Industry:

Commercial cleaning franchises

Business established:

1979

Total business units:

Head office located:

Adelaide South Australia

V.I.P. Commercial Cleaning

Build your own commercial cleaning business with an established Australian franchise brand

V.I.P. Commercial Cleaning gives franchisees the opportunity to build a commercial cleaning business backed by the systems, marketing, training and support of the long-established V.I.P. Home Services network.

The commercial cleaning division was launched in 2008, building on a V.I.P. history that stretches back to 1972 and more than 45 years of franchising in Australia.

The model offers flexibility in how franchisees operate. You can work independently, operate with a partner or build a larger commercial cleaning business employing a team.

Unlike V.I.P.’s residential Home Cleaning and Lawns & Gardens franchises, Commercial Cleaning franchisees are not restricted to an exclusive suburb. V.I.P. allows commercial franchisees to operate across their state and works with them to grow and maintain their customer base.

An established Australian franchise brand

The V.I.P. story began in 1972, when founder Bill Vis mowed his first customer’s lawn.

In 1979, V.I.P. Lawns & Gardens was launched as a franchise system in South Australia. The company subsequently expanded into Home Cleaning in 1998 before launching V.I.P. Commercial Cleaning in 2008.

Further services including Carpet Cleaning and End of Lease Cleaning followed.

Today, V.I.P. is an established Australian home and commercial services brand, with its franchise network operating across Australia and New Zealand.

Commercial Cleaning franchisees benefit from being part of the wider V.I.P. network while operating a business focused specifically on commercial customers.

What does a V.I.P. Commercial Cleaning franchisee do?

Commercial cleaning provides franchisees with the opportunity to service business customers rather than relying solely on residential cleaning work.

A key attraction of the sector is the potential to develop ongoing customer relationships, with businesses requiring cleaning on a regular basis.

Depending on the customers and contracts within their business, a commercial cleaning franchisee can build a portfolio of regular cleaning clients and progressively expand the business.

V.I.P. promotes a flexible model, allowing franchisees to work themselves, operate with a partner or employ staff as their customer base develops.

A flexible business model

V.I.P. Commercial Cleaning is designed to accommodate different business and lifestyle goals.

A franchisee may choose to operate the business personally and use it as their primary source of income. Others may initially use the franchise to supplement existing income.

For franchisees wanting to develop a larger operation, V.I.P. supports the introduction of employees as the customer base grows.

This provides a pathway from being a hands-on cleaner to potentially managing a larger commercial cleaning business and team.

Customers and lead generation

Finding customers is one of the major challenges involved in establishing an independent commercial cleaning business.

V.I.P. supports franchisees with lead generation and marketing designed to bring new commercial cleaning opportunities into the network.

Head office marketing can include digital advertising, search marketing, social media, SEO, website enquiries and other advertising activity.

Franchisees are also supported with local marketing to help develop additional business within the areas in which they want to operate.

V.I.P. says Commercial Cleaning franchisees receive customer leads without an additional individual lead fee.

Commercial Cleaning fee structure

The V.I.P. Commercial Cleaning financial model differs from its Home Cleaning and Lawns & Gardens franchises.

Commercial Cleaning franchisees pay V.I.P. a percentage of their income rather than the flat monthly franchise fee used by the Home Cleaning and Lawns & Gardens divisions.

According to V.I.P., this percentage contributes towards services including:

• Customer leads at no additional lead cost
• Management of customer invoicing
• Ongoing business support
• Regular customer audits
• Customer satisfaction monitoring

The exact percentage, initial franchise cost, working capital requirements and other establishment costs should be confirmed directly with V.I.P. before purchasing a franchise.

V.I.P. says Commercial Cleaning offers flexible packages and a relatively low upfront investment, with the cost depending on the particular business opportunity and the franchisee’s goals.

No restricted local territory

Another important difference between V.I.P. Commercial Cleaning and its residential franchise models is territory.

Home Services franchisees operate with an exclusive suburb and first right of refusal for relevant customers within that territory.

Commercial Cleaning franchisees are not restricted in the same way.

V.I.P. says Commercial Cleaning franchisees can operate throughout their state, providing greater scope to pursue commercial clients and grow their customer portfolio across a wider geographic area.

VIP sponsors Port Adelaide AFL club.