There is a version of this story where a 24-year-old graduate takes a punt on a franchise and it happens to work out. That is not what happened. Aidan Davis had spent three years inside My Property Pros head office before he signed anything, studying the model from the inside.
Liam Davis runs the MPP franchise in Newtownabbey. Aidan's mum, Tina, left a 25-year career with the council to join the business. So when Aidan launched My Property Pros South Belfast and Lisburn in April 2024, he was not taking a leap into the unknown. He was taking a leap into something he had already studied at close range for three years, into an industry his own family was in.
The marketing graduate who kept asking questions
Aidan finished a marketing degree at Ulster University in Belfast and joined the MPP head office marketing team, building social content for the network.
It was meant to be experience. It turned into a three-year education.
“I always knew I would run my own business one day, but I did not think I would make that a reality at 24. At head office I was watching people start their ownership journey every few weeks. I could see the numbers, I could see the growth, and I knew I could do the same thing.”
He was also, unusually for a prospective franchisee, on first-name terms with everyone who would be supporting him.
“It was finally my turn to start the franchisee training. The team walked me through everything. I was shown how to apply for a business loan to purchase a van and equipment, and how to set myself up on Companies House. Alongside that I was taught how to deliver five-star results.”
The part he does not usually mention
Here is the part of Aidan's story that most franchise case studies leave out, and the part that is probably most useful to anyone reading this.
For the first stretch, he did not go all in. He kept a part-time role at head office and built the franchise alongside it. Then he stopped splitting his time.
Building it alongside head office
£19,135
and £19,735 the following month, while still working part time at head office.
After going full time on the business
£15,147
in a single trading week, with another week at £10,826. Sales grew 354% across the following twelve months.
He now looks after 215 customers, 184 of whom came on board in the last twelve months, which is 47% ahead of the plan he built at launch. Ninety of those are roof cleans on a regular cycle, and he is completing around three a week.
“The local response has been incredible. My customers have been delighted, word spread quickly, and it got to the point where doing both jobs was the thing holding the business back.”
Two vans, two employees
Aidan hired his first member of staff within a few months of launching.
“Conor had been stuck in a nine-to-five office role he did not enjoy. Now he works outdoors doing active, satisfying work he finds rewarding.”
Conor is still with the business. A second employee, Gerard, joined in June as demand kept climbing, and a second van went on the road alongside them. MPP franchisees operate from fully equipped, liveried vans, and two on the road rather than one means Aidan can now run jobs in parallel instead of queuing them one after another, which is most of the reason the growth above was possible at all.
From driveways to shopping centres
The work has changed shape as the business has grown.
Aidan has secured a significant commercial contract for a shopping centre in the Republic of Ireland, working alongside one of the country's largest facilities management companies. He has also been cleaning some of the most valuable residential property in Northern Ireland, particularly around Holywood and Cultra.
That range matters. Prestige residential work and multi-site commercial contracts are very different sales, and most exterior cleaning businesses only ever learn one of them.
Winter is not the problem everyone assumes it is
Seasonality is the first doubt most people raise about this industry. Aidan raises it before anyone else can.
“As the winter months set in and storm season continues, it is easy to assume fewer people will bother with exterior cleaning. I have not found that to be the case. Thanks to the skill of my team we have been able to complete jobs during daylight hours, and clients are satisfied no matter the time of year.”
The service mix is part of the answer. These services are complementary and in demand at different points in the year, which means franchisees can work year-round and cross-sell without hunting for new customers each time.
- Roof cleaning
- Soft washing
- Render cleaning
- Gutter clearing and maintenance
- Pressure washing
- Window cleaning
Almost all cleaning is completed with both feet on the ground thanks to the equipment, and franchisees are MEWP trained for the jobs that need height.
Before
After
Recognition, and a room full of people who will answer the phone
Aidan was named Northern Ireland Roof Cleaning Company of the Year at the Prestige Awards in July 2024. He is now Vice President of his local BNI chapter.
Belfast Live, the Belfast News Letter and Northern Ireland World.
The network has been the other constant.
“I regularly fly to England to meet up with fellow franchisees, and we talk through our group chat. If I am on a job and I am unsure of the best approach, someone will come back to me in minutes.”
“There is no competition between the franchises. We are not competing to see who generates the most profit or has the largest territory. Whenever someone does something more efficient, or that drives a better result or improves customer satisfaction, they share it so everyone can apply it.”
Every My Property Pros franchisee is supported by a head office team covering marketing, sales, operations, finance and technical training, plus a network of franchisees who have already solved the problem you are looking at.
Aidan has also become part of the training other franchisees receive. New owners travel over to Northern Ireland and spend a week with him putting theory into practice.
“I get to meet everyone who joins the franchise and build a bond with them. I can help capture photos and videos of them for their own social media and marketing, which they always appreciate.”
What is next
“Eventually I want to cover the entirety of Northern Ireland with my dad. It is something we are actively working towards.”
Given Liam's franchise in Newtownabbey and Aidan's in South Belfast and Lisburn, that is less of an ambition and more of a map with two pins already in it.
There is a personal target too, and Aidan is unusually straight about the trade involved.
“I want to buy my first home with my partner. She has been incredibly supportive of putting our savings into the business instead of a house deposit, and it is a decision that has paid off. We are on track to buy in late 2027, and it will be a much nicer property than we would have managed otherwise.”
He is building towards a business that runs without him standing in the middle of it, supervising a well-trained team who complete every project to the same standard.
“Joining head office after graduating led me to where I am today. Becoming a business owner has been a dream come true, and having the support of everyone around me has been a key part of it. I would recommend anyone looking to start their own business get in touch with My Property Pros. It has changed my life for the better.”
About My Property Pros
Established in 1996 and now celebrating 30 years, My Property Pros is the UK’s first and only national exterior property cleaning franchise. The multi award winning network is rated five stars on Trustpilot, and franchisees run fully equipped vans offering roof and render cleaning, gutter clearing, pressure washing and window cleaning, with proprietary software, commercial lead generation through MAX, and lifelong training and support. Almost all cleaning is completed from the ground.
Individual results vary. The figures in this case study relate to Aidan Davis’s business and were confirmed by him in writing. They are not a guarantee or projection of earnings for any other franchisee.
Could you build what Aidan built?
Territories are available across the UK and Ireland. Have a conversation with the team and find out what the first twelve months would realistically look like where you live.
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