A business that is no joke

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On April Fools’ Day 2015, Simon West learned that he would be made redundant – no laughing matter. After dedicating almost 30 years to the company, he was left looking for a new venture; something that would combine his well-honed skills and offer a level of security he now prized above all else. Learning of Simon’s fate, a friend, who owned a Poppies franchise himself, suggested that the business was well suited to Simon’s experience and expertise. Franchising it seemed, was the answer. In a bid to take control of his future, Simon launched Poppies Chesterfield & Mansfield in September that same year – and hasn’t looked back since.

“Redundancy threw my life into chaos. I’d worked for the same organisation for over 28 years and I had felt safe. Then it was all taken away so quickly. I didn’t want that to happen to me again so I had to find something that would offer me much more security. Poppies gives me exactly that and more – freedom, flexibility and the satisfaction of providing a great service and supporting my local community. It was, quite simply, the right thing to do!”

Poppies is a relationship business, and Simon’s flair for communication and people management began straight out of college. After a brief spell managing a team for a holiday company, he soon found his feet within a sales team of a paper distribution business. He quickly progressed up to a senior level, finally becoming Branch Manager, overseeing three offices across the region. In 2010, the company was taken over and, within five years, plunged into administration. Although bruised from the shock of redundancy, when the opportunity arose, Simon didn’t shy away from the decision of a lifetime.

“I’d never thought about owning my own business before but as soon as I heard about franchising, and Poppies in particular, I was intrigued. I was, and still am, good friends with Nigel Bayliss who owns Poppies Sheffield. We had many discussions on the golf course about the franchise – what it offered personally as well as professionally and what a franchisee’s daily activities involve. The opportunity to be in control was obviously a big positive in my eyes – I also enjoyed working with people and leading a team, so it seemed like a perfect fit. Plus, I could see how successful Nigel’s own business was and wanted to replicate that.”

Established in 1980, Poppies was the UK’s first domestic cleaning franchise. Franchisees manage a team of dedicated cleaners who visit clients’ homes and provide a range of top-quality services. From basic housekeeping and laundry to party clear-ups, spring cleans and home-move assistance.

Integral to its best-in-class offering is the Poppies culture, the franchise proudly champions the wellbeing of its cleaners and believes in treating staff with respect and care and creating a fun, enjoyable working environment. Happy, loyal staff go above and beyond for clients and truly make the Poppies brand shine.

In the months that followed, Simon went about researching the franchise in as much detail as he could. He visited several Poppies offices, meeting with franchisees and learning about their businesses. He was impressed by the success of the existing network and found he was both confident and excited about the chance to follow in their footsteps. One of the main things Simon took from his research was the reassurance that he would be fully supported in his endeavours. Convinced he was making the right decision; Simon took the plunge. Next step: training!

“As part of my training, I spent time in a number of existing Poppies, including Nigel’s. I was aware that, as a franchisee, I would receive training and support but in reality, what I experienced was beyond what I’d ever imagined. The programme was comprehensive and gave me all the tools I would need to get me started once I launched. It was extremely beneficial to shadow other franchisees and see how everything worked in practice. I was one hundred per cent positive that I’d made the right decision.

“When I arrived back in Chesterfield, I knew that I would have a lot of work to do. I created a dedicated space at home to work from, enlisted the help of my daughter, Hannah, and went full steam ahead. I focused on raising awareness in the local community, delivering leaflets, attending networking events and generally spreading the word about my new business. I remember that one networking meeting was particularly successful – I met with an estate agent who didn’t have a cleaning service and I pretty much signed to become their go-to company there and then.”

Poppies is a brand with real heritage. In fact, the first franchise was launched in 1984, and is still going strong! Today, a 22-strong franchise network provides high-quality cleaning to over 6,000 homes on a weekly, fortnightly or monthly basis in line with clients’ individual needs. Generating an impressive combined turnover of more than £5million, the Poppies franchise offers an exciting opportunity for prospective business owners to capitalise on an industry worth £4.7billion.

Almost five years later, Simon has built a business of which he’s incredibly proud; providing work to a team of local cleaners and delivering a premium service to almost 50 households and businesses in the area. His daughter, Hannah, remains his right-hand-woman and now occupies the vital role of Business Manager.

“Compared to the rest of the network, my Poppies franchise is still relatively young, but this isn’t discouraging – far from it. It actually fuels my motivation and determination to be bigger and better – I can physically see the growth of my business happening and I’m actively working towards reaching the same level as some of the best in the network, if not surpassing them! I hope to expand further, employ more cleaners, bring in extra members to the office team and make Poppies, quite literally, the go-to household name in my region. I’ve still got a long way to go, but I’m certainly getting there.”

As he’d always hoped, Simon’s franchise offers him more freedom and flexibility. Able to control his own schedule, he enjoys having time to spend with his family, including his wife, Michelle, daughter and two grandchildren. A keen golfer, Simon still finds time for a round with his old friend, Nigel, as well as being Secretary for his old cricket club. The rest of the time, when he’s not busy working, Simon can be found walking the family’s two spaniels and exploring the country. But the benefits don’t stop there.

“By far the best thing about being a franchisee – and my own boss – is putting the time in to build a business that I can be proud of. It’s extremely satisfying to provide jobs and a service to local people and just generally be a part of the community. Seeing Hannah grow is great too – to see my daughter flourish in a job that she enjoys is precious. I’m hoping that, when the time comes, she will take over the business and it will become a real legacy – one that she is proud of too!”

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