She might be just 21 but Abigail Nand has spread her wings by taking the first steps into business ownership.
The McDonald’s worker was juggling two jobs when it dawned on her that a better way to get ahead in life was to become her own boss.
Abigail has purchased a CrestClean franchise and says it’s the best decision she’s ever made. Cleaning came onto her radar when she heard through family friends the benefits of owning a cleaning business.
And she’s more than pleased with the income her new business is generating.
“It makes good money and we see a bright future with CrestClean,” she says. It means for the first time a long-held dream could soon become a reality for the family.
“We can probably buy a house next year. It’s a really good feeling,” she added.
Abigail is one of CrestClean’s youngest franchise owners. It shows age is no barrier to getting a foothold into having a successful business.
Abigail receives some hands-on help with the cleaning work from her husband Kritesh Kant. Other family members also lend a hand with the franchise.
She enjoys working alongside her husband and says the ongoing training she receives from the Master Cleaners Training Institute has given her a new outlook on life.
“You get to learn new things every day and different ways of cleaning. The training was really good and we had a great trainer who explained everything from A-Z.
“I feel proud that I have my own business and I like looking after my customers.”
Job satisfaction from doing a great job for customers can bring a few surprises, says Kritesh, 24.
Recently a grateful customer left a note and chocolates for the couple. “They said: ‘thank you for the wonderful job you’ve been doing for our business’. It was really nice to get that feedback,” he added.
Knowing they do a great job for their customers is the best feeling ever, says Kritesh. “It makes us very proud working for ourselves.
“It’s great as we can say to people ‘we’re not just cleaners we are business owners’. It gives us a real sense of pride.”
Neil Kumar, CrestClean’s North Harbour Regional Manager, says in just three months Abigail has taken on more work and doubled the size of her business.
“It is hard work, commitment and dedication from our business owners like Abigail that makes them successful.
“With CrestClean we have great systems in place that makes running a busy very easy. CrestClean takes care of everything.”