from Franchise New Zealand - Year 32 Issue 04 – Summer 2024

Franchise New Zealand - Year 32 Issue 04 – Summer 2024

That moment: The Jani-King table starts to celebrate as CEO Nick James prepares to receive the top award

Newly-crowned as Supreme Franchise System of the Year, Jani-King is changing its franchisees' lives one business at a time

Why was Jani-King named the Westpac Supreme Franchise System of the Year for 2023?

‘We’d never entered before, and excellence is important to us, so we took it really seriously,’ says Nick James, the company’s CEO. ‘The judges gave us a real grilling – I think we were answering questions for almost two hours. And we had a real story to tell, having doubled profitability and turnover over the past couple of years. But why did we actually win? I think it comes down to this: We care.

‘We care about our franchisees, our staff, their staff, our clients and the environment. Right throughout the business, our aim is to do things better tomorrow than we did today – the relentless pursuit of operational excellence. And we recruit people who feel the same way, then train them to achieve it. As a result, our franchisees are achieving great things.’

As an ex Royal Marine commando and a police officer before building an impressive career in the business world, Nick is comfortable with leading by example and helping people discover what they are really capable of. He is rightly proud of Jani-King’s success in the Awards, but is quick to point out that it’s not about him.

‘My job is to create an environment for others to be successful, so this award belongs to the team at Jani-King for their tireless efforts in providing first-class support to our 500+ franchisees. We were delighted to have top performers Harold and Lin Han on our table for the awards to represent all our franchisees.

‘We operate a multi-cultural business that supports Kiwis and first-time New Zealanders to establish themselves and provide futures for them and their families – I think we have 37 different nationalities among our 500-plus franchisees here! Our franchise support team come to work every day to help franchisees put food on the tables of their families, and to enable them to dream of – and achieve – their goals. We’re changing lives, one business at a time. We care.’

A global and local success

Jani-King Commercial Cleaning is a global success story. Founded over 50 years ago in Texas, it now has over 6,600 franchisees in 10 countries. The franchise came to New Zealand in 1997 and the local business has been New Zealand owned and operated since 2016.

‘2022 and 2023 have been record-breaking years for Jani-King New Zealand,’ says Nick proudly. ‘We have trained more new franchisees and won more contracts than ever before, and we’ve retained more business too, thanks to our investment in training, systems, and equipment.

‘We changed our whole approach back in 2021 when Jocelyn Marsh, a major shareholder of our company, took on a new role specialising in People & Culture. Her approach has transformed the business with Diversity Works training, Employee Assistance Programmes, health insurance, birthday leave, wellness days and more. We invest in charitable organisations that we believe in, and sponsor a variety of amazing communities, causes and charities throughout New Zealand. We care.’

Taking responsibility

Another area of focus for Jani-King is environmental responsibility and sustainability. ‘A massive talking point in the commercial cleaning industry is the potential negative impact of traditional cleaning practices on the environment and on people,’ says Nick. ‘That’s also a concern for many of our customers. We decided to be part of the solution, rather than part of the problem. Our initiatives include:

1. Using Eco-Benign products. Switching to a probiotic cleaning system and offering environmentally-friendly cleaning solutions that have a gentle or harmless impact on the environment and human health.

2. Energy Efficiency. Choosing preferred suppliers that can provide energy-efficient equipment and practices to reduce the overall environmental footprint.

3. Waste Reduction. Implementing waste reduction strategies, such as recycling and proper waste disposal.

4. Water Conservation. Implementing water-saving measures and using water-efficient cleaning methods to reduce consumption.

5. Sustainability Training Programmes. Providing training programmes for franchisees and staff to ensure they are aware of, and follow, sustainable cleaning practices.

6. Certification. Obtaining and promoting certifications such as Toitū Enviromark, Trees That Count and Diversity Works which indicate adherence to sustainable practices, as well as training our team in dealing with people regardless of background.

‘Sustainable cleaning practices will continue to be at the forefront of our mind for current and future clients. We care.’

Looking to the future

Jani-King also has one eye on the future. ‘I believe the future of commercial cleaning is innovation in both technology and equipment,’ Nick says firmly.

‘Technology will enable us to connect and communicate better with clients and prospects, as well as monitoring and managing cleaning outcomes. Equipment needs to be more sustainable and use less electricity and water as well as being lightweight, so producing a better outcome for our franchisees.

‘Being part of the global Jani-King network gives us access to a huge array of experience, training, products, manufacturers and suppliers, and considerable purchasing power. We can put that to good use for the benefit of our customers and franchisees.’

And Nick is also honest about the challenges. ‘At the Awards, the first people to congratulate us were from one of the other commercial cleaning franchises, which says a lot about the spirit of franchising. We want to work with them and other franchisors in this industry to address the sometimes negative media around franchising which can create uncertainty among potential clients.

‘I would welcome anyone to see how our Jani-King franchisees are trained, supported and paid so that they can truly appreciate how much we invest in positive outcomes for them. We have many amazing success stories to relate, because we care.’

Measuring progress

Commercial cleaning is a $2 billion industry in New Zealand, and is growing by some 10-12 percent every year, ‘So the opportunities for integrated and innovative businesses are very real, all around the country,’ says Nick.

‘We will continue to compete in industry segments within which we have a competitive advantage and explore new markets by providing aligned facility services and building wellness solutions.’

And all that means lots more opportunities to join the new Westpac Supreme Franchise System of the Year. ‘We’ll provide the clients, introduce you, train you and support you to grow as big as you like. The franchise calculator on our website helps you work out what you could earn, whether part-time or full-time.

‘Since the Awards, we have had an enormous response from people wanting to be part of an award-winning team,’ says Nick. ‘We are humbled by the level of attention the Awards have brought us, and we look forward to talking with everyone. That includes you. Let’s see if we can help you make the change you want in your life. After all, that’s what it’s all about – We care.’