The Opportunity
Meet Our Franchisees
Behind every Ezy-Clean franchise is a real person with a unique story.
Our franchisees come from all walks of life — from hospitality and office careers to construction and online business — but they share the same goal: more freedom, better work-life balance, and the chance to build something of their own with the support of a proven network.
Meet the people who took the leap and built thriving local businesses — many of them still smiling years later.
Keith Elmer – Ezy-Clean Rainham & Gillingham
From 4am starts to running his own show
Starting out with just a handful of customers in their native Kent, Richard and James’s first step was to bring in water-fed poles – a common feature of most window cleaning companies now, but a pioneering feature at the time. The result was more efficient cleans which were not only safer, but of a much more consistent quality. Combined with a modern payment system that let customers pay by direct debit, professional branding, and reliable scheduling, they offered something genuinely different.
“I saw Ezy-Clean were advertising for operatives at the job centre, and thought it sounded like the perfect change of pace. They called me in for a chat, and offered me the job the same day!”
Less than a year later, Ezy-Clean head office called him in for another chat, but this time it wasn’t about another job – it was about taking on the business for himself as the network’s 5th franchisee. Keith had already built up a good customer base and made a great reputation for himself as a friendly, local face, so it was the logical next step to hand him the reins and allow him to take charge.
“It was a great move. I can honestly say I’ve never done better than I’m doing now. Running your own business can be a lot to take on – especially if you’ve not got any experience or confidence in being a salesman yourself – but this is the best job I’ve ever had. In fact, I’ve just signed up for another 7 years!
“Most days I go to work with a big smile on my face. Not many people can say the same, can they?”
Mark Rees – Ezy-Clean West Maidstone
A better work-life balance – 18 years in, and he still loves it
Mark was among the very first to take on a franchise at Ezy-Clean way back in 2008, and has a background very different from most in the trade. In fact, he ran a coffee shop with several of his friends! It was a very successful business for many years, but Mark reached a point where he knew he was ready for a change.
“Running a hospitality business is a 7 day a week job that takes over your evenings and weekends. We built something great, but I wanted to move on and have a bit more balance in my life, so we decided to sell. I didn’t really know what to do with my life after that, so travelled around for a bit, but soon got back to the UK and needed to get back into work.”
That opportunity came from someone closer to home than he expected – his own stepbrother who already had worked for Ezy-Clean, and now also owns a franchise.
“I decided to go out with him on his rounds for a couple of days, and thought: this is pretty nice lifestyle. A lot less stress than running a café, that’s for sure! Looking back now, my next move was very unlike me. I’d been in sales all my life, but here was something which could be a great business and a great lifestyle, too! 18 years on, and I still love it.”
Mark especially enjoys getting to know his customers and becoming a well-known part of his local community. He bought an established round, but has seen his business grow over the years as his customers recommend him to their neighbours. He even had someone come up to him after seeing his branded van in the local supermarket and say he’d heard of him and wanted to be added to his rounds!
“I suppose I might retire one day, or think about getting someone in to take over my rounds when I get older but, for now, I’m very happy where I am. I’ve been doing this for nearly 20 years, so why not another 20?”
Karl Pryor – Ezy-Clean Weald of Kent Villages
20 years and counting – the franchise’s longest-serving success story
Now celebrating his 20th year with Ezy-Clean, Karl is the longest serving member of the team, aside from the founders themselves. Looking back now, it was obviously the start of a long and happy career, but he originally applied for a job working one of the routes thinking it would just be something to tide him over.
“I went for an interview at Ezy-Clean, and I’ve never looked back! I took on an established round and was then given the chance to become a franchisee. The business has grown and grown, and this is definitely the kind of work where the more you put in the more you get out.
It’s funny because I never thought this is what I would be doing for a living, but I love it. You’re out meeting people, talking to them every day, getting to know them and their families, and no one day is ever the same. You’re your own boss, and that suits me down to the ground.”
Of course, Karl has seen the franchise evolve and change a great deal over the last 20 years, especially in how it has embraced modern tech and digital marketing. While he already has a fantastic customer base, it’s easier than ever before for him to manage his workload and even grow the business further if he wants to.
“It’s something I’ve been thinking about over the last year – if I want to expand. I’m very happy with what I have already, but I know that door will always be open if I want to walk through it.”
Glen Thomson – Ezy-Clean Faversham & Whitstable
From office worker to outdoor entrepreneur
Having joined us in 2022, Glen is a relatively fresh face at Ezy-Clean compared to some of our other franchisees, but he’s already enjoyed several years of solid work and income as a business owner. For him, getting into window cleaning was a big lifestyle change compared to his previous job as an office worker.
Like many of our other franchisees, however, he worked one of our rounds after taking redundancy and not knowing exactly what he wanted to do next.
“It was very different from what I was used to, but I really enjoyed it. After a year doing the job, James invited me to have a meeting about becoming a franchisee. I love working outside for a change, though it’s not always easy during the winter! I also love the freedom of it, that I can basically do what I want to do each day.”
Despite enjoying setting his own schedule, Glen likes to be organised and finds the Ezy-Clean in-house app a huge help in arranging all his work.
“Everything is very well structured and it’s all right there – the scheduling, routes, payments etc. It’s a great help. You can see all the details of every customer including how often they want your service, and will help you confirm everything with them and keep on top of the work. It even adds on new leads the head office team have found for us. It keeps me from doing all the boring office work I had to do before I joined Ezy-Clean! It’s all really well done and handled.
“I might even take on another van one day and expand the business even further. Really, the possibilities are endless!”
Ian Hughes– Ezy-Clean Folkstone & Hawkinge
From career setback to business success
A franchisee since 2020, Ian ran an online business with his father for many years before life threw him a curveball. After having been in work full-time since he left school, he was forced to take a long break to help look after his kids when his wife fell ill. Coming back into the job market proved to be very challenging, and he spent 2 years working for a friend who ran a removal business.
“Working with my friend was a huge help, but it was only temporary that kind of work is a young man’s game, really, so I knew I had to find something else. I saw Ezy-Clean advertising for franchisees on a job site and I thought: great, I want to be my own boss. I’d done it before, and I would love to do it again.
“I didn’t think window cleaning was something I would end up doing, but I’ve got to say – I love it!”
Choosing to start a new business during a pandemic was a bold move, and not one most people will have considered. However, that’s the joy of an industry like this one: you’re offering a service that people will always want.
“Of course, most of the restrictions didn’t apply to this work, but the big thing was that people were home more, which meant more business for me and plenty of customers to get me started. What’s great is that hasn’t stopped. More people work from home, and the pandemic was a reminder of just how important it was to their lives to have a great looking place to live in. This really is something people will always need.”