The one-of-a-kind Duster Dollies franchise

What makes you stand apart from its competitors?

The Duster Dollies franchise considers the needs of their customers and their contractors. Although we are a booking agency for cleaning we quote all the houses we clean. We then introduce the contract cleaner, who has been trained by us, to the house and show them what is required for each job. This system helps ensure the customer gets the kind of clean they are looking for. The training of the contract cleaners also helps with consistency of all jobs. Should a contractor be sick or go on holiday the replacement will clean exactly the same way.

Has the downturn in the housing market impacted on your business?

The housing market downturn has no affect on people wanting their house cleaned. In fact it seems to bring us more work. The Duster Dollies has been in business since 1993 and grown steadily since then. Growing rapidly in the cleaning business is a little difficult to handle. A steady increase means the performance can keep up with the demand. Finding and training new cleaners takes time, and without cleaners you cannot take on new work. The concept with The Duster Dollies Cleaning Agency is to grow continuously and steadily. There is no limit to an agency’s growth.

What is the start-up cost and on-going fee structure involved in becoming one of your franchisees?

The franchise fee for a non-established Duster Dollies Cleaning Agency is $40,000 plus GST. Establishment costs are reasonable as the business is run from a home office and only a separate phone and fax line is mandatory.

The ongoing royalty is not payable until three months after commencement of operations and then it works on the equivalent of 50 hours of agency fees per month, or 7.5 per cent of the gross monthly income, whichever is the lesser. Once the income comparable to the 50 hours of agency fee per month is reached it remains at that level.

What are the top three attributes you are seeking in a prospective franchisee?

The Duster Dollies Cleaning Agencies allow flexible working hours, with the office being manned Mondays to Fridays only. It is an appealing business for mothers with school children who would like to run their own business, but need to have the time with the family. We have found over the years women seem to be more suited to the business, as they have an aptitude for organising. A cleaning agency although administrative requires a person able to juggle the schedules of cleaners with the work required. It needs someone with good communication skills who sounds happy on the phone.

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