Daily Poppins announces expansion plans

Eager to emulate the success of the England-based Daily Poppins franchise in the Irish market, Tony Macken and his wife Kathleen decided to invest in the Daily Poppins Irish Master Franchise in November 2008. Since then, the couple have been hard at work building their profitable Daily Poppins franchise in Cork and are now ready to recruit, train and support a network of Irish franchise owners.

"We are looking for potential franchise owners in all parts of Ireland to take on the challenge of running a Daily Poppins franchise," reveals Tony. "Ideally, potential candidates will have strong people skills, be comfortable building and leading a team of employees, be able to follow a proven business system, have a good work ethic and be able to raise the capital required. In return, franchise owners will receive full training and ongoing support from us."

Established in 1997, Daily Poppins is a management franchise in the domestic cleaning sector. Daily Poppins offers its customers a range of cleaning options to suit their lifestyles and needs from one off blitz cleans to weekly, fortnightly and monthly cleans. The role of the franchise owner is to recruit and manage the cleaning staff, build customer relationships and ensure the customers are satisfied.

Before he joined Daily Poppins, Tony worked in the fruit and vegetable trade. "My first job was with Fyffes," remembers Tony. "Then after completing a Business Diploma in 1983 I decided to become my own boss and started a retail business called Fresh Today. I operated this business until 2003 when I sold it to a UK company. Two years later my wife and I decided to take some time out to indulge in our passions for sailing and motor biking while raising $40,000 for charity."

When Tony and Kathleen returned from their trip they needed something positive to focus their energies on. "I needed to get back into business and wanted to be self-employed again," explains Tony. "Franchising was the easiest route back into being your own boss because you have the support of an experienced franchisor and a tried-and-tested business model. We decided to attend a franchise exhibition in Cork and were impressed with the growth potential of the domestic cleaning sector."

Tony and Kathleen arranged a meeting with Daily Poppins Managing Director Nigel Bearman. "We were so impressed with Nigel and the feedback from the existing franchise owners that we agreed to invest in the Irish Master Franchise. By getting involved with Daily Poppins it meant that we had an opportunity to get into business immediately and enjoy a fast learning curve in a growing industry.

"Business is going well, we are on target and hope to double our turnover this year. In 2009, the recession forced more people out to work and increased the number of dual-income households. This in turn, has had a positive effect on our business, as more people are prepared to pay to have their houses professionally cleaned so that they have more time to spend with their families."

Reported by Jess Sturman

Investment Requirement

From €18,000 + VAT

Special terms available of 50% deferred for 12 months for suitable candidates (€9,000 + VAT on signing agreement with the balance of €9,000 + VAT payable 12 months later).

Ideal Franchise Owner Profile

Individuals with the determination to build a successful management opportunity. No sales or management experience is necessary but franchise owners need to have good interpersonal skills and confidence to manage a team.