At the 2025 Molly Maid Annual Conference, Gill and Rob Dawson of Molly Maid Burton Upon Trent & Derby made history, by becoming their first Franchisees in the network to achieve £1 million in annual turnover. Today, they stand as the leading Molly Maid Franchisee, setting the benchmark for performance across the network
Their success has been consistently recognised. Their sales growth achievements have seen them scope an annual performance award five times, and qualify for their prestigious Molly Maid Escape incentive trips on three occasions, visiting Venice, Athens and Marrakech, a reflection of sustained, high-level performance.
For those considering business ownership, their journey offers a powerful insight into what can be achieved with the right support, structure and ambition.
But their story didn’t start at the top. “When we took over the business in 2017, it was turning over just £500 a week,” says Gill. “At the time, it felt like a mountain to climb, but we always believed there was more potential.”
Setting the Vision
After exceptional strong early growth in their first five years, Rob explains that everything changed in 2023 when we wanted to set our sights on going big:
“With the help of our Support Office at Molly Maid UK, we created a clear framework with phased milestones to achieve our goal. That structure gave us clarity and direction – we weren’t just working hard, we were working towards something specific.”
They set a bold target to grow from £13,000 to £20,000 in weekly sales and be the first franchisee to reach £1 million in annual turnover. “Writing it down made it real,” Rob adds. “Once we had that plan, it gave us focus every single week.” Remarkably, they achieved their four-year goal in just two.
Building the Right Team
A key turning point was recognising they couldn’t do it alone. “You can’t scale a business if you’re trying to do everything yourself,” says Gill. “The moment we invested in the right people, everything started to accelerate.”
Knowing the Numbers
For Rob, understanding the financial drivers was critical: “You have to know your numbers inside out, sales, costs and profit. Once you understand how they connect, you can make better decisions with confidence.”
Investing for Growth
Growth didn’t come without risk. “There were times when investing in marketing and staff felt like a step backwards,” Gill admits. “But we trusted the process, it’s about taking one step back to move two steps forward.”
Resilience and Accountability
Like any business journey, there were challenges.“We had setbacks,” says Rob. “But the key is not to stop. You adjust, learn and keep going.”
Relentless Focus on Sales
Once the structure was in place, their attention turned fully to growth.
“Sales became our obsession, but in a good way,” Gill says. “We tracked everything weekly and stayed focused on moving forward.” Today, their £1 million milestone is a powerful example of what can be achieved with ambition, discipline and the right support.
For those exploring franchise opportunities, Gill offers simple advice: “If you’re willing to commit, follow the system and think big, there’s no reason you can’t achieve the same success.”
Rob adds: “Molly Maid gives you the framework, the support and the opportunity – it’s what you do with it that makes the difference.”
Their message is clear: the opportunity is there, and the next success story could be yours. Please reach out to Jonathan Holden, Chief Operating Officer, Molly Maid UK to find out more, and how you could join the Molly Maid family.
To learn more, Jonathan Holden, Chief Operating Officer, Molly Maid UK, would love to chat with you. Click here to book a slot in his calendar or email him on jholden@mollymaid.co.uk.
