Meet our franchisees

Nigel Bayliss, Poppies Sheffield

"I started Poppies as a stay-at-home husband and it fitted around our family life. 30 years later, I now only work in the business three mornings a week as I have a management team in place," says Nigel, who built his Poppies business around his family from the very beginning.

That long-term approach has paid off in growth too. Poppies Sheffield has been the highest-performing franchise in the network over the six trading periods either side of the pandemic, with a 74% increase in revenue and pre-Covid figures up 160% in the last year alone. "We've spent so much time learning how we can level up our operations and the efforts don't stop," Nigel explains. "This year alone we've seen a 29% increase in cleaning hours and a 30% increase in income. We have six new members of staff and internal promotions have been fundamental to our operations." With his team now running day-to-day operations, Nigel has been able to take semi-retirement without it affecting the business.

Emma Ryan, Poppies Stockport

"Before I joined Poppies I had a great job and a great package, but wanted a better work-life balance. I now work part-time hours for a full-time income," says Emma.

Her business has grown by 64% across operations in a single year, with turnover up 63% compared with the six periods before the pandemic. "My franchise is now serving over 120 clients, which equates to over 1,000 cleaning hours and a turnover of £22,000 every 20 days," Emma says. "It delights me to have seen the best annual growth across the whole network, especially as I only work part-time hours, but none of that could've been achieved without the dedication of my team."

Dan Reid

"I have a holiday home in Spain — in 2023 I spent three months there while still operating and growing my Poppies business," says Dan, whose experience shows the flexibility a Poppies franchise can offer once it is established and well supported.

A network that sticks together

Should you join Poppies, you will get to know franchisees like these far better through the buddy programme and the wider franchisee network. It means that whatever stage you are at — launching, growing a team, or stepping back to enjoy the lifestyle you built the business for — there is someone in the network who has been through it already.