Coming from a background of working a number of jobs, including running eleven nursing homes, Miriama Clince is a hard-working mum who loves a challenge. Like most people she would rather answer to herself in a work setting than a supervisor, so she purchased a
Jannie's Cleaning Services franchise which she operates alongside her mum.
What were you doing before Jannie's? I was working as a supervisor for a hotel in Brisbane. I was in charge of the cleaners there and also did some of the cleaning as well.
Why the change from supervising to doing it all yourself with a franchise? What's the appeal?
Being my own boss is the big bonus. In New Zealand I ran eleven rest homes and two warehouses in the area where we lived so I've always been used to doing that kind of thing. I wanted to get away from having to look after staff and delegating, to having my own business and being in charge of myself.
When you're a manager you've still got to answer to someone and it can be quite hard to juggle what the workers want with what the owners want and you're sort of stuck in the middle. This way I can be more in charge of what I'm doing and get better results.
How do you find communication between Jannie's and yourself?
Excellent! I was a bit apprehensive when I first started because I've never run my-own business, especially in another country. I didn't know all the rules but they [JCS] helped us completely with setting up the business, with all the little things like GST - right down to doing our taxes and advice. They covered everything so we didn't have to be wondering what we'd have to do next. They answered all our questions very truthfully and honestly.
It didn't make us as apprehensive taking on something we've never been involved with before, because we just clicked. It was lovely to receive that kind of help. You don't even get that kind of help sometimes when you work for somebody else.
What kind of person will be successful in owning their own cleaning franchise?
They'd be very customer-oriented and have a nice manner towards people. In general you have to have common sense. I think you have to be a nice person that is happy to do some jobs that are a bit hard and a bit mucky that people don't like to do. But if you're happy to do it, then it's definitely the job for you.
Does the business suit your lifestyle?
It's great that I don't have to work weekends anymore. I've always worked weekends and that's hard when you have a family. When you have your own business you can pick and choose what days you'd like to work.
What's your typical customer like? They're excellent. We've been doing the business for over a year now and they're all regular customers that we've had right from the beginning. They're lovely people and most of them are married with children.
Once you get to know them and they know you they're very trusting of you. Most of our clients, bar a few, have given us their keys which is very trusting of them.
What are the best things about your job?
Being your own boss and the tax fringe benefits really help. It takes a bit to know what you can claim and you have to do a bit of research. But it's quite nice when I see my husband's tax and how much he has to pay a year and then compare how much I have to pay - it's well worth it!
What's it like working with family? I work with my mum which I find a lot easier than if I was on my own. That way you've always got someone for security - you've got that second person with you.
It's also good for the fact that you can check each other's work and make sure that if one's missed something you'll pick it up. You can help each other because one might be good at one thing and your partner might be good at another thing.
If you can get on well together and work with your family, it's a great opportunity to do it for the reason being that you know each other, you're comfortable with each other, you get on well and you can enjoy working together.
What do you like to do in your downtime? We play sport regularly on the weekends and I've got a daughter and two cats and a dog. So the dog is regularly taken down to the beach - we live by the beach. You've got to have a break from work. You can't always be work work work - you've got to de-stress!
12-Nov-2007