ServiceHuset saw a hole in the market and five years ago made a decision to become leading in providing private cleaning services.
Steen Theill is the man behind ServiceHuset, and for 30 years ago he started
the cleaning company, as a way to make a living when
studying. In a short time it became clear for him that
the market of private cleaning services had a lot of potential, as many people need cleaning help
for different reasons. In§ight has paid Steen a visit at the company’s head office
in the heart of Frederiksberg.
Retire or scale the business?
The first 25 years Steen ran the company by himself from an office within his
apartment, with cleaning assistants providing cleaning services. ”When I turned 50 years old
six years ago, I had a talk with my lawyer about the future
Claus Spangenberg. By then I considered the possibility of
moving to Spain, drinking good rosé wine and play golf.
But we agreed on the fact that it might be a little too early to retire
and that I should work on expanding the business instead. And
since the talk everything went “very well”, Steen smiles, with today 12
administrative employees and more than a 100 cleaning assistants.
Popular discount on cleaning services via the workplace
ServiceHuset has entered into many cleaning agreements with huge companies as
Novo Nordisk, Saxo Bank and Tryg Forsikring, giving the
employees a discount on cleaning services. “When they are given the discount
as well as a deduction, the price becomes very attractive. Then
the price can be compared to black cleaning.
Oftentimes customers consider booking the cheapest kind of cleaning But booking cleaning with us
give them the clear advantage that they are insured. And this has increasingly become important for customers,”
Steen tells us.
The Corona crisis may ultimately provide new opportunities
ServiceHuset has already survived many crisis through the years, such as the bird flu
the financial crisis and the ebola crisis. Every time ServiceHuset has emerged
stronger. A half year into the Corona crisis, the company has experienced a significant
decline in revenue ans has lost approximately 50% of the cleaning agreements, and
several employees have been sent home on wage compensation.
Steen,however, is confident that
the crisis could turn out to have a positive impact on the business:
”Society
will probably think differently about hygiene after
the Corona crisis. That means, that the focus on cleaning
will grow. “Therefore we will probably experience a boost in that connection.”
Next big step will happen when
a new generation takes over.
When asking what the future will bring for ServiceHuset,
Steen says: ”We are planning to open 8-10 departments around the country.
A new franchise concept in the next few years. Actually
we were ready to get started this year, but then the Corona crisis came. When we
have rolled out the plan to scale in Denmark, Scandinavia
will be the next goal to reach – and maybe more of Europe.”
Steen knows that the big plans
probably will not be reached before his goodbye to ServiceHuset.
But he is happy that the business probably will continue within the family
: ”My daughter has shown interest in
taking over the business one day. In 10 years I am
most likely retired, and I think it is a good thing
that a new generation takes over the company. That will be
exciting.”
ServiceHuset & Lund Elmer Sandager
ServiceHuset’s contact person within Lund Elmer Sandager is a partner
and lawyer Claus Spangenberg, who helps the company
with contracts and agreements. ”First and foremost Lund Elmer
Sandager makes it possible for us to sleep tight in the night, feeling safe knowing that
every legal aspects are taken care of Before Claus came into the picture,
we made the contracts ourselves, and many times
we did it inadequately – and we experienced problems. It gave us a false sense of
security. So even though lawyers cost, we have saved a lot of money.
in the long run,” Steen tells us.
ServiceHuset and Lund Elmer Sandager have made an agreement
under which ServiceHuset pays a fixed monthly amount, and then the staff
can ask Claus all the questions they might have. ”We can always call Claus, without
having to consider a lot of things in advance. I guess that we
contact Claus 4-5 times a month, and he knows the business
very well. It is a good deal, we have made,
giving us both safety and a feeling of security”, Steen concludes.
Read the article in the magazine here: IND§IGT – #22 JUNI 2020