[Scott Martin]

Hi All,

Anyone got any inside tips on how to get on board with the national companies? i.e. Next, Pizza Hut, BHS etc etc etc.

It is the one area that i seem to head brick walls with all the time, the generally use facility companies or the franchises like Chem'Not Got A Clue' Dry etc etc.

Cheers

Scott

[The Great One]

Hi Scott

these national companies usually like national cleaning companies so they can get national coverage and the standard SHOULD be the same plus there is only one number to call if any major problems arise, head odffice!

Regards

Martin

[strakercleaning]

Scott,
 I know of 2 Cornwall based companies who handle contracts for national outlets. One supplied people from different regions with full T/M kit to do jobs and the other has a web of reliable individuals who they can vouch for to carry out jobs without poaching the work or doing it sub-standard.

[mark_roberts]

Why do you want these national contracts?  I know of a local chap who was offered to clean a few premises for a 'national cleaning company' but was offered buttons as payment.

Mark

[martin19842]

hi there,

ok there are lots of national companies out there, insurance companies, banks etc.

you will find that theysplit into a number of groups.

1.) national contract- one supplier

2.) company split into regions- eacdh region makes own decision equals a number of cleaning companies being used across the country.

3.) the national company that allows each unit to make own decisions- therefore a lot of individual companies being used.

you will also find that the payment arrangements differ aswell with the first two usually being paid from head office, whilst the group number 3 are paid for at branch level.

you find that the branch level account is paid for more quickly than the head office administered account.

how to get this sort of work,  persistence

communication with head office purchasing departments, to be added to tender list, and you will then probably have to fill in an 'approved suppllier' form, lots of questions.

communication at branch level, find out who makes the decision either 1, 2 or 3.  then fget to know the area managers, they can sometimes be good influencers.

you need to make some commercial decisions,

is your business geared up to building good pre-tender relationships,

is  your business able to spend the time, completing
approved supplier questionnaires.

is your business geared up to doing multi site surveys, in order to submit tenders.

i totally agree that you need a mix of business types, to maximise your available resource and therefore compliment your profit.  however i have seen a lot of companies who are supplying these 'blue chip' accounts, to the long term detriment of their smaller existing accounts.

never forget how you started your business.

also consider the following,

you have 20 individual acccounts delivering regular work, and you have one group account delivering a nice income from say 20 sites.

one of your individual accounts, either goes bust, closes down, sells out, whatever you loose that ONE account.

your group account goes the same way. YOU LOOSE 20 SITES.

which is the easier to replace???

answer THE ONE INDIVDUAL ACCOUNT.  it could take you months or even years to cultivate a replacement group account.

its just a commercial opinion, go for the group accounts, but maintain your client base mix.

regards

martin

[Kinver_Clean]

Try to find out the company that does the daily clean. They usually have to find someone to clean carpets for them. I had a nice contact for cleaning banks etc. very good while it lasted. Unfortunately it went very sour and it has finished. (ended up in court.)
 I have one or two others that do quite nicely as long as I dont mind waiting for the money. This is ok as long as you know how long before you do the job. One I get paid at two months on the dot, but it is worth wating for.

Trevor

[Ian Rochester]

We clean in regional areas for national companies all controlled through a larger cleaning company that gets the big contracts, works well for us and for them also

[Scott Martin]

Thanks for all the advice guys.

Im with most of you on it. I do some big players via their cleaning company but would be nice for the PR side of things to get the really big ones as client.

My biggest PR seller in my area is The Bank of England who have regional offices up in sunny scotland . We also do a lot of work for the NHS and local uni's etc.

Our work is split 60/40 in favour of commercial, not had a Fri night off in a long time.

Im target driven but just annoys me that the Franchises get the nationals, like you say one head office.

Persistence will pay off.

Hope you guys are busy work wise.

Cheers