Michael and Mathew Stephens are used to sharing – they have the same birthdays, physical features and even co-own the same initials of their names.
The 19-year-old identical twins also share a flair for entrepreneurial life which they have inherited from their parents Darren and Jackie.
Already running a successful film, photography and postproduction business and investing in Gold Coast real estate, Michael and Mathew have now decided to clean up in another space – literally.
The latest addition to their burgeoning business portfolio is a Master Franchise in Urban Clean for the whole Gold Coast region.
For the twins, becoming part of the Urban Clean family was an easy decision.
“We had a look at all aspects of Urban Clean, what the initial investment was and how we could grow it, and then what our exit could be if that’s what we choose in the future. We saw the big potential growth in the whole system and thought it was something definitely good to invest in,” said Michael.
“We have the original franchise, and we can keep adding franchisees as we go. We have a couple of franchisees onboarding now and because we have such a large region, we could get up to 60 – 70 or even 80. The potential is pretty much limitless,” added Mathew.
The Stephens brothers are laser focused on their goal. While they want dynamic income growth, they value free time to pursue their passions.
“I like to have a lot of free time and I like my hobbies, such as surfing and photography. I was never really interested in the nine to five, because my hobbies can exist in that nine to five. Being an entrepreneur really gives you that freedom and time to do the things you love doing,” Mathew said.
And therein lies the rub. While a lot of people their age slog it out in one profession, forgoing the things they love to do to advance their careers and make a living, Michael and Mathew are earning big with a giant open road ahead of them.
“Some of our friends might have been a little surprised and asked, why cleaning? But then we explained that it’s more than cleaning, it’s a whole different business model. Cleaning is just the vehicle that’s used within the model. Once we educate them, they’re really impressed by what we’re doing and want to learn more,” Michael said.
And for the curious young entrepreneurs, there’s also the bonus of networking on the Gold Coast and getting to know who is doing what in business. “One time, we were cleaning on a film set and it was really interesting to see what was going on behind the scenes of a film that’s now in cinemas. But no spoiler alerts… also because we’re always super confidential when it comes to our clients and their workspaces,” said Michael.
