OvenGleamers History
Why did we start an oven cleaning business?
Hello, my name is Graham Rogers and I started this oven cleaning business in 2004.
Friendly, Family, Franchise
The business started in 1996 when I left the Royal Air Force on redundancy. I was living in North Wales in a cottage, with an AGA cooker, and because of the remoteness of where I lived I decided to become a freelance computer consultant. I decided I didn't want the daily commute that I had been doing to get to the Air Force base.
I got a grant from the North Wales Business Agency to set up my own business. I became a freelance computer consultant working in offices for large companies. I did the same sort of jobs for years. But even though it paid well the disadvantages started to outweigh the benefits. I lived away from home every week and was in a hotel room on my own. I never got a contract close to home. I had a very long commute every weekend. I had no career advancement.
So I started to make some changes. I bought another house in my home town of Taunton in Somerset. I renovated the house and put in a brand new AGA cooker. My plan was this house would be close enough to large towns and cities I could commute to.
But in 2002 there was a recession in the IT industry. Companies were getting rid of staff and not recruiting any more. Getting new contracts became very difficult. Instead of getting every job I was interviewed for, I wasn't getting any. I started applying for permanent jobs but I didn't get them either. I got it into my head that this was because I was too old at 42! But I think there were other issues in that I had a comprehensive CV and qualifications and I was applying for junior positions.
So I started looking at business ideas. As my sister was working as a cleaner in a local hospital my first idea was to start a cleaning business where I could help her to get work. I looked then looked at setting up a coffee shop, in fact I nearly went ahead with it - I was put off by the owners of the premises I had found - it belonged to the council and two different departments were telling me different stories of the future plans of the building.
I looked at a Subway franchise - it was relatively new to the UK then- but the cost of setting up even a small shop put me off.
But then I saw an advert for cleaning agency in Dalton's Weekly.
I drove up to Northampton the next day and saw the franchisor. It looked pretty good.
A few months later I bought the franchise and off I went with the business.
It grew exactly as the Franchisor had told me it would. He had given me a plan and I followed it.
It was a great business but I had problems dealing with customers when the cleaners didn't turn up for jobs. The customers were unhappy.
Also people were asking me about oven cleaning. The franchise put a link to an oven cleaning franchise - I phoned the lady up to find out what sort of business it was - she said it was the best business ever.
Then I had my AGA serviced.
The conversation with the AGA service engineer was the key moment where I decided to start an AGA/oven cleaning business.
I started April 19 2004
I went through different options. I looked at buying a franchise because I liked the structure and plan that my franchisor had given me.
But in the end I decided to go alone.
I trained with an established company. The training was just five days out in a van with their employees.
I paid for the course which then in early 2004 was £2500. I then had to pay for my van fit which was £2000. I also had to buy a dip tank which was another £2000.
I wanted to spend more time with my family. And my regular job wasn't giving me that extra time.
Now I can mark out dates on my work schedule to spend more time with my kids. It's an amazing change.
With a franchise I have got a proven system to deliver the results for my customers, to get and retain customers.
Stewart Baldwin
OvenGleamers Yeovil.
Main OvenGleamers Timeline
Our journey.
2004 Graham Started Cleaning Ovens - one man in a van
Local advertising in local paper and putting out leaflets.
Discovered Google Ads
I met someone at a business meeting who mentioned Google Ads. I started to run them. I started to get lots of work.
I met Catherine
Catherine was still in full time work with the Royal Air Force but had lots of down time as her plane was being phased out. She started taking calls and booking in jobs for me.
Grow to 5 vans
We moved into a proper office in 2007. There were two ladies - Catheirne and Jayne- taking calls and booking in work.
The day we discovered we needed to charge more!
We got a first business coach in 2007 and he asked us to put our figures together in a spreadsheet. When we did this we realised that the cost to get one of our employees to a job was more than we were charging for the job.
Franchising Our Business
In 2010 our first franchisee, Simon Green started. He was our pilot franchisee. And what a star. He grew his business to do five jobs a day and booking in five weeks ahead before he sold the business.
Taking Payment in Advance
In 2013 Graham went to his second job of the day and the customer told him it was inconvenient to clean the range cooker. So we lost the slot. We decided to take payment in advance for all jobs since then. (For franchisees we will try and take the payment but will also give the option of paying after the work)
The OvenGleamers Model
In 2013 OvenGleamers also introduced their new premium franchise: New efficient insulated electrically heated oven cleaning dip tanks, a better van fit and new Mercedes Citan vans became the OvenGleamers standard. Improved continued training and support programme.
The Top Four Things That Make Us Different
Our Lovely Ladies Take Your Calls
We have our own call centre located in Bristol which takes calls for the OvenGleamers network. Our lovely ladies take the calls and give quotes, take payment in advance, and book your customers straight into your diary.
Expert Marketing Launch
We work out the best marketing for your local area but testing different marketing media. From local magazines to running ads on YouTube we find the best ways of marketing your business.
The Safest Van Equipment in The Industry
We use our unique oven cleaning dip tank, that only needs plugging in once a day for an hour. It saves you work on every job. So no exploding oven cleaning vans or having to leave gas burners on the side of the road. Our system is safe for you, your customers, and the general public.
Eco Cleaning Method in The Home
We clean cookers cold! We only use Vegan Eco friendly products in our customers homes. Safe for your customers, their family, their pets and their cookers too.
The conversation that started OvenGleamers:
Graham Rogers started OvenGleamers in 2004 after a conversation with his local AGA Engineer. Graham had called him in to service in two oven AGA.
Whilst he was servicing it Graham got chatting to him, the engineer told Graham about the size of the business that he worked for. They had fifteen vans and they were all servicing 5 AGAs a day each. Wow thought Graham that's a large AGA marketing. I'm going to start an AGA Cleaning Business.
And hence OvenGleamers was born.
Graham cleaned two AGAs in his first two weeks of operation. One of these took him six hours of blood, sweat and tears. Now we are an re-known as an AGA cleaning company and also we are becoming the go-to-company for Everhot cleaning across the country.
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5 Simple Steps to...
Starting Your Own Local OvenGleamers Cleaning Business
"That Looked Easy To Manage..."
Why do people buy the OvenGleamers franchise?
What this video to see why people like you buy the OvenGleamers® Oven Cleaning Franchisee,
Franchisee Case Studies
From Garage Owner to To First Class Oven Cleaner
Richard was a partner in a commercial garage. But he had had enough. He wanted to do something on his own which was less stressful and something he could manage on his own. He started looking for opportunities where she could make a better living for hImself and his wife. He found OvenGleamers and as he lived in the middle of Northumberland decided to become OvenGleamers Tynemouth. Currently (in April 2024) he is our best performing new franchisee and after two years of trading is doing three oven cleans a day and is booked up months in advance.
Richard HUMPHRIS // Local Garage Proprietor to Professional Oven Cleaner
From Computer Consultant To Award Winning Oven Cleaner
Marco Diana used to commute from his home in Essex to his IT job in London. Even on his motorbike it used to take him an hour each way. He decided to make the change, to spend more time with his family. He started his OvenGleamers franchise in January 2020. Six weeks after starting we went into Lockdown with Covid restrictions. He worked hard and when he could visit homes again (using Covid processes) he became the most reviewed oven cleaning business in his area. He won the OvenGleamers Franchisee of the year award.
MARC0 DIANA // IT Consultant to Professional Oven Cleaner
Run A Cashless Van
We take your calls for you, through our call centre. The number on your OvenGleamers web page and the phone number on your van come straight through to us at OvenGleamers Headquarters.
We give out quotes and have a process where we can convert the enquiry into a confirmed booking with payment in advance. The money is paid straight into your account.
Why The OvenGleamers Dip Tank Saves You Time
We use our own oven cleaning dip tank design.
- 1Insulated walled dip tank You would only need to heat the tank up once each day, before you go out cleaning for the day. This is normally about an hour to get the tank to full operating temperature. No heating up at each and every job each day.
- 2Just put oven items in the tank With our tank you just put things into it and leave them in there for a while. Then you take them out, rinse them off with the OvenGleamers rinse system, dry them off and they are ready to go back into the oven. No scrubbing to get the racks clean when you remove them from the tank, no emptying of the tank on the side of the road or into your customers flower bed.
- 3Is the safest way to clean oven parts. As we don't use a gas system, you do not have to carry gas bottles in your van, or worry about the maintenance of a gas system to ensure no leaks or fires. Or worry about having to comply with the Health and Safety Regulations for gas oven cleaning use. You can leave the van unattended as the rear doors are locked when you are away from the van.
GRAHAM ROGERS // Founder / Franchisor
Hello I am Graham Rogers and I started OvenGleamers with just me in a van in 2004. I grew my business to five vans within 3 years and since then I have cleaned thousands of ovens, range cookers and AGA cookers. I still clean today and still love cleaning the larger range cookers, especially AGA cookers.
I train all new franchisees on how to clean all types and size of ovens to the highest standard using our safe, effectively cleaning method, using the oven cleaning process and equipment I have personally develeped. We put together a bespoke training package for every new franchisee.
Why don't you join our Team of 2021?
Graham Rogers
Join Our Happy Franchisees
Something I can see growing very well...
Nigel was made redundant in the Lockdown of the Pandemic in 2020 - he needed to find something he could put his efforts into. He certainly did that and gained our Fast Start Award for the way his business accelerated in growth - with double the sales that we normally expect our franchisees to achieve when they start.
NIGEL ELWELL // Warehouse Manager to Award Winning Oven Cleaner
A different change of life...
Stewart Baldwin was an Warehouse Manager working long days and shifts. He wasn't getting any time with his young sons and his wife. So a change was required. Stewart joined us by acquiring a resale area in Yeovil in Somerset.
STEwart Baldwin // Warehouse Manager to Professional Oven Cleaner Somerset
The Best Time to Start Your OvenGleamers Oven Cleaning Business is Now!
People think oven cleaning is a seasonal business. It's true that it gets busier at Christmas and the lead up to it. But we have worked out how to market oven cleaning businesses in any area to get results for the franchisee. There is no best time - only when you decide to go for it.
Get our information pack and watch our video training series by clicking on the "Send me the information Pack Now" button below.
5 Simple Steps to...
To Start Your OvenGleamers Local Premium Franchise
90 Day Income Guarantee
You are fully protected by our 90 day Income-Guarantee. We guarantee that you will have sales of £6000 in your first 3 months of operating. We generate and pay for all the marketing to get these sales for you, working out what works best in your local area. You pay nothing in the way of fees or marketing expenses in your first three months.
Graham Rogers
Frequently Asked Questions
No, no experience is required, as we will train you in everything you need to know. Though some DIY experience or messing around with motorcycles will help.
Oven Cleaning franchisees vary in price. You need to look at the package that comes with the franchise licence. We have a fully comprehensive package and SALES INCOME GUARANTEE and Our package starts at £16995 plus VAT.
You can start your business within a couple of weeks. We will be able to train you in one of our training slots. We have 4 slots available each month. But you will need to see if we have any spaces if you would like to start now.
We have franchisees who have bought our franchise package at the age of 65. We feel that you should be able to run the business yourself for the full five years. Or, if you are older, you may want to get an employee and manage the business, or buy the package for a relative to have their own business.
We consider our business to be the safest oven cleaning business you can get. We use an electrically heated van mounted plastic dip tank in. We only use eco products in the home and clean ovens cold. We wouldn't recommend having an oven cleaning franchise that has a dip tank that is heated up with gas burners. Over the years they have been proven to be unsafe. If you do buy one make sure the company is complying with the new HSE guidelines for oven cleaning companies using gas burners. We also wouldn't recommend using any strong chemicals in a customers home.
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