to run their own successful oven cleaning business, and the acknowledgement by the BFA confirmed that we are doing a great job. Ella Pugh, Head of Marketing for Ovenclean explains how the brand strategy has changed over the years. “To run a business like Ovenclean you need to be able to adapt and move with the times. Our marketing strategy has changed so much in the last 10 years, moving from mainly offline activity, to investing in a high-profile TV campaign, and now over 70% of the leads generated from national marketing come from digital sources.” As for the franchisees, they are thriving. Owen Rowlands, specialist for the Stevenage area, joined the franchise in 2012 after working in highway construction and maintenance for 15 years. Because he had no experience elsewhere, he had felt trapped, but he seized the opportunity to invest in an Ovenclean franchise, and it’s completely changed his life for the better. “Since starting my Ovenclean journey, my life has been stress-free with nobody on my case, and I earn more money! Each month, turnover gets better and better. I’m never resentful about having to go to work in the morning and that makes a huge difference. We spend the majority of our time working, so it’s no good if you’re miserable doing it!” In 2014, James Arthur of Ovenclean Macclesfield and Congleton became Ovenclean’s 100th franchisee. James previously worked in the charity sector managing a team of twelve people, having also been a professional yachtsman for two years before that, and he is now thoroughly enjoying taking the helm of his own business! “I am healthier and happier than I’ve been in a long time.” James enthuses. “And I’m making a very good living from it too!”. James has found there are many benefits to joining Ovenclean. “I really enjoy the flexibility it offers as we are now able to visit our holiday home in Pembrokeshire more often, my blood pressure has gone down, I love being out and about meeting new people every day, and I’ve even lost half a stone! I have absolutely no regrets whatsoever about my decision and couldn’t be happier!” Ovenclean Franchise News Feed Last updated: 19-November-2021
