TRANSPARENCY MATTERS

Verghis Kuriakose recalls the very first time he met with Jani-King New Zealand. He had arrived at the meeting with pre-conceived concerns about cleaning franchises – believing sales material sometimes only highlights top-performing operators, rather than ‘average’ outcomes– and he admits his prime concern was basically around trust.

However, he describes his first session with Jani-King as very promising – crystal clear and transparent. “Instead of just highlighting the monetary profits for franchisees,” explains Verghis, “my experience is that Jani-King prefers to focus on what the business is all about, how long it takes to build the business, and what the fixed and variable expenses really are. This gave me a clear picture of what my Jani-King business would look like, and how much I would earn by the end of each month.”

Having previously spent more than 17 years in corporate management as part of a large team, Verghis understandably had doubts about whether he could succeed as an owner-operator franchisee. But he has found the support and continuous backing from Jani-King extremely helpful.

“Before joining I expected there would be guidance only during the onboarding process. I didn’t realise how much ongoing support and shared knowledge there would be. Even during challenging times, Jani-King has always maintained a clear direction and strong operational support, making sure I’m never left alone.”

Start small, make growing easy

Prior to signing up with Jani-King, franchisees Richard and Minnie Villon had previously rejected a number of other commercial cleaning franchise opportunities due to their hefty initial investment and the lack of existing business clients. 

They also found that some other franchises required them to invest in a specific model of trade vehicle, complete with signwriting. “Jani-King gave us the opportunity to start small with minimum funding, a guarantee on providing customers, and no need for any specific vehicle or signwriting,” says Richard. 

In fact, Jani-King New Zealand has no requirement for new franchisees to purchase a specialised vehicle in addition to the initial franchise investment, and vehicle branding is optional. “It all made it so easy for us to run with the franchise and to grow the business.”

Richard and Minnie, who both still maintain full-time day jobs, didn’t have any prior experience in the cleaning business sector so it was helpful to have ongoing training, systems and support. 

“With Jani-King there is constant advice on how to improve the business, as well as ongoing opportunities to earn extra income. They are just so well organised,” says Richard, “helping us on everything, such as training schedules, travel, business set-up and any necessary documentation.

“The different departments within the Jani-King franchise support system work together really well for the benefit of each franchisee. There are even fun events arranged for all the franchisees and their families, as well as community services delivered to good causes.”

Both Verghis and the Villons love the fact that you don’t need to begin with a big Jani-King business. It’s perfectly alright to start with just a small investment and be hands-on right from the get-go.

“Build trust with your clients from ‘day one’ and those solid relationships will keep you going strong in the business,” says Minnie.

A model that breeds confidence

“I found that the well-known Jani-King name definitely shortened the time needed to initially build trust and gain customers,” explains Verghis.

“Smoother documented workflows, operating procedures, pricing structures and supplier relationships also reduce early trial-and-error,” he adds. “There’s a predictable financial model as well. Jani-King provides very accurate data on average margins, customer acquisition costs, finders’ costs and royalty. 

“Never underestimate the importance of the training, systems and ongoing support in helping reduce business risk either. Experienced trainers, well-defined training, and proven onboarding procedures helped me learn about cleaning methods and standards, the use of chemicals and equipment, customer service, as well as health and safety compliance and requirements.

“It also helped me understand how to handle poor cleaning quality and customer complaints, any damages to client property and inconsistent service delivery.”

Eco-friendly and loving it

Jani-King is a globally recognised franchise known for prioritising ‘people and planet’ over profit. The New Zealand business’s Sustainability and Compliance manager Polina 

Maslova says the franchise’s focus on sustainability has definitely had an impact across the country, which is why there has been a 40% increase in the number of franchisees joining the system in the past two years, and more clients on the waiting list for any new franchises.

“Kiwi clients everywhere are impressed by Jani-King’s sustainability initiatives,” she says. Parent company Jani-King International, based in the United States, has also commended the New Zealand team’s success in promoting its innovative eco-friendly solutions, which helped it take out the Excellence in Sustainability title at the 2024 Westpac New Zealand Franchise Awards.

Does this sound like you?

Polina has a few initial questions for people interested in becoming Jani-King commercial cleaning franchisees: “Are you a motivated and positive person who can visualise a successful career as a business owner? Are you good at communicating and building relationships, have good numeracy skills and a positive, energetic attitude?

“If the answer to these questions is yes,” she says, “and you’re a New Zealand citizen or have permanent residency, then contact us today. And if finance is a concern, remember that Jani-King can assist you with your funding application through any major financial institution.”  

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