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10 Pro Tips from Corvus Janitorial Systems

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Whether you are the current owner of a cleaning business or are interested in becoming one but do not know where to start, getting advice from experienced professionals is worthwhile. Here are ten pro tips from Corvus Franchise Owners and employees on cleaning, disinfecting, and business ownership:

On Cleaning and Disinfecting

  1. Understanding the distinction between cleaning and disinfecting enables you to provide high-quality cleaning services and better explain to customers the importance of your services. Cleaning removes dirt, dust, and debris from surfaces or objects while disinfecting uses chemicals- aka disinfectants- to kill germs on surfaces and objects. Traditional cleaning methods like using soap and water can decrease how much a virus is on the surface, but you must apply a disinfectant to kill it completely. As well, it is critical to allow sufficient dwell time before wiping the disinfectant off.
  2. Restroom floors should be a significant focal point during every clean. Not only are restroom floors the culprit of bathroom odors, but they are also susceptible to becoming discolored without proper maintenance. In addition to cleaning, be sure to disinfect the bathroom floors to kill bacteria and odor thoroughly. You can use products like antimicrobial urine mats to protect floors from staining and reduce odors and bacteria.
  3. Hard water buildup is tough to remove, so it is best to prevent it from happening in the first place. Be sure to give extra attention to any areas in a facility where hard water is likely to build up over time, such as faucets and toilets. If you encounter hard water buildup, pumice stone and Scotch Brite Heavy Duty scouring pads are popular tools for removing the building.
  4. For a cleaning product to be effective, you have to let it interact with the soiled area and material. Most people dunk their mops into their buckets, run the fibers over the area and call it a day…, but that does not fully take care of sanitizing or killing the odor. Instead, you should adequately dilute the chemical, apply it, and let it sit for the appropriate amount of time. Typically this time is between 3-5 minutes, but it is always a good idea to carefully read the instructions to be sure.
  5. Proper mop hygiene prevents the spread of germs and increases their longevity. Never leave a mop head sitting in water overnight as it weakens the mop fibers and encourages bacterial growth. Wash your mop and bucket after every use and allow it to fully dry. Replace your mop heads when they show signs of wear and tear. These signs include frayed edges, pieces of the mop are falling off, and severe discoloration.

 

On Business Ownership

  1. Learning from people in your field who have already succeeded is a great way to excel in business. By partnering with a commercial cleaning franchisor like Corvus, you are joining a network of cleaning professionals who share similar goals and aspirations. You will have the opportunity to speak with other Franchise Owners on matters such as strategies for maximizing profit, improving efficiency, acquiring extra one-time work, and creating a work-life balance.
  2. Many cleaning professionals bring a cleaning checklist to their customer accounts. A tangible list allows you to keep track of your cleaning specs and helps you remember tasks that are not a part of your regular cleaning routine (like a one-time electrostatic spray or once a month high dusting). We suggest leaving space on your checklist to document matters such as customer feedback or cleaning hot spots.
  3. Save money by monitoring your chemical usage and maintaining equipment. Keeping track of inventory prevents you from running out of supplies and prepares you for upcoming expenses. Follow proper maintenance procedures of your equipment to increase the longevity of use and provide better service.
  4. When you work hard and take pride in your work, receiving negative feedback can feel discouraging. Rather than letting it bring you down, see it as a learning opportunity. Owning your mistake and doing what you can to make it right shows that you are committed to the quality of your services, ultimately leading to the likelihood of customer loyalty and retention.
  5. As a business owner, it is your responsibility to ensure customer accounts are cleaned correctly and on time. But sometimes “life happens,”… which is why Corvus recommends having a backup cleaning crew who can take your place as needed. It is a good idea for your team to accompany you on several cleans beforehand and assure that all necessary background checks have cleared. That way, your crew understands what the customer expects from their cleaning service and can be ready to fill in at short notice.

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About Corvus Janitorial Systems

Founded in 2004 to Make Lives Better, Corvus Janitorial Systems offers professional commercial cleaning and disinfecting services to a wide variety of businesses throughout the United States. The nationally recognized Corvus brand and proprietary systems have helped our network of dedicated, local Franchisees succeed in their business goals and achieve independence, security, and freedom. Contact us today for more information on franchise opportunities with Corvus.

Franchisee Spotlight – Shedrice Banks, Corvus of Denver

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In this month’s Franchisee Spotlight Series, we are featuring Corvus of Denver Franchise Owner Mr. Shedrice Banks. 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. Shedrice Banks became Corvus of Denver’s very first Franchise Owner when the market opened its doors in 2009. The standout Franchisee and his wife, Mrs. Shaquana Banks, played an integral role in getting the Denver market up and running, and they continue to be treasured members of the Corvus community.

While Mr. Banks boasts many excellent qualities, it is his ambition that elevates him. The first few years following Denver’s opening consisted of many late nights and early mornings, but Mr. Banks always rose to the occasion. He could be depended upon to show up with a positive attitude and ready to work hard. This determination enabled Mr. Banks and Mrs. Banks to turn their commercial cleaning franchise into a full-time, scalable business. In 2010 Mr. Banks left his other job to partner with Corvus full time, and he has not looked back since.

The vast experience and industry knowledge Mr. Banks has derived from working in the commercial cleaning business for over a decade sets him apart. “He knows how to clean efficiently and in the rare occurrence that one of his customers has a complaint, it is fixed immediately. He does not lose business. He communicates well and just does everything right” says Corvus of Denver Regional Director, Mr. Michael Kerby. This is why he regularly refers to Mr. Banks as an exemplary Franchisee when speaking with potential Franchise Owners.

Over the last several years, Mr. Banks has proved to be just as good a friend to Corvus as he is a business partner. He cares deeply about his Corvus Franchise, which in turn, translates into caring about everyone around him. Mr. Banks has fostered both personal and professional relationships with many Corvus employees throughout his partnership. He texts back and forth with Corvus employees about basketball- one of his greatest passions- and never misses the opportunity to wish them a happy birthday.

Thank you, Mr. Shedrice Banks, for all that you do for Corvus! We are so grateful for your partnership and look forward to watching your continued success.

Environmentally Conscious Cleaning Practices

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Earth Day and every day, Corvus Janitorial cares about the environment. Eco-friendly products and practices have been growing in popularity over the years as we learn more about the true impact of traditional ones.

Ranging from eco-friendly cosmetics to cleaning practices, it’s safe to say that this is no longer a trend. And who wouldn’t want to make choices that are better for the environment? But that’s not their only selling point. Did you know that environmentally conscious cleaning practices aren’t just better for the planet, they’re better for you, too?

By implementing eco-conscious cleaning practices in your office, school, or other workspaces, you can ensure a safe and healthy environment for anyone who spends time there. Here are our suggestions:

Evaluating Your Cleaning Products

Not all cleaning products are created equally. Some are significantly better, healthier, more effective, or some combination of these improvements. As part of your new eco-conscious cleaning routine, replacing your chemical-heavy lineup with more targeted and less harsh products is a great first step.

And beyond that, many traditional cleaning products do have expiration dates that many of us tend to forget about. Cleaning products degrade over time, often without providing us with scent changes, texture differences, or visual cues that they may no longer be effective. This means that we could end up using a cleaning product for years after it has expired.

While this last point isn’t exactly an environmental concern, degraded cleaning products may leave you thinking that your space is safe, clean, and healthy when it isn’t, so it’s still worth a mention. Every six months or so, rummage through your supply closet to ensure that nothing needs replacing.

Adopting Greener Cleaning Practices

One of the best and easiest green cleaning practices is swapping out single-use paper towels with microfiber cloths, rags, towels, and other reusables. Single-use paper items like paper towels and fast-food napkins contribute to deforestation, global warming, and pollution. Sturdier rags and cloths can be washed and reused over and over again.

Some other suggestions for green cleaning practices:

• Bring in oxygen-producing plants and dust regularly to improve air quality
• Spot clean with more natural ingredients like white vinegar, lemon, and baking soda
• Buy recycled paper products for the office
• Buy your cleaning supplies in bulk; less packaging means less waste
• Clean any given room from top to bottom, starting from the far wall and moving toward the doorway; this way, you don’t end up cleaning the same area twice
• Employ a daily cleaning task list so that fewer deep cleans are necessary

Get creative with your green cleaning practices. For example, if you don’t have microfiber cloths or old rags to use, what else do you have that you can bring in from home? You can clean with worn-out sheets, ripped or stained shirts, or an old pair of socks. Old toothbrushes are great for digging into and scrubbing small spaces.

If you know that several of your employees live close to one another, suggest having a carpool day once per week. While this isn’t exactly a cleaning practice, it is something you can do to bring the eco-friendly movement into your workspace. You could also switch to motion-sensor lighting to consume less energy after hours when no one is around or when someone forgets to flick the switch off on their way home.

Conserving Water

If you’re looking for bigger ways to implement eco-friendly practices into your workspace, installing water-efficient fixtures is one way to do so. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), water-efficient faucets and accessories reduce a sink’s water flow by 30% or more from the standard flow.

Retrofitting bathroom sink faucets with WaterSense-labeled models could save billions of gallons of water nationwide each year. Installing low-flow toilets, touch-free faucets, and regularly checking for and fixing leaks can also help. But even without springing for fancier fixtures, we can simply be mindful of how much water we’re using and try to reduce it.

Rather than leaving the water running while we’re cleaning, turn it off when it’s time to scrub and turn it back on when you need it again. Informing employees or coworkers about water conservation can make it a team effort and increase its impact.

Water is a limited resource. We can all play our part to use it more efficiently and reduce unnecessary water usage. Conserving water keeps it pure and clean for us and future generations and protects the environment.

Hiring A Team to Take the Guess Work Out of Your Commercial Cleaning

No matter how small it may seem, any step toward environmentally conscious cleaning practices is something positive. And when you’re not sure how to keep your commercial space clean, healthy, safe, and sparkling on your own, we’ve got a team for that.

The incredible and conscious crews at Corvus Janitorial will work with you to determine what your goals are for your workspace and how they can meet them. With convenient and flexible hours, unique cleaning and disinfecting plans, and customized services, you’ll find exactly what you need right here.

What is a Commercial Disinfectant?

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Commercial vs. Home Disinfectants

Home disinfectants are regular name-brand products that you can find in grocery stores. They’re used to eliminate bacteria and viruses at home, especially on high-touch surfaces, which the CDC is recommending we pay extra attention to right now. Cleaning and disinfecting with home disinfectants is what most people do to keep diseases, like COVID, from spreading through contact with contaminated surfaces.
Regular cleaning and disinfecting are always a good idea. And many common household products, like the disinfecting wipes put out by Clorox or the disinfectant mist produced by Lysol, are registered with the EPA. But even when a home disinfectant is registered with the EPA as an effective product against hard-to-kill viruses, it might not be enough. Commercial disinfectants take the cleaning and sanitizing process one step further.

Commercial Disinfectant Benefits

While many household disinfectants will kill deadly viruses, they still have their limitations. Commercial disinfectants are stronger than home-grade ones, killing a wider range of transferable infections and diseases. And on top of being stronger and more effective, the techniques that trained commercial cleaners use are more effective and efficient, too.
Techniques like cold fogging and electrostatic spraying are significantly more effective ways to disinfect. These commercial-grade products and methods create a 360-degree mist to target every surface and hard-to-reach corner, ensuring that nothing is missed. This type of high-level cleaning and disinfecting is particularly helpful in sensitive and high-traffic settings where keeping things sanitized and safe is a necessity rather than a luxury.

Where Commercial Disinfectants are Used

Among other places, commercial disinfectants are extremely common in:

– Airports
– Hospitals and other medical facilities
– Senior centers
– Schools and daycares
– Office buildings
– Restaurants and food facilities
– Factories and manufacturing facilities

Because these facilities see a lot of traffic, have many high-touch surfaces, and many house vulnerable individuals, a higher level of cleaning and disinfecting is required. Since the first COVID shutdown, we have all learned the importance of maintaining our health and safety. Commercial cleaning and disinfecting services make it easier to do so. By using highly effective, commercial-grade products, equipment, and techniques, we help our clients ensure that their facility, office, or workspace is safe.

When to Use Home Disinfectants

EPA-approved home disinfects are great to use during routine home and office cleaning. Between professional cleaning and disinfecting services and in a pinch, they are an effective way to slow the spread of germs and infections. If you’re cleaning a high-traffic home, an office, or another workplace setting, you should regularly use sprays or wipes to sanitize high-touch surfaces like doorknobs, handles, desks and chairs, light switches, phones and keyboards, toilets, faucets, sinks, and countertops. Remember to follow the proper protocols to ensure that you’re getting the most out of your cleaning and disinfecting efforts.
And remember that there is a big difference between EPA-approved home disinfectants and homemade natural cleaning products and disinfectants. Natural products are growing in time with the movement for more eco-friendly solutions, but natural cleaning products that rely on ingredients like vinegar, lemon juice, and baking soda are far less effective than household and commercial cleaning products. Health and safety should be the top priority for cleaning and disinfecting procedures, especially during times like these.

Proper Cleaning and Disinfecting Protocols

Following the proper cleaning and disinfecting procedures will both help ensure that they are as effective as possible and that you remain safe while cleaning. Some disinfecting products might be harmful if they’re left on exposed skin for too long; others might only be safe for use in well-ventilated areas. Wear disposable gloves, clean surfaces with soap and water first, then disinfect. Wear clothes that you aren’t concerned about damaging if you’re using products that contain bleach.
Check your home disinfectant bottles for instructions on dwell time, the amount of time a solution has to stay on a surface in order for it to be effective, as well as other important instructions. With some products, simply wiping them with a rag and walking away won’t be enough. Regular cleaning is a good way to help slow the spread of preventable illnesses. But when it comes to getting a deeper cleaning, disinfecting those hard-to-reach surfaces, and finding some peace of mind, commercial disinfectants applied by trained professionals will carry you farther.

Corvus Janitorial Services

Regular cleaning, washing your hands, wearing your masks, and keeping your distance can help slow the spread of illnesses. But when you need something more, commercial disinfecting services will keep high-touch surfaces and hard-to-clean areas clean and disinfected to reduce the transmission on a higher level. Our service providers are trained to get the job done right and done safely. And you can move forward with the peace of mind that comes from knowing that you’ve done your part to keep your facility, employees, patients, loved ones, and community safe and healthy.

Franchisee Spotlight – Bryan Williams, Corvus of Jacksonville

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This month’s Franchisee Spotlight Series features Corvus of Jacksonville Franchise Owner, Mr. Bryan Williams. 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

Corvus of Jacksonville had the good fortune of welcoming Franchise Owner Bryan Williams to the team in April of 2018. For nearly three years now, Mr. Williams has continuously proven himself to be a valuable partner to the Jacksonville market and the Corvus Community at large.

While Mr. Williams possesses several excellent qualities, it is his positive attitude that elevates him. “Bryan can make any customer happy…he is absolutely dependable,” says Corvus of Jacksonville Regional Director, Mr. Spencer Sandell. Customers can count on Mr. Williams to show up optimistic and enthusiastic about the job, and this consistency empowers him to foster meaningful, professional relationships.

This standout Franchisee treats his customer accounts with the utmost respect and professionalism. Mr. Williams makes an effort to learn what customers expect from their cleaning provider and works hard to exceed their expectations. He holds his cleaning business to a very high standard, and providing the highest level of customer service is the top priority.

Mr. Williams exemplifies what it means to be a team player. The Regional Director recounts fondly on the time Mr. Williams was the helper of a former Franchise Owner. This Franchisee eventually walked away from his business, and when he did, Mr. Williams took over his accounts without hesitation. With determination like this, it is no surprise that he has never lost a customer account!

Thank you, Mr. Williams, for all that you do! Corvus would not and could not exist without hardworking and determined Franchisees like yourself. We are all so grateful for your partnership and look forward to watching your continued success.

Franchisee Spotlight – Maribel Cruz, Corvus of Northwest Arkansas

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February’s Franchisee Spotlight is awarded to Mrs. Maribel Cruz of Corvus of Northwest Arkansas. 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

Corvus of Northwest Arkansas sure got lucky when Mrs. Maribel Cruz opened the doors to her franchise in 2015. Her dedication and determination were clear from the start, and she continuously proves herself to be a valuable member of the Corvus community.

Corvus of Northwest Arkansas Franchisee Maribel Cruz
Corvus of Northwest Arkansas Franchisee Maribel Cruz

While we have been lucky enough to call Mrs. Cruz a partner for over five years, she has been in the janitorial business since 2008, and her experience shows. Mrs. Cruz recognizes that customers are paying to outsource their cleaning and, therefore, expect high-quality work.

Providing the best possible cleaning service is Mrs. Cruz’s top priority. She holds her business to a very high standard and spends countless hours perfecting her craft. When interacting with customer accounts, Mrs. Cruz acts with the utmost professionalism.

“She understands that the janitorial business is a marathon, not a sprint,” says Corvus of Northwest Arkansas Regional Director Mr. Justin Simmering. This mindset, in addition to a strong work ethic, has enabled Mrs. Cruz to turn her Corvus Franchise into a scalable, full-time business.

To date, she has twelve employees whom she manages daily. Mrs. Cruz holds herself, as a leader, to the same high standards she holds her business to. While she believes each employee represents her entire body of work, Mrs. Cruz acknowledges that they are only as good as the training they receive.

When Mrs. Cruz is not running a successful cleaning business, you will likely find her spending time with family, cooking delicious meals, or attending church. Thank you, Mrs. Cruz, for all that you do. Kind, smart, and hardworking Franchisees like yourself are what makes Corvus the company it is today.