One of the best ways to get customers is through referrals. Customer referrals are the best advertising you can have. But believe it or not, competitor referrals are almost as powerful.
An excellent shortcut for getting cheap quality leads is to buy unwanted business from your competitors for pennies on the dollar. Let me explain how this works:
Company A is a commercial cleaning company is Sudsville. 90% of their work comes from businesses in the Sudsville area. All of their employees are trained for commercial cleaning, and they only have commercial equipment.
A customer calls in for a quote to clean in house in Soapton.
Rather than take on the hassle of dealing with this smaller out-of-town customer, they decide to sell it off to someone who specializes in this sort of customer. This saves time and allows them to focus on what they do best; Businesses in Sudsville.
Since Company B is located in Soapton and has the logistics in place to handle the higher volume and lower pay of home cleaning customers, they gladly pay for the lead.
I have a competitor who buys all of my stripping-and-waxing leads. I simply can’t be bothered to deal with the liabilities or haul around that heavy equipment.
It’s a win-win situation for everyone involved. The customer gets the most appropriate service provider. My company quickly monetizes a lead that would’ve been a poor customer. And my competitor saves money on their marketing costs.
Call up one of your competitors and ask them about their business. What’s their main focus? What’s their least favourite type of client?
If they’re an east-end company, offer to purchase their west-end leads. If they do house cleaning, offer to buy their restaurant leads.
When you’re able to provide a wide range of services like this, it actually strengthens customer loyalty.
Just make sure they don’t try to undercut you.
The cleaning business has the potential to build a strong community of companies. It’s such a big industry that everyone should be able to find their niche and help each other out.
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One common question/complaint I’ll often hear from readers is:
“This is taking so long to get customers. Isn’t there a faster way to get this business off the ground?”
Well, yes… there is… But believe it or not, most people are better off taking the slow road to the big leagues.
Really, it’s a question of maturity. Once you’ve decided to really dedicate yourself to this business, you’ll need to be good at many things: negotiation, organization, hiring, sales, advertising, etc… This is a lot to take on all of a sudden.
In fact, many of the fastest growing companies I’ve seen over the years have closed shop within 6 months of opening. They grew too fast and got a bad reputation.
Sure, generating cash flow is important. But in the beginning, you’re much better off focusing on giving 110% to your first few clients. Perfect your quality before you focus on quantity.
Really, slow growth can be a blessing in disguise. In your first few accounts, I can almost guarantee that you’re going to make some very embarrassing mistakes. Don’t sweat it, it happens to everyone. You should just be grateful that you don’t yet have a name to defend. These mistakes could’ve cost you much more if you well-known in the community.
With experience, your game will tighten up, and expanding your business will seem easy and effortless. Eventually, you won’t even need to seek out leads anymore. If you’re keeping your customers happy, your business will soon operate exclusively through word of mouth.
Of course, it can take years to get to that stage. So for now, just be happy with your select customers. And keep doing everything to exceed their expectations. You’re planting seeds of wealth that will bear fruit later on.
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Well, this is all very new to me. I’d like to thank you all for visiting my office cleaning business consulting blog, and I hope you’ve been enjoying the articles I’ve been posting.
The last thing I would ever want is for this to be a closed forum. After all, this is the internet, and it’s supposed to be an interactive medium that encourages group participation.
So rather than going on about some obscure area of the industry that you may not particularly care about, I’d like to throw it back to you. Tell me about your sticking points.
Post your questions in the form below. I look forward to hearing your responses. It’s my hope that this site will become a living, breathing thing entity that serves the best interest of the internet’s cleaning business community.
What would you like me to talk about on this cleaning business consulting blog?
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Time to get agressive
Well, it’s that time of year again.
The snow outside is just starting to melt. The sun is shining. The birds are signing. And everywhere you look, there’s someone offering to help you start up a cleaning business.
Every year, thousands of new entrepreneurs are lured by the promises of instantly making $160,000 per year in an “easy “industry. As you know by now, this is all smoke and mirrors. Yes, you can make a lot of money, but you need to be devoted and professional.
If you’ve already got your own company, this can be rough. You’ve got lots of new guys entering the market. They’re all offering lower prices, and lower quality service.
Not only do the low prices take potential business away from you, but the low-quality service that many of these new guys offer will tend to make the entire cleaning and landscaping industry look bad.
With so many fly-by-nighters entering the field, it can seem tempting to join in and play their game. But remember,you’re in this for the long haul. In the end, you’ll wind up making much more money if you position yourself as the top-tier in quality. Part of this means protecting your reputation by turning down some price-sensitive business. Customers will eventually come around once they realize that they get what they pay for.
Of course, you also need to promote yourself twice as hard. It may seem like you’re giving twice the effort for half the money. But once the dust clears, the seeds you plant today will begin to bear fruit.
So get out there. Cultivate a reputation, and fight hard. The new guys will eventuallydie off like they do every year.
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Free education:
I believe it’s possible to get an MBA-level education without ever setting foot inside a university. A client of mine started her company at the age of 22. She had just arrived from a third-world country, with no education, and spoke only broken English. It’s now a year later, and she’s making more than most people with university degrees.
The skills you learn from this business won’t just apply to cleaning toilets. The basic principles can be applied to any business, in any industry.
This is life experience. And you can’t buy that from a school, or read it in a book.
Easy to start:
Thanks to the internet, you’ve now got access to a wealth of information on just about any topic you can imagine. There are so many sites out there offering advice on how to start a cleaning business. And much of it is free.
Finally, cleaning is an inexpensive business to get into. You don’t need any expensive equipment to start.
Lots of opportunity:
When starting your own cleaning business, it may seem like you’re aiming low. But really, there’s tremendous potential in this industry. Take a drive down any major metropolitan area. You’ll see millions of houses and offices, with millions of floors.
And every one of those floors needs to be cleaned by someone.
Even if your market is already saturated, many of these potential customers are dissatisfied with their cleaners. And that means more opportunity for you.
This industry is notorious for its price wars. Everyone is always trying to offer the best deal in order to get the contract. As a result, there are very few companies that offer “premium” services. If you can offer a higher standard of service, customers will flock to you and they’ll pay extra for the added value.
Make connections:
In my opinion, there is simply no better way for the average person to build a valuable network, and become friends with the most influential people in society. Because you’re primarily providing services to businesses and the affluent, you’ll meet these people and become quite close to them.
One of my customers is a world-famous author. I’ve been a fan of his work since I was in my teens, and I’d never imagined in a million years that we’d be good friends like we are today. Few other easy-to-start businesses offer this kind of opportunity.
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Buy contracts:
There are some companies who don’t actually do any of the cleaning themselves, but would rather sell off the contracts and keep a cut for themselves. Although this practice is usually reserved for commercial cleaning contracts, many of these companies will come across the occasional house cleaning gig, and they’ll happily pass it along.
Pricing structures can vary, but the most common I’ve seen is where the price is based on a percentage of the overall annual value of the sale. Usually, you should expect to pay 3 times the monthly value. For example, a $12,000 per year contract will cost $3000.
In my experience, there’s a lot of fraud and shady dealings in this area of the market. I’d stay away.
Do it yourself
This is the most expensive and time-consuming way to go about it. It also comes with the greatest reward!
If you have no prior business experience (as most new start-ups do), the learning curve is steep. How long it takes to learn the ropes will depend largely on how hard you work and how much failure you’re willing to tolerate. But if you stick to it, things will eventually work out.
Franchise:
There’s certainly no shortage of branded companies willing to cut you in on their share of the market. 2 big advantage of working with house cleaning franchises is the visibility of the brand, and the ability to share in a communal marketing budget.
Just make sure to practice due diligence before purchasing a franchised cleaning business. Speak to other franchisees, and ask them about their experience with the company. Make sure you’re dealing with someone who’s reputable.
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Tags: cleaning business, cleaning contracts, cleaning franchise, house cleaning, how to cleaning business
Finally, Some Respect
You know, this industry can really have its ups and downs.
Sure, there’s good money if you manage your affairs properly. But it can be really tough, especially for the first few years.
Of course, you get virtually no recognition. We’re like the invisible ninjas that come in and fix everyone else’s mess. And when we do our jobs properly, it’s our clients who get the accolades.
I really sympathize with the front-line staff who have to do this work for much less than they deserve. That’s why I always try to treat my employees with the greatest amount of respect.
So you can imagine how happy I was to read this article, where someone is finally giving our trade the respect it deserves.
Please understand the meaning of the word custodian. It infers that these people protect public health at a different level than the medical practitioners. It is reasonable to realize that the custodians are the first line in protecting the public health while the medical community is the last line of defense in the battle.
I really hope that this trend continues to permeate into mainstream society. You can read the rest of the article here.
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I just read this article about a company that supposedly got stiffed by the Clintons. I’ve read these types of stories about Hilary before. I don’t know if her people are cheap, dishonest or just disorganized, but she needs to keep out of the press for this type of stuff.
I’ve emailed the Top Job Services for an insider perspective on the situation. Hopefully, we’ll be hearing from them soon.
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Author: Michael Richmond
It may sound like semantics, but there is a difference between Cleaning Green and Green Cleaning. The first indicates that the janitorial services is using Green products. The second indicates that they are using a Green practice as well as Green Products. In the belief that Green cleaning is more than sliding in a line of Green products, there is the obvious need to understand that products do not mean the workforce is following Green procedures.
Green products are an important aspect of the the process, but Green cleaning is defined as a system of cleaning that promotes healthy surroundings for building occupants, and is also less detrimental to the environment. It is a concern for the impact of the cleaning process on the facility. Remember, defining the Green Janitor means (1) The Immediate Impact of what is done, and (2) the Residual Impact of what is done.
The Green Practices Initiative raises questions that some people do not want raised. The education of the workforce is a cost and a time commitment that they wish to avoid. It is easier to resupply the chemicals used and call that “Cleaning Green” than to train the workforce in “Green Cleaning” tactics. There is a difference though it may be of small concern to some. Do you want a mechanic who know how to replace parts until the car is fixed, or do you want a technician who diagnoses the problem before tearing things apart? A little training can make a big difference. We are committing more an more duties for the Green mandates coming down. Why aren’t we training them to do the job as professionals (Technicians) instead of task-oriented broom pushers.
A HEPA vacuum is a good choice for the dust recycled in the air by most vacuums, but it is an extra expense and they suffer from a loss in suction when they are not maintained. Adding a sweeping compound to minimize dust is not just a good idea. It too adds to the overall building health. Are the workers aware of health hazards of biohazard waste, mold that appears in the building, or use of pesticides? Are feather dusters better than microfiber clothes? Is the humidity a factor in the health of a building? There are many unresolved issues that the workforce needs to understand if they are going to fulfill the new mandates that are coming down in the next year?
Green Practices means that we need to do more than trade in the old spray bottle for a new one containing a mystery liquid that is supposed to be Green. It means that the person doing the work understand why something is Green or why it isn’t. Notice that the latest MRSA scare drove the schools and offices affected into a real panic in sanitizing. They broke ranks from Green products to bring in the “Good Stuff” that was not Green at all. Yet, had they been advised about the best disinfectant products and procedures, they would have been able to better sanitize their facilities and keep to the Green Program they have promised to follow.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/customer-service-articles/is-cleaning-green-different-from-green-cleaning-274377.html
About the Author:
Michael Richmond is the director of The Green Clean Institute and adviser to The Green Practices Initiative . List your janitorial services with JanDirectory.com
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Author: Hunter Crowell
Because of moderate incomes and increased costs of living, many people seek other alternatives for making ends meet. Owning a business is an effective way of boosting your income. Of course, for achieving a successful new business venture, there must be a need. Although many people have the entrepreneurial spirit, very few have the capital required to operate their own business. There are several business ventures that can be started with little or no money down, for example, an office cleaning business.
Starting an office cleaning business is simple, and requires little start-up capital. The only expense involves buying supplies and advertising. Fortunately, cleaning supplies are cheap, and it costs even less to pass out flyers or advertise in local newspapers. Because most business professionals are busy, they are willing to pay a company or individual to clean their offices. Here are some reasons why you should start an office cleaning business
As a business owner, you decide how big you want the business to grow. For example, if a smaller operation is preferred, you may decide to clean the offices yourself or hire one or two employees. On the other hand, some owners have goals of building the office cleaning business into an extremely profitable, well-known company. In this instance, you might consider buying into a cleaning franchise.
Because many companies and small offices are always in search of office cleaning professionals, finding contracts is simple. Nonetheless, you must be willing to put in a little footwork. Posting flyers and advertising is effective. However, if looking for immediate contracts that will start bringing in cash by the beginning of next week, print up a few business cards, informational sheets, and introduce yourself to business owners.
Office cleaning professionals have the power to set their own work hours. You can work as little, or as much as you like. Moreover, you may choose to manage the business, while other people do the cleaning. In this case, you would need to hire an office cleaning crew. Because office cleaning crews involve high-turnovers, business owners must be prepared to fill-in when a worker is ill or suddenly quits. Prior to opening your cleaning service for business, obtain a business license and insurance.
Office cleaning businesses can be up and running with little out-of-pocket expense. Supplies required include:
- Disinfected Cleaner (Clorox, Windex, bleach, etc)
- Duster
- Vacuum
- Mop
- Bucket
- Broom and Dust Pan
- Toilet Brush
- Trash Bags
Any small or large office business is a potential client. Initially, you may want to begin with smaller offices and gradually grow your business to include bigger offices. Prospective clients include:
- Chiropractic offices
- Dentists offices
- Other Medical offices
- Real estate offices
- Hair Salons
- Childcare Centers
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/business-opportunities-articles/learn-to-make-money-cleaning-offices-274987.html
About the Author:
Hunter Crowell is a researcher, avid money maker, and creator of Start Office Cleaning Business , a web page setup to help people learn to earn cash. http://www.make-money-explained.info/blogging.html
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Tags: cleaning business, make money, start
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