Image: L to R: Darren Taylor, MD of Taylor Made Franchising, Zsolt Barabas, Thomas Cleaning franchisee, David Callister, Group Franchise Director, Taylor Made Franchising.
Thomas Cleaning Franchise is celebrating its 30th anniversary.
The original cleaning business was founded in 1990 with their first franchise sold in 2011. In August 2020 the company was purchased by Darren Taylor from Taylor Made Franchising. Taylor Made Franchising also owns Stumpbusters, Wilkins Chimney Sweep, PVC Vendo and Traas Pest Control.
Thomas Cleaning Franchise offers commercial and residential cleaning to clients across the UK. Franchise Manager Simon Warren, who has been with the company since 2014, runs the business on a day to day basis with support from David Callister, Group Franchise Director of Taylor Made Franchising.
The first Thomas Cleaning franchisee was Zsolt Barabas whose Midlands-based business is still going strong today. Zsolt employs 13 members of staff and, despite COVID-19, his business is continuing to grow, taking on new clients, most of whom who come to him through recommendation from existing clients.
Zsolt explains how he came to be the first Thomas Cleaning franchisee,
‘My wife and I are Hungarian; when we arrived in the UK in 2010, we got jobs as cleaners at Thomas Cleaning. We were very good at our job and very soon the owner, Richard Thomas, had us training new staff. After a year we thought we wanted to leave but Richard persuaded us not to go, offering instead to franchise the business and sell us the first franchise. We had saved hard in that first year of work and every penny we earnt went back to buy the franchise. It was risky but we felt it was a risk worth taking and luckily for us, it was.’
Explaining why they chose to buy a franchise rather than set up their own cleaning business he explained,
‘As Eastern Europeans who had only just arrived in the country, we knew it would be hard for us to start up our own cleaning business; if a potential client researched our company they would know we had only been open a few months, which would understandably make people nervous if they were letting us into their homes. Buying into a franchise solved that problem, we could get on with the job of being the great cleaners that we were, as we were now part of a company with a 20-year history.’
Ten years later and Zsolt is the largest franchisee in the group, owning multiple territories. Looking to the future with the company under new ownership Zsolt said,
‘Things are looking really good with Darren as the new owner. I’ve already had a couple of meetings with him and David comes to visit me twice a month now, supporting me with strategy and growth tools for my business. I’m no oracle, but if COVID calms down by next spring, I see a very bright future for Thomas Cleaning and I’m really glad to be part of its future as well as its past.’
Owner of Taylor Made Franchising Darren Taylor said,
‘Happy Birthday to Thomas Cleaning. 30 years is no mean feat for any business, and we are delighted to be part of its celebrations. Although we have only recently purchased the company, we are keenly aware of its history and we look forward to leading it into its next glorious 30 years. As with all our franchise operations we try to make life as profitable as possible for our franchisees, innovating and shaping as we go. It is still early days but we are looking forward to welcoming new franchisees to Thomas Cleaning very soon, helping them to build profitable, sustainable businesses, built on the strong foundations of a long-established brand.’
ENDS OCTOBER 2020
About Taylor Made Franchising
Taylor Made Franchising is owned by Darren Taylor. The company owns the following franchise organisations:
- StumpBusters UK Ltd
- Wilkins Chimney Sweep
- PVC Vendo
- Traas Pest Control
- Thomas Cleaning Franchise
Contact details:
- 13 Chaldicott Barns, Semley, Shaftesbury, SP7 9AW
- Email: darren@taylormadefranchising.co.uk
- Phone: 0208 908 1234
