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Top Safety Accreditation for ServiceMaster Clean AAA

ServiceMaster Clean AAA has been awarded accreditation from Alcumus SafeContractor for achieving excellence in health and safety in the workplace.

Alcumus SafeContractor is a leading accreditation scheme which recognises extremely rigorous standards in health and safety management amongst contractors.

It is used by thousands of organisations in the UK, including SMEs and FTSE 100 companies.

ServiceMaster Clean AAA

Employing staff and serving clients, ServiceMaster Clean AAA is principally involved in the cleaning sector, specialising in offices and commercial premises, with over £5 million turnover.

ServiceMaster Clean AAA’s most recent clients have included major players in business like the Four Seasons Hotel, UK Oil & Gas, Fuji Films, Tommy Hilfiger, Stoke Park Golf Club, as well as nursing homes and medical practices.

The company’s application for SafeContractor accreditation was driven by the need for a uniform standard across the business.

SafeContractor accreditation will enhance the company’s ability to win new contracts, and its commitment to safety will be viewed positively by its insurers when the company liability policy is up for renewal.

Some kind words

Gemma Archibald, Divisional CEO of Alcumus Supply Chain Division, said:

“Major organisations simply cannot afford to run the risk of employing contractors who are not able to prove that they have sound health and safety policies in place.”

“More companies need to understand the importance of adopting good risk management in the way that ServiceMaster Clean AAA has done.”

“The firm’s high standard has set an example which hopefully will be followed by other companies within the sector. SafeContractor plays a vital role in supporting our clients in meeting their compliance needs, whilst working with their contractors as they progress through the accreditation process.”

ServiceMaster Clean AAA business owner Siva Kugathas said of the new accreditation:

“I am delighted to achieve SafeContractor certification. We pride ourselves on the safety of our customers, employees and the public.”

“This will certainly help us to win more clients.”

Yasmin Chaudhari, from ServiceMaster Brands UK, added:

“This certification is a huge achievement for ServiceMaster Clean AAA and is just one of the many ways the brand goes above and beyond to deliver for their clients.”

“Not only does this prove that the customers really are at the heart of the business, but it also keeps the brand and business ahead of the game, setting them worlds apart from the next contract cleaning company on the market. Big congrats to the AAA team for this accreditation!”

Want to grow a successful cleaning business?

If you’d like to grow an accredited and highly successful business as part of a celebrated nationwide network, contact our franchise sales team today on 0116 275 9000 to find opportunities near you.

ServiceMaster in Manchester wins prestigious franchise award

A cleaning company launched from a couple’s conservatory 30 years ago has won its current boss a major industry award.

CJ Micallef, the daughter of the founders of ServiceMaster Clean Contract Services Manchester, has won a Great British Franchisee Award – the highest honour in the franchising world.

The Great British Franchisee Awards

Organised by franchising staple whichfranchise, Great British Franchisee status recognises the ‘crème de la crème of Britain’s franchisees’ for excellence in their industry, customer satisfaction and growth, and, in many cases, how the business owners coped during the pandemic.

The awards, now in their third year, have seen ServiceMaster Clean Contract Services franchises awarded each consecutive year, with CJ Micallef joining Chris Blewitt and Siva Kugathas as GBFA awardees from our network, and 14 of Britain’s finest franchisees this year.

How it started

ServiceMaster Clean Contract Services Manchester has grown from one couple’s dream, thought up in a conservatory, to a thriving business that employs more than 300 staff with a turnover of more than £3 million, and CJ expects to hit £4 million soon.

When CJ’s parents bought the franchise to provide cleaning services in the city centre and South areas of Manchester in 1992, it took a year to make a profit.

It went on to become the top ServiceMaster franchise four times in a single year, and CJ’s parents won the HSBC-backed Franchisee of The Year Award from the Daily Express in 1999.

Going above and beyond

They took the bold step of expanding their territory during the recession of 2008 and were rewarded with a loyalty that has seen many of their cleaners remain with them for more than 10 years.

“As a sector with a high staff turnover rate, achieving such feats of employee dedication within the cleaning industry is exceptional, “says CJ.

“We deliver cleaning services to more than 200 customers on 265 sites a day – and that will rise to 664 sites from this year, following our success in winning a contract from another large housing association.

“We were hit hard by the pandemic. Almost 60% of our client base suspended operations overnight and many of those clients didn’t reinstate cleaning services until June, which meant we lost more than three months’ revenue.

“The short-term impact of COVID was further compounded by the loss of more than 10 contracts totalling half a million.

“Operating under uncertain and fluctuating circumstances, we rose to the challenge. All of our Head Office staff returned from furlough and we restructured our team at director level.

“To accommodate our growth, three full-time mobile cleaners provide vital cover for our growing customer base and we now have a fleet of 17 vehicles.”

About CJ

CJ, who joined the company after working for McDonald’s, Sainsbury’s and Starbucks, says her parents started the business after spotting a gap in the market.

“Cleaning was classed as a commodity, had little personalisation and value set upon it, and cleaning staff were viewed as invisible, as opposed to an individual with a purpose.

Therefore, my parents decided to create a niche in the market centred around quality cleaning services rather than price.

We’re now a business that other ServiceMaster franchisees turn to for support, advice, problem-solving and knowledge.”

Some words from our team

Guy Strang, Brand Leader for ServiceMaster, seconds this, saying “CJ is central to the work of CS Manchester.”

“Not only has she continued to grow the business, but she has consistently invested in new technology and systems that allow her and the Manchester team to work smarter and faster to provide their clients with the best possible contract cleaning experience every single time.

A key strength of being a part of a franchise is belonging to a network of like-minded business people. As a pillar of our network and their local community, CJ and the CS Manchester team are a source of constant inspiration and support to their peers.

Quite honestly, it is difficult to summarise all the contributions that CJ and the team at CS Manchester have made in their local area.

Be it, employment, charitable activities, or developing individuals in their business and personal lives, working for the betterment of others is at the heart of what CJ and CS Manchester do day in and day out.

However, one thing it is not difficult for me to see is that all of this makes CJ worthy of recognition and such an award.”

CJ says that she would like to thank her team and dedicate her award to her staff.

“We couldn’t have achieved this fantastic award without our amazing team who work tirelessly day in and day out to deliver quality services for our customers,” she says. “This award is for them!”

“When you have a great team it’s easier to lead, I’m thankful and grateful that we have great motivated colleagues to work alongside.

Without their hard work, determination, commitment, and effort the company would not be in the strong position it is in.”

Want to grow your own successful commercial cleaning business?

If you’re looking for a fresh start and would like to join a franchise network full of the UK’s best and brightest, get in touch with our friendly franchise sales team today to see learn about ServiceMaster Clean Contract Services opportunities near you.

ServiceMaster Clean Business Owner Crowned Great British Entrepreneur

Guildford entrepreneur named Service Industries Entrepreneur of the Year 2022.

Guildford-based Siva Kugathas has been recognised as one of this year’s most exceptional business leaders at the Great British Entrepreneur Awards 2022 Grand Final.

Siva, the founder of ServiceMaster AAA, was named Service Industries Entrepreneur of the Year at this year’s prestigious ceremony.

About ServiceMaster AAA

Covering fourteen towns across South East England, Yorkshire and the East Midlands, ServiceMaster AAA has spent almost 6 years under Siva’s management delivering high-quality cleaning services for commercial properties.

ServiceMaster AAA provides a range of commercial clients with contract cleaning as part of the nationwide ServiceMaster Clean franchise, from offices and schools to GP surgeries and car showrooms.

The Great British Entrepreneur Awards

The programme, in partnership with Starling Bank, has recognised the UK’s most inspiring entrepreneurial success stories for a decade and developed a community-oriented network of alumni which grows year after year.

The ceremony was held at Grosvenor House in London and saw 1,400 entrepreneurs and colleagues join together to celebrate a collective £2 billion generated in turnover and over 17,000 jobs.

Siva’s Award

Siva is among 12 entrepreneurs from across the South East who went home with prizes in categories from Health & Beauty and Sustainability to Family Business and the overall Great British Entrepreneur of the Year Award, which was won by Jordan Brompton of myenergi Ltd.

Rajeeb Dey MBE, a member of the judging panel, said:

“Siva has brought a level of innovation and customer-centricity to the cleaning industry which is admirable. His own story of coming to the UK as a refugee and harnessing his entrepreneurial spirit is inspiring and I commend him for his success in scaling ServiceMaster whilst ensuring his employees and client satisfaction scores remain high.”

Upon receiving his award, Siva said:

“I am delighted to win this prestigious award. I’d like to dedicate this award to my team for their hard work, which has played a huge part in the growth of the business.”

Siva and some of the AAA team receiving his award

The 2022 Awards

Over the ten years, there have been a number of big names to receive accolades, including Alan and Juliet Barratt of Grenade, Shaun Pulfrey of Tangle Teezer and Diary of a CEO host Steven Bartlett. Many previous winners have gone on to sit on the expert judging panel for the 2022 programme.

The tenth-anniversary awards also included a brand new category – the John Caudwell Blaze Your Own Trail Award recognises organisations and individuals providing non-traditional routes into employment through apprenticeships, on-job training and work experience placements. The award was added as part of a new partnership between the programme and the Phones4U founder’s charity Caudwell Children.

Great British Entrepreneur Awards founder Francesca James said that the awards’ tenth anniversary was the biggest and best yet:

“Celebrating Britain’s ambitious, driven and inspirational entrepreneurs for a decade has been an honour, and we’ve learnt so much from hearing all of their unique stories and perspectives.

“The extraordinary circumstances of the last few years have tested the resilience of our business communities, and the challenges were enough to give many entrepreneurs an excuse to give up. Instead, our award winners did the opposite and, through ingenuity, innovation and the ability to adapt, they thrived.

“These challenges certainly haven’t gone away, and the next few years will present new obstacles to overcome – but one only needed to look around the room at our tenth anniversary to see some of the truly special founders and doers, to gain confidence that this snapshot of the economy can go on and adapt again.

“We’d like to congratulate all of our 2022 winners for all of their hard work and achievements – we look forward to following your lead into 2023 and beyond!”

Anne Boden MBE, Founder of Starling Bank, headline partner of the Awards, said:

“Entrepreneurs up and down the country across so many different industries have shown just how innovative and resilient they have been in these uncertain times. The awards are a celebration of their success – congratulations to all winners.”

Find out more

To find out more about the awards and to see the full list of winners, visit greatbritishentrepreneurawards.com.

Interesting in growing an award-winning business?

Siva joined our network in 2016 and has seen success after success, rapidly growing to become a multi-award-winning franchisee with many highly profitable territories.

If you need a career change and want to grow a successful and highly profitable commercial cleaning business, get in touch with our friendly franchise sales team today.

ServiceMaster Clean AAA cleans up at awards ceremony

Siva Kugathas and his team at ServiceMaster AAA have won several highly coveted awards at this year’s ServiceMaster Live! event.

‘ServiceMaster Live!’, which took place this May, was a gathering of franchisees from across the ServiceMaster Ltd brand family. Franchisees from each network came together to learn from one another and celebrate each other’s successes in an awards ceremony at the end of the day. ServiceMaster Clean Contract Services AAA owner Siva Kugathas and his team took home multiple awards in recognition of their hard work in overall customer service, sales, marketing efforts, resilience in the face of hardships, charity and community work and more.

Siva is no stranger to awards, having won multiple awards for growth and business since starting his journey with ServiceMaster Clean Contract Services back in 2017.

When he purchased ServiceMaster Clean Guildford 5 years ago, Siva saw it as an ideal opportunity to take the established business to the next level. And he certainly has, winning a string of very notable awards including for Business Person of the Year and even becoming one of the first-ever Great British Franchisee of the Year winners back in June 2021. Siva has now added to this list of accolades the ServiceMaster Marion E Wade Award for Franchisee of the Year.

The most prestigious award presented at ServiceMaster Live, franchisee of the year is the pinnacle of achievement for a franchisee in ServiceMaster Brands UK. For Guy Strang, ServiceMaster Clean Contract Services Brand Leader and Marketing Manager Victoria Tayler, Siva was the obvious choice for such a coveted award. He has grown his business by a substantial amount during his time as owner, both financially and literally, adding a large number of staff members to his award-winning team and 12 additional territories since 2017.

Part of what makes Siva so effective in this regard is his ability to build and maintain strong relationships, both with customers and with his staff. Even as he was finding his feet when first taking over his business, Siva knew the importance of maintaining and improving relationships with the existing client base. As a result, he arranged face-to-face meetings with each customer which not only allowed him to introduce himself and put a name to a face with all of his brand-new customers. Then, having established a good foundation with the existing client base, Siva set out to improve the already great levels of satisfaction with the implementation of a monthly NPS ‘Tell ServiceMaster’ as well as on-site customer feedback forms which allow him to see where he needs to improve.

Although confident in his operations ability, Siva felt that his lack of background in sales might be his greatest challenge. But as part of a franchise business, he was well-prepared to combat this. He had the marketing information and support from the training academy that he undertook upon purchasing his business, which we carry out with every new business owner to acquaint them with the processes that they need to run a successful franchise business. And he also had the help of the ServiceMaster head office marketing team behind him, who helped him set out a plan to overcome this potential hurdle. Siva knew that to facilitate sustained growth for his business, his plan needed to be robust. So, alongside our central marketing team, Siva initiated several marketing activities including:

• Networking
• Offline/traditional marketing such as direct mail campaigns
• Online Marketing – Social Media / Google Ads / Podcasts
• Sponsorships, such as “Clean Your Floors Day”

Siva said of this process that he “thought ops would be [his] strength and [that he] would struggle with sales.” But “sales is addictive, I get so excited when I get a deal, and I just want more,” he says. The changes that Siva made, driven by his passion for sales and drive to innovate resulted in strong growth for CS Guildford. So much so, that at ServiceMaster Live, Siva and his team received two North Star Growth awards for growth of £1 million in a year and 2 million in five years.

Siva says that he was “delighted and proud” to win multiple awards whilst surrounded by his team and peers at ServiceMaster Live. Primarily though, he says would like to thank his team, to whom he attributes his success, and says he plans to “Increase [his] focus on growth by carrying out more marketing activities as well as increasing the brand presence within [his] region.”

“Wow, Siva has won several growth awards, a customer award, people awards, a marketing award and most prestigiously the Franchisee of the Year Award and I am not surprised at all,” added Victoria Tayler, ServiceMaster Clean Contract Services Marketing Manager.

“Since I have known and worked with Siva, he has always worked incredibly hard to grow an outstanding commercial cleaning business, he 100% believes in his staff and they in turn 100% believe in him, this makes for an exceptional business, an exceptional team and exceptional customer service that deservedly goes from strength to strength and I am sure there is more to come.”

If, like Siva, you would like to achieve strong growth in a highly profitable and rewarding business within the ever-expanding cleaning industry, get in touch with our friendly franchise sales team by calling 0116 275 9005 or email franchisesales@servicemaster.co.uk to enquire about available territories near you today.