From Military to Management Franchise - No Regrets

Paul Steinmetz, Betterclean Services Northampton

For Paul Steinmetz, the decision to become a franchise owner was one of the biggest leaps of his life. Coming from a career in the military and fire service, running his own business was completely uncharted territory. Three years on, Paul is building a thriving commercial cleaning operation in Northampton and he hasn’t looked back.

Paul’s professional background couldn’t be much further from commercial cleaning. After years serving in the military and fire service, the idea of running a business was, by his own admission, completely unknown.

“My background is military and fire service. Running my own business is completely different. However, I’ve got no regret. It was a complete jump into something different, and I’m glad I did it.”

After researching a number of franchise opportunities and weighing up the pros and cons of each, Betterclean Services stood out from the crowd. For Paul, it wasn’t just the business model that gave him confidence, it was the people behind it.

“I had numerous companies in my book and whittled them down, the pros from Betterclean Services far outshone anybody else. Mike was always the first to get back to me on questions and pretty much always answered the phone when I rang. That gave me the confidence that the support network was there, which has been proved. I’m happy that I chose the right company.”

Paul runs the Northampton territory, covering the large market town and the surrounding areas of Wellingborough, Kettering and Rushden, a region well-served with office blocks, business units and industrial areas offering significant opportunity for growth.

Now just over three years in, one of the things that surprised Paul most in those early days was the pace at which commercial contracts move.

“I thought things would be a bit quicker, but be prepared not to hear something for a couple of weeks and then all of a sudden - yes, we want you. So be patient.”

One of the most significant changes Paul has noticed since making the leap is how he values his time. The freedom and flexibility of running his own business has had a positive impact on both his professional and personal life.

“The work-life balance is really what you put into it. You could make yourself work every hour that’s out there, or you can manage it, so you have that balance and it is so good and so easy to do. Things like going to the children’s nativity play without having to book time off, I can just pencil it in. Planning ahead for the month takes the stress out of a lot of things.”

For Paul, the proudest moments of his franchise journey have come not just from winning contracts, but from the people side of running a business.

“My proudest moments have been employing people, seeing that staff interaction and engagement, knowing that you can make a difference for the local people around you and seeing how that rubs off on the work they do and the relationship you then have with the client.”

Three years in, Paul’s business has grown to the point where he is now developing his team to support the next phase of growth. He is currently in the process of promoting one of his supervisors into a business development manager role, a move that reflects both his confidence in his team and his ambitions for the territory.

“It’s an exciting time. It also shows the staff that there is a progression route to help make the business better and bigger, people can move up. As the business is growing, I get some extra help in and someone to collaborate with on ideas, going forward and expanding in all directions.”

For someone coming from outside the business world, the support available through the Betterclean Services network has been a significant factor in Paul’s success.

“The support I’ve had from head office, I can’t fault at all. If I have an issue, if I need to speak to someone, I can always get through. They’ve passed on their experiences of what works well, but never dictated what to do, it’s always ‘in my experience, this works’. That almost gives you the feeling that you’re not on your own.”

Beyond Head Office, Paul has also found real value in connecting with fellow franchise owners across the network.

“Working with other Betterclean Services franchise owners gives you that sense of, it’s a team, but it’s my own business. You make it as local as you can, but you have that backup from a nationwide company. Listening to what’s worked well for others, and what hasn’t that’s really valuable.”

For those still weighing up whether a Betterclean Services franchise is right for them, Paul’s advice is straightforward and comes from personal experience.

“Be patient, don’t expect everything to happen in a week. Plan a month in advance and set achievable goals. And really do listen during the training, because what they said is right,  I’ve been proved wrong once or twice. They’re the experts.”

Three years on from that leap into the unknown, Paul’s only regret is that he didn’t do it sooner.

“The pros from Betterclean Services far outshone anybody else. It gave me the confidence that the support network was there and that has been proved. Three years in, I have no regrets and I value my time so much more.”

Paul Steinmetz, Betterclean Services Northampton. Franchise owner since 2023.