Dragon’s Den invests in window cleaner (From The Northern Echo)

Dragon’s Den invests in window cleaner

8:36am Thursday 6th August 2009 in North-East Business News

A NORTH-EAST entrepreneur who started a window cleaning round so he could buy a car has received a £100,000 investment on BBC’s Dragon’s Den.

Viewers last night saw Darlington- based “Dragon” Duncan Bannatyne make the investment in UK Commercial Cleaning, set up by Tony Earnshaw.

Mr Earnshaw, from Washington, Wearside, established the business with £300 five years ago, when he was 19, boosting the earnings from a local window cleaning round to £6,000 per month.

He then expanded to become a full commercial cleaning company and now has 30 staff based at Washington and Leeds depots.

It turned over £370,000 last year and this financial year they have a projected turnover of £1.5 million.

The company now plans to open a depot in London.

Mr Earnshaw said: “We are very flattered to have a businessman with Duncan Bannatyne’s credentials invest in our company.

“Duncan’s investment will allow us to complete our transition to being a fully-national company.

“We now plan to open a London depot by January 2010.

Without Duncan’s investment, this move would not have been possible.”

Mr Bannatyne said: “I decided to invest in Tony’s business because he has a large ambition.

“And he reminds me of myself as a businessman, when I was younger.

“His ambition is to be the biggest cleaning company in the UK, which I believe he is capable of achieving.”

The company has contracts that cover areas as far as the north coast of Scotland.

Having grown up on a tough estate in Washington, Mr Earnshaw dreamt of buying and owning a car and turned to business to make it a reality.

Mr Earnshaw, and sales manager Stephen Pearsons, pitched their business to the BBC2 Dragons asking for £100,000 in return for a 20 per cent stake in the business.

Mr Bannatyne finally secured a 35 per cent stake and a role as a company director.