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5 Tips for Parents Working from Home During the Coronavirus Pandemic

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The Coronavirus Pandemic has greatly impacted almost every aspect of our normal, everyday lives. In response, our world has gone pretty much entirely virtual. Millions of children are learning from home and millions of parents are working from home. While this is a great opportunity to spend more time with family, this is also a time that can bring a lot of stress. You may be thinking, how in the world am I going to juggle all of this?

We want you to know that you are not alone! COVID-19 has brought all kinds of challenges our way, and trying to maintain your work schedule on top of all of this can feel like an impossible feat. These five tips for parents who are facing the challenge of working from home can help bring some of the order and consistency back into our lives.

1. Create a Quiet, Designated Space

Working from home can be challenging, especially with children running around. It can feel overwhelming and, at times, like little is getting done. One of the best ways to establish your work time is to create a quiet space strictly for working. Whether it’s a table in your garage, a space in your bedroom, or if you have a home office, designating a specific space for work will allow you to find some separation between when you are working and when you are off.

Creating a quiet, designated workspace will also let your children know when you are working. If mom or dad is in their workspace, then they are working. It will be easier for the little ones to understand.

2. Establish a Flexible, yet Functional Routine

As a parent during this Coronavirus Pandemic, you are juggling so many things. For the first time in your lifetime, schools are canceled indefinitely, and workers are either being laid off or sent home with their work and computers. Nothing about these times is normal.

Both children and adults thrive off routine. Knowing what to expect, especially during this pandemic, will help ease some of the chaos you and your family may be feeling. Create a routine with your family that brings out the best in everyone. If you have younger children, try and take advantage of their nap times by scheduling your important meetings and work calls then. If your children are older, you could simply schedule your more important work-related items during their school time.

An established routine will bring some normalcy, but it’s important to maintain a little flexibility. There will be some days where things will come up–whether it’s that the children won’t nap or need help with their homework. Just try your best to account for the occasional change every now and then.

3. Incorporate Family Time

This pandemic has a lot of negatives, but one silver lining is that you are with your family. What other time in your life will you have the opportunity to spend so much time with your children?

When creating your schedule for this time, try and incorporate family time into the mix. Have lunch with your children, schedule a mid-afternoon walk or family activity at the same time each day. Not only will this create a sense of normalcy, but it will also give you something to look forward to each day!

4. Set Realistic Goals

It can be easy to feel like you are being pulled in a million different directions and never getting anything accomplished. Making a list of what you want to get accomplished at the start of each day can help keep you focused and feeling more productive.

Each morning, set aside time to think about your schedule and physically write down what you want to accomplish for the day. The list can include simple things such as sending a certain number of emails or bigger things like attending a particular meeting.

With all that is going on, it can be so helpful to set realistic goals and physically mark them off as you accomplish them. It will give you more drive, and a bigger feeling of accomplishment.

5. Be Kind to Yourself

The threat of the Coronavirus Pandemic is a national emergency. With so much uncertainty going on in the world, we mustn’t be too hard on ourselves. We are all doing the best that we can. There will be days when you feel like you’re on top of the world, and there will also be days when you feel like you got nothing accomplished. And, that’s okay. Be kind to yourself and tackle each day at a time.

In Conclusion…

Parents working from home are facing such unique challenges during this Coronavirus Pandemic. On top of entertaining their children, helping them keep up with their studies, and everyday household upkeep, they are also being expected to continue working full time. It sounds nearly impossible to handle! These tips are just some of the things we have found to be successful as parents working from home, and we hope that you find them to be successful as well!

This piece is meant simply to inform, not to provide any legal or medical advice.

About Corvus Janitorial Systems

Founded in 2004 to make people’s lives better, Corvus is a full-service commercial cleaning franchisor that offers cleaning services through reputable local Franchisees. Corvus has been guided by its mission to transform people and transform places by consistently delivering independence, security, and freedom to Franchisees who deliver high-quality cleaning to offices, educational buildings, medical buildings/offices, recreational centers, industrial parks, and other spaces. The company has 17 regional support offices across the United States with nearly 900 Franchisees. For more information regarding Corvus, visit www.corvusjanitorial.com or www.corvusjanitorial.com/franchise for franchise information.

How You Can Manage Stress During These Uncertain Times

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As human beings, we have all experienced stressful periods at some point in our lives. We all know what it feels like to be “stressed out”, and we usually know how to manage our stress. However, the current coronavirus pandemic has elevated the idea of stress into the stratosphere. With most of the country under stay-at-home orders, this black swan event has an impact on every aspect of our society. Whether it be families shut in the house 24/7 with parents trying to balance working from home and educating children or a single person living alone in isolation, we are all experiencing stress in a way we never have before.

As stressful as the uncertainty we face is, remember that it will pass. We are all in this together, and together we can beat COVID-19. Corvus is here for our customers, franchise owners, teammates, and communities. To that end, we would like to provide some brief insight on how you can manage stress while you are doing your part and staying at home:

Movement and Exercise

Movement is essential to relieving stress, tension, and anxiety. We already know exercise is good for our bodies, but it can also improve our mental health by releasing endorphins, improving our quality of sleep, getting us out of our heads and releasing tension held in our bodies. Exercise doesn’t have to be something you dread; instead, get creative and find activities you enjoy! Dancing, walking, jumping rope, shooting hoops, yoga, or anything that gets your body moving is great. Many fitness studios are offering online streaming classes, and YouTube has free videos on many different types of workouts.

Focus on Your Breathing

Often times when we’re stressed and under a lot of pressure, we breathe shallowly instead of deep and slow. When we breathe deeply, it sends a message to our brain to calm down and relax. By gently bringing your awareness to your breath you can start to intentionally slow down and deepen your breathing. Spend a few minutes focusing on your breathing whenever you are feeling stressed. You may not feel a difference right away, but with continuous practice, you will notice the calming effects.

Disconnect to Reconnect

With so much fear and negativity in the media it’s important to take the time to disconnect from all that is going on in the world. While it’s good to be informed, you don’t want to overload yourself with information and negativity. Choose how much media you want to consume and once you’ve reached your limit turn off the TV, get off social media and find a way to disconnect. Our brains focus on what we feed it, so be sure to find positive outlets. This could be talking to family and friends, watching a funny show or movie, making a list of everything you are grateful for, getting outside, reading, or cooking a healthy meal.

How You End Your Day is How You Start Your Day – and Vice Versa

This applies to our work life and our personal life – how we start our day is how we end our day and how we end our day is how we start our day. Many of us are working remotely and find it easy to crawl out of bed and hop onto our computers right away. But by taking a few moments each morning to take care of ourselves, organize our workspace or plan our day, we can start our day refreshed and clear-headed, leading to a less chaotic day.

If we end our day in a frenzy of sending last-minute emails and feeling frazzled, we are more likely to wake up in the same state and continue this pattern throughout the day. So, take a few minutes at the end of each workday to set yourself up for success the next morning. For your personal life, take time at the end of the day to decompress, rest, and do something that brings you joy.

Uphold a Positive Mindset

Staying in a positive mindset can be especially difficult right now. When we find ourselves stuck in negative or fearful thoughts, we can simply acknowledge the thought and choose a new thought. Ask yourself, how can I reframe this thought? What positive spin can I put on this to change my outlook? For example, “I am stuck at home” can be “I am safe at home.” A simple change of “stuck” to “safe” alters our mindset to think more positively. While it’s important to stay positive, it’s equally important to give yourself compassion if you’re having a hard time and let yourself feel the emotions that are coming up. When you’re ready, start reframing any thoughts that are bringing you down.

Social Support Systems

Now more than ever we need the support of others to get us through an unprecedented time. While visiting people in person is not advised at this time, there are alternative options. Calling, texting and video calls are easy ways to stay connected with friends, family members, colleagues or counselors. It’s great to reach out to others and check in with them on how they are doing, as some people might have a hard time reaching out if they are struggling. There are hundreds of Facebook groups covering a wide range of interests. Joining a group can be a good way to connect with people online who share the same hobbies as you.

Maintain a Routine

It can feel like we are losing control over our lives, leaving us feeling powerless. While we cannot always control our outer circumstances, we can turn our focus to what we can control – our routine. Establishing a routine can help us establish some normalcy in our lives and help us feel less like a victim of our circumstances. Start by following the routine that you already have – waking up at a certain time, getting dressed for the day, taking walks, eating meals at a set time, and performing household chores you do every day. From here, you can add in other habits such as at-home-workouts, self-care practices, social hour – carve out time to reach out to others to maintain social connections or any new habits you would like to work on.

Conclusion

Though these are stressful and uncertain times, there are things each of us can do from our homes to help manage our emotions. The list above is by no means comprehensive and each person will have their own ways to destress. However, if you are having a tough time right now, incorporating a few of the listed items may prove beneficial.

This piece is meant simply to inform, not to provide any legal or medical advice.

About Corvus Janitorial Systems

Founded in 2004 to make people’s lives better, Corvus is a full-service commercial cleaning franchisor that offers cleaning services through reputable local Franchisees. Corvus has been guided by its mission to transform people and transform places by consistently delivering independence, security, and freedom to Franchisees who deliver high-quality cleaning to offices, educational buildings, medical buildings/offices, recreational centers, industrial parks, and other spaces. The company has 17 regional support offices across the United States with nearly 900 Franchisees. For more information regarding Corvus, visit www.corvusjanitorial.com or www.corvusjanitorial.com/franchise for franchise information.

How to Safely Bring Groceries into Your Home

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With social distancing and stay-at-home orders keeping most of us in one place, there are still a few necessities we need to get to. Prescription medications, toiletries, and groceries are things that we’ll always need, no matter what’s going on outside. But as we move into the peak of the pandemic, we need to be more cautious than ever. The CDC is even recommending that we all start to wear cloth face coverings in public settings to enhance the effects of social distancing measures that are harder to control in these settings.

Keeping six feet away from others, washing your hands more frequently, and having groceries delivered or only going to the grocery store when you absolutely have to are all very helpful. The only problem is, we may need to do more. What we do with those groceries and prescriptions once we pick them up or have them delivered is also important.

Corvus Janitorial Systems is here with recommendations on how to safely bring your groceries into your home once you have them:

Set Some Items Aside for Now

The COVID-19 virus can live on plastic and metal for up to three days and cardboard for up to 24 hours. In order to truly be as safe as we can be, it may be best to leave your groceries and the bags or boxes they were carried in somewhere that you can come back to later. This might be your garage, the back porch, or your doorstep if you trust your neighbors.

Any of the groceries that you can live without for the next few days, set them aside until they’re a bit safer to handle. Boxes of pasta, canned fruits and vegetables, and all other non-perishable items will be waiting there for you when the day (or three) has passed. We’ll talk about what to do with the refrigerated and frozen items next.

Sanitize and Organize All of the Items You Need to Bring Inside

Use your preferred disinfecting wipe, or make one with a paper towel and a disinfecting spray, to wipe down the plastic bags, cans, and cardboard packaging that your food came in. For things like cereals, granola bars, snacks, and meats, you can transfer them to other containers like bowls with lids, Ziploc containers, and snack bags. Once you’ve moved them, you can dispose of the packaging right away and wash your hands thoroughly for at least 20 seconds.

You can also thoroughly rinse all of your produce after removing it from the plastic bags, dispose of the bags, and move it to another container. If you’re short on storage items, this sanitize and organize technique will still work. Things like frozen pizzas, breakfast bars, and cereals come with a second layer of packing inside, so just get rid of the outside layer and move on to the next item.

Clean Your Cloth/Reusable Bags

If possible, leave them out for a day or two first, and then clean your reusable grocery bags so they’re ready for your next trip. Some reusable bags are sturdy and durable enough to be thrown into the washer with similar items, but most will be fine with just a quick wipe down with a Clorox wipe or diluted bleach solution on a paper towel.

Each of these precautions is incredibly useful in the fight against the coronavirus. While it might seem like overkill to some, small changes often make big differences, and following through on simple precautionary measures may make all of the difference in the end. After taking each of these steps, be sure to wash your hands and any surfaces that you touched, too. And on that note, we have one more measure to recommend: when you have your groceries delivered, pay and tip through the website or app (use a debit or credit card in stores) so you don’t have to handle any cash and take advantage of their “leave at the door” delivery option. These additional steps are not only meant to protect you and your family but your delivery person, too.

For more information and resources relating to COVID-19, visit our coronavirus response page here.

This piece is meant simply to inform, not to provide any legal or medical advice.

About Corvus Janitorial Systems

Founded in 2004 to make people’s lives better, Corvus is a full-service commercial cleaning franchisor that offers cleaning services through reputable local Franchisees. Corvus has been guided by its mission to transform people and transform places by consistently delivering independence, security, and freedom to Franchisees who deliver high-quality cleaning to offices, educational buildings, medical buildings/offices, recreational centers, industrial parks, and other spaces. The company has 17 regional support offices across the United States with nearly 900 Franchisees. For more information regarding Corvus, visit www.corvusjanitorial.com or www.corvusjanitorial.com/franchise for franchise information.

Disinfecting the Home: Best Practices & Homemade Disinfectant Remedies

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While we know that the coronavirus is most frequently passed from person to person, we also know that the virus can live on surfaces for up to a few days. With that in mind, keeping up on cleaning and sanitizing can lower the chance that we get sick or that we get someone else sick. But where do we start? Corvus Janitorial Systems is here to provide answers. Here’s everything you need to know about disinfecting your home from best practices to homemade disinfectant remedies:

Wash Your Hands and Be Extra Careful About What You Touch

We get it, we’re all starting to sound like broken records already, but this really can’t be stressed enough. The most common transmission is person-to-person, so the best way to stop the spread is for all of us to be extra cautious and hygienic. When you cough or sneeze, aim for your shoulder or the crook of your elbow instead of out into open air or in your palm. If your hand is your only option, wash with soap and water for at least 20 seconds after.

Wash your hands after you use the restroom, avoid touching your face, and keep a distance of at least six feet from others when you’re out in public. If you’re out and you can’t wash your hands after touching something, use hand sanitizer for now. The CDC recommends alcohol-based hand sanitizers with more than 60% ethanol or 70% isopropanol.

Clean and Disinfect, Even if No One at Home is Sick

The words cleaning and disinfecting are often used interchangeably, but they do have different meanings. When you clean, you’re often just removing the contaminants (like dust and dirt and crumbs) from the surface. This is what we all often focus on during normal circumstances, but disinfecting is the part that kills the pathogens, so it’s even more important right now.

Use approved disinfectant sprays, wipes, or solutions you’ve concocted at home to disinfect after you’ve wiped everything down with soapy water or a general cleaning spray. If you or anyone else you live with is still coming and going or has had any contact with outside individuals, it’s important to clean and disinfect at least once per day. And don’t forget to wipe your phone and laptop with a disinfectant wipe, too.

Pay Extra Attention to Shared High-Touch Surfaces

By now you know that the coronavirus can live on various surfaces. New research has revealed that it can survive on cardboard for one day and plastic, metal, and stainless steel for up to three. To keep your home’s surfaces safe and virus-free, clean and disinfect things that everyone touches. In the kitchen, high-touch surfaces would be doorknobs (clean and disinfect the ones in other rooms, too), the counter, the faucet, and the refrigerator handle.

High-touch surfaces in other rooms might include tables, desks, dining room chairs, the counter in the bathroom, all other faucets, toilet components, remotes, and light switches. This list might look slightly different for everyone. Use your best judgment to identify high-touch surfaces in your home and then clean and disinfect it accordingly. If you’re moving in and out of the house regularly, you may want to increase how often you wash your clothes.

Use the Right Disinfectants

The Environmental Protection Agency has come out with a full list of disinfectants that are known to effectively kill coronavirus germs. Most will come with information on the label that tells you what it works for and COVID-19 is often included but in a slightly less direct away. Generally speaking, if a product says that it effectively kills influenza, SARS, or RSB, it should work for the novel coronavirus, too.

Clorox, Lysol, and Purell are a few of the more common names on the list, but many store name brands are also approved. Once you’ve picked your product, follow the instructions on the label to get the best results. No disinfectant work immediately. Each requires being left on the surface for a certain amount of time (dwell time) before they’re wiped away.

Make Your Own Disinfectants

The only problem with traditional disinfectant products is that they may be hard to come by right now. If you don’t have any at home, you can’t wait weeks for an online order. Your local store is likely out. You need to disinfect your home now; homemade remedies can help. The CDC recently released a simple and handy diluted bleach solution recipe for all of us to take advantage of.

All you need is four teaspoons of household bleach and one quart of water. Pour these ingredients into a bottle, shake, and spray. Leave the solution to work for 10 minutes before wiping away with a wet cloth. When you’re working with bleach, it’s important to remember to wear gloves, be cautious with materials that may be damaged, never mix it with other chemicals, and take advantage of ventilation. Isopropyl alcohol and hydrogen peroxide are two other common household disinfectants.

How Disinfectants Work

Before the coronavirus outbreak, many of us just knew that we had disinfectants on hand whenever we needed them. They sat under the sink or in a closet or cabinet and they’ve never been valued as much as they are right now. But most of us still don’t know the science behind common disinfectants or how they kill germs. We just know that they do.

Disinfectants are chemical agents that can either inhibit microbial activities and growth or are lethal to microorganisms. Disinfectants work to kill germs and viruses by destroying the cell wall of microbes or interfering with their metabolism.

In man’s struggle to control the microbes responsible for disease and illness many organic and inorganic chemicals have been found to be toxic to microorganisms. In case you’re wondering, here are some of the active ingredients in disinfectants and how they work:

Alcohol – causes cell proteins to glob together, which disrupts and collapses their structure (denaturation)

Chlorine – targets certain metabolic enzymes in the bacterial cell and destroys them

Peroxygen – collapses bacterial cell components like the membrane

Phenol – disrupts the wall of the bacterial cell, damaging it to the point that it can no longer ward off an attack

Quaternary ammonium compounds – denature the bacterial cell’s proteins and cause a leak of vital substances that leads to death

 

For more information and resources relating to COVID-19, visit our coronavirus response page here.

This piece is meant simply to inform, not to provide any legal or medical advice.

About Corvus Janitorial Systems

Founded in 2004 to make people’s lives better, Corvus is a full-service commercial cleaning franchisor that offers cleaning services through reputable local Franchisees. Corvus has been guided by its mission to transform people and transform places by consistently delivering independence, security, and freedom to Franchisees who deliver high-quality cleaning to offices, educational buildings, medical buildings/offices, recreational centers, industrial parks, and other spaces. The company has 17 regional support offices across the United States with nearly 900 Franchisees. For more information regarding Corvus, visit corvusjanitorial.com or corvusjanitorial.com/franchise/ for franchise information.

Home Cleaning and Disinfecting: 6 Overlooked Touchpoints

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As a result of the rapid and unsettling spread of COVID-19, Corvus Janitorial Systems – a national franchisor of office and workplace cleaning services – will be making an effort to pivot towards providing tips and best practices on how to ensure a safe, clean and sanitized home office area. Because so many Americans are working from home, obeying shelter-in-place requirements, all while doing their best to make America run, we aim to repurpose office and workspace cleaning and disinfecting tips to use in home offices and general home cleaning purposes.

In this post, we highlight often overlooked but critical TOUCHPOINTS that families and home office workers should ensure become a part of their cleaning regimes. Corvus of Little Rock and Northwest Arkansas teammate Justin Simmering shared his own insights on keeping the home office clean in this short video.

1. Refrigerator Doors

Now that we are all quarantined at home, we’re eating our meals at home, snacking and generally putting our hands on the home refrigerator far more than ever before. And yet how often do we wipe down and disinfect the refrigerator door handle? Stationing disinfecting wipes or some other visual queue by the refrigerator door handle is a great and effective way to remind yourself and members of your family to disinfect and clean frequently handled doors and handles.

2. Dumpster Handles or Trash Cans

You’ve done a great job disinfecting and cleaning the indoor parts of your home and the high touchpoints, but when we step outside do we get complacent or find a false sense of security? Essential services like trash collection are still operating, and every time your trash collector picks up or handles your refuse, he or she might be leaving germs or worse behind. Make a habit of disinfecting and sanitizing the lids and handles of trash bins.

3. Car Door Handles and Steering Wheel

This is an often-overlooked touchpoint; however, it is a critical one to address during the coronavirus pandemic. Whether you are under state, county, or city-mandated shelter-in-place or stay-at-home orders, or simply practicing your own social distancing measures, individuals and families still need essential items that require a ride in the car. High traffic locations such as grocery stores and gas stations can potentially carry the virus. Because of this, it is imperative to clean and disinfect your car door handles as well as your steering wheel. Doing so can help prevent the virus from entering your household from outside sources and keep your family safe.

4. Remotes, Gadgets, Chargers, and Toys

With a majority of Americans staying home, devices are being used at a rate never seen before. From binge-watching Netflix to tuning into daily state and national briefings to video chatting with friends and coworkers on our cellphones, we are more attached to our electronics and toys than ever before. Due to this, keeping frequently touched items in our homes germ-free is more important than ever. Make it part of your daily cleaning routine to wipe down and disinfect any TV remotes, game console controllers, chargers, cellphones, children’s toys, and any other devices or objects that are being frequently handled in the home.

5. Light Switches, Keys Doorknobs, and Door Handles

These specific touchpoints are unavoidable in daily life at home. Therefore, they require cleaning and disinfecting on a consistent and frequent cadence. If you can, avoid directly touching these surfaces. Use a sleeve, a napkin, or another method to create a barrier between your skin and the touchpoint you are interacting with. Even if all direct skin contact can be avoided, you should still frequently clean and disinfect these touchpoints as a precautionary action.

6. Computers, Keyboards, and Mouse

With many people working from home, either for their job or for school, home desktops and laptops are critical to the continued productivity of our society during this prolonged period of shelter-in-place. With that said, make sure that you are routinely wiping down and disinfecting your keyboard, mouse, and computer screen.

Disinfecting and Cleaning Protocols

It is important to highlight the difference between general cleaning and disinfecting. During a general clean the intent is to remove dirt and dust. This step must be completed before disinfection because germs can lurk in grime and soiled areas. Once an area is clean, it can then be disinfected. Typically, disinfecting happens only in restrooms and dining areas, but with COVID-19, disinfection of all areas using EPA approved commercial-grade chemicals is a critical factor in helping to curb the spread of the virus in our communities. The EPA recently released List N: Disinfectants for Use Against SARS-CoV-2, which can be found here.

This is by no means an exhaustive list of all the critical touchpoints in your home. However, we believe it is a good starting point for individuals and families looking to ensure their homes are clean and safe during the novel coronavirus pandemic. For more information and resources relating to COVID-19, visit our coronavirus response page here.

This piece is meant simply to inform, not to provide any legal or medical advice.

Are your household cleaning products working to fight coronavirus?

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By Katherine Rosenberg-Douglas
Chicago Tribune
Apr 02, 2020

click to read article on Chicago Tribune website

With Americans more focused than ever on keeping their homes safe amid the COVID-19 pandemic, a key to success is knowing the difference between cleaning and disinfecting.

The words aren’t synonymous, rather, they’re more akin to two steps in one process, such as sweeping your floor before mopping it, explained Justin Douglas, CEO of Corvus Janitorial Systems.

“That’s how I explain it when we train new employees,” Douglas said. “Or, I use the example of picking up the clothes off the floor of your kid’s room before you can do anything else. Cleaning and disinfecting aren’t interchangeable words.”

It’s easy to think there’s no wrong way to clean. And while it doesn’t take a microbiologist to do it correctly, a basic understanding of something referred to as “dwell time,” also sometimes called “contact time” or “kill time,” is necessary, Douglas and other experts say.

Luckily, information about contact time is available on every cleaning product mass-produced in the United States. To achieve the efficacy of claims such as “kills 99.9% of germs,” just one frequently overlooked step is crucial: Read the instructions, said Todd Clements, chief operating officer for UNX Industries, a chemical manufacturer that supplies nursing homes and hotels with cleaning products.

“All of us are guilty of not reading the backs of the labels,” Clements said.

“As far as I know, there’s no EPA-registered product with specific kill claims against COVID-19 because it’s so new, but it falls under human coronaviruses, so look for the contact time listed for those,” he said.

Clements and Travis FormyDuval, also with UNX, said people may be surprised to learn just how long many top cleaning products must sit — five or 10 minutes is not uncommon. But consumers should be reassured that if they allow a chemical to sit according to instructions, the claim on the front of a product bottle should be achieved. Each product is tested by the Environmental Protection Agency to ensure it does what it says and the instructions have been vetted for accuracy.

“We can’t even change the font on the label unless the EPA approves it,” Clements said.

Joe Rubino, a microbiologist and the director of research and development for Reckitt Benckiser, the parent company of the brand that makes Lysol products, said “sanitize” is another term people also often use incorrectly.

“Cleaning is basically removing dirt and soil. You’re going to remove some of the bacteria but not all of them,” he said. “Disinfecting is a very high level of germ kill, or greater than 99.99%, and you’d really need a few more 9s. Sanitization is another level, the somewhat lower level of 99.9%.”

FormyDuval, who teaches hotel housekeepers best practices, said people can wrongly assume if they use a product for any length of time, they’re going to achieve the efficacy advertised.

When teaching, FormyDuval said he talks about the elements needed to disinfect, which include time, agitation and heat. Agitation is how hard a person must scrub to remove soap stains or grime from surfaces.

“I tell them that just by changing up the routine a little, starting by spraying your chemicals in the bathroom, you can move on to the living portion of the room while you let it sit. When you come back to the shower, it takes less elbow grease, less physical activity to remove any scum, so you’re actually saving time,” FormyDuval said.

Using the same principle at home, he suggested residents spray a chemical in the kitchen, then spray a chemical in the bathroom, select separate towels for each space and head back to the kitchen, leaving each product to sit for the appropriate time. The different rags are so you don’t introduce bathroom germs into the kitchen, or vice versa. Likewise, in the bathroom, it’s best to start at the top and work your way down to the floor.

Erica Marie Hartmann, an assistant professor at Northwestern University, said not every surface needs to be disinfected every time, but it’s a good idea for frequently touched spaces, particularly if sharing a home with someone displaying COVID-19 symptoms.

“People who are symptomatic, if they’re touching things or coughing on things, those are the things that you want to disinfect more regularly, such as the nightstand, the door handle or whatever they’re commonly interacting with,” Hartmann said. “There are, depending on the surface, tens of billions of microbes.”

When they’re done using cleaning chemicals, people may be tempted to “wipe away” residue with a wet rag, which is unnecessary because the EPA has determined the chemical is safe to leave behind. But it also won’t prevent or undo disinfection, Rubino said.

“There are a lot of additives to cleaners that can be harmful to health, including endocrine disruptors,” said Dr. Susan Buchanan, a University of Illinois at Chicago environmental medicine specialist. “At this time when we’re trying to fight an outbreak, though, those concerns tend to take a back burner.”

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also has a list of recommended products to disinfect against COVID-19, as well as the necessary contact time for each product.

kdouglas@chicagotribune.com

How to Keep Your Home Clean During the Coronavirus Outbreak

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By now, we’re all well aware of the CDC’s COVID-19 guidelines. We’re all washing our hands more frequently, avoiding gatherings of more than 10 people, and not touching our faces, especially when we’re out in public. Many of us are taking a step further by avoiding anyone other than the people we live with, having groceries delivered, and working from home. When we’re facing something this treacherous, you can’t be too careful.

But with updates and articles flying at us left and right at all hours of the day and night, information overload is nearly impossible to avoid. So, how do we know that we’re doing everything we need to, without having to scour the internet’s thousands of available resources? Let the experts at Corvus Janitorial clear things up for you right here.

Here are some important tips on how to keep your home clean during the coronavirus outbreak:

Sanitize shared surfaces each day

While the most common types of transmission are airborne (sneeze or cough) and through person-to-person contact (handshake, hug, or kiss), health experts have found evidence that the virus can also be transmitted through contact with a contaminated surface. This is where the avoid touching your face rule comes in.

On top of refraining from touching your face, you can also decrease the risk of contaminated surface transmission by sanitizing shared surfaces. Use a Clorox wipe or another disinfectant to wipe down doorknobs, sink handles and faucets, countertops, refrigerator handles, and desks. Any other shared surfaces, like toilet and shower handles and light switches, should be sanitized, too. If anyone in your home is sick, sanitizing becomes even more essential.

Clean your reusable bags and grocery boxes

Whether you’re still cautiously making grocery store runs, or you’re having food delivered, the virus may live on cardboard boxes and reusable bags for up to 24 hours, so it’s important to clean these, too. When you’re home from the grocery store, or you’ve carried in your purchases from your driveway drop-off, use a sanitizing solution or wipe to clean the inside of your grocery bag or the outside of the delivery box.

Once you’re done with the packaging, it couldn’t hurt to wipe down your purchases the same way. Many foods like cereal, granola bars, and coffee pods come in cardboard packaging that can hold on to the coronavirus germs. Depending on your preference, you can wipe the boxes down or open them up and transfer the foods to clean containers in your home and get rid of the packaging altogether. When you’re done, wash your hands and wipe down the surfaces they touched.

Analyze your cleaning style

If you can see that a surface is dirty, don’t just jump right to the disinfecting wipes or solutions. Clean these surfaces with soap and water first so your disinfecting efforts will be more effective. If you have them, wear disposable gloves while you clean and sanitize surfaces and objects that may be infected. If you don’t, continue to wash your hands frequently for at least 20 seconds at a time. And don’t forget about your clothes. If you’re cleaning shared surfaces, making grocery trips, caring for a sick individual, or going to work each day, it would be good to change and wash your clothes a bit more frequently than you normally would.

The best cleaning products for this particular outbreak are diluted household bleach solutions or ones that are alcohol-based and contain a minimum of 70% alcohol. If you’re wondering if your cleaning products are effective enough, the EPA has released a list of common disinfectants that meet their criteria for use against the novel coronavirus.

Your disinfectant may not be on their list yet, but the packaging may provide more information about its uses that will help you determine its effectiveness. While you’re checking labels, make sure your cleaning supplies aren’t expired so you know you’re getting the most out of your efforts.

About Corvus Janitorial Systems

Founded in 2004 to make people’s lives better, Corvus is a full-service commercial cleaning franchisor that offers cleaning services through reputable local Franchisees. Corvus has been guided by its mission to transform people and transform places by consistently delivering independence, security, and freedom to Franchisees who deliver high-quality cleaning to offices, educational buildings, medical buildings/offices, recreational centers, industrial parks, and other spaces. The company has 17 regional support offices across the United States with nearly 900 Franchisees. For more information regarding Corvus, visit www.corvusjanitorial.com or www.corvusjanitorial.com/franchise for franchise information.

Make Lives Better – Corvus’ Mission and the “Why” Behind Our Business

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To our Community of Franchise Partners and Valued Customers,

Since our founding in 2004, our objective has always been to Make Lives Better. By providing customers clean, healthy, vibrant workplaces that foster safety and productivity, we believe Corvus can positively impact people’s lives. Equally significant is how our franchise program facilitates our objective to Make Lives Better through business ownership and the independence it provides. Never before has that founding objective – to Make Lives Better – been as salient and as crucial as it is in these uncertain and unsettling times.

The COVID-19 outbreak, which is taking the world by storm and surprise, has touched us all. Commercially and socially, our communities have each seen an impact. This virus has threatened our safety and health. Despite those headwinds, our community of Franchisee Partners has embraced their role of cleaning, disinfecting, and sanitizing workspaces. Cleanliness allows people some normality with the ability to get back to work, back to worship, or back to socializing with those they care about and love. You, the Franchisee Partners, and Valued Customers are living and breathing examples of our core value of genuinely Making Lives Better.

Starting this company nearly 16 years ago, we knew we had the potential to impact our stakeholders’ lives positively. Never would we have imagined a crisis of this proportion would so validate the positive impact inclination. To our customers and the communities we serve, thank you for your trust and partnership. To our employees, thank you for your dedication and efforts. Finally, to our Franchisees, thank you for Making Lives Better, and thank you for your grit, determination, and commitment to helping America overcome this challenging environment.

With respect,

Justin Douglas
Co-CEO
Founder

Cleaning for Health, Clean for Safety…Cleaning Matters

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First and foremost, these are unsettling and trying times, the likes of which no one has ever seen. At the moment, Corvus is a part of a bigger national team. Our thoughts and prayers are with our fellow Americans, and yet at the same time we have every confidence in all our collective ability to pull through this. We would never seek to be presumptuous; every business has to pursue the course of action that is best for their stakeholders, but some food for thought on why continuing to clean, sanitize, and disinfect, so we can all get back to work and win, we felt appropriate to share.

In the midst of all the chaos, it’s tempting to cancel everything, lock the doors and windows, and hide away. We know that things are confusing and uncertain and that social distancing is a necessity rather than a preference. Some business activities, however, shouldn’t be canceled. Your scheduled cleaning service is one of the items at the top of that list.

Here are a few reasons why you shouldn’t stop cleaning now:

Cleaning and disinfecting are best practice measures listed by the CDC

Because the virus can live on surfaces for wide range of hours to days, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests regularly cleaning and disinfecting shared surfaces to prevent COVID-19 and other viral illnesses. The same way that we’re washing our hands more frequently and stocking up on hand sanitizers and soaps, the surfaces in our homes, businesses, and offices need the same level of care and attention. But a quick dusting and a wipe down are not enough.

Corvus Janitorial is geared up and ready to step up to the Coronavirus and the unique challenges it presents. We are responding with responsible practices, high-level disinfecting protocols, commercial-grade chemicals, and with our clients and their families at the forefront of our minds. We’re more than a cleaning service, we’re your friends, neighbors, and concerned community members. As this situation unfolds across the nation, our mission of making our clients’ lives better is more important than ever.

Cleaning and disinfecting can help stop the spread

We’re still in the early stages of the outbreak here in the United States, so there will be a lot to learn along the way. What we do already know is that cleaning and disinfecting can help us stop the spread. COVID-19 is highly contagious, so social distancing, avoiding contact with infected individuals, and canceling large gatherings are an excellent start, but we need to follow through, too.

Businesses still need to run smoothly, make money, and power through a confusing and difficult situation. If your office, school, medical facility, industrial space, or recreational facility is still operating in any capacity or has been over the last few weeks, it needs more than an open window. Each surface should be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected. We have the unique opportunity to do our part and help stop the spread; rise to the challenge.

Cleaning and disinfecting can be what keeps the people you love safe

Each risk we take and best practice we ignore presents the opportunity for disaster to strike. After exposure, it can take anywhere from 2 to 14 days for symptoms to appear. With an average incubation period of about five days, we already know that most people who contracted COVID-19 did so from someone that didn’t realize they had it yet. Now is not the time to wait and hope for the best, it’s time to take action.

According to the National Health Institute, “scientists found that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was detectable in aerosols for up to three hours, up to four hours on copper, up to 24 hours on cardboard and up to two to three days on plastic and stainless steel”. A cough, a sneeze, or an infected surface may be enough to change someone’s entire life. This virus is highly contagious and spreading quickly. In these times, we are all thinking about our parents, grandparents, children, and immunocompromised employees and loved ones.

Professional cleaning and disinfecting can make all the difference. Call Corvus Janitorial today to see how we can help you. Our team is here for yours; it is our prerogative and social responsibility to continue servicing our existing customers, as well as any other business that is in need of our services. We are all in this together.

5 Things You Can Do Right Now to Prevent the Spread of Coronavirus

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As you all know, the novel coronavirus has landed in the United States. As of writing, cases have been confirmed in 46 states and Washington DC. According to the latest estimate from Johns Hopkins University, there are now more than 1,700 confirmed cases across the United States. Understandably, there is a plethora of uncertainty, misinformation, and fear spreading along with the virus.

Corvus Janitorial Systems recommends taking the time to do your research, stay up-to-date, and most importantly, take steps to prevent the spread of the virus. Though you should be concerned and take this situation very seriously, now is not the time to panic. By taking preventative steps in our personal lives, businesses, and communities, we can help to slow the spread and long-term impact that coronavirus will have on our health, lives, and economy.

1. Use Good Judgement

Are you experiencing a fever, a cough, or shortness of breath? Is anyone in your social circle showing these symptoms? If so, now is the time to implement the age-old “better safe than sorry” approach. If you are experiencing symptoms of the novel coronavirus, stay home. Even if the symptoms are mild (they are in approximately 80% of cases), you are still contagious and can spread the virus.

Use your best judgment; if you have a fever, stay home and limit your interactions with other people. Work from home if possible if you have a cough. If you are exhibiting any symptoms, avoid the vulnerable population (the elderly, people with underlying health issues) entirely. Avoid traveling to areas with widespread infection if you are healthy and try not to travel at all if you know you are ill.

2. Wash Your Hands Often and Use Proper Hand Washing Techniques

One of the best ways to prevent the spread of COVID-19 – or any virus for that matter – is frequent hand washing using the proper technique. Hand sanitizer doesn’t cut it; traditional handwashing with soap and water is still the most effective way to kill germs. To properly wash your hands, use warm water, fully lather your hands with soap and scrub them until they are fully soapy and sudsy.

A ten-second rinse is not enough – you should spend at least 30 seconds washing your hands. Timing tip: A good rule-of-thumb for handwashing: if you sing “happy birthday” while washing your hands and don’t get through it in its entirety, you have not washed long enough.

3. Catch Your Cough

This one is straightforward – if you have a cough, cover your mouth when you cough, especially in public spaces and around other people. Catch your cough with your elbow, hand, or a handkerchief. Doing so can prevent community spread from person-to-person contraction. COVID-19 has shown an ability to live outside of a host for a longer duration than standard influenza, therefore if you do cough on a surface, wipe it down immediately with disinfectant and sanitizer.

4. Elbows, Bums, and Tums – Avoid Common Touch Points

Avoid using your hands while interacting with common touchpoints such as doors and door handles, railings on public transit, light switches, and sink handles if possible. Open doors using your elbow, rear-end, or stomach if they are push-to-open. If a door is pull-to-open, consider waiting on someone to open it from the other side, or cover your hand with your sleeve if necessary.

If you do have to open a door with your hands, wash them after. When you are finished, you should turn off the sink with your elbow or a paper towel. Do not touch your face with your hands at all; use your shoulder or upper arm to scratch an itch. Rather than shaking hands, use a fist or elbow bump when meeting or greeting someone.

5. Dinner? Not Tonight. Practice Social Distancing

The phrase “social distancing” has been thrown around a lot in recent weeks, and for good reason. Limiting social interactions, especially in public spaces and other high traffic areas, will highly increase your chances of staying healthy. Cook at home as opposed to going out to eat. Limit your social interactions to a close circle of people that you know are healthy, and even then, only for interactions that cannot be conducted in any other manner.

Thankfully, social distancing does not mean complete social isolation; there are many alternatives to face-to-face interactions in the digital age. Call or video chat with your friends; conduct meetings through video conferences; start a group chat with your social circle.

Recommended Resources for Coronavirus Research and Updates

Center for Disease Control and Prevention

World Health Organization

ABC News Live Updates

This piece is meant simply to inform, not to provide any legal or medical advice.

About Corvus Janitorial Systems

Founded in 2004 to make people’s lives better, Corvus is a full-service commercial cleaning franchisor that offers cleaning services through reputable local Franchisees. Corvus has been guided by its mission to transform people and transform places by consistently delivering independence, security, and freedom to Franchisees who deliver high quality cleaning to offices, educational buildings, medical buildings/offices, recreational centers, industrial parks, and other spaces. The company has 17 regional support offices across the United States with nearly 900 franchisees. For more information regarding Corvus, visit www.corvusjanitorial.com or www.corvusjanitorial.com/franchise for franchise information.

What is Coronavirus and What Can You Do to Stay Healthy?

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What is Coronavirus?

The sudden appearance of this new health threat has already triggered a significant level of panic across the globe. It has also been the cause of a lot of confusion. As cleaning professionals, the Corvus Janitorial Systems team would like to inform you about coronavirus and provide some tips to help you stay healthy. So, before we get to the symptoms, what health professionals are doing about the virus, and what you can do to avoid it, let’s talk a bit about the official definition, where it started, and where it’s going; what is Coronavirus?

CoV is more than just one virus. It’s a cluster (or family) of viruses that lead to illnesses ranging from mild, like an everyday cold, to more serious diseases, like SARS and MERS. Coronavirus strains like MERS and SARS have been around for years, but the newest coronavirus, called COVID-19, started in China in 2019. It is believed that the new outbreak started in an animal reservoir. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the outbreak was declared a public health emergency on January 31, 2020.

The virus is most commonly transmitted from person to person. Certain strains can also be transferred from animals to humans, although this is far less common. In the initial outbreak in Wuhan, China, some patients had connections to animal markets that suggested they may have contracted the virus from animals, but the growing numbers of patients without animal connections tells us that it’s spreading through human-to-human transmission. Coronavirus is said to spread in a similar way to the flu; contact with an infected individual’s sneeze or cough, and less frequently, touching a surface that an infected person had recently touched may cause infection.

What are the Symptoms of Coronavirus?

Now that we’ve answered the question, “What is the novel coronavirus,” let’s talk about the symptoms of it. Symptoms typically range from mild to severe, with the most common ones being fever, cough, and shortness of breath. In individuals with compromised immune systems, the infection can cause pneumonia, respiratory issues, kidney failure, and death. More research needs to be done to determine the exact timeframe, but it is believed that symptoms appear between 2 and 14 days after an individual is exposed to the virus. This timeframe was determined based on information from previous strains.

What Has Been the Global Response?

Across the globe, over 3,000 people have died from the recent coronavirus outbreak, with nearly 90,000 (and counting) confirmed cases in dozens of countries. Outside of Antarctica, each continent has been affected. In response to the potential severity and growth of the disease, many countries are preparing action plans.

Quarantines in Italian cities are on the rise, as they’ve suffered 52 deaths due to the coronavirus so far. Outside of China, only one country has a higher death count; Iran has lost 66 residents to the virus. But China, by far, has been hit the hardest. Over 2,900 of the 3,000+ cases have occurred there. Factories have been closed, quarantines put in place, experimental drug trials scheduled, and numerous lockdowns have gone into effect.

In the U.K., where there have been forty confirmed cases, the British government is working on a virus backup plan that includes calling retired medical professionals back to work, delaying tax bill due dates, closing schools, and encouraging adults to work from home. The French government is similarly allowing delays in tax payments for companies that are struggling due to the global outbreak. There have been 191 confirmed cases in France, including three deaths. In Germany, an international craft fair that was expecting 100,000 visitors has been canceled. Meanwhile, many international testing sites for college admissions have been shut down to help slow the spread of the virus, and Iranian officials sent drones out to disinfect the streets and teams to conduct virus checks.

In the United States, there are have been six fatalities to date, with just over 100 confirmed cases. Washington state is on high alert, as it is currently the state with the largest number of infections and deaths in the US. The virus has also been detected in California, Oregon, New York, Rhode Island, Georgia, and Florida. Conferences and other large group gatherings are being canceled, schools are being closed, workers in certain states and industries are being urged to work from home or avoid coming in if they feel any symptoms, and travel is vehemently being discouraged. The governor of New York has waived fees for coronavirus testing so that lower-income families and individuals can get the care they need.

The business conglomerate, Amazon, has recently switched to video conferencing to replace many of their in-person interviews. Amazon’s headquarters is located in Washington, where several schools have also been shut down temporarily. Twitter Inc. is also doing what it can to protect its employees by placing mandatory restrictions on global travel, as many other international companies have done.

As a byproduct of the growing fear of coming into contact with an infected individual, online grocery sales, antibacterial or disinfectant purchases, water bottles, and children’s books about germs and personal hygiene have all significantly risen. There is currently no vaccine, but healthcare officials and agencies are working on producing one. In the meantime, it seems that each state, country, and health organization is doing what they can to slow the spread of the virus. Now, let’s talk about what you can do, too.

How You Can Prepare for Coronavirus in the United States

Currently, the best way to stay healthy is to avoid infected individuals, wash your hands frequently, stay home if you’re not feeling well, cover your sneeze or cough with your sleeve, and avoid touching your face after touching public surfaces. Wearing a face mask isn’t recommended for people who are healthy, but they can effectively help infected individuals keep from spreading the virus through their sneeze and cough particles. Disinfecting shared surfaces and carrying hand sanitizers that include alcohol to be used when you don’t have immediate access to soap and water can also help.
You may recognize these suggestions as similar to the ones that health professionals suggest for flu prevention. COVID-19 spreads in a similar way, so many of the same methods of prevention can be used. However, if you have any concerns, feel any symptoms, or need more information, we recommend checking in with your health care provider. This article is meant simply to inform, not to provide any legal or medical advice.

About Corvus Janitorial Systems

Founded in 2004 to make people’s lives better, Corvus is a full-service commercial cleaning franchisor that offers cleaning services through reputable local Franchisees. Corvus has been guided by its mission to transform people and transform places by consistently delivering independence, security, and freedom to Franchisees who deliver high-quality cleaning to offices, educational buildings, medical buildings/offices, recreational centers, industrial parks, and other spaces. The company has 17 regional support offices across the United States with nearly 900 Franchisees. For more information regarding Corvus, visit www.corvusjanitorial.com or www.corvusjanitorial.com/franchise for franchise information.

What to Look for In Your Commercial Cleaning Company

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When choosing your next commercial cleaning company, it is imperative to find the company that best suits your company’s unique needs. You may have cubicles that need dusting, classroom floors that need sterilizing, or a warehouse that needs to be deep cleaned twice a week, and finding the company equipped to satisfy those needs can take a significant burden off of your employees. This blog post aims to help find the right cleaning company for you, and provides you with some criteria you to consider while making the decision. Each cleaning company is different, and we want to help you sift through the noise and find the right partner to keep your facility clean and your mind at ease.

Consistent Communication

When partnering with an outside contractor – a commercial cleaning company – good communication is necessary for an effective partnership and sustained success. The contractor is most likely unfamiliar with your business practices and company culture, and you are most likely unfamiliar with theirs. In order for the your new cleaners to fulfill their requirements, they must first be introduced to the intricacies of your needs. As the on-boarding process begins, make sure you spend time explaining these needs to both the representatives from the company and the cleaners. Understanding the needs of your new cleaners is also an important part of a successful new partnership. If you are familiar with your contractors, and comfortable communicating with them, then you will be much better equipped to solve problems and pass along new instructions.

Therefore, taking the time to learn about the function of your new cleaning contractor’s business will improve the quality of your cleans and increase your preparedness in the event of a problem. Additionally, cultivating rapport with your cleaners creates a more positive and healthy work environment. Because achieving success in a commercial cleaning partnership is so reliant on consistent and good communication, a company’s availability and commitment to client relations should be a major factor in your cleaning decisions.

Relationships Matter

Corvus Janitorial prioritizes the customer experience in our day to day operations. We understand the necessity of a strong relationship between the client and the service provider, and we have worked tirelessly to create a culture of superb customer communication. Our sales representatives are available 24 hours a day, and you will never be referred to a representative who is outside of your direct service area. Additionally, we believe that consistent face-to-face interaction strengthens the business relationship. Our team members will be on your doorstep once a month ensuring quality cleans, remedying any complaints, and searching for ways to make your experience ever better for the entirety of your time working with Corvus. In fact, it is not uncommon for our CEO to spend the day on the phone calling customers himself. We are a cleaning company, but we are also a people company – and that comes from our commitment to communication.

Commercial Cleaning Corporate Culture

Company culture is another important factor to consider while choosing a cleaning company to partner with. Cleaning companies come in all shapes and sizes, ranging from massive, publicly traded franchising operations to small, single-owner local business. Because of this variety, it can be hard to sift through the many different options, but the diversity of choice opens the door for your company to find a partner that not only meets your business’s needs but also your ethical standards. Both business structures will provide benefits to your company, but they will be quite different. Many large franchised commercial cleaning companies will give you access to professionalized cleaning, well-trained crews, and up-to-date equipment, but it is possible that you will not receive the personal attention and face-to-face contact that you would from a small local business. Each company needs to find the right mixture of size and attention for their company. The size of the company, as well as if it issues franchises, are two major determinants for company culture. Especially with larger companies, it is important to look at their mission to ensure it aligns with your own.

Corvus is a unique franchised cleaning company because we straddle the divide between the benefits of the massive companies and the small ones. Corvus is a national, franchise issuing company serving markets across the continental United States that aims to be a platform for local entrepreneurial success. The founders of the Corvus continue to own and operate the business, and are directly involved in management. Being a franchise based company allows us to provide support and guidance for local entrepreneurs. Corvus’s franchise platform is designed to uplift local small business owners and provide them with a path to financial self-determination. Corvus has a commitment to helping local economies flourish and proudly supports American small businesses. At the same time, however, Corvus’s national profile allows us to provide customers with a brand of quality training and cleaning that a smaller company may not be able to offer.

Research Janitorial Service Providers

Another way to effectively gauge whether a cleaning company is right for you is to look at other customer’s reviews of the service. Reviews are, for the most part, trustworthy insights into a company’s customer satisfaction. Customer reviews can also give you insight into a company’s strengths and weaknesses, insights that are often not available simply by browsing their website and additional material. Reviews are helpful in highlighting possible inconsistencies between your company’s needs and a cleaner’s servicer, but they are also useful in identifying the companies that fit your specific needs. Testimonials are one metric where larger companies have a distinct advantage because their size creates a general standard of service across the board, and the wide reach of this service means reviews are plentiful.

Corvus has received wonderful reviews across the board in all of our locations. This sustained customer support can be attested to a number of factors, chiefly our high-quality, trust-worthy cleaners and commitment to customer relations. Tana Vanderhooft, a Corvus of New Orleans customer, can speak directly to those benefits. She says, “We have used Corvus for almost 2 years now and have considered their service and customer support to be exceptional! Services were always provided when expected and service was always top notch. Our account manager, Reed was always very responsive and acted immediately to any questions or requests for additional work. I would recommend Corvus to anyone looking for a reliable cleaning service. Thank you Corvus!” Testimonials like this underscore the Corvus Difference.

What Will Cleaning Services Cost You?

One final factor to consider while choosing a janitorial service: is a commercial cleaning partnership an efficient use of my company’s money? If the answer to that is yes, then it is imperative that you find a cleaning company that employs efficient cleaning systems and strategies in order to maximize your benefits per dollar spent. Once again, this is where a larger cleaning company can often outperform a smaller, single owner operation. Corvus utilizes expert designed cleans, specifically tailored for your facility, that aim to maximize efficiency while also completing a high-quality clean. Our franchising system allows all of our cleaners to access training courses and receive instruction on how to most effectively clean your facility. These scientific methods are often not prevalent in smaller cleaning operations that lack the necessary resources to create them. Corvus aims to provide our customers with a high-quality, personalized experience for a reasonable price: every single time.

Corvus Has Your Back

No doubt, choosing a new cleaning company is a daunting task, but at Corvus we are here to help. Feel free to reach out to one of our representatives because we are more than happy to talk you through the process. Whether you want to start tomorrow or just have a few introductory questions, our representatives have seen it all and look forward to passing on their experience to you. Remember, your local Corvus office is just a click away.

7 Traits That Make a Successful Franchise Owner

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Being an entrepreneur holds the potential to provide boundless personal and financial rewards. Entrepreneurship is unique in its ability to equip business owners with financial security and dependability that’s difficult to find elsewhere. Unlike holding a traditional job, entrepreneurs possess an enduring asset that is entirely under their control.

This makes owning a business risky, difficult, and uncertain, at times. However, it’s also what makes it endlessly worthwhile. If it were easy, everyone would do it… But we’re not everyone.

The demographics of successful office cleaning franchise owners cover a wide range, but certain traits are usually found across the board. This is particularly true when we examine the details of Corvus entrepreneurs who have reached the point of success and commercial stability.

It’s important to note that not everyone possesses these important characteristics at the start, but they are able to effectively develop them through diligence, thoughtfulness, and tireless effort. In other words, the building blocks of becoming a successful Franchisee are not always innate, but they can be learned and developed by anyone willing to put in the effort.

Some of Corvus’s most prominent individuals generously offered their time and research skills to collect themes and specifics around what traits are, in fact, often found to be found in successful franchise owners, their attitudes, strategies, and approaches. Chad Weaver (Corvus of Louisville Executive Director), Kevin Fox (Corvus of Columbus Executive Director), and Matt Mong (Corvus of Charlotte Executive Director) have done the research and gathered the evidence for us, so all we have to do is follow the lead of their inspiring and successful Franchisees.

Here is what they found:

1. Successful Franchisees Commit to Improvement

This category can look a little bit different for everyone and it can be described in many different ways: coachability, a focus on learning, drive, ambition, and so on. However you choose to describe it, almost all Corvus Franchisees showed a commitment to learning from their mistakes, evaluating their own performance areas, and implementing plans to improve.

If we’re seeing these traits across so many individuals, they must be important. But why? Because in business, we are always going to face obstacles and setbacks. This is a normal part of every aspect of life, whether these issues surface as a result of potential errors or events that are entirely out of our control. What matters more is how we handle these difficult situations.
Successful business owners look at obstacles and setbacks as an opportunity to learn something. The best business owners operate in a constant state of both self-improvement and organizational improvement. They don’t give up or ask, “why me?” They may adjust their operating strategies, attempt to learn a new skill or tactic or seek the advice of a trusted colleague instead.

Successful franchise owners will look to glean insight as to how they can improve and move forward.

2. Successful Franchisees Welcome Feedback

As human beings, we naturally don’t enjoy being told that we’re underperforming. We enjoy being praised, being good at every task we attempt, and reveling in glory. Unfortunately, underperformance is something that we have to deal with, whether we like it or not. It’s a natural part of life, despite the hit to our ego or the uncomfortableness of receiving constructive criticism. The key is to fight every instinct we have that suggests that we should become defensive and unwilling to admit that we’re human and we make mistakes.

When it comes to evaluating outstanding cleaning franchise owners, it’s easy to see that they handle these uncomfortable situations a bit differently. Successful Franchisees don’t hide or get defensive, they seek out feedback and embrace it, whether it’s negative or positive. They are bold and consistent in asking those around them what they could do differently and how they could avoid negative situations in the future. In approaching the situation this way instead, they turn what may have been a frustrating moment into an opportunity for growth and future success.

3. Successful Franchisees are Optimistic, Pragmatic, and Resilient

Business owners who perform at the highest levels, earning high financial reward and personal satisfaction, typically show a few of the same critical personality traits. Successful Franchisees typically show a blend of pragmatic realism and enthusiastic optimism, despite any difficulties or setbacks. No individual, team, or organization can go through life without facing challenging times, but the best will understand that these moments will come, and they’ll accept them as they arise.

This pragmatic perspective has the somewhat ironic effect of creating a mindset that better equips entrepreneurs to deal with these inevitable pain points when they occur. The successful entrepreneur does not take failure as a broader indication of his or her own ability or flaws, but as a simple reality of running a business – a reality, as discussed above, that represents an opportunity to grow and flourish.

When it comes to winning business owners, that realistic perspective is almost always coupled with a healthy amount of optimism. Yes, an experienced Franchisee is clear-eyed about the hardships of running a business and the inevitability of difficulties, but they are almost uniformly enthusiastic about their ability to find personal development and commercial success anyway. They don’t allow themselves to be beaten down or discouraged, no matter how pronounced or severe the difficulties, and instead look forward, with optimism, to a bright future.

4. Successful Franchisees Have a Long-Term Vision

Of great importance to any entrepreneur’s success is their long-term vision, both for themselves and their businesses. A vision is a mental image of a desired future and it’s an important piece of the entrepreneurship puzzle. The vision encompasses a business’s “why”: the reason that the company exists and the important purpose that they serve. A franchise owner’s vision should align their personal goals with their business goals.

Vision is the foundation of a business and it determines the strategy, resource allocation, and culture of the company. It should be ambitious and clear; an ambiguous vision is incredibly difficult to fulfill. Defining your vision is a great first step, but there’s still a lot of legwork needed to implement, pursue, and ultimately realize your vision within the company. A successful Franchisee is a passionate leader, energetic about their vision, and ready to spread their vision across the organization to elicit passion and energy from their dedicated team.

Once a team “buys in” to their leader’s vision, the vision becomes an integral part of the company culture. A clear vision is not only the backbone of the company culture, but it also outlines the company’s path to success. Short-term and medium-term goals should always be set to align with the business’s long-term vision. These goals are stepping stones that push the organization in the right direction.

Pursuing a vision keeps the business and all individuals involved focused on long-term success. It helps to guide the decision-making process and keep everyone on the right path. When asked about the importance of vision to the success or failure of Franchisees, the Executive Director of Corvus’s Louisville office, Chad Weaver, states, “There is a clear advantage associated with franchise owners who have defined their vision right out of the gate. These entrepreneurs have a much better grasp of what will drive their long-term success and they are able to confront adversity in a way that pushes them closer to fulfilling their vision.”

5. Successful Franchisees are Organized

Any entrepreneur working toward fulfilling a vision or reaching a goal understands the importance of keeping themselves and their businesses organized. Being organized is more than keeping your workspace tidy and using a state-of-the-art filing system. A truly organized franchise owner is not only on top of all of their paperwork, scheduling, and other daily tasks, but they also have an organized and methodical approach to their business strategies and management philosophies.

Successful Franchisees create and implement systems to help them organize critical business functions, making it easier to stay organized day-to-day and for others when they’re out of the office. An important factor in the success of a franchise (or any business, for that matter) is thorough financial planning and preparation. Although the initial fee is clearly outlined to the entrepreneur at the start in a franchise system, first-time business owners often underestimate their ongoing variable operating expenses. Failure to organize and adhere to a strict operating budget can lead to the failure of a business; a slow start or an unforeseen event can quickly drain capital from the venture.

The best business owners always plan for the worst and they’re never caught off guard by a sticky financial situation. However, financial functions aren’t the only areas that require systems for organization and execution. Individual employee and team management is an area that is often overlooked when it comes to business organization. Elite Franchisees hire the best individuals they can find, regardless of their qualification for the job on paper.

Once they have the best team in place, successful franchise owners will put their people in the roles where they will excel the most. They’ll move teammates around if they have to and they’ll find the role that they fit the best. Good entrepreneurs know how to organize themselves; great entrepreneurs know how to organize others. This is a critical skill in building a business.

6. Successful Franchisees Communicate

Effective communication is key to any successful business, particularly in the unique franchise industry. Franchisees not only have to communicate effectively with their employees, customers, and suppliers, but they also have to keep in frequent contact with their franchisor. The best franchise owners understand the importance of both internal communications (teams and franchisors) and external ones (customers, vendors, and other key stakeholders). The success of any business is a team effort and great Franchisees recognize this.

Top-level communicators know the importance of engaged listening, extending the benefit of the doubt, one-on-one interaction, feedback loops, and constructive criticism at every level. Business leaders that excel at communication understand that it must be constant and consistent. They take advantage of multiple channels to deliver information to relevant parties and provide them with reminders reinforcing the information. Important details, announcements, and updates are provided on a consistent, recurring basis, enabling stakeholders to anticipate changes, be open to incoming information, and be better prepared to take action, as necessary.

Communication is a two-way street. Successful business owners recognize this and are willing to accept feedback and criticism just as well as when they give it to others. They’re not upset by criticism but rather recognize that it’s an incredibly valuable opportunity to improve themselves and their business. Most importantly, top-performing franchise owners aren’t afraid to ask for help when they could benefit from some extra support. The ability to understand your own limitations and weaknesses is a great strength in and of itself.

One of the most beautiful and beneficial things about the franchise system is that many others within the same system have been through the process already. Others who have experience, training, and skills in the industry are a valuable resource for Franchisees, as they can tap into this knowledge base when they’re struggling or in need of fresh input. Kevin Fox, Executive Director of Corvus of Columbus adds, “I can’t stress enough the importance of communication, especially in the cleaning industry. The best franchise owners in Columbus are extremely communicative; I trust that if an issue arises in an account, I will be able to reach out to the franchise owner, relay the issue, and they will not only take care of the problem for the customer, but also inform their team of the deficiency, follow up with the customer, and inform our operations team of the actions they’ve taken. These Franchisees make everyone’s lives easier.”

7. Successful Franchisees Work Hard

At the end of the day, there’s one aspect of running a franchise that’s more important than any other: hard work. No matter how clear your vision is, how well you communicate, or how skilled a team you develop, no business can survive and thrive without it. Being a business owner is challenging and growing a franchise is no exception. It’s not enough to do the bare minimum on a daily basis. The most successful Franchisees see each day as an opportunity to go above and beyond what’s expected of them.

Successful Franchisees aren’t content with just doing a good job; they’re not satisfied with anything less than perfection. This pursuit of perfection drives them to continue to work harder and never become complacent. An exceptional work ethic pays dividends in many different areas. A business owner who always puts forth 100% of the effort they have to offer is one who sets an example and organizational expectations for their employees to follow.

But employees and partners are not the only ones who notice a great work ethic. Consistent hard work goes a long way with customers, as well. It not only reflects well on the Franchisee, their business, and the system at large but it also builds trust and loyalty between the customer and the business owner. Human connections drive businesses and we would be lost without them.

Customers who see the dedication, hard work, and effective communication that goes on within a successful franchise are much less likely to leave it. When they know that everyone involved in the business, top to bottom, is working their absolute hardest, it creates the accurate perception of a company with a strong work ethic and solid integrity. These are important qualities for consumers.

Corvus of Charlotte’s Executive Director, Matt Mong, highlights how an exceptional work ethic can make all the difference for a franchise owner, “It [success] all comes down to how hard the individual is willing to work. A person with zero experience in the cleaning industry who gives 100% effort and goes above and beyond for their customers and teammates will outperform any industry veteran that doesn’t work hard 99 out of 100 times – and I’d pick the high-effort individual 100 out of 100 times.”

The Takeaway

We’ve learned a lot about the traits it takes to make a successful franchise owner, and we hope you have too. Owning a business, running a franchise, and being an entrepreneur are challenging but they’re also incredibly valuable, worthwhile, and fulfilling pursuits. The important thing to remember is that you have to be willing to put in the work.

Successful Franchisees possess an awareness of their abilities and they’re looking to refine and improve them whenever they can. An openness to feedback and the mindset that everything is an opportunity for growth and future success can open up entire worlds of possibilities for you and your business. Choose to never stop learning, think optimistically while remaining realistic, align your goals with your long-term vision, and keep communication open and constant.

These are the secrets to success from real-life franchise owners who have found their way. No matter where you’re starting, you can develop the skills you need to be successful, too. And remember, when you’re unsure, scared, or stuck, talk to someone who has been through this process before. When you choose to be a Franchisee with Corvus, you’re never alone.