Becky Sagar has been running her Poppies franchise for over a decade. Both ambitious and strong-willed, not long after starting out in her career, Becky diagnosed herself as ‘unemployable’! She craved autonomy, a challenge and the rewards that go with it. Business ownership, it seemed, was the way forwards. At the helm of Poppies Exeter, Becky’s energy and drive has resulted in a profitable, ever-growing business which offers a level of flexibility and satisfaction most can only dream of.
“I absolutely love being my own boss. The pride in achieving something and knowing that it’s because of my hard work is second to none. I’m so proud of what we’ve built, I can’t imagine getting this much satisfaction doing anything else. There’s so much scope for growth in my territory though, even now, I’ve no plans to rest on my laurels!”
To say that Becky had a varied start to her career is something of an understatement. Whilst at university, she secured a marketing role at Universal Studios, London, and, after graduating, was offered a permanent position. But having grown up in the Exeter countryside, Becky disliked city life and felt the pull of home. Luckily, she landed a job in her father’s not-so-ordinary business which enabled her to make the move. A job which also led her to Poppies and her happily ever after.
“My father had a hot air ballooning company which I started working in when I moved home. I ended up running the office, but it became obvious fairly quickly that I didn’t like working for other people! There was a pretty constant power struggle and I realised that I needed to be doing things my way. Sue Rorstad, the founder of Poppies, was a balloonist herself and so I’d met her many times and knew her quite well. We got talking one day and the rest, as they say, is history!”
At first, Becky was sceptical about franchising, knowing little about the concept. But after much research and speaking to existing Poppies franchisees, she began to feel excited about the opportunity. There was just one small snag – Becky hated cleaning with a passion!
“Because I didn’t know much about franchising, I was pretty negative about it to start with, thinking that it wouldn’t be my business. I soon learnt that whilst there is a model to follow and systems in place, that actually makes things far easier and you’re still able to make the business your own. To this day, it’s very autonomous which I really appreciate.
“I could always see the potential and I liked that I could build a really big business. But I had to confess that I absolutely hate cleaning! I eventually had my ‘lightbulb’ moment which enabled me to see past the service and truly see the business opportunity. I realised that there are literally hundreds of people out there, just like me, who hate cleaning and would much rather be at work and have someone else do it for them. So, I jumped in and, of course, that was absolutely right. It turns out that I was my own ideal customer!”
Like most franchisees, Becky started out working from a home office. Juggling family life and the business, she worked tirelessly at building a gold-standard service and reputation to match. With the support of the Poppies support team and her fellow franchisees behind her, Becky’s journey to success was well underway.
“Running the business from my spare bedroom was hard. But I wasn’t expecting it to be easy and it takes time to build momentum and grow. Of course, I made mistakes but every time I did, I learnt something, and we grew. I received unlimited support and there was always someone on the end of the phone. That same feeling is still very much alive today, there’s a real team and family spirit about the whole thing. The days of needing support are gone, but I’m in regular contact with everyone and we all guide each other. There’s years of experience and knowledge in the network – it’s a really collaborative group. Starting a business and being part of Poppies was incredible, I wouldn’t have lifted my franchise off the ground as quickly or as efficiently if I didn’t have their expert backing. The guidance was superb, and everyone rooted for me to be a success.”
Three years after launching, Becky moved her thriving business into its first offices in Cullompton, just outside the city. Three years later, in need of bigger premises and keen to be back in Exeter, Becky moved into new offices which she now shares with her husband’s busy catering business. Today, Poppies Exeter employs a team of 25 cleaning staff and provides around 400 hours of regular cleaning every week to local residents along with a constant flow of one-off cleans. Together with her trusted office manager, Vicky, Becky’s plans for the future include more growth and making the most of the freedom and flexibility that the business affords her.
“Vicky is absolutely brilliant; she’s been with me for nine years now. Due to the sheer number of customers we have, I simply wouldn’t be able to do this without her; we make a great team! There’s so much scope for growth in Exeter; there’s a lot of housing being built; we’ve got a superb university and other very good facilities. That means there’s still a lot of opportunity for us which I plan to capitalise on. We will continue to expand, employ more people and increase our reach.
“My franchise gives me the perfect work-life balance. When I first had children, I was able to really leverage the flexibility in the business to take the time that I needed whilst still generating income and driving things forward. Now, I enjoy my weekends and spending time with the family. I love cooking and walking and, earlier this year, I took a six-week art course every Tuesday. I can only do that by having a business like Poppies”
Despite her obvious commercial success, Becky says that one of her proudest achievements is the loyalty and longevity of her workforce. “Many of my staff have been with me for a long time which hopefully says a lot about the business. I love that people enjoy their work and they are happy; it makes me very proud. We employ all of our cleaners, we’re not an agency. Consistency is important for customers too, so you don’t want a high staff turnover. As an employer we’re safe, ethical and really take care of our people.”
When asked ‘what’s the secret to being a successful Poppies franchisee?’, Becky says it’s simple: “People skills – we’re a service business at the end of the day. Building relationships and having rapport is key. Through that rapport, we get staff referrals and we get many, many client referrals. It’s about the personal touch, tailor making the cleaning service for the customers and also tailor making a job for the staff.”
“Poppies is a superb model and anyone can make it a success – you just have to have the drive and determination. If you like people and you’re prepared to work hard, then Poppies is a fantastic opportunity. I get to enjoy a lifestyle that I wouldn’t be able to in a job, thanks to my franchise.”
