Professional finish: Minster has become one of the country's biggest and most successful cleaning franchises. Today, with an annual turnover of [pounds sterling] 30 million, it is recognised as a leading force in office cleaning.(Focus)

INVESTMENT LEVEL: [pounds sterling] 28,000

It is the quality of Minster franchisees that has made it the company that it is today. "Since 1990, when founder Alan Haigh identified franchising as the route for sustained growth through a network of committed individuals, annual turnover has reached [pounds sterling] 30 million -an average of more than [pounds sterling] 700,000 for each of the 39 franchises," says Managing Director Mike Parker.

"Our annual awards recognise people who have made outstanding achievements during the year, however every one of our franchisees has successfully weathered one of the worst recessions in history and is well placed for the future. …