Jorge Santos: From customer to Area Development franchisee

Jorge Santos is a prised member of our Fantastic family. He joined Fantastic Services as an Area Development franchisee, but what’s more interesting is that he’s been a loyal customer since 2013. 

What made him start a business by partnering with his service provider? 

Read all about his journey in the interview below!

Can you tell us a few words about yourself?

My name is Jorge Santos, I’m Portuguese, and I’ve lived in the UK for many years. I was born and raised in South Africa. The mix of cultures is what makes me good at understanding people’s behaviours and different cultures. I am (I hate to say it) 53 years old, and I’ve been involved in the restaurant and nightclub industry for the last 30 years. I should have probably made this move (joining Fantastic Services) five years ago, but I’ve been trying to think about what I will do next. I didn’t want to be involved in the restaurant industry anymore, just because it’s quite labour-intensive. When Covid-19 came along, it made me stop. It made me rethink, refocus, and it has re-energised me. So here I am, at Fantastic Services!

How did you decide to invest in a franchise? 

Starting up your own business is a challenging task. It takes commitment, and a lot of capital, and the risks are high. I’ve always looked at franchising, but I had given up because I just thought I’m not going to find the right concept. However, franchising just makes sense – it’s a proven model, and it allows you to invest as much as you’d like. It all depends on you as an individual. 

Why the home services industry? 

It’s something that I’d never thought I’d be involved with. However, I think the “trick” to joining Fantastic Services is the fact that I am a Fantastic Services customer. I’ve been using the company’s services since 2013. I know this doesn’t directly answer the question about why I chose the home services industry, but it’s just the convenience and ease of booking services with Fantastic that made me consider it.

As a client, I wouldn’t know how to perform an end-of-tenancy cleaning. I will never try to clean my carpets. We all hate cleaning an oven. Nobody enjoys doing the window cleaning because of the smears we leave on, right? So, it makes sense to leave those chores to the people who know how to do them. Plus, there’s a massive demand for home services out there. And I think it’s increasing, now, after the pandemic. 

How did your journey with Fantastic Services start?

I had some tenants moving out and new ones moving in on the same day. At the last minute, I realised that the tenants had not cleaned the carpets, and the agents were coming in a few hours. I thought: “Alright, there’s one company I can call”, and that was Fantastic Services. Within two hours, the carpet cleaner was in my property. I was chatting with him and thought that the carpet cleaning business could be something that I should look into.

Until that point, I didn’t know that Fantastic Services was franchising. I submitted my inquiry, but I wasn’t thinking about being an Area Developer and taking the exclusive rights for an area. I was actually inquiring as a Working franchisee, but when I spoke to Georgi Georgiev (franchise adviser), I’ve realised that the challenging idea of the area development franchise is a good one. I had a lot of questions, but all of them have been answered by him. I have full trust and confidence that I’ve made the right choice, and I’ve got the energy and gearing to go!

How do you find the onboarding period?

I’m concentrating on the franchisee recruitment right now, but the onboarding program and Fantastic Academy (the training platform) – the name itself says it all – they’re fantastic.

The modules in Fantastic Academy are pretty thorough, detailed and well-presented. There’s a lot of information over there, and I’d still refer to it. Sometimes, I quickly go back and double-check, but I hope that all will become natural with time.

The personal coaching is also great. I’ve been working with Annie and Aoife (the franchise onboarding specialists), and they’ve been fantastic support! I’ve had any answers that were required within half an hour. I’m sure they find me a bit of a challenge, but I hope that’s not the case.

What do you think about our system and apps?

I think the whole automation technology is a massive plus point of Fantastic Services. This time with the carpet cleaner, he actually went on to the BFantastic app to find out how much more it would cost me because I hadn’t included one of the stair landings, and that hasn’t been quoted. I’d seen him working with it, so I’d seen the technician using it on-site, and I just thought it’s absolutely amazing in terms of the technology at your fingertips and being able to manage not only our business as an Area Development franchisee but even the technicians of the Working franchisees. 

Can you share your plans for growth and development? 

I’m realistic, having taken the market conditions at the moment. My number one priority is to get the right number of Working franchisees and grow their teams. I really feel that the first three Working franchisees might be my biggest challenge, but I’m quite confident that once I get going, we will breed further. I believe our model will be able to produce the results, so although my expansion is a little conservative for year one, I’m investing in the time in setting the standard of attracting the right Working franchisees. 

So, in terms of growth, my aim is to establish my franchisees. I’ve only got the cleaning services at the moment. It’s about perfecting the cleaning services division in my territory, but once we’re done, I’d love to include plumbing, handyman and removals services in my portfolio. I’m really hoping they will still be available in my area when I’m ready, so I better move on and make a quick move now. Otherwise, it may be too late.

Would you recommend the Fantastic Services franchise to people looking to start their own business?

Yes, it’s a no-brainer! It’s a turnkey business that you acquire and just get going with. It’s like somebody is giving you the keys and the license to the business. You’re ready to open the door and start trading. The whole process of starting up has been very hassle-free, and I’m a strong believer that I’ve identified Fantastic Services’ potential.

I really think I’ve made the right choice amongst all the other hundreds of franchises. There’s not much of a risk. It’s more of a “safe risk” with a definitely guaranteed return. It’s an opportunity for somebody prepared to do the work rather than sit back and think it’s going to work by itself. Again, as being a customer, I’ve seen it from the customer’s end, as well. Now, I’ll be providing the services to the customers, and I think that itself is what sold it to me.

• Last update: May 23, 2022

Posted in Fantastic Family