MOLLY MAID celebrates its 30th anniversary

This year marks a significant milestone for MOLLY MAID, the UK’s leading domestic cleaning brand. In 2014, the company celebrates its 30th anniversary, and this impressive landmark demonstrates the success and steady growth of its Franchise business since its launch in the UK in 1984.

MOLLY MAID was originally established in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada in 1979 by founders Adrienne and Chris Stringer, who recognised a gap in the market for domestic cleaning services aimed at homeowners who preferred to spend their free time pursuing hobbies and leisure activities with their families. Demand for their services grew rapidly and since then, MOLLY MAID International has expanded not only across Canada, but also to the USA, Japan and Portugal, as well as the United Kingdom. The company’s presence in the UK began in 1984, and during those thirty years MOLLY MAID has significantly developed the business, which now boasts 68 Franchises stretching from Aberdeen to Brighton, and a network turnover of £16.5 million in 2013 (a 5.7 per cent increase on 2012), from over a quarter of a million cleans.

One of the longest-serving Franchise Owners is Bryony Dalgleish, who set up her own MOLLY MAID domestic cleaning Franchise in Farnborough in 1988, just four years after the company’s entry into the UK market. Her Franchise is now one of the company’s many success stories and she has grown her business substantially under the guardianship of MOLLY MAID.

Bryony commented:”Since starting my Franchise in 1988, MOLLY MAID supported me from the very beginning with the necessary training and expertise to get set up, and I haven’t looked back. I now employ 15 full-time staff and a significant proportion of our revenue comes from repeat customers. I’ve gained so much knowledge, experience and independence from running my own business; I could never imagine doing anything else.”

MOLLY MAID is a member of the British Franchise Association (BFA) and its Chief Executive, Pam Bader OBE, became the first woman to be elected Chair of the BFA in 1995. Pam has been an instrumental part of the company’s expansion within the UK since its inception, and has bold plans for MOLLY MAID in its thirtieth year of operation and beyond:

“In 30 years MOLLY MAID has grown exponentially and continues to weather the storm of economic change in the UK. Due to our presence ‘on the ground’, we are among the first to recognise any changes in the economic climate and the resulting impact on the lives of the general public, long before any official statistics are published – you could say that we are a barometer of the British economy.

“Indeed, while we have witnessed a number of periods of significant economic downtown during our history, it’s testament to our strategic growth and development, and a robust business model centred around training and support that MOLLY MAID and our Franchise Owners are still strong, providing customers with a reliable, trustworthy and consistent cleaning service. In fact, MOLLY MAID has grown year upon year, and even exceeded our growth budget in 2013. I am very proud of everything that MOLLY MAID has achieved in the UK in the last 30 years and look forward to working towards its continued success.”

During its three decades in operation, MOLLY MAID has developed a successful Franchise strategy, offering its Franchise Owners a sustainable business opportunity based on the quality of its training, commitment to high standards and reputation for excellence. According to a recent survey by the BFA and NatWest, franchising has grown 20 per cent in the five years since the recession began in 2008, at a time when the overall economy shrunk by 2.5 per cent. Employment in franchising has also risen by 20 per cent to 561,000, and the number of franchisors increased by 11 per cent in the same period.

Pip Wilkins, Head of Operations at the British Franchise Association, commented:”The success of MOLLY MAID is testament to its longevity and business growth, made possible through ethical franchising. Even in difficult economic times, the company’s dedication to training, support and strategic planning has provided desirable self-employment opportunities and a flexible work-life balance for many business owners. We congratulate MOLLY MAID on achieving this milestone and wish them every success for the next thirty years.”

Sir Bernard Ingham, who retired as President of the British Franchise Association in 2012, said:”The fact that MOLLY MAID is celebrating 30 years of successful operations in the UK shows you what a contribution franchises are making – and have been making for years – to the British economy. It is too often an unsung contribution. Let’s sing it for MOLLY MAID and all associated with her.”