Clean dealings is company’s mission
Start-up commercial cleaning company Westferry Property Services is bucking the trend in the notoriously low-paying and tough cleaning industry with a holistic focus on helping staff in the workplace and in their daily lives.
Dominic Drumm founded the Auckland-based business in 2007 after seeing that the industry was ‘‘screaming out for reputable operators’’.
The business began with a simple mission statement: to provide the highest level of cleaning consistently to all customers.
It went about achieving that by investing in staff through dressing them well, paying them above the minimum wage, and training them in workplace literacy.
One of the key components of the workplace training, run by training provider Sadlers, is financial literacy where staff are taught about the way debt can trap people, such as hire purchase or ‘‘guaranteeing your cousin’s car’’.
They are also trained in verbal communication, reading and writing, and receive a certificate at the end of the course. ‘‘It’s been quite emotional because some of these people left school when they were 15,’’ Drumm said.
Giving staff sufficient time to do each cleaning job properly is also part of the company strategy.
As a result, the company has low staff turnover in an industry where the opposite is the norm. The flipside is that the company has lost contracts because it is priced above some of its competitors, said Drumm.
However the company, which has 40 staff in Auckland and Wellington, is growing strongly, largely due to referrals. It has turnover of $2 million a year, and plans to expand to other cities.
Why did you become an entrepreneur?
I was fed up with seeing people in management in large organisations making poor decisions as if the money is not theirs, and being allowed to get away with it. Oversights and poor decisions means loss of income.
What have been the biggest obstacles?
Myself. Fear of failure though that has dissipated over time.
Name one thing you’ve learnt from while in business and from who?
Planning. Set a course and go for it. Learnt from my wife, who is much smarter than me.
What are your business and personal goals?
To achieve balance. A thriving growing business which sustains many employees’ families while consistently delivering to our customers while enjoying time with my own family as they grow.
Do you have any tips for budding entrepreneurs?
Don’t be afraid to make mistakes but learn from them. Surround yourself with smart, trusted, advisers but take responsibility for your decisions.