How Dublcheck is securing revenue for its franchisees

An in-house sales team helps new and existing franchisees to build a solid income

In 1993, Carol Stewart-Gill founded commercial cleaning franchise, Dublcheck, securing the brand’s first contract with a building society. It was a business win that the founder and chairman personally secured, setting a precedent for how sales would work in the business as it began to franchise.

For example, franchisees aren’t required to sell while establishing their businesses because the brand’s in-house sales team generates the initial turnover on their behalf.

This business model aims to give franchisees the breathing space to concentrate on looking after customers, creating strong relationships, driving further revenue growth, and ultimately building a successful business.

“Dublcheck has given me the platform to get the business, employ people, and become something that I never thought I could be,” confirms Akajaku Anyiam, franchisee of Dublcheck Glasgow, who has grown his £12,000 yearly turnover from 2015 into more than £150,000 per annum.

Building revenue streams

Under Dublcheck’s in-house sales scheme, current franchise packages provide franchisees who choose to establish their business while retaining the security of their current job, with a minimum guaranteed turnover of £20,000 per annum. This figure rises to a £160,000 for those who commit full time.

The goal of providing initial revenue is to give franchisees immediate financial stability to create a long-term plan and scale. So once franchisees have secured their initial turnover they then begin using this foundation to build a recurring revenue stream.

The cleaning industry covers multiple services which means there are numerous opportunities in terms of what franchisees can offer as additional revenue streams, such as washroom and hygiene services.

Return on investment ranges from 25% to 70% net depending on how much work the franchisees take on in the early days as they establish clientele.

“We recommend a slightly more hands on approach early on to get a feel of the business, understand the clients, and to aid cash flow in those early days,” says Paul Benjamin, commercial director at Dublcheck.

Expert handholding

There are always lessons to be learned in business and Dublcheck has aimed to consolidate its three-decade education into a complete support system for first-time franchisees.

This begins with an initial week’s training, followed by ongoing support which includes a mentor from Dublcheck’s existing pool of franchisees.

Bringing together the brand’s franchise network has facilitated knowledge sharing and collective problem solving within the Dublcheck community.

One member of this community and now a mentor to new franchisees is Mike Dixon, who joined Dublcheck nine years ago after 24 years in the Royal Air Force and police.

After leaving the police, Mike didn’t know what to do with his career until he chose to invest in the franchise brand.

“I chose Dublcheck because of their many years’ experience and back up support,” he says.

This support included admin from Dublcheck’s head office team in the form of invoicing, cash collection, credit control, professional HR guidance, and H&S advice –all essential aspects of business.

“It has enabled me to concentrate on the service of the business,” says Mike.

In the cleaning industry, relationships are often pivotal to building a successful business - whether that be with clients or staff members.

Dublcheck has recognised that this can sometimes be a challenge for any business and has enabled franchisees to overcome this by providing established systems and HR support which aims to cultivate strong connections to the brand.

Capitalising on cleaning

The cleaning industry has grown since Carol founded Dublcheck in the nineties. The UK’s industrial cleaning industry revenue has increased by 3.1% CAGR over the past five years, reaching an estimated £1.2 billion, according to IBISWorld.

That’s before we consider other sectors within cleaning which reports suggest have also grown.

Dublcheck believes its tried-and-tested business model, which comes with non-exclusive territories, positions new franchisees to make the most of what the industry currently has to
offer in terms of revenue opportunities.

“With our experience and track record, we can safely say that if you put in the effort and follow the system, with a Dublcheck franchise the rewards are there for everyone to see,” says Carol.

Be your own boss

Taking the step to being your own boss can be liberating but daunting if you don’t have previous experience in sales or business admin.

Dublcheck has acknowledged this by absorbing many of these tasks into the franchise’s head office team while you learn the ropes.

Having this support aims to enable franchisees to set up their Dublcheck business in a way that works for them, with ultimate control over their working week residing with each franchisee.

Ensuring all franchisees have access to this is particularly important as the brand continues to aim for UK expansion via franchising.

“Our franchise is suitable for all-comers. It is very diverse, which we are proud of,” says Paul. “We have had franchisees from all backgrounds and vocations - doctors, factory workers, taxi drivers, accountants, cleaners. It is a broad church.

“Above all we’re looking for people who have honesty and integrity as it’s a relationship-driven industry and good personal traits are far more important than vocational skills which we can train.”

It was flexibility that drew Mark Howarth and James Kitwood to Dublcheck while on the hunt for franchise opportunities at the British and International Franchise Exhibition.

“We were working an average 40-hour week initially [in our jobs], which quickly became a 70-hour week. We could no longer spend quality time with our families and coupled with a gruelling travel schedule we needed to look for inspiration,” say the pair.

“Dublcheck was UK-based, recession proof, and couldn’t be outsourced abroad. It was a basic business concept that was easily scalable and, most importantly of all, it was backed by the support of an established franchisor, which was something that appealed to us.”

Since investing, Mark and James have seen their Dublcheck business grow from £360,000 per annum in 2011 to more than £833,000 per annum in 2024.

“Fortunately, unlike a standalone business we had the support of Dublcheck,” they say.
The cleaning franchise has been supporting franchisees for nearly 40 years and reaching this milestone has prompted Dublcheck to consider what’s next, which includes attracting the next generation of UK-based franchisees.

“Dublcheck is in the fortunate position of entering its fourth decade of continued business which is a clear demonstration of its success and resilience,” says Paul.

“One aspect of success and continuity is an aging franchise network. That’s fantastic, however, our ambition for the future is to bring about an additional new generation of Dublcheck franchisees using the evergreen Dublcheck model that has been proven to reward hard work with success.”