He used to work in a suit and tie, transporting the rich and famous around Queenstown, but when Covid hit and Vikram Singh’s income plummeted, it was a cleaning business that secured his future.
“There’s so much unpredictability in the world right now regarding employment and money, but the cleaning industry has been way more resilient compared to anything else out there,” says the CrestClean franchisee.
Vikram and his partner Brooke Braddock bought their cleaning business after their jobs were impacted by ongoing Covid restrictions. A private hire driver, Vikram’s turnover dropped significantly, while Brooke left her job as a housekeeper at an apartment complex as reduced hours meant it was not financially sustainable.
“I stumbled across CrestClean and got in touch to find out more about the turnover and the kind of work I would be doing. Obviously, it was very different from what I had been doing!”
Buying a CrestClean business meant the couple were able to continue to meet the payments on their Queenstown section, which they had been struggling to service.
“I needed to have something where I had a good amount of money coming into my account… so I pivoted this way.”
Initially Vikram and Brooke had customers in both Queenstown and Cromwell, commuting between the two.
But as they picked up more work in Cromwell, they decided to move, reducing their living and travel costs.
While the couple still plan to build on their section in Queenstown, they will most likely sell it and buy a property in Cromwell.
“Our work is here and it’s really nice in Cromwell. There is a lake, plenty of biking tracks, not much traffic, plenty of parking and it gets hot here in summer so it makes me feel like I’m back home in India.”
CrestClean’s Central Otago Regional Manager Danny Mastroianni says there is a growing demand for high-quality cleaning in Cromwell and with Vikram and Brooke’s relocation CrestClean has been able to start meeting that need. “They have learnt very fast, take pride in their job and have been providing an outstanding customer service,” says Danny.
