As we face the future, it is certainly a very different environment to 12 months ago for UK business both large and small. The decision to leave the EU has left many business owners and management more uncertain about how successful and competitive UK business will be in this new world. Budgets are squeezed each year even in the most stable of times, so with Brexit on the horizon and some cleaning machines costing several thousand pounds, it may be that we see more businesses opting to ease cashflow or delaying the decision to spend large amounts upfront by spreading the cost to smaller monthly amounts by hiring cleaning machines instead.
The burden of compliance is reduced – and the possibility of a costly legal claim
Even without the changing market place we find ourselves in, there are many more benefits to hiring cleaning equipment. It’s our sales manager, Emma Hancock’s tenth year at Clemas and having spoken to hundreds of customers over the years, there is little she dosen’t know about what’s involved in the various cleaning activities that customers from different industries undertake. Clemas & Co is the number on distributor of Fiorentini Cleaning machines throughout most of England and Wales. She explains:
“Cleaning is a serious issue since lack of compliance with legislation can prove very costly to your business and it’s just not worth the risk”. The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 requires work equipment (for example a scrubber dryer) to be well maintained as well as suitable selection of accessories and the provision of training in its use. With this in mind, Emma goes on to say “the choice to hire becomes more of an attractive option to the facilities manager, the work involved in servicing and maintaining the machine is down to the cleaning company instead, freeing up resource to concentrate on other areas of the business”.
Time saving
“The machines are thoroughly serviced on site on a regular basis as part of the hire contract, this means no time wasted arranging a service and possibly taking the machine off site. A service typically lasts only a few hours so minimal cleaning down time. Unexpected breakdowns which cause huge inconvenience and wasted time are reduced by always having a machine in tip top condition, especially important when a shop or public space needs to be kept clean at all times. When hiring a machine, Clemas will make sure all necessary accessories are replaced when needed, the facilities manager will get a quality cleaning job first time, every time. All these things add up to time saved for a more cost effective efficient cleaning solution”.
Flexibility with immediate access to a wide range of machines
Hiring can give you the flexibility when you need extra cleaning machines, giving you access to a wide range of equipment within days. Emma said “We have invested heavily in our fleet of cleaning machines for hire giving our customers more choice than ever before. Hiring can be from one week and can extend to up to three years if necessary. Clemas makes it so easy to hire, the great customer services and expert advice means you will get the right machine for the job. Our experienced engineers can provide an onsite demonstration if needed and training on safe use and operation of the equipment is a high priority”.
The market is changing
“This year we have seen a steady increase in companies of all sizes hiring cleaning machines instead of buying new” says Emma “the market is changing, businesses now prefer the flexibility of having a cleaning machine to use quickly without laying out significant sums of money up front for a new machine”. Emma also mentioned “The hiring term often gets extended and we are flexible with this. We have had businesses initially hiring for a week and then extend this for a longer period until they are ready to make a decision about how they will manage their cleaning operation in the long term. We have also seen customers benefitting from hiring for a short-term period to make sure it’s the right machine for them before investing what can be a significant amount of money for a machine.
Other benefits to hiring include always having the latest in technology rather than being lumbered with an obsolete machine, also, when you don’t need the machine it’s not taking up space in your warehouse”
So as we plan for the year ahead as Brexit becomes more of a reality and uncertainty increases, hiring of cleaning equipment could be a safe bet for your business. We have a range of hiring options to choose from at competitive rates.
Call us on 01684 850777 or e mail us at info@clemas.co.uk for further information