By Andy Brown, business adviser:
Family businesses represent a vital part of the UK economy and there are many reasons to go into business with relatives. As well as leaving a legacy for your family you represent a strong work ethic too.
When brothers Lee and Mark Geeson came for business advice I knew straight away that a lot of their success would be down to the customer service touch they offer and they make a point of treating customers like family members which will ensure their success.
Describe your business?
02 clean is a family run business offering all aspects of cleaning and gardening. We have even cleaned grave stones. It started off as a cleaning service but there was such high demand for gardening we decided to add this to our catalogue of services.
Where did your idea come from?
We have worked for cleaning companies before and after Lee was made redundant I suggested we went into partnership and start up our own cleaning business.
What is you unique selling point?
We are friendly and outgoing which is what people like. We deal with a lot of elderly customers who know they can trust us. We are flexible and honest with our pricing so we can provide a bespoke service to suit everyone’s budget. We don’t take money up front so customers only pay once they have checked the job and they are satisfied. We take a sense of pride in what we do and treat each job as if it was our own home.
What is the best thing about being your own boss?
We have flexibility and as we are a partnership there is always someone who can do the job if one of us needs to take time off. We know how much we need to make and what we need to do to make a living. As we are brothers it’s a relaxed relationship and we work together to ensure we make the business a success.
What help did you receive from the BIC?
We received helped with everything from our business plan, to marketing and record keeping and we were also put in touch with an accountant who we will use again in the future. We don’t know how we would have done it without your advice.
What are your goals for the business?
We would like to get more contract work. We are currently working with Housing 21 who contacted us after seeing the work we had done.
If you had one piece of advice for someone just starting out, what would it be?
Go for it. Never give up because if you don’t take that chance you will never know. We had nothing to lose.
For more information on the services offered by 02 Clean click here.
If you would like advice on starting your own business, call the BIC on 0191 516 6149 or click here.
