Quick Drying Time Helps Property Damage Franchise Clean Up
7th February 2010
Flooding is an increasing occurrence in the UK, and one that costs insurance companies billions of pounds each year. A property repair franchise that saves time and money is therefore an appealing proposition for insurance companies and loss adjusters. Allkare, which specialises in drying and repairing flood and water-damaged properties, uses a system that reduces drying times from weeks to days.
Says Allkare founder and Managing Director, Peter Hargreaves: Allkares unique approach to water or flood damaged properties reduces the average claim cycle by 50 percent. Our process involves asbestos testing, removal if necessary, installing accelerated drying equipment and providing a full reinstatement service. This has made us the approved contractor for many loss adjusters looking to complete insurance claims quickly and effectively.
According to the Environment Agency, more than five million people live in homes that are at risk of flooding from rivers or the sea. The severity of flash floods has been well documented in recent years, from the tragedies in Boscastle and Hull to the chaos seen in Gloucestershire in the summer of 2007, when many thousands of homes were severely (though not irreparably) damaged.
The main reason Allkare appeals, not only to insurance companies keen to reduce payout levels, but also to potential franchisees looking for a sound investment, is the speed with which the company rectifies flood damage, giving it a critical competitive edge.
Says Hargreaves: When you look at the figures, the average property repair generates around 10,000 in revenue and when theres a big flood, youre looking at multiples of that. Franchisees can realistically expect to turn over more than a million pounds per annum by the time they reach year five, or sooner.
Ultimately, the weather doesnt care about the economic climate, which is why the recession doesnt really impact our sector, and our franchisees continue to do very well. Flooding will continue to happen, probably with increasing severity and regularity, and people will always need insurance to pay for the damage.
However the success of Allkare franchisees isnt solely down to freak weather conditions. A steady stream of income in fact comes from accidental damage.
Adds Hargreaves: Big disasters and big clean ups are the stories that hit the headlines, but its day-to-day leaks such as broken radiators, leaking showers and burst water pipes that cause most of the problems for commercial properties and households. These sorts of occurrences are the bread and butter work our franchisees profit from, and theres no shortage of them.
Today, Allkare only works with vetted and approved builders, and is equally selective when choosing its franchisees.
The perfect franchisee profile for us is somebody who is ambitious and a capable manager of people, says Hargreaves. Allkare should be an attractive proposition for good project managers people who are comfortable overseeing large projects.
As part of their franchise package, we provide them with a six month critical business mentoring programme, specialist equipment, branding and marketing material, access to our state-of-the-art software system and, most importantly, we provide a series of one-to-one support sessions to help them find the most lucrative contracts. They really couldnt get a better deal.
