South Auckland franchise owners Krish Pillay and Pauline Valeriano have taken on a CrestClean franchise alongside their full-time jobs, making good use of their evenings and taking the first steps towards building a business of their own.
Buying a franchise had been something they’d talked about for a while, but they’d never quite got around to it.
“We’ve always had it on our mind to purchase a franchise, but I guess life just caught up on us and we put it on the back burner,” says Krish.
Krish works as National Customer Experience Manager for Fuji Film Business Innovation, while Pauline works for Southern Cross Partners. They’d talked about buying a franchise for some time and with clear goals for the future decided it was time to take the plunge. They now put their spare time into building a business of their own.
“CrestClean was the ideal and best option for both me and my wife to start pursuing, which we finally did,” says Krish.
The couple completed their induction training with CrestClean trainer Mohammed Ashad Ali, who spent three weeks working alongside them. They now look after Everglade Primary School and the office of Advanced Flooring.
Getting to grips with the school was one of their first challenges. With 23 classrooms spread across a large site, there was plenty to learn. They had to work out the best way to move between classrooms, manage the locking system and divide up the work so they could get through everything efficiently.
Mohammed helped them find their feet, sharing practical tips and showing them how to approach each job.
“He’s got a method, he’s got a process. His hands-on way to teach us was really helpful.”
Now that they’ve surpassed their first month, they’ve started to find their own routine and get through the school much more easily.
Balancing the franchise with two full-time careers has certainly required some adjustment. Krish says the experience has also helped improve his time management, as he works around his corporate responsibilities and makes time for the cleaning work in the evenings.
The couple aim to get their cleaning done between Monday and Friday, keeping weekends free to relax and enjoy time together.
Right now, Krish and Pauline are very focused on their future. They have ambitions to grow their business and see where the opportunity takes them.
“We really see the value in the company and the work that we do, and we enjoy the balance that it gives us,” says Pauline.
For both Krish and Pauline, one of the best things about owning a business is having greater control over their future
“With a business of your own, it’s in your own hands and you can really drive it to where you want it to be with hard work,” says Pauline.
While they’re still in the early stages of their franchise journey, Krish and Pauline are enjoying the experience and already seeing the benefits of owning their own business.
“I think it was the right decision and a good step that we finally took,” says Pauline.
South Auckland Regional Manager Viky Narayan is thrilled to have Krish and Pauline onboard and looks forward to seeing what they’ll achieve.
“They have been a fantastic team, showing enthusiasm, dedication and a strong willingness to learn.”
