My Green Cleaner provides a domestic and commercial cleaning service in the Bristol area. The Mowgli Foundation’s project is a really good opportunity, and I’m really excited about being part of it.

1. The Mowgli Foundation UK
South West: Entrepreneur Mentee Case Study
Catherine Joliffe- Founder and Manager, My Green Cleaner Ltd.
Catherine’s background is in sustainable banking, with 7 years spent at
one of the UK’s major ‘green’ banks. When Catherine and her partner
had their first child, however, Catherine struggled to find a good, local
cleaning company that used ecologically sound products. This inspired
her to set up her own cleaning company and the company was
launched shortly after her second child’s first birthday.
My Green Cleaner provides a domestic and commercial cleaning
service in the Bristol area; Catherine’s domestic clients tend to be
families with young children, and affluent couples. “It’s people who are
prepared to pay a little more for a reliable, friendly and completely
green cleaning service,” says Catherine. As well as working hard to
attract new clients, Catherine has also placed social and environmental
objectives at the centre of everything My Green Cleaner does. In addition to being passionate
about the environmental benefits of cleaning and sourcing from independent manufacturers of
green products, Catherine also hires staff as direct employees (unlike many cleaning companies)
and pays above minimum wage. Catherine prides herself on her approachable managerial style
and takes a personal interest in her staff’s wellbeing and development, for example by training
one former cleaner in office administration. “I have really clear ethical values for how I run the
business,” says Catherine, “and I’m genuinely passionate about raising awareness of
environmentally friendly cleaning. I’d also love to employ even more people than I do, and help
create more jobs in Bristol.”
My Green Cleaner is now two and half years old, and the majority of her client base is within the
domestic sector. Now, Catherine plans to break into the commercial sector and so Mowgli
mentoring comes at the right time. In the next 12 months, Catherine hopes to double her number
of cleaning hours, and get a marketing strategy in place, as well as considering some upcoming
HR-related financial challenges. My Green Cleaner also faces increased competition. “When I
started up in 2009, My Green Cleaner was the only business in the Bristol area specialising in
eco-cleaning; now there are a few others.” Catherine looks forward to meeting her Mowgli
mentor, since her previous experience is that mentoring advice too often narrowly focuses on
specific areas of the business. “I’m hoping to meet someone who can listen to my ideas, and look
at the business holistically with me- someone to build rapport with, and bounce ideas off.”
Catherine’s aims for 2012 are to increase My Green Cleaner’s turnover, by both sustaining the
successful domestic cleaning operations, and moving into the commercial sector. She also hopes
the mentor can help build her confidence in certain areas she’s personally unsure of, and to
become more competent at prioritising, focusing and time management. She also wants to feel
more confident in dealing with her work/life balance. “The Mowgli Foundation’s project is a really
good opportunity, and I’m really excited about being part of it,” she says. “A mentor- someone
who has experience and a good business head- is exactly what I need.”