Owner-operator franchise
Start hands-on, keep your overheads tiny
People who want to launch quickly, work in the business themselves at first, and build a client base at their own pace.
From £7,999 + VAT
Read more about this modelCompare Poppies franchise packages
Not sure whether an owner-operator or management franchise is right for you? Here is a side-by-side comparison to help you decide.
Two models, one proven brand
Both packages give you an exclusive territory, full training and ongoing mentoring — the difference is how hands-on you want to be.
Management franchise
Build a team, manage the business, not the mop
People who want to lead a team from the outset and scale towards a six-figure, sellable business.
Up to £18,999 + VAT
Read more about this modelSide-by-side comparison
Where Poppies does not publish an exact figure, we describe the difference qualitatively rather than guess.
| Owner-operator franchise | Management franchise | |
|---|---|---|
| Investment | From £7,999 + VAT | Up to £18,999 + VAT |
| Who it suits | People who want to launch quickly, keep overheads small, and are happy delivering the cleaning themselves. | People with strong people skills who want to lead a team and focus on sales, marketing and growth from day one. |
| Your day-to-day role | Hands-on: you personally deliver some of the cleaning to clients. | Hands-off: you recruit, train and manage staff rather than clean yourself. |
| Your team | You work largely on your own initially, without managing a large staff team. | You build an employed team of cleaners, and can grow to include an operations manager or supervisors as the business scales. |
| Territory | An exclusive territory, sized around a smaller, owner-led operation. | An exclusive territory, with a bigger launch marketing campaign to support faster team growth. |
| Income potential | Around £42,000–£59,000 potential revenue in Year 1 from 25 hours of cleaning a week, growing to £84,000–£120,000 by Year 3 if you choose to scale. | Six-figure turnover potential once a team is established, as demonstrated across the wider Poppies network. |
| Route to grow | Can scale up into a management franchise later, at a pace that suits you. | Already structured to scale further through bolt-on services and additional staff. |
| Exit | A smaller-scale business that can be grown into a sellable asset over time, or kept lifestyle-sized permanently. | Builds towards a larger, team-run business with genuine asset value that franchisees can sell on when ready. |
Read the full detail on each model: owner-operator franchise explained and management franchise explained, or see the full list of what's included in every Poppies package.
Still deciding which model is right for you?
Talk it through with our team — we'll help you weigh up the two models against your own goals and available time.