James Cook is no stranger to business ownership; the 30-year-old entrepreneur ran a successful driving school for seven years prior to finding My Property Pros (MPP). In a surprising move, during his initial franchise training, James decided to tear up his business plan and go ‘all in’ on one of MPP’s exciting new services. Fast-forward to today and he’s reaping the rewards of his brave and ambitious approach.
“Financially and personally, this is enormous. What’s more, there’s a clear route for the future to step into a managerial role on the business and not in it. I joined alongside five other franchisees and we’re all now laughing to ourselves and each other about how much scope there is. Being an MPP franchisee has massively exceeded any realistic expectations I had. I’m earning significantly more than I did with my driving school. I’m proud, happy and excited for the future!”
With plans to expand into the second of three territories in the next 12 months, James is most definitely one to watch.
Looking back…
“I found MPP quite by accident… and at the time the franchise was still called My Window Cleaner,” explains James. “I’d signed up to a franchise portal and was getting alerts on my phone almost daily, but nothing stood out. Then one day, I drove past a My Window Cleaner van and it really caught my eye. Later that day, an email dropped into my inbox and I recognised the branding immediately. From the moment I started reading, I was hooked. I loved everything about the franchise – the story behind the business, the strong growth potential and the constant thread of support with a community feel. It was the whole package!”
During his due diligence process, founders Karen and Dave Prewer explained to James that the franchise was undergoing an exciting rebrand that would not only strengthen its market position but also included the introduction of several new, highly lucrative revenue streams – most notably, roof cleaning. This new service harnesses cutting-edge technology to ensure cleaning takes place with both feet firmly on the ground!
“When the team explained that we were to become My Property Pros, I was even more excited. It made so much sense and blew the growth potential out of the water! The brand already did more than window cleaning, but that wasn’t clear from the name. As MPP, I knew I could hit the market hard and, by focussing on roof cleaning, generate serious income fast.”
Founded in 1996, My Property Pros is the UK’s first and only national exterior property cleaning franchise. Having identified and leveraged a gap in the market close to three decades ago, we’re now firmly established as a highly profitable, award-winning, multi-van franchise opportunity. Our franchisees benefit from cutting-edge technology, proprietary software systems and a team that’s absolutely dedicated to their success.
During initial franchisee training, it became increasingly apparent to James that investing in roof cleaning equipment early, and channelling his marketing efforts into the new service, was the right move. He believed his business could grow faster and more profitably than any other franchisee in the network before him. He was not wrong!
Record-breaking franchise launch!
James – affectionately known as Cookie to his friends and colleagues – launched his franchise in mid-June 2024. His first four months broke records for MPP with turnover of just under £19k – 15% higher than the most successful launch to date. His average clean price is up 272%, demonstrating the power of the new and improved MPP brand. At present, only 29% of James’ turnover is window cleaning with most of his income now attributed to the brand’s other high-demand services.
“The vast majority of my success is down to doing a good job! As intended, I started with window cleaning as a door opener and used it as an opportunity to upsell. But in as little as four months, the other services have taken over. People are enquiring specifically for roof cleaning and recommendations are coming in thick and fast. It’s very exciting! These are much higher-value services with a stronger margin.”
MPP franchisees operate from fully equipped and eye-catching vans – the ultimate advert on wheels! A range of complementary, in-demand services ensures strong year-round sales and plenty of opportunities to cross-sell to existing customers, from roof and render cleaning to gutter clearing and maintenance, jet washing and window cleaning. Thanks to state-of-the-art technology, almost all cleaning is completed with both feet firmly on the ground! As for your dreams… the sky’s the limit!
As well as a thorough and 360 onboarding programme, MPP franchisees benefit from lifelong training and support in all aspects of the business – something that James says he will continue to take advantage of!
“I must say, the training and support I’ve received have been first-class. I’ve run a business before as a sole trader, but I realised almost instantly this was something different, unique and hugely valuable. There is quite literally always someone there if you need them. Not only do we benefit from the decades of experience within the MPP team, but we also have access to industry experts – the inventor of the Roof Wand even came to spend a day with us!
“Everything has been tried, tested, proven and then improved, multiple times over. And there’s nothing they haven’t thought of, from employee contracts and customer T&Cs to marketing and finance; it’s all there for you. There’s absolutely nothing that you need to worry about. Any scenario has been encountered and overcome before, usually with an ingenious way to make more money!”
Already a key part of the franchise network
Despite being relatively new to the network, James is hugely valued by both franchisor and franchisees alike. Thanks to his positive, can-do, ambitious approach, MPP franchisees new and old actively seek guidance and advice as they too drive the brand’s roof cleaning service to new heights. “If you’d have told me a few months ago I’d be in this position, leading the network, mentoring my fellow franchisees and helping them to follow in my footsteps, I wouldn’t have believed it. But here we are!”
When James first told family of his plans to join the franchise, he admits they were hesitant and expressed shock at the move from driving instructor to exterior cleaning. But already, that’s a distant memory and the magnitude of the opportunity is clear to all. “Everyone gets it – they see I’m part of something so much bigger than myself and that I have the tools and ability to build a serious asset for the future.”
“When I first started out, my initial plan was to have a three-van operation within my territory. I’m now working towards being multi-territory. I have my eyes on two additional territories to create a regional base. I’m not even sure if that’s a long-term plan or just a mid-term one with the way things are going! Thanks to MPP, the scope for growth is almost limitless!”
If you were to ask James for his advice about investing in the MPP franchise alongside him, his answer is unlikely to surprise you.
“Just do it! If you’ve gone as far as showing an interest, you won’t find a single reason not to join the franchise. It will change your life!”
To find out more about our award-winning franchise opportunity, take a look at the franchise section of our website or email us for a copy of our overview brochure.
