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4 Habits That Will Make You a Successful Corvus Janitorial Franchisee

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More than 1.7 million people currently work in the commercial cleaning industry, which is forecast to grow 6% annually due to increased demand. Employers understand a clean, healthy work environment is good for employees’ mental and physical health. There has also been an increased emphasis on professional cleaning methods capable of destroying viruses that cause diseases like the flu or Covid-19.

The growing need for cleaning professionals makes this an ideal time to start a janitorial franchise. While the industry provides an excellent opportunity to begin and grow a profitable business, it is essential that franchisees develop essential habits common to all successful business owners.

1. Bring Passion to Your Work

Mark Twain once said, “Find a job you enjoy doing, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” If you like the idea of doing the work involved in owning a janitorial franchise, you are far more likely to succeed. 

Love the Job and Thrive

Per U.S. News and World Report, doing what you love is energizing, which creates a positive circle that feeds on itself. Work gives you energy, so you have more energy to put into your business. There’s no need to dig deep to find energy each day, and you don’t leave work tired and mentally drained.

Keep a Positive Attitude

Any business will have ups and downs even when you like what you do. Successful entrepreneurs ride out tough times with a positive mental attitude. They view challenges as opportunities and are always ready to roll up their sleeves and begin a new task.

Clean Like It’s Your Home

It’s essential to be personally invested in every job you take. No matter what type of space you are working on, approach it as if you are cleaning your home.

Set and Track Goals

Choose a franchise opportunity with a positive goal in mind and then continually set and alter goals as required. Goal setting ensures your business goes in your intended direction and allows you to track progress. It’s crucial to continually review plans to meet the changing needs of clients and the market.

2. Hire and Retain the Best Employees 

A company’s staff is one of its most valuable assets. Employees impact customer relationships and determine your level of success.

Hire the Best and Provide Ongoing Training

Strike a balance between competency and company culture. Take the time and effort to hire people who best fit the franchise. Avoid hiring a competent worker who doesn’t mesh with your franchise’s values and philosophy.

Create a Positive Work Culture 

Employees who like going to work perform better, according to workforce publication Slack. Creating a positive culture is vital and doable. 

For example, avoid playing favorites and don’t micromanage. Treat everyone with respect. Check in regularly with workers. Ensure an open information flow, keeping in mind that it’s better to communicate too much than too little. Encourage collaboration and respect among employees.

Consider working with employees to create the schedule and keep them in the loop regarding promotions and other changes. Encourage staff members to tell you what is working and what is not. Try to make their jobs more interesting by rotating workers from routine tasks to more challenging projects.

Reward Achievement

Because employees are critical to your success, it’s critical that you find ways to make them want to do their best. Ensure workers are well-trained for their roles and have opportunities to learn more. Give bonuses and incentives for top performance and provide perks like allowing the staff to use company equipment in their homes.

3. Keep Up with the Industry

Per Entrepreneur, successful business owners continue to learn and ensure workers have a chance to increase their knowledge.

Advancing technology impacts the equipment you need. It affects safety issues surrounding chemicals used in cleaning. There are always plenty of opportunities to learn new management and organizational skills. Arranging for employee training classes tells workers they matter and ensures they have the skills they need as the industry changes. 

Take the time to read industry publications and attend meetings and conventions. Join and get involved in trade organizations and ask suppliers to keep you updated.

4. Provide High-Quality Customer Service

Successful franchise owners know how to keep customers happy. That means offering the best service, nurturing relationships, and listening to clients’ opinions.

Use Green Products

While cleaning properly is crucial, it’s also vital to ensure it’s done using safe cleaning products and processes. Studies show that 46% of customers prefer cleaning companies that offer environmentally friendly products. A green initiative appeals to consumers’ increasingly eco-conscious awareness and helps ensure your employees stay healthy while working.

Build Customer Relationships

According to research, after just one negative experience, more than half (61%) of customers say they would move to a competitor, with this number rising to 76% in the case of multiple negative experiences. Successful business owners strive to retain current customers and do what it takes to keep them happy. Finding new clients is far more expensive than saving them, and existing customers spend more on your services.

Keep customers happy by providing exceptional service. It’s great to finish on time but ensure that workers never rush to the point they get careless. Customers typically understand that accidents happen, but it’s best not to depend on that. The cost of lost goodwill on top of paying for damages can get prohibitive.

Implement a Customer Feedback Program

Customer feedback is vital to keep a franchise growing. Feedback will help you guide the business in decision-making. It will influence changes in products and services 

Successful franchisees get feedback from sources such as their website, emails, and surveys. You need feedback to provide necessary insights that let you know where or how to improve. It’s an essential part of good customer service, which leaves a positive impression and encourages clients to return.

It’s crucial to respond to customer comments. Responding to every comment builds a strong customer relationship and clients know you care about their experiences with your business. Quick responses to reviews also help your business reputation and boost SEO.

Starting a Corvus Janitorial Systems franchise provides an excellent framework to implement these four habits for success. If you are ready to start a successful janitorial franchise, contact us today.

Franchisee Spotlight – Ricky Watson, Corvus of Cincinnati

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May’s Franchisee Spotlight Series features Corvus of Cincinnati Franchise Owner Mr. Ricky Watson. Read on to learn more about the standout Franchisee who goes above and beyond to Make Lives Better!

To keep up with the Franchisee Spotlight Series and all things Corvus, follow us on Instagram! @corvus_janitorial_franchising

Mr. Ricky Watson, Franchisee of Corvus of Cincinnati, is one of the market’s biggest success stories. In June 2007, Ricky started his franchise with Corvus. Looking at his business now, you wouldn’t guess that he struggled a bit in the beginning. Now, almost 15 years later, Mr. Watson is a Corvus Super Star!

For Ricky, his franchise started out as a side hustle. Once he got over the initial struggles he faced, his business took off. He started to grow quickly and soon had to hire a few employees to keep on top of his accounts! Eventually, Mr. Watson turned his side hustle into a full-time job. His wife joined in and started helping him with his business and they are both now fully involved in running it. Now Ricky has an incredible team and many happy customers- and he’s still growing his franchise.

Not only is Ricky Watson very successful himself, but he’s also been a great help to other Franchisees. When new Franchise Owners were starting up their franchises, Mr. Watson was there to help train them and get over some of those starting hurdles. Many other Franchisees and the Cincinnati Corvus Team have formed close friendships with Ricky because of his “Team Player” attitude. He’s always willing to lend a hand to those who need it!

Thank you, Mr. Watson, for embodying Corvus’ mission to Make Lives Better and for your decade-and-a-half partnership with Corvus…we couldn’t do it without standout franchise owners like yourself, and we look forward to many more years of partnership!

Franchisee Spotlight – Adrian West & Darren Starks, Corvus of St. Louis

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April’s Franchisee Spotlight Series features Corvus of St. Louis Franchise Owners Adrian West and Darren Starks. Read on to learn more about the standout Franchisees who goes above and beyond to Make Lives Better!

To keep up with the Franchisee Spotlight Series and all things Corvus, follow us on Instagram! @corvus_janitorial_franchising

Mr. Adrian West and Mr. Darren Starks, Franchisees of Corvus of St. Louis, are an outstanding duo. The remarkable teammates have been best friends for a long time, and they even grew up together! From best friends to business partners, Adrian and Darren have become superstars in the janitorial industry.

Mr. West and Mr. Starks started their franchise as a side venture while also working full-time jobs, but eventually, their successes have allowed them to quit those jobs to focus on their business full time. They managed to go from complete novices to elite janitorial business owners! Because of their dedication to high-quality cleaning, they have been able to rapidly grow. According to the St. Louis Team, they have grown their business four times in the last year alone.

After close to two years, they have massively increased both the amount of customers they service as well as the amount of people they employ. Currently, this dynamic duo has an elite team of more than twenty employees! It has been noted that not only do they manage all of their workers, but they have high standards and are skilled at finding great employees.

Mr. West and Mr. Starks exemplify Corvus’ mission to Make Lives Better through their hard work, determination, and dedication to both their clients and employees. The Corvus of St. Louis team, and the Corvus System at-large, thank these partners for all their hard work. At the rate they’re going, we can’t wait to see how much they will continue to grow in the years to come!

Franchisee Spotlight – Janise Ventris, Corvus of New Orleans

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March’s Franchisee Spotlight Series features Corvus of New Orleans Franchise Owner Ms. Janise Ventris. Read on to learn more about the standout Franchisee who goes above and beyond to Make Lives Better!

To keep up with the Franchisee Spotlight Series and all things Corvus, follow us on Instagram! @corvus_janitorial_franchising

janise ventrise and kett lobrano standing together

Ms. Janise Ventris, Franchisee of Corvus of New Orleans, is one of the most up and coming Franchisees in her area. She opened her business in January 2021, and in only six short months, she has earned herself the Franchisee of the Month award.

As a very ambitious businesswoman Janise is always willing to take on new accounts. Ms. Ventris cares about each customer that she services, and all of them take notice. The quality of her work is undeniable – she truly goes above and beyond for her customers. Her cleaning performance is highly noted, and all her inspections are either perfect or nearly there.

Ms. Ventris is also an excellent communicator. She is quick to respond to any requests by customers with humbleness and respect and she is eager to make sure that any problems are swiftly resolved. Her bottom line is that she wants all of her customers to be happy that they chose Corvus.

Most impressively, all of her great work is done all on her own! Without a crew to back her up, her work ethic and excellent inspection scores are even more impressive. Sometimes we can’t believe that she’s a “one woman show”! We are excited to see our business partner thriving and look forward to her continued success and growth.

Corvus Celebrates Women’s History Month

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March is Women’s History Month, and in celebration Corvus spotlights women from all facets of American life. Read on to learn more about these four extraordinary women and their contributions to United States history.

Sybil Ludington 4/5/1761 – 2/26/1839

Sybil Ludington statue

Our first Women’s History Month spotlight features Sybil Ludington- a heroine of the American Revolutionary War.

Many of us may be familiar with Paul Revere’s story, but the story of this brave, 16-year-old is seldom told. Sybil Ludington was the daughter of Colonel Henry Ludington, a New York militia officer. On April 26, 1777, a messenger arrived at the Ludington household to warn Colonel Ludington that the British were planning an attack in Danbury, Connecticut- the location where all the weapons and munitions for the Continental Army were stored. As her father began organizing the local militia, the 16-year-old girl got on her horse and rode through the night.

Ludington completed her journey at around sunrise- covering 40 miles (over twice the distance that Paul Revere had ridden) and warning nearly 400 men. It is even known that Ludington fought off a highwayman with her father’s musket! The British still raided Danbury, however, the Patriots successfully drove them back to New York thanks to Ludington’s fearlessness. Colonel Ludington later wrote in his memoir: “there is no extravagance in comparing her ride with that of Paul Revere and its midnight message…by daybreak, thanks to her daring, nearly the whole regiment was mustered before her father’s house at Fredericksburgh.”

Grace Hopper 12/9/1906 – 1/1/1992

Grace Hopper United States Navy

Rear Admiral Grace Hopper was a pioneer in both computer science and the U.S. Navy. She is best known for developing one of the first computers.

After graduating from Vassar College with degrees in mathematics and physics in 1928, Hopper received her master’s degree in mathematics from Yale in 1930, where she went on to complete her Ph.D. in mathematics and mathematical physics. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Hopper set out to join the war effort. She was originally rejected due to her age and small stature, but with much persistence, Hopper joined the U.S. Naval Reserve (Women’s Reserve) in 1943 at 37-years-old. There, she was assigned to the Bureau of Ships Computation Project at Harvard University, working alongside two other men to develop the IBM Automatic Sequence Controlled Calculator, more commonly known as the Mark I. Hopper was responsible for programming the Mark I and wrote the 561-page user manual as well. While the Mark I made Hopper a household name, many consider her creation of the compiler- a program that translates programming code to machine language- to be the most impactful contribution to computer science. When she retired from the U.S. Navy in 1986, at age 79, Hopper was a rear admiral as well as the oldest serving officer in the service.

Now admiringly regarded as “The Queen of Code”, Hopper’s trailblazing contributions in computer science and the U.S. Navy, both male-dominated industries nonetheless, changed the world. She later said that her greatest joy came from teaching, which she passionately pursued until her death in 1992.

Gertrude Ederle 10/23/1905 – 11/30/2003

Gertrude Ederle swimming in ocean

Gertrude Ederle was a competitive swimmer, Olympic champion, and former world record-holder. In 1926, Ederle became the first woman to swim across the English Channel.

Growing up swimming at her family’s beach house in New Jersey, Ederle’s love for the sport came at an early age. She left school at 16-years-old to join the Women’s Swimming Association and train as a competitive swimmer. Ederle competed in the 1924 Olympics in Paris, where she won three medals- one gold and two bronze. By the age of twenty, Ederle had set twenty-nine world records.

After the Olympics, the champion swimmer had her sight set on the English channel- the ultimate test of endurance. Ederle was determined to be the first woman to complete the twenty-one-mile swim between England and the European mainland. Her first attempt in 1925 ended in disqualification when her coach, following behind in a tug boat, touched her shoulder to warn her of a big wave approaching. Ederle was frustrated but certainly not defeated. The following year Ederle swam from France to England in 14 hours and 39 minutes- over two hours faster than the five men before her.

Ederle was forced to retire at the young age of twenty-five after becoming deaf. In her fifties, she opened a swimming school for deaf children in New York City, where she taught for the majority of her remaining years.

Sally Ride 5/26/1951 – 7/23/2012

Sally Ride in NASA uniform

Sally Ride was an American astronaut and physicist. In 1983, she became the first and youngest American woman in space.

A California native, Ride received a BS in physics and a BA in English from Stanford University in 1973, where she later went on to earn her Master of Science and doctorate degrees in physics. In 1977, Ride answered a newspaper advertisement placed by NASA looking for young “mission specialists” to serve on future space flights. At this time, NASA was recruiting women and minorities to join the class of ‘78. Ride’s background in science, alongside her athletic ability (she was a nationally ranked tennis player growing up), made her the ideal candidate for the mission.

On July 18th, 1983, Ride was amongst one of five crew members aboard the space shuttle Challenger STS-7. The press challenged her accomplishment, asking her questions like “how do you think your female organs will respond to the space environment?”, to which she replied “it’s too bad this is such a big deal. It’s too bad our society isn’t further along.”

While Ride is remembered for her contributions to space, many will say her legacy was the work she did in education. She was particularly passionate about inspiring young women taking interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). She published five educational science books and co-founded a non-profit organization, Sally Ride Science, to advance science education.

More Than a Month

Innovative, intelligent, and strong-willed- it is trailblazers like Ludington, Hopper, Ederle, and Ride who pave the way for generations to come. Let March serve as a reminder to celebrate the integral role women continue to play in US history every day, week, and month of the year.

Franchisee Spotlight – Tony Russell, Corvus of Denver

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February’s Franchisee Spotlight Series features Corvus of Denver Franchise Owner Tony Russell. Read on to learn more about the standout Franchisee who goes above and beyond to Make Lives Better!

To keep up with the Franchisee Spotlight Series and all things Corvus, follow us on Instagram! @corvus_janitorial_franchising

Mr. Tony Russell started his entrepreneurial journey with Corvus of Denver in February of 2018. While his cleaning franchise is not the only business Mr. Russell runs, he has created great success and is a valued Corvus partner.

Tony Russell’s strategy is to take small accounts in the same area and take his time to grow his business. To retain accounts, he focuses on keeping customers happy. It’s rare that Mr. Russell receives a complaint, but if he does, he is sure to respond professionally and correct it quickly. He also stays organized and files all of his paperwork, allowing himself more time to provide the best customer experience possible.

According to Regional Director Michael Kerby, “Mr. Russell is always ready to help with extra work or cover an account. He has taken several floor-work classes with Corvus so that he can take on extra work jobs”.

As a Franchise Owner who is willing to continue to learn, prioritize his customers and who has a solid partnership with Corvus, it’s no doubt that Mr. Tony Russell will continue to see success in his business. Thank you for everything you do, Mr. Russell!