After months out of work, Co Antrim man Darren Crawford has turned his experience in hospitality cleaning into a successful business, building a thriving company that has already secured major contracts.
Originally hailing from Ballymena and now living in Randalstown, Darren struggled to find employment that was flexible enough to cater to his partner’s health needs.
For Darren, self-employment presented the perfect opportunity for a flexible career path that he could be truly passionate about, so he signed up to the Enterprise NI Explore Enterprise Support Service.
Although the idea of setting up Auburn Cleaning Services was daunting at first, Explore Enterprise helped the 33-year-old transform his past experience with cleaning hospitality venues into a viable company.
According to Darren, being able to explore the early stages of the business was invaluable in helping him find his feet.
He explained: “The bread and butter of the background of the business is where I didn’t really have any experience, because I had experience in cleaning but I didn’t have any knowledge about running my own business.
“So Explore Enterprise helped me in getting the first parts sorted and telling me the kind of things that I needed to run the business officially.”
After settling on a cleaning company, Darren started building a customer and client base for all areas of the business, including both corporate and domestic jobs in Northern Ireland.
“Most of my work is domestic cleaning regularly for customers on usually a weekly or fortnightly basis” he said.
“There have also been a couple of things that I’ve done outside of that, such as builders’ cleanses, deep cleans and end-of-tenancy projects.”
The business has seen several successes since it began operating in January 2024, a testament to the hard work and commitment of both Darren and his Antrim Enterprise Agency business adviser, Karen Wilson.
Despite having less than one year’s experience in running Auburn Cleaning Services, Darren signed a contract with Bann Limited, a national construction company based in Portadown to clean 46 student accommodation units over the summer.
Speaking on his business relationship with Bann Limited, Darren believes that this opportunity would not have been a viable scenario without the help of Enterprise NI and, more specifically, his business adviser Karen.
He said: “I think the service was quite instrumental in me getting it simply because Karen had done some advertising on the Enterprise page.
“Karen had just helped me receive a small grant to get some uniformed wear as well as printed leaflets out, so she decided to do a promotional post where I had the uniform on.
“That’s where Bann Limited saw me because most of my advertisements up to that had usually been to domestic customers and it wasn’t a terribly long time after that advert went out that I heard from Bann with the offer.
“I was expecting the business trajectory to be a fairly slow but steady expansion, so when they approached me for that contract, it was a huge achievement and I didn’t expect such a large contract so soon.
“I don’t think I would have gotten that if it wasn’t for the Explore Enterprise Support Service.”
Darren initially wasn’t sure what to expect from the service, but he quickly found it to be more than just a simple startup guide, gaining invaluable knowledge about the often-overlooked aspects of running a business.
From sorting the necessary insurance to managing finances and tax records, Darren learned the fundamentals of establishing a solid business infrastructure.
One of the most surprising aspects of the service, according to Darren, was the depth of support available, receiving help in every imaginable area relating to the world of business.
He said: “The amount of advice and services that were offered was incredible and if there was ever a question they didn’t know the answer to, they found someone who did.”
The added exposure from the Explore Enterprise programme, including assistance with branding and marketing, has helped him establish a professional presence in the market.
Reflecting on his experience, Darren believes that the Explore Enterprise Programme was crucial for his success since he began Auburn Cleaning Services 11 months ago.
“The service exceeded my expectations, from the grant support to the marketing advice, and it has given me the tools to succeed” he said.
“The fact that there was always someone to help me with everything from A to Z was a huge relief.
“The support I’ve had has made all the difference. It’s not always easy, but it’s been worth it.”
Darren’s success story is just one of many that Enterprise Northern Ireland is proud to support. Funded through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, the Explore Enterprise Support Service helps ambitious entrepreneurs like Darren turn their dreams into thriving businesses.
For anyone considering starting their own business, Darren’s advice is simple: “Take the leap.
“There’s a lot of support available, and if you have a dream, just go for it. The service is there to help you every step of the way.
“It does take a bit of courage to start your own business because there are a lot of risks, especially when you’re just starting out, but when you have something like the Explore Enterprise Support Service, there is constant help available.
“Sometimes it feels like you are on your own, but if you contact your local enterprise centre, it’ll really help in addressing whatever concerns you have and getting the business set up in a way that’s more official so that you have less worries.
“I would highly recommend working with them, because to me it was invaluable and I don’t think I would have gotten to where I am today without that assistance.”
