So, what can you learn from owning an Urban Clean Commercial Cleaning Franchise? Quite a bit, as it happens.
Damien Boehm, the founder of Urban Clean, talks about franchisee Nimna Sanjeeth’s journey from running a small commercial cleaning business to building it into what it is today. In this article, Nimna shares his experiences and key lessons learned from owning an Urban Clean Commercial Cleaning Franchise.
1. How to relate to customers
To relate effectively to customers, it’s important to first understand their needs. Personalise the interactions with the customer by treating them as an individual. Greet them by their name and listen carefully to their likes and interests. Let them ask as many questions as they like and don’t interrupt to give them your answer.
‘It’s all about how you communicate with the customers. Make sure, because you can, you can be much more than just a customer relationship. You can be friendly with them when they speak to you. And so they treat me as a friend.’ ~ Nimna Sanjeeth
2. Understanding customer needs
The best way to understand their needs is to simply ask: What would make this a great cleaning experience? How can we provide the best service possible? We understand our customers are busy, looking to outsource their cleaning, and hoping to build a professional partnership with their cleaning company. They need a reliable service that consistently delivers on its promises.
‘If you can have that sort of relationship with customers, where you show them care, because my customers know that I care and I really try to care.’ ~ Nimna Sanjeeth
Keep track of customer information, including the services they’ve purchased and past interactions. Stay patient—patience will ultimately lead you to the right solution and help you win your customers over. A well-thought-out solution is always better than a quick fix.
3. Solving customer problems
The key is to listen. For instance, if the previous cleaner never dusted the windowsill and it bothered the office manager, so they request that the windowsill is dusted every day. If you have missed this one detail, even if you have completed a perfect clean on everything else, to the office manager, the job was not completed at all.
‘If something is up, they’re like. Hey, this happened, this happened. We’ll talk to our team, you know? It’s very easy when in that level, especially with the big contracts, they see me as a friend who wants to do right. I’m on their side, but in reality, I’m in both sides. But for them, I’m their friend. I’m like a communication method, and it’s like that friend you speak to when you’re sad.’ ~ Nimna Sanjeeth
A company culture that prioritizes customer service and engagement is central to business success and a value held dear to Urban Clean. With an Urban Clean Commercial Cleaning Franchise, we have taken it a step further and leverage technology through our Janiflow app to ensure that the customer requests are fulfilled individually and even send our customer regular reports to show that we have listened and fulfilled their needs during the clean.
4. Communicating with customers
Actively listen to the customer’s needs and clarify any points that you aren’t sure about. It’s important that they feel that their opinion matters and they are valued. Encourage questions – communication is a two-way process and the more interactive the session, the better you will both engage. Don’t hurry the customer, even if you as busy or tired. Give them as much of your valuable time as you can and be as honest and transparent as possible.
‘It’s all about how you communicate with the customers. Make sure, because you can, you can be much more than just a customer relationship… and they treat me as a friend. So they’re on my side.’ ~ Nimna Sanjeeth
5. How to build success by adding value
The best way to add value to your service is through a constant mission of improvement by taking their feedback and implementing it. Your clients can be your best allies in improving your service because they are the ones benefiting from it every day. Ask questions and apply their feedback in ways that they will notice, and don’t be shy about sharing these improvements with your customers. This lets your customers know you take their input seriously and stops you from becoming stagnant as your business builds.
‘Get that one client and make sure you care for them. They’ll be like Hey, can you do this for us? Don’t charge them extra for those because those are the points where you can win them.’ ~ Nimna Sanjeeth
In the business world, the relationship between you and your customers can die if you don’t put in the effort to nurture it. Adding value should be at the core of every business relationship because it gives them a reason to choose you, every time.
6. Managing teams
Building a positive and productive team environment starts with understanding each team member, including their individual strengths and weaknesses. Great team leaders juggle multiple demands effectively, and staying organized is key to managing project timelines and keeping everyone on track. Clear and consistent communication of team goals and expectations is essential to ensure all members are aligned and working towards shared objectives.
‘I got two good teams now. And they’re doing great.‘ ~ Nimna Sanjeeth
Providing team members with support and encouragement can enhance their productivity and job satisfaction significantly. It’s important to be approachable and ready to assist team members with any challenges they face.
7. How to create a passive income
Imagine having time to do the things you actually love, but still have regular income coming in. It sounds too good to be true. For Nimna, it is a reality that gave him the freedom to live on his own terms.
‘I think commercial cleaning is one of the best businesses out there. Like one of the best. The reason we are talking about 40 to 60% profit margins and most of it is passive income.’ ~ Nimna Sanjeeth
Passive income is earnings generated from other sources than a traditional job. Unlike active income, which is directly tied to hours worked, passive income allows greater financial freedom and flexibility. Owning an Urban Clean Commercial Cleaning Franchise has given Nimna a vehicle to grow a business with real income.
‘There is just that slight misunderstanding about what passive income is and what it isn’t. I often call it residual, but it means that a profitable commercial enterprise that can work without you. And that’s what a business is meant be. It’s not meant to be a job. It’s meant to be something you can grow’. ~ Damien Boehm.
8. How to grow your business
In most businesses you have no certainty around sales every month, you have to try to encourage repeat customers. If you owned a cafe or a restaurant, you would start the day with zero sales and no real certainty.
An Urban Clean Commercial Cleaning Franchise is unlike any other business model in the market. Offices will sign cleaning contracts because they prefer to outsource their cleaning. From there contracts can be up to two years long, and once they find a cleaning service that works for them, they are reluctant to change. They will renew these contracts too, year on year. This means you can build revenue month on month and scale your business.
‘If money is what you want, if you have a passion for something and you want to leave your job, leave your job, get into this, make the passive income the way I am. Then you’ll have time control to go into the next stage which this thing you love. You still won’t lose this. But then you have this good amount of money coming in which is four times your salary.’ ~ Nimna Sanjeeth
Commercial cleaning is not as simple as buying some cleaning equipment and finding a client. Every business needs clients, systems, support and training. This is where Urban Clean Commercial Cleaning Franchises come in. Franchise fees, marketing and overheads and low, and best of all, an Urban Clean Commercial Cleaning Franchise offers you guaranteed ongoing contracts*, so you can start to see cash flow immediately and a good return on your investment. Urban Clean has already done the heavy lifting for you, with a turnkey model that offers a proven system that allows you to make the income you need to replace your job and beyond.
If You’re Tired of Chasing Cleaners — We’re Here
If you’re a business owner who’s had enough of the stress, the follow-ups, and the uncertainty, we’re here to help. Urban Clean delivers reliable, consistent, high-quality cleaning — without the frustration. Let us take it off your plate so you can get back to running your business. Let us handle the cleaning and take it off your to-do list—just click here!
And if you’re someone who’s ready to take ownership of your future, we’d love to talk. Whether you’re looking for a flexible income or ready to build a business that scales, our franchise model gives you the tools, training, and support to succeed. Click here to connect with us.
