If ever there was a story of how conquering our fears of failure can lead to great personal and financial rewards, Janet Swift from the Cleaning Biz is the lady to tell it.
Janet was recovering from financially having her ‘fingers burnt’ after she attempted to set up an Internet Business and invested in what seemed to be a trustworthy company. Then Lady Luck stepped in. Not dissimilar to the character Charlie in Ronald Dahl’s Willie Wonka’s Chocolate Factory, she chanced upon a ticket that proved to be real gold and Janet’s life began to change for the better.
In October 2005, Janet was downloading her e-mails only to find she had won a place at a Wealth Conference at a stately home in Oxford, commencing the very next day! Janet lived in Gloucester, which was more good luck, as it meant she could commute daily. Rather than dismiss it as a scam or too short notice, Janet had a sense she was meant to attend. It was there she met two inspiring entrepreneurs, Nicola Cairncross and Judith Morgan. At the conference the audience was mentally challenged to stand up, step out of their comfort zone and tell their story to the audience. With some trepidation Janet stood up, went to the front and spoke from the heart. Her words left a lasting impression, winning her a year’s membership to the Money Gym. Margaret Collins was Janet’s mentor initially and, later, Judith Morgan whose brilliant business mind saw real potential and offered her support.
In April 2006 Janet commenced her mentoring programme. During that life-changing year of personal development and business coaching, a Cleaning Biz pod in Bristol came up for sale. This was an established business in Bristol, although it had been neglected for some time. Her mentors encouraged her to go for it and so Janet negotiated with the then owner and in May 2007 started her new venture.
The Cleaning Biz brings together cleaners and clients, the cleaners operating on a self-employed basis. The Company irons out any problems that may arise as the cleaner builds a relationship with their client. When Janet took over, some clients needed their confidence re-building as relationships had broken down. Testament to Janet’s achievement is that one year later, Janet’s business is the leading Cleaning Biz pod in the country.
Janet says: “Being smaller than some of our competitors, we can be more flexible. We especially like to help clients who are nervous or who feel vulnerable due to age, disability or previous adverse experiences. By ensuring they have the same cleaner, at the same time, every week we can renew their peace of mind while releasing them from their chores, which they much appreciate! It’s satisfying to know I am helping to make a difference in this way. Relationships have been strengthened to the point that, in some cases, cleaners have been asked to baby-sit for their clients, which shows 100% trust. It’s a fantastic win-win situation for all concerned.”
From the start, Cleaning Biz Head Office advocated leafleting to build awareness and attract interest from clients and cleaners looking for regular weekly domestic cleaning. (Ironing is also undertaken for those clients who wish to allocate some of their cleaner’s time to the task.)
The previous owner of the business had discovered the Bristol DOR-2-DOR franchise. Owner Gary Hardwell managed the leaflet dropping from the start of the business in January 2006. Gary’s service was so reliable he was recommended to Janet when she bought the business and Gary’s local knowledge proved invaluable in those early days. Since then, Gary has continued to provide an excellent service; using reliable individuals he personally recruits to conduct his business.
What did you want to achieve with your leaflet campaign?
“The purpose of our campaign is to attract new business. This has been so successful that it is the only form of advertising we use.”
What format is the leaflet and who designed and printed it?
“The leaflet is good quality card, white with blue logo and writing, giving a crisp, fresh look which provides a ‘feel good’ factor. The leaflet was designed by our Head Office and printed on a quarterly basis. Costs are kept to a minimum because each pod within the Cleaning Biz Group places their order at the same time.”
What areas did your campaign cover and over what period?
“I am fortunate in that I have only had to leaflet drop every eight weeks or so. Gary is very responsive to my requests and will fit the Cleaning Biz into his delivery schedule whenever I feel I need to increase my client base.”
What results did you achieve and what was the ROI?
“I have had an excellent response and have absolute confidence that my leaflets are delivered in a timely manner, resulting in many potential client requests, of ten within a couple of hours of delivery! The quality of the leaflet is important, people are getting to know the name and keep the leaflet for a variety of reasons.”
Would you recommend DOR-2-DOR and/or use our service again?
“I have found the DOR-2-DOR service efficient and reliable. Gary knew the target areas very well, and helped me develop a set pattern for delivery, guiding me on how to proceed with my first campaign. He managed the distribution admirably; his local knowledge was very useful. In summary I would say that Gary was very helpful and he cares about the people he delivers for and who deliver for him – a winning combination which produces great results.”
