Young Entrepreneurs 2010: Nicson White

Nicson White has had to diversify his services or miss out on opportunities as his cleaning and sanitisation business now looks to cash in on the commercial and retail sectors.

With contracts locked in with large scale franchise commercial operators like Mr Rentals, White says ‘no hygiene conscious person, allergic or asthmatic person, should be subject to the ongoing symptoms of an insufficiently sanitised home, travel path or workplace’.

HPI aims to win contracts for its licensees with a new structure. In order to attract better quality operators, White has also increased the buy-in rate to $45,000 from $18,000.

“We have made some changes to the licence model so that we now win work for our licensees,” he says.

“In the past it has been very fragmented and licensees have had to win their own contracts. The best channel for us at the moment is the commercial space, there’s less points of contact and we’re able to create a stable of clients there.”

White concedes that duplicating quality across its key markets in Australia and New Zealand remains the biggest challenge with licensees reduced from 150 to 68 to attain a ‘return to quality’.

“Our greatest challenge is to put policies in place to ensure quality service with all of our licensees,” says White.

“What started as a part-time mattress sanitisation business now has licensees in Australia and New Zealand.”

HPI has also diversified its services to focus also on the not-for-profit sector, while the company is also endorsed by the Asthma Foundation.

“We also aim to slow and reduce the incidence of allergy and asthma in today’s society by offering more thorough means to remove and neutralise allergens and contaminants in the home, work and travel environment. Evidence has linked many of today’s diseases to an insufficiently sanitised surrounding,” says White.

While going back to the drawing board in order to thrust the brand into new markets, the events of the last 12 months have also taught him a thing or two about planning.

“What I have learned is that cash is king and to stockpile while times are good,” he says.

“You can have a couple of good years and then learn the hard way. One thing that I have found is that when we emerge from a struggle or overcome a challenge I come back and always work out how we can make it better.”

Nicson White
Health Protect International
CLEANING SERVICES