It’s just three years since Sandeep Kumar and Richa Sharma made the big decision to leave Auckland and seek out a new life for themselves in rural South Canterbury.
Through CrestClean they’ve not only become successful franchisees, running a large business in Ashburton with a six-figure turnover, they’ve managed to purchase a spacious home of their own. And to add to their joy, Sandeep and Richa have recently become proud parents with the arrival of their first child.
Back in 2017 everything was vastly different in just about every aspect of their lives. Like many other Auckland couples, Sandeep and Richa were hoping to one day be financially secure and able to afford a place of their own. But skyrocketing Auckland property prices, coupled with increasing living costs, meant the odds were stacked heavily against them.
Then there was the underlying stress factor of battling the Auckland traffic to get to work. The 4am starts and hours stuck on gridlocked roads were taking their toll.
When Sandeep and Richa moved south with CrestClean’s Move the Regions Programme, it was the start of better things to come. Initially they rented a property in picturesque Methven. With a population of less than 2000, traffic jams were unheard of in the rural settlement, and driving to their first CrestClean customer in Methven took just two minutes.
Their reputation for doing a great job quickly grew — and with it their business. Taking on more customers, the extra income enabled them to buy a three-bedroom home in Ashburton.
“It was a really good decision and we both enjoy Ashburton. It’s a good place and there’s quite a lot happening in the town,” says Sandeep.
“We are doing really well here and we have a relaxed lifestyle compared with when we were in Auckland.”
Robert Glenie, CrestClean’s South Canterbury Regional Manager, says Sandeep and Richa’s success story has been an inspiration to other people, who have since joined the company.
“It makes me really proud to know that what I’m telling people about the things they can achieve with CrestClean, in terms of owning a successful business and enjoying the lifestyle that comes with it, is all true.
“When people start a business they tell me what they want and I do my best to help them achieve it.
“Sandeep and Richa have done incredibly well and I’m very pleased for them. They moved here to start a business and they’ve gone from owning nothing in Auckland to owning their own successful business and their own home here in a fabulous part of New Zealand.”
To mark his three years with the company, Sandeep recently received a certificate of long service from CrestClean’s Managing Director Grant McLauchlan.
It was a proud moment, says Sandeep. “It feels really good when you get an award from the top management, it was something quite special.”
The award, along with other certificates recognising training achievements, is proudly displayed at the couple’s new home. “It’s now hanging on the wall with the other awards from CrestClean,” says Sandeep.
Ashburton and Timaru are towns included in CrestClean’s Move to the Regions Programme. The initiative pays up to $3,000 relocation costs to help families settle in areas where CrestClean needs personnel.
