“I’ve been able to nurture a healthy business that is continuing to grow in demand every day”

Edden Jones celebrated his first anniversary as a Poppies franchisee in York this year.

Former railway engineer, Edden Jones, has discovered a career path that allows him to strike a healthy work-life balance since becoming a Poppies franchisee. He’s been enjoying the beautiful Yorkshire countryside all while creating multiple job opportunities for his community in a sustainable and scalable business.

Covid-enforced restrictions highlighted the need for more innovative, industry-leading cleaning brands to reach communities in the UK.

In 2018, cleaners contributed £54.5 billion to the UK economy, with that number growing significantly in the following years as more than 6,000 new cleaning businesses came to the UK1. Prompted by this increasing demand, Poppies’ network of franchisees have delivered services to more than 6,000 homes on a weekly basis.

Since launching, Edden has been instrumental in the expansion of the Poppies network and has no plans to slow down.

“I can’t believe how fast the last year has gone!” says Edden. “It’s the perfect time to reflect on how far Poppies, and my incredible team, has come since we first started operating. Going from taking my first steps as a local business owner to today, being a key figure in an incredible franchise brand that has exciting plans for the future is something I’m incredibly proud of.”

A better work-life balance

For Edden, the decision to open a Poppies franchise was based on the fact that the brand ticked all his boxes and has enabled him freedoms that wouldn’t be granted with other jobs.

“I’ve been able to nurture a healthy business that is continuing to grow in demand every day, while also enjoying a work-life balance unlike any other brand I’ve come across,” says Edden. “I’m very excited about the future and I’m able to build this project to work in a way that suits my lifestyle and ambitions.”

Boasting a five-star online rating, Poppies has aimed to restore customer confidence in professional cleaning services and shows no signs of slowing down. The brand has been building on the business’s incredible progress at a rate that suits the team and the community.

Multiple opportunities for future growth

Edden is excited to continue bringing Poppies’ services to those in need of expert cleaning, as well as opening more employment opportunities to ambitious and active members of the community.

“Despite prioritising my work-life balance, I’m still seeing the return on investment for my franchise,” says Edden.

“As a Poppies franchisee, I’m in complete control, and could be pushing the business harder if I wanted to – but that doesn’t suit my personal goals or the sustainable growth of my business.

“As a franchisee, I can choose how much of my time I devote to building the business, and even with a healthy balance being the priority, I’ve got a franchise I can be proud of.”

Poppies’ 40+ years’ experience and continued nationwide expansion in the cleaning industry shows that leading brands have been investing in staff development and protection since long before the pandemic.

Today, the national network of 24 Poppies offices has created more than 500 jobs and continues to deliver high-quality cleaning.