Migrating from China to Australia as an Accountant, and Finding the Language Barrier Significantly Harder Than Expected, so a Change in Course Had to Happen.
Episode Timeline
- 00:00 – Introduction
- 00:19 – Kathy started as an Accountant in China
- 01:17 – Coming to Australia, plans to be an accountant & challenges
- 01:44 – Preparation before leaving China
- 02:33 – The process to come to Australia
- 03:00 – Why verbal communication was the biggest challenge
- 03:34 – Studying English & Accounting at TAFE
- 04:37 – Buying a takeaway food business & how hard that was
- 06:03 – Selling the food business for a loss and looking for another business
- 07:12 – Finding cleaning businesses and initial doubts
- 08:44 – Trialing with Houseproud before buying
- 09:26 – Keeping customers for 17+ years
- 11:08 – Handling mistakes — communication is key
- 12:03 – What Kathy does now with a team of 6 cleaners
- 13:44 – Hiring their first contractor
- 15:28 – Split between commercial and residential work
- 17:45 – Recommending the business to friends
- 18:29 – Catching up with other franchise owners
- 19:16 – Wrap up
Struggling In a Food Business to Eventually Finding Houseproud Cleaning – And now Kathy is a 17 Year Veteran!
Kathy Xu, a 17-year veteran franchise owner of HouseProud Cleaning in Chatswood, we focus on her entrepreneurial journey. Kathy originally migrated from China with an accounting background, but due to language barriers and the challenges of re-qualifying in Australia, she shifted paths.
Initially, she and her husband ran a demanding Chinese takeaway business with no prior experience for three years in a shopping centre, which they sold at a loss. Seeking more work-life balance, they discovered the HouseProud Cleaning franchise. Despite initial skepticism due to its low entry cost, they were drawn to the business’s flexibility and potential to balance work with family life.
After trialing the cleaning franchise for a week, they committed, finding it easier and more stable compared to a food business. Kathy emphasised the importance of communication, trust, and reliability in retaining long-term clients, some of whom have been with her for 17 years. Over time, she expanded her operations, now managing six cleaners, while gradually stepping away from hands-on cleaning to focus on operations and family.
Kathy reflects on the differences between residential and commercial cleaning, finding the former easier due to more straightforward communication and client relationships. Looking ahead, while she is content with her business, she doesn’t plan to stay in it for another 17 years, thinking the physical demands of cleaning will be beyond her!
