Oct 1, 2026
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5 min read
Josh Melton focused Athens Cleaning on banks and doctors’ surgeries. The connection wasn the sector label. It was the operating model underneath them.
Sep 24, 2026
I started with an old spreadsheet of cleaning companies. What followed became the first version of my acquisition pipeline.
Sep 10, 2026
Some cleaning businesses are labelled incorrectly. The service is cleaning. The opportunity is the customer relationship sitting underneath it.
AI Series
+3
Jul 23, 2026
2 min read
Before I use AI in my first cleaning acquisition, I need to build the operating layer it can sit on.
housing association
+5
Jul 15, 2026
7 min read
Co-living, housing associations, BTR, PBSA, and retirement living appear to be separate markets. Strip away the labels, and they start to look like one client.
+2
Jul 2, 2026
6 min read
The quiet margin leaks inside most cleaning businesses
GLC
Jun 18, 2026
Predictable contracts. Clean numbers. Team-run delivery. That’s the asset.
operational insight
Jun 11, 2026
3 min read
James Fitzpatrick didn’t just buy businesses. He built the machine that runs them.
+7
Jun 4, 2026
4 min read
50+ hours of manual work reduced to 75 minutes. For £8 a day. Here are the nine tools that got eight replies and two NDAs.
May 28, 2026
9 min read
Most AI content for cleaning businesses was written by people who've never lost a contract. This wasn't.
podcast
May 20, 2026
What one Glasgow operator is doing that most cleaning owners never consider
May 13, 2026
Why I'm buying before I'm ready to scale — and what I'm actually trying to build
business valuation
May 6, 2026
Why most cleaning businesses generate strong revenue — and have almost nothing to sell.
ICP Series
Apr 15, 2026
The exact ICP, values, and hiring system Josh Melton built after Athens Cleaning's worst six weeks
growth metrics
+4
Apr 1, 2026
Most Soft FM operators are measuring the wrong thing. Revenue is growing. Margin isn't. The number that explains the gap is one most operators have never calculated.
Mar 18, 2026
Analysis of 20 verified UK operators + Plimsoll's 1,871-firm dataset reveals the structural margin cliff destroying SME businesses.
GLPI26
Mar 11, 2026
The Growth Lab UK Soft FM Profitability Index - Executive Brief
Mar 9, 2026
The Growth Lab UK Soft FM Profitability Index - 2023 Baseline Report
Mar 4, 2026
Athens Cleaning Series #2
finances
Feb 25, 2026
From £19k to £1.1M profit: the one decision behind the margin turnaround
Feb 18, 2026
Athens Cleaning Series #1
Feb 11, 2026
ICP Series #5
Feb 4, 2026
ICP Series #4
Jan 28, 2026
ICP Series #3
sales process
Jan 21, 2026
ICP Series #2
