Three franchise business owners from ServiceMaster Clean Contract Services have risen to the top of the franchising world as finalists in the BFA HSBC UK British Franchise Awards 2024.
Within the world of franchising, the BFA HSBC UK British Franchise Awards are some of the most prestigious awards a franchise business and brand can win.
They celebrate excellence and showcase the innovation, dedication, and positive impacts franchises make across the UK.
In this, its 35th Year, the awards have seen a record number of entrants, with hundreds of businesses across the nation throwing their hats into the ring for consideration from the expert judging panel: spearheaded by the BFA’s Chief Executive, Pip Wilkins and HSBC UK’s Head of Franchising, Gillian Morris.
Despite the competition, not one, not two, but three ServiceMaster Clean Contract Services businesses are among the final shortlist of applicants across three categories.
ServiceMaster Clean Contract Services Manchester – HSBC UK Best in Class Multi-Unit Single Brand Award
The BFA describe the HSBC UK best-in-class multi-unit awards as ‘like no other.’
It recognises business owners who have built empires in franchising.
The judges were looking for ‘a franchisee [who] has a clear passion for business and is a master of managing management teams.’
CJ Micallef is the daughter of ServiceMaster Clean Contract Services Manchester’s original owners, Sarah and Martin Steinman, who started the business in 1991 and operated out of the conservatory of their family home.
CJ joined the company in 2004 as a Key Account Manager after a career working in leadership roles for companies like Starbucks Coffee.
Today, she is Managing Director, having taken the reigns of the family business.
She has been instrumental in expansion through the growth of the business’s turnover, capacity, and efficiency.
The business boasts one of the ServiceMaster Clean brand’s largest local market shares, achieved through organic and local sales growth, and only eight national accounts, despite only covering one major city and competing with approximately 440 cleaning companies.
In 2019, CJ created a five-year plan to reach a £5 million turnover when turning over £2.5 million.
They have achieved above and beyond their goals and, with a current turnover of £5.2 million, are growing in line with their 37% growth in the last year and consistent growth in previous years.
When they formulated these goals, they were primed for growth but were halted by COVID-19. They have since grown by over £2 million in two years.
They have expanded both licenses to have much greater coverage across Greater Manchester and Cheshire through a fleet of branded vehicles, which have grown by 17 cars in the past 12 months, improving the business’s operational capacity and efficiency and the size of the franchise operation through our market share and brand visibility locally.
The franchise now serves 200 clients across 850 sites in vital markets like offices, schools and housing associations.
ServiceMaster by Deeland – HSBC UK Best in Class Multi-Unit Multi-Brand Award
ServiceMaster by Deeland is also shortlisted in the Best-in-Class Multi-Unit category as a Multi-Branded operation due to the professional residential and commercial carpet and upholstery and disaster restoration services, they provide under the ServiceMaster Restore and ServiceMaster Clean brands alongside their contract cleaning services.
The business was started by Contract Services franchisee Nick Dee Shapland in 1991 as a sole trader in Newbury and Reading.
In 2021 it became an Employee Ownership Trust, whereby 80% of the company shares are held in trust on behalf of the employees.
This structurally ensures that their staff can contribute to ideas within the company and benefit from a shareholder distribution scheme.
Not only does this result in greater longevity and expertise amongst their team, but it also ensures that staff are actively invested in the success and growth of the business and go ‘above and beyond’ in providing excellent customer service with a real financial motivation to achieve growth.
All this has contributed to their achievements in business success in the wider world and ServiceMaster’s franchise network.
Not only did they achieve their franchisor-set target of 10% growth annually over the last five years, but they also received multiple awards for growth and environmental initiatives.
ServiceMaster Clean AAA – Business Builder Award
After winning big last year by taking home the Franchisee Trailblazer and People’s Choice awards, Siva Kugathas is now shortlisted in the brand new Business Builder category.
This award recognises a franchisee who has purchased a profitable resale business and
is now excelling by executing strategies that elevate it from good to great.
Siva purchased ServiceMaster Clean Contract Services Guildford in 2017 as a resale from an existing franchisee.
At the time, the business turned over £50,000. In a matter of years, he has transformed it into a shining star in his multi-million-pound, multi-territory empire: ServiceMaster Clean AAA.
Using the ServiceMaster Clean model and thorough strategies that combat common hurdles in the cleaning industry, Siva has transformed a good business into something great.
He has been ambitious from the start, with an initial goal of creating more job opportunities and rapid growth within the local area.
His practices around employee mentorship, customer satisfaction, ‘celebrity service’ and employing a dedicated sales team allowed him to transform his business into a bastion of success.
Initially doubling the size of his operation in just 18 months, he has also acquired 18 further territories in 7 years to grow to a turnover of £6 million last year.
Now, as a top-performing franchisee, he is committed to exceeding client expectations and driving the business to achieve a target of a £10 million turnover by 2027.
The awards evening
Our business owners and their fellow finalists will now spend the next few months working on the next round of judging before the winners are announced in November at the end of the BFA’s annual conference.
The night will be led by Pip and Gillian, who each had highly complementary words for all of the worthy finalists:
Pip Wilkins said:
“We are delighted to be celebrating our 35th year of the BFA awards this year and as always, another exceptionally difficult round of shortlisting for Gillian and I.
Congratulations to each and every one of you who have made the finals; this is in itself a huge achievement and one you should be extremely proud of. The team and I look forward to seeing you in November.”
Gillian Morris added:
“My heartfelt congratulations to the deserving finalists in this year’s British Franchise Awards.”
“Shortlisting the entries and choosing the finalists is one of the toughest challenges of my year but it’s one I love.”
“I was truly inspired by the brilliant businesses amongst this year’s entrants and the finalists really do represent the best of British franchising.”
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operational consistency and the ability to maintain quality while continuing to grow.
and enhance quality reporting. Growth will remain measured and strategic, always prioritising service standards and long‑term customer value.
