Open day at our new unit!
On the 7th January we opened the doors to the public to our new unit and we couldn't be prouder of what we have achieved. It's been a dream to have our own office and storage space but with the difficult climates we have witnessed the last few years, it always seemed like a dream that would never happen. Claire from Claire's floristry and I searched for over a year for the right space and by chance we stumbled across the Southmoor Workspace and it's perfect! We decided to share to keep costs down and also for company, it's lonely working alone at home and Claire felt the same and had outgrown her vintage caravan so it all made sense. The new unit gives us some much-needed storage space, along with a new chapter for the business, here's to the next 12 years!
Why do cleaners charge so much?
We get asked this question a lot, twice this week! The familiar response we get is 'I’ve been quoted £10.00ph’ or 'I can’t justify that for a cleaner!' one lady yesterday said, 'wow! you've even got a waiting list at the price?!' There are reasons these people are so cheap; they are mostly working on their own with no insurance, no training & little knowledge of the chemicals they are using or job they are responsible for.
What do employed cleaners do like our Dollies?
For a start, we are not just ‘cleaners’ we are skilled trade professionals, we have extensive continued training on how to clean properly and more importantly, safely. Our Dollies are employed by us to offer job security as well & being fully supported in their roles.Along with the physical side of cleaning, there is also the costs of running a business, not an easy thing at the best of times let alone trying to survive a pandemic. There are the overheads, accountant costs of being limited, staff costs including being proudly able to say we pay above the national living wage NOT national minimum wage set by the government. Then there are insurances to make sure the client is protected, the DBS check costs, product & equipment costs, mileage, tax and national insurance, marketing, uniform, admin, rotas– the list goes on.
So, when you employ a ‘cleaner’ you are employing a professional, someone who has invested their time to perfect their trade. Someone who has been covid trained, learned safety procedures & risk assessments as part of their job role. Someone who not only ‘cleans’ but cleans safely, removing germs and bacteria whilst taking pride in their work leaving you with a clean, safe home. Someone who has been vetted & checked in order to be given the responsibility of being a key holder to your property!
Is a Dolly value for money?
This all depends on how you view cleaning professionals; do you see us as unskilled labourers? Hopefully reading the above gives you a better understanding on why we charge what we charge, the waiting lists part means our 12-year, 5⭐ reputation puts us in very humbled position called demand!
We are a living wage employer
We proudly became members of the living wage foundation in 2022. Our Dollies welfare whether at work or at home, has always been a priority for us and paying them a fair wage is something we are proud to be able to do so joining the LWF was a natural progression for us as a company seeing as we have always paid more than national living wage. Supporting staff is so important especially in the current cost of living climate, being a member insures them that they will always be paid a fair wage. For more information visit Living Wage Foundation