Karl Taylor

My name is Karl Taylor and I have worked at Director level in the UK Office cleaning industry for almost thirty years. It wasn't an easy start though.

I wasted five years cleaning carpets and windows to make a living and I still hadn't got anything to show for it. I should have been able to win cleaning contracts easily if only I'd taken the trouble to learn my trade from someone who'd done it before.

I did all the usual stuff. I had my family running around town pushing leaflets through letter boxes just to try and get enough money to pay the bills. The real problem came when in 1985, as a young lad of 27 (with no credit history) I went into the bank and asked for a mortgage. I was laughed out of the building!

I knew that I had to serve some time working for another cleaning company, just to get that mortgage.

I learned how to get cleaning contracts

I soon realised that selling cleaning was my thing. I found out how to get cleaning contracts easily- and I was good at it - but only because I found a great teacher.

It really wouldn't be appropriate to name the individual or the company here because they are still trading successfully in the UK and I'm sure they wouldn't thank me for telling you that they built a massive, profitable cleaning company with no capital! But............

• They taught me how to start a cleaning business using my Clients money.

• They taught me how to get 100+ HOT leads every week.

• They taught me how to get in front of the real decision maker within two minutes of entering the building.

• They taught me how to convert 50% of my quotes into sales by putting the Client into a position where he can hardly say no!

• They taught me how to start a cleaning business that has a value in its own right - something that the bank would recognize if ever I wanted to borrow money.

• They taught me how to sell that business and still earn an income from it!

I worked for them for twelve months, thanked them for everything they'd taught me and started out on my own again.

Well, what a difference! Now I was choosing the cleaning contracts I wanted. I was getting to the decision maker within two minutes of walking into the building (just as they'd taught me), I was winning HALF of all the business I was quoting - and the Client was paying me before I had to pay anybody!

I never looked back and I went on to build a profitable cleaning company in less than twelve months (£432K turnover !!!) which I promptly sold for £100K+. In fact I went on to do it four times and since I started all those years ago I've been able to win cleaning contracts and ancillary services with a turnover in excess of £25 million!