Franchising New Zealand 2017 Survey and Some Highlights of Select Franchise

A research team from Massey University Business School and Griffith University’s Asia-Pacific Centre for Franchising Excellence conducted the ‘Franchising New Zealand 2017 Survey’ from April to May this year.

This business-related survey confirmed that New Zealand is the most franchised country per capita in the world as it had one franchised unit for every 124 people during the survey period, a report published by World Franchise Associates on 2^nd August said.

The survey revealed that there are an estimated 631 different franchise systems (business format franchisors) in New Zealand in 2017, compared with 446 in 2012. The total number of franchise units around the country stands at 37,000, an increase of 14,600 since 2012.

Sales and service sector turnover has increased substantially in the past five years with further growth forecast into 2018 and 2019. Franchising offers employment opportunities for increasing numbers of people, and full-time positions have risen.

The survey clarified that the turnover of the franchise sector has shown robust growth (about 84 percent), with an overall turnover of $27.6 billion compared to $15 billion turnover in 2012. This indicates the strong, experienced New Zealand franchise sector is riding the wave of an upbeat national economy.

And now coming to Select Home Cleaning Franchise, it has helped many people attain financial freedom through business ownership with over 190 Franchisees in its fold in the home cleaning sector. It had also once bagged the Westpac New Zealand Franchise Award for the best franchise system in the home services area.  

Select Cleaning effectively deploys their core systems and business processes that enabled their franchisees to deliver and maintain consistent quality cleaning to their customers at a cost effective price. As Select Cleaning Franchisees own their businesses, they really care about the cleaning quality they provide and are trained professionally to delight their customers.

Select Cleaning Franchisees get quality training, which covers everything one needs to know from how to mix chemicals through to how to build positive and lasting relationships with clients. The training has been provided in several different ways such as face to face training with dedicated trainers, video training, operational manuals and onsite training, and more.

Quick home maintenance tips for the week 

How to replace a sink pop-up stopper: Fixing a bathroom sink pop-up stopper is not a difficult task if you have the willingness to do it.  You only need some common tools like a slip joint pliers, an adjustable wrench and a screwdriver to replace the stopper.

First, remove all items from under the sink. Using torchlight, you can locate the horizontal pivot rod that connects to the sink drain, and see where the rod threads through the clevis (vertical plate).

Unscrew the clevis screw and the pivot nut where the rod slips into the drainpipe. Now pull out the rod enough to insert the new pop-up stopper into the drain.  Slide the clevis over the stopper rod and carefully insert the horizontal pivot rod into the drainpipe and check to ensure everything is properly aligned.

Next, tighten the pivot nut just enough so the stopper doesn't slide down, and tighten the clevis screw also on the other end. If you feel that the stopper doesn't move freely, slightly loosen the nut till it is working fine. Check for leaks under the sink before you finish the job.

For a free home cleaning quote, use our New Zealand wide phone number 0800 000 907, and a trained office staff will promptly attend to your queries. You may also contact us via email; all you need to do is fill in your name, suburb and phone numbers on our Select Cleaning website. While visiting the Select Home Cleaning website you can also read customer reviews about our dedicated home cleaning service. 

Select Clean Home Maintenance Tips and Property News for Aspiring Homeowners

Housing crisis in Wellington and Auckland

According to latest residential property news, new housing developments in Wellington have been lagging behind population growth and demand. The city is facing a shortage of at least 3590 dwellings as per official records.

In their efforts to solve Wellington's looming housing crisis, Mayor Justin Lester and deputy Paul Eagle announced a couple of months back that 750 units of social and affordable homes would be built in Wellington to avoid an Auckland-style housing crisis.

Wellington Mayor also declared a $5k rates discount for first-home and apartment builders. So, aspiring home/apartment owners can cash in on this discount in pricing.

Meanwhile, global investment bank Goldman Sachs said New Zealand’s housing market has a 40% chance of going bust in the next two years. It further said the housing market here is the most over-valued amongst the G-10 group of developed economies.

DIY home hacks ideas for busy homeowners

Did you know that binder clip can be used to make the following day-to-day activities more efficiently?

• Phone & Cellphone Stand
• Cellphone Stand Charger
• Watching Movie Phone Stand
• Pen Pencil Stand
• Bind Cable and Charger
• Organizing Cable
• Knitting
• Put Cloth Irony
• Cleaning Bar Management
• Tight Seal Food Bags
• Toothpaste Surrender
• Managing Money, Car keys & Cards
• Safely Razor Packing
• Securely Put Earphone

Watch a video to know how the above things are made with binder clips.

Simple and clever way to remove clothing wrinkles

You can remove wrinkles in your clothes by steaming them in the shower.

While you're showering, hang up wrinkled clothing from the shower rod. Ensure you close the doors and windows so the steam won’t escape. While you shower and do other bathroom routine activities, the wrinkles will be automatically gone from your garments. It won’t take more than 10 or 15 minutes for the steam to straighten the wrinkles.

If you have little more time and patience, here is another way of removing tiny wrinkles from clothes. While you boil water for the morning tea, hold the spout of the steaming kettle near the wrinkled area on the garment. Ensure you keep it at safe distance (say 12 inches) to avoid scorching the fabric. The advantage here is that the wrinkles are subjected to concentrated steam to get better result. The method of removing wrinkles while showering may cause your bathroom mirror fogging up. So, need not to worry about foggy bathroom mirrors with the teapot method.   

Stained TV Screens?

Make your TV screens and computer monitors stain and dust free by cleaning them with a coffee filter. All traces of grime, dust, dirt and fingerprints build up will be removed and the screens will sparkle again.

Seasonal Home Maintenance Chores

As a responsible homeowner, you need to make up your mind regarding the works you will be able to do yourself and the ones those are to be done by a home cleaning company. If you try to attempt the tasks that are to be performed by skilled personnel, it may run for some time, but you may end up with costly repairs later on. Summer and winter cleaning are important as they involve the beginning of your prime cooling and heating season respectively. Your home’s envelope and infrastructure need to be inspected and improved during these seasonal changes and only experienced home cleaners can manage it properly.    

The above points have been stated as per our vast experience in the home cleaning industry. Working for Select Clean, we have witnessed people paying extra power bills because of bad sealing, and then facing costly repairs due to moisture and leaks affecting the infrastructure of the building. Get a free home cleaning quote today from the most trusted cleaners in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Hamilton and Tauranga.

Home Cleaning and Maintenance Tips from the Professionals

Routine Home Maintenance Checks

You should remember that there are some home maintenance tasks that may cause bigger trouble or even worse, cost you big money, if you don’t check them in a timely manner.

• Sump Pump – If they are not routinely checked (at least every six months) for their functionality, you may face frequent flooding in your basement.
• Water Pressure gauge - Check for high water pressure in your house water pipe lines. If it’s more, fixtures and appliances may get affected.  
• Weep holes - Check and clean window weep holes at times. If they are clogged, rainwater will enter your house.
• Heaters -Routinely drain sediment from your water heater, if there is a provision.
• Garage - Lubricate the garage door-springs occasionally for smooth functioning.

Daily Home Organising Tasks

Here are 5 things you should do every day to keep your house clean, organized and germ-free.

1. Effective decluttering: Put things in order as and when you see them strewn all over the place. Keep bins, baskets and cubbies at convenient places so that everything in your house has a proper place.  

When children and others in the house come to know that everything has a place to go and you do replace them regularly, they will also have a tendency to place things back to its place.

2. Properly arranging the paperworks: Proper handling of all physical mails such as forms, letters, bills, reports etc. - if done efficiently, you won’t face the issue of getting them accumulated on the countertops, bedroom tables etc.

3. Keep countertops neat & clean: You should ensure that all the sinks and countertops are wiped down at least once daily- the ones in the kitchen may require frequent cleaning as the need arises. This will avoid any crusty gunk accumulating around the edges of the sink, behind the faucets, and in or around the drain. This gets rid of colonies of germs settling in your kitchen.

If you can manage washing the dishes daily, it’ll be a great advantage. Washed dishes, clean countertops and sinks all create a good feel of cleanliness everywhere.

4. Take out the trash: Make it a habit to take out the kitchen trash every night. This will not only keeps harmful bacteria and bad smell away, but also makes your house seem cleaner in the next day morning...

Good to try this to have a fresh smell near the trash: drop a dryer sheet into the bottom of the empty can before you put in the new bag.

5. Sweep the floors: A clean floor is what adds up to the overall cleanliness of your home.  You need not to vacuum daily, but dust out and sweep the floor whenever you can.

It’s good to add two more points to those daily things to do: Always make your bed and keep a clean kitchen sink. You may not have much time to clean but these tips give the appearance of an orderly, clean home.

Bathroom Cleaning

Use clever tricks to remove soap scum from your bath area.  It’s not that easy to get rid of soap scum if you don’t follow instructions from an expert home cleaner.  Soap scum forms a tough film on tiles in tub and showers and won’t get removed by rubbing alone. Use a plastic putty knife to scrape off the scum when the surface is dry. If you are okay, you may use synthetic soaps which don’t form scum.

Cleaning and Maintaining Stone Floors

Natural stone surfaces are delicate and porous too. Marble is softer than granite, and so it is very easily etched by acids and citric juices. Even water drops left after mopping can cause water stains on marble.

If a spill occurred, quickly blot the spill to minimise their absorption into the stone’s inner layers. Place doormats at all entrances to minimise dirt and other particles lingering to the stone floors. Also ensure to dry up marble floors with a towel after cleaning. If you leave the floors to air dry, there are chances that the marble may get water spots and stains.

Never use strong detergents for cleaning marble or other natural stone floors. The chemical content in the detergent could harm the stone and also dull the polished surface. Always use the gentlest methods to clean marble and other delicate stone surfaces. Consult a stone restoration specialist or a reliable home cleaning company in New Zealand for tips to maintain stone floors and counters.

Home Improvements- How to Fix Squeaky Floors

If you are not a technically skilled person, even minor repairs such as replacing tap washers or fixing a leak can become tedious job if you’re attempting DIY methods. Sometimes things may get worsened, ending up damaging the tap itself! Same thing also may happen when you attempt minor repairs on electrical or electronic appliances, lightings, and switches etc. But don’t worry; you’re not alone in this category!

You may be a qualified computer wizard, an artist or banker etc. and you know that each profession needs its own expertise. Works such as plumbing, house cleaning, electrical repair etc. are also qualified professions which need to be done by respective tradesmen. If a House Officer tries to repair his computer, you know that the end result can be disastrous!

Annoying Creaky Floorboards

Squeaky floorboards are a nasty disturbance for everybody in the home as it creates that irritating noise whenever someone walks around. This can happen in both older and modern homes. Squeaking of floorboards is a sign that the boards are rubbing against each other because loose nails may be allowing the boards to move or the shrinking of wood has created a small gap for movement.

If the squeaking board and its adjacent ones seem springy, the joists below may be defective, and you need an expert hand to make it alright.  Repairing a creaky wooden floor is not a major repair work if you can get the best home maintenance professionals in the town. A qualified carpenter can fix this issue quite affordably. So don’t carry on suffering those annoying creaks and strained noises any more.

Your hardwood or carpeted flooring will not get any damage if the repair work is carried out by verified technicians. Search the internet for flooring specialists and check their websites to shortlist a few. Also visit their social media pages and listen to testimonials and customer feedback to finalise a service provider. You may also take free quote from two standard companies to compare the prices, and checking the quality of materials they use for decking and flooring.

For home cleaning and maintenance works, always rely on those service providers who are known for high quality craft and customer service.

At the same time let’s say, if you have some technical abilities and like to do small repair works for yourself, you can always try DIY methods where you’re confident. See what a house owner did when he realised that people won’t take his home for rent because the floor is squeaky and really annoying. He used a drill and screwed some small self tapping screws in the joints of the squeaking boards and found that the disturbing creaky noise has gone forever! But when squeak occurs due to shrinkage gaps and joint stiffness, it’s better to use glued joint than drilling down the screws.

If the squeaky noise is small, inspect the floorboards closely. If you’re lucky, you’ll find that the cause may be due to rubbing of the boards against each other. In that case, apply some talcum powder along the seam where the boards are rubbing and then walk few steps on the floorboards for the powder to set in and eliminate the disturbing noise.

Advantage of Getting Acquainted with Select Cleaning Professionals

If you’re calling a repair service for fixing squeaky and creaky floors, ensure that they do lifting and relaying the carpets before and after the screw down and repair. One thing you can do is to call the customer care team of Select Home Cleaning on 0800 000 907 and talk about your requirement. Select Cleaning do general house cleaning service in Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, Wellington and Christchurch, and because they’re in the home cleaning sector for so many years, they can also get your home maintenance works done by authentic service providers who are well known to them.

Dealing with Leaky Pipes and Other Home Cleaning Issues

Leaky pipes can cause damage to your home if they are not taken care of in a proper manner. Water leaks are always a headache as it can cause flooding, mould and other issues. When you’re not taking professional help on time for house cleaning and water leak issues, you may risk long term damages to your property.

Check Your Water Taps Regularly

One should know the location of meter tap, or toby, which shuts off main water supply to your property. This is necessary to quickly switch it off in case of an emergency. It’s a good idea to know where your meter taps are before an emergency strikes.

Did you know that screw-down taps turn off in a clockwise direction?! Check and ensure that the meter tap is working properly or else call the water authority personnel who are responsible for repairing it. 

Also check for corrosion, stiffness and leakage on the controlling water taps to dishwashers, washing machines, sinks, and other appliances in the kitchen. Any leakage in the mains pressure hot water units and toilet pipes are to be referred to professional plumbers.

Dripping taps or showers in addition to wasting lot of water can also make the sink or bath susceptible to staining. Did you know that a dripping water tap wastes over 70L of water a day? And hot water leakage will cost you dearly.

You can try DIY methods for minor leaks, but it’s good to always seek the advice of your plumber or plumbing retailer before dealing with complicated dripping tap issues.

Leaking Waste Water Pipes

Consider any leaks from the bath, shower or sink waste pipes as serious issues which need timely attention. These leaky waste pipes could damage the foundation structure of your house and will eventually lead to the formation of dampness in the house due to excessive moisture build-up.

More House Cleaning Tips

• Some people think that a dishwasher needs no particular washing or cleaning because it itself is a ‘washer’! But the truth is that the dishwasher forms an ideal place for the growth of fungi and black yeast, so you need to clean it thoroughly at least once in a month. You can use vinegar to clean the inside of dishwasher. Take a dishwasher-safe cup and pour some vinegar into it before placing it on the top rack of the empty dishwasher. Then run the dishwasher at a hot temperature setting for a full cycle to clean it perfectly of microbes.
  
• It is a false notion that wearing gloves means you are safe from harmful bacteria. If you are not keeping the gloves clean enough, beware that they may be hoarding colonies of bacteria. Keep the gloves clean and dry when you’re not using them, and change them once in a month. Gloves have to be treated for about 15 minutes in a solution of hot water mixed with 2 spoons of vinegar.
  
• Some people use more cleaning soap thinking that it’ll yield better result. But actually it’s the contrary. More soap is always harmful. Uncleaned soap particles in the clothes, hands and dishes can cause the growth of bacteria. Rinse clothes well enough to remove all soap residue and ensure that they are completely dry before use.
  
• Don’t assume that disease causing bacteria are present more in the toilets than other places in the house. In fact, there is high percentage of bacteria concentration on the most used home items such as door handles, television remotes, microwave buttons, and light switches etc. than on your toilet seat. One may also find larger colonies of bacteria in the refrigerator and dish cloths than in the bathrooms. So, give greater attention to those places where there are more germs. Use a disinfectant wipe to clean all those electronic items mostly shared in the home.

Regarding home maintenance, it is good to remember the saying- A stitch in time saves nine! A leaky, unclean home can be a major worry to you. Never hesitate to call professional home cleaners and plumbers when you spot some issues.

Checklist for Homeowners to Keep Their Properties Well Maintained

Everything from regular home cleaning and preventative care to repairs and replacements can be termed as home maintenance. It’s good to get reliable, practical information on common house maintenance problems, their causes, and possible solutions.

Though Do-It-Yourself house maintenance is favoured by many New Zealanders, it’s necessary to know when you should go for DIY methods and when it’s time to call a professional. Inspect your property regularly and readily do the repairs on time. Keep with you the contact details of affordable home cleaners and plumbers etc. in New Zealand so as to call them promptly in case there are maintenance issues which you can’t do yourself.

Let’s check some of the important aspects of home maintenance that’ll help you to keep your home healthy & safe:

• Understand the common preventive maintenance requirements of all areas in your house to avoid some problems from occurring- timely gutter cleaning, opening the windows regularly for proper ventilation, occasionally checking the roof cladding etc. are some examples of preventive maintenance works.
• Small repairs should be addressed at the right time to prevent them from becoming large maintenance issues. This way you can save money by fixing problems before they get bigger.
• Suppose some damage has occurred in a rental property, or there is need for repairs, you should have a clear understanding of the situation as to who should make the fixing done and pay the bills.
• Know your limitations while trying DIY maintenance practices. Remember to take the help of a professional service provider to do important maintenance works in your home.
• Another serious issue with houses in New Zealand is dampness inside the house. A damp home is not a healthy home as the moisture getting collected indoors can cause diseases. It’s to be prevented by properly insulating, ventilating and heating your home. If there are leaks in the house, they must be repaired promptly and thoroughly by a professional.
• If there is presence of large deposits of mould and water stains in the kitchen or bathrooms, an expert home cleaner in New Zealand should be contacted for permanent solution.   
• Inspect your home’s cladding regularly for signs of water getting in. Consult a professional if you are not sure about the maintenance requirements of roof cladding. 
• Regularly clean guttering and spouting (at least once a year!) as leaves can easily collect and block them. Also ensure that the drainage outlets on enclosed decks and balconies are not clogged by fallen leaves and other items. Trees near to your house are to be trimmed regularly to minimise this issue.
• Blocked and damaged drains can cause flooding unless you call professional drain cleaners on time.  

                                           
The above home maintenance tips are brought to you by Select Home Cleaning research team. Select Cleaning has a proven track record of providing quality and cost effective home cleaning services in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Tauranga and Hamilton. Check out their wide range of affordable cleaning services in New Zealand and Australia. Visit Website or call now for a free quote: 0800 000 907.