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South West business Access Cleaning Services has gone from 0 to 112 employees and a geographical spread from Penzance to Gloucester, thanks to a £163k funding boost through SWIG Finance.
The investment – which includes £100k from the British Business Bank’s South West Investment Fund (SWIF), and a £63k SWIG Finance Business Loan – has enabled expansion through the purchase of Eco Blue Cleaning, a commercial cleaning business with customers throughout Gloucestershire.
It means Access Cleaning – based in Tavistock, Devon – is now a trusted service provider to more than 140 businesses across the South West, and continues to grow steadily.
Business owner Mark Shaw is passionate about sustainability and the environment, which is reflected in the use of 100 per cent eco-friendly cleaning products. Ethics are also at the heart of the company, which pays all staff above the minimum wage, and supports two charities: Jeremiah’s Journey and K9 Focus.
The business was born out of the Covid-19 pandemic. “I had worked in the commercial cleaning sector for three major service providers since 2008 – then I was made redundant in 2020,” Shaw recalled.
“I started Access Cleaning that September, with no staff and no contracts – nothing but a vision. A lot of people thought I was mad, but I knew otherwise. I had a wealth of experience and a genuine belief that I could create something special, so I took the plunge with all the risks, headaches, stress and 16-hour days that entailed.”
During those early years, Shaw was a cover cleaner, recruitment and training officer, business development manager, payroll and HR manager as well as working hard to attain three ISO accreditations in health and safety, quality management and environmental awareness.
“Was it worth it? Absolutely!” he says. “It was the best decision I could have made. I built that business to £560k turnover and then started drafting in support staff. Now we’re at £1.1m and we have 112 staff, including two fantastic area managers and our fabulous office manager Gill. I am so proud of how we have grown as a business and as a team.”
Key to his success was the input of the SWIG Finance team, particularly Senior Business Manager Nicola Parker. SWIG Finance manage the smaller loans element of the South West Investment Fund, offering loans from £25k to £100k across the region.
“SWIG Finance has been a great help to me, offering excellent support from day one and throughout our expansion process. Nicola has seen for herself my enthusiasm, experience and organic business growth. It has been a great partnership and I couldn’t have done it without her.” said Shaw.
Parker from SWIG Finance commented: “It’s been fantastic to watch Mark increase his geographical cover by implementing a series of strategic business acquisitions. Each business Mark has acquired has had genuine reasons for selling, and through these acquisitions, Mark has ensured that jobs have been secured as a result.”
Lizzy Upton, Senior Investment Manager, Nations & Regions Investment Funds at the British Business Bank, said: “We’re delighted that funding from the South West Investment Fund has supported the expansion of Access Cleaning Services. The business has not only generated over 100 jobs for the region but also stayed true to its core values of sustainability and ethical employment. This is exactly what the fund is here to do, to help businesses scale up and grow, and this is a great example of how strategic investment at the right time can transform businesses in the region.”
The purpose of the South West Investment Fund is to drive sustainable economic growth by supporting innovation and creating local opportunity for new and growing businesses across the South West. It provides loans from £25k to £2m and equity investment up to £5m to help small and medium sized businesses to start up, scale up or stay ahead.
The South West Investment Fund is increasing the supply and diversity of early-stage finance for South West smaller businesses, providing funds to firms that might otherwise not receive investment and helping to break down barriers in access to finance.
