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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.

How to Acquire Commercial Cleaning Contracts and Customers

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In our last post, “How and Why to Start an Office Cleaning Business”, the Corvus Janitorial team outlined steps entrepreneurs should take to open a cleaning business and provided an analysis of the industry. In the second entry of our two-part series presenting the facts of operating a business in the commercial cleaning industry, we provide a how-to for acquiring office cleaning contracts along with the considerations that ought to go into the process.

Once an individual has created the foundations of their office cleaning business by organizing the entity, purchasing necessary tools and determining a marketing strategy, it is time to start selling janitorial services. Regardless of which industries a company chooses to service and the cleaning programs they offer, the basic methods and time frames around winning customer accounts is relatively similar. That being said, certain standard considerations exist that all office cleaning owners should think about.

 

Getting Cleaning Contracts: Which Facilities to Clean?

First, determining what type of facility you wish to target is critical, and when selecting facility types it’s important to think about how facilities and industries differ. For instance, light industrial or manufacturing facilities likely require a less detailed level of service than a medical office or day care facility. The facility cleaning needs change with the organization’s varying purposes. An organization tasked with the welfare of infants will have far different needs than an organization tasked with distributing cardboard boxes.

In thinking about what types of customers you want to pursue, think about your skills, strengths and weaknesses…determining what suits your skillset best will help you identify your ideal customers. Some companies may not need or want recurring janitorial services, but they may require special event cleaning after an office party. As with recurring commercial cleaning contracts, special event clean up contracts will have a wide variety of needs, and the entrepreneur must decide which of these opportunities to go after.

 

Clean Close – Travel, Expenses, Logistics

Second, travel and logistics should play a role in selecting clients to target. Travel time represents a real cost in terms of money and your time and should not be overlooked in deciding which types of contracts your office cleaning business wants to target. It is highly advisable to calculate the cost associated with traveling to client accounts. Moreover, researching areas where your target accounts can be found and selling to areas of closer proximity is very important. Clustering your cleaning accounts in geographic locations that are close to one another will reduce your commute time and the associated costs, as well as limit the chance of a missed clean due to traffic or other unforeseen and uncontrollable circumstances.

 

Types of Office Cleaning Services

Third, creating a menu of the services your office cleaning company intends to provide is important in terms of selling and pricing your cleaning contracts. Variables such as how often per week or per month you intend to offer service will impact not only your time commitment but also the cost the customer will pay for your services.

Another variable to consider is the level of cleaning you intend to provide on a nightly, weekly or monthly basis. For instance, you may elect to provide weekly high dusting in your cleaning contracts, or you might decide to provide high dusting every night. In the second case, your cleaning company will be spending more time in the client facility to perform high dusting, thereby driving your personal cost higher – which in turn should be passed on to the client.

 

How to Get Cleaning Contracts: Tools to Use

Traditional Sales Channels

After you have identified your ideal customer, decided which geographic area(s) to target, and defined your service offerings, it is time to begin selling contracts. Traditionally, the most effective and cost-efficient way to get commercial cleaning contracts is by picking up the phone and dialing, aka cold calling. If you already have a network with local business owners or office managers, tapping this network is a great place to start selling.

Once you establish a base of satisfied customers, you can ask them to refer you to other businesses in their building, network, or industry. Word-of-mouth referrals are a strong vote of confidence for your brand and will make selling contracts to new clients much easier. Cold calling, networking and customer referrals can help jumpstart your business, however they cannot ensure consistent, stable growth in the long run.

Marketing a Cleaning Business

Additional marketing efforts are necessary if you aim to acquire a large customer base. Fliers and pamphlets are a time-tested and relatively low-cost method to spread the word about your cleaning company. Contacting and building relationships with real estate agents and property managers is another great way to obtain customer contracts. Classified ads in newspapers are also an effective source to sell cleaning contracts, and classified ads are much cheaper than larger newspaper ads. In the age of the internet, a digital marketing strategy is critical to be a true competitor in the commercial cleaning industry.

Increasingly, businesses are turning to the web and social media to find and hire professional cleaners. An established online presence is important to winning customer contracts, and the foundation of this presence is creating a website for your cleaning company. An effective website will showcase your service offerings, provide information about your business, and tell your brand’s story. Make sure to include contact information on your website – inbound web traffic are likely high potential cleaning contract prospects.

 

How to Price Commercial Cleaning Contracts

Frequency and scope of service (or level of service) ultimately will determine how to price a cleaning contract. If you intend to service a restaurant or bar, for example, there is a big difference between cleaning the dining area and cleaning the kitchen. In the latter case, a much more intensive clean will be required, as the customer will expect an absolutely spotless kitchen. These elevated expectations should be reflected in the contract.

Ultimately, you should take a consultative approach to understanding client expectations, customizing cleaning schedules, determining the frequency and scope of work to suit the facility needs and client desires, generating a cleaning contract with terms, and outlining conditions and pricing to match the client’s desires.

 

Collecting Money from Office Cleaning Customers

Finally, creating a billing schedule and agreement represents an often-overlooked aspect of starting an office cleaning business. On the one hand, launching a cleaning company and getting clients can be fun and exhilarating, but the end goal is to create financial security and additional income. Therefore, no process is more important than building policies for billing and collecting money owed from customers.

Generally speaking, office cleaning companies offer “terms” to clients in the cleaning contract. What this means is a cleaning company may ask to be paid at a specified date following the receipt of the invoice that corresponds to delivery of service. For instance, net 30 indicates the customer must pay the office cleaning company 30 days after receipt of the invoice, net 10 indicates payment is to be expected 10 days following receipt of invoice and so on and so forth. Depending on your savings and capital reserves, you should select a payment term that ensures a steady flow of incoming funds which you’ll need to replenish supplies, continue marketing your service and, best of all, set aside to increase your savings. Cash flow is king and establishing terms to meet your company’s cash flow needs is a key to success.

 

Conclusion

At the end of the day, the success of any business is determined by how much and how often they are able to sell. Above all else, consistency is crucial to building, growing, and maintaining a profitable commercial cleaning business. Therefore, having systems in place for sales, marketing, and collections is highly recommended to any business owner who aims to make a profit. Determining your service offerings and identifying your target customer and market are only the first steps to operating a successful commercial cleaning company.

The development of a marketing strategy is ultimately how you will acquire customer cleaning contracts, and you must also build out a system to price contracts, distribute bids, and collect money from clients. Getting cleaning contracts – and retaining them – is by no means an easy task, but with the right systems in place, a commercial cleaning business can provide consistent and reliable income to a hungry entrepreneur.

How and Why to Start an Office Cleaning Business

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In this post, the first of two pertaining to operating a business in the commercial cleaning industry, we provide high level steps that individuals should follow in order to open an office cleaning business, as well as certain personal considerations to reflect upon, such as the individual’s preferences and their unique personal goals. Every new business venture entails varying degrees of risk, and a potential business owner should assess their capabilities, capacity, and risk tolerance before making a decision.

In today’s economy, traditional employment options are being disrupted by a shift toward business ownership and entrepreneurial opportunities. Increasingly, people who would have remained content working jobs for large or small companies are taking matters into their own hands, and it is estimated that over 27 million Americans will be self-employed by 2020. On either a full or part time basis, businesses are being formed to provide the freedom and independence that come with business ownership, as well as the financial security afforded from owning one’s own business.

As the entrepreneurship trend continues and increases in scope, more and more people are electing to take advantage of the attractive characteristics associated with the janitorial services industry and are opening their own office cleaning businesses. Specifically, entrepreneurs are attracted to the cleaning industry’s low overhead model, recurring and reliable revenue streams, lower capital requirements in terms of launching, and the industry’s overarching stability. According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the commercial cleaning services industry is expected to grow by 7% in the next 10 years, 2% above the national average, meaning the actual market size and its long term growth prospects make opening a professional cleaning business that much more interesting and exciting.

 

Why the Office Cleaning Industry?

Starting an office cleaning business has become increasingly popular due to several basic traits associated with the industry. First, owners of commercial janitorial services companies are able to customize the amount of resources, both in money and time, they wish to direct towards their business. While some office cleaning owners operate their businesses with the intent of directing 100% of their time towards running their business, others do so on a part time or even fractional basis. An office cleaning company can be a great side-hustle for a motivated individual looking to add some supplemental cash to their existing income. Whether you want to build a large, full-time business or simply make some additional money to supplement your existing income, a commercial cleaning business can be tailored to meet each person’s specific goals and lifestyle.

Many potential entrepreneurs are deterred from starting their own businesses because of barriers to entry such as high startup capital requirements, strong existing brand loyalty to established competitor companies, or vigorous legal restrictions imposed by governments (licensing fees, patents, etc.). Office cleaning alleviates these concerns. Unlike manufacturing or other capital-intensive businesses (if someone wanted to manufacture wrenches, they would need to invest in a factory, equipment and inventory before even selling a single wrench), starting a janitorial business requires relatively low startup capital and minimal ongoing overhead requirements. This reduced financial barrier to entry has made office cleaning businesses of great interest to entrepreneurs. Additionally, commercial cleaners can customize the volume of service they choose to provide, and that flexibility makes the professional cleaning business very attractive. For instance, a paralegal looking to make some extra cash to pay off student loans or credit card debt, or simply to have some additional spending money, could start their own cleaning business.

While possessing custodial or janitorial expertise and technical skills are of course important, relatively speaking, office cleaning requires less initial know-how than certain other industries such as becoming a plumber or an electrician. Recession resistance is another attractive trait of the cleaning industry – businesses will always need someone to clean. In fact, companies are more likely to reduce their in-house cleaning staff during a recession and outsource the labor to a professional cleaning company. With unrivaled flexibility and unwavering demand, commercial office cleaning is a time-tested and established profession for hard-working individuals looking to go into business on their own.

 

Opening Your Office Cleaning Business: Entity Creation

The first step to opening your commercial cleaning business relates to organizing your business. Many entrepreneurs elect to operate their businesses as individuals (sole proprietorships), while others incorporate using a number of different types of legal entities to do so. Limited Liability Companies, or LLCs, and S-Corps are examples of different types of entities a business owner might choose through which to operate their business. Each type of entity conveys varying tax advantages and disadvantages to the business owner. Because every individual’s personal financial situation is different, as are their business objectives, it is always wise to consult an accountant or tax adviser to determine what structure best suits the owner’s needs. Online resources like LegalZoom and Fundera offer some free insight into the pros and cons of different business structures.

 

Professional Cleaning Industry Startup Costs

Whatever organization structure one chooses, a certain amount of startup capital is required to launch a business in the office cleaning industry. Costs to start your personal business include initial administrative costs like paying for professional advice in terms of structure, filing fees and licenses. You will also need to purchase the proper supplies and equipment to meet your clients’ needs. Finally, your business will need funds for marketing and branding, as these are both critical aspects of running a business.

Commercial Cleaning Supplies

The owner of a cleaning business will need supplies and materials to get started. The level of investment depends on the individual business owner’s objectives and how they intend to market their janitorial business, but certain necessities exist. No matter what the business objectives are, savings need to be set aside to purchase cleaning chemicals and equipment. An office cleaning business of any size will typically require a neutral floor cleaning solution, a sanitary solution for disinfecting planes and horizontal surfaces, a chemical to clean, sanitize and disinfect commodes or restroom fixtures, as well as glass cleaner and other miscellaneous supplies. A list of well-regarded cleaning chemical lines can be found at the bottom of this piece.

Commercial Grade Equipment

On the equipment side, to provide the most basic office cleaning services, a company will need vacuums, brooms, mops, mop heads and mop bucket wringer combos, in addition to spray bottles and rags. While some equipment can be purchased once and replaced on a longer-term cadence – such as brooms, mop bucket and ringers – other equipment such as mop heads and rags must be replaced frequently so that soiled or dirty mop heads and rags aren’t used. Of course, maintaining equipment and washing dirty applicants will increase the usefulness of the equipment, and it is important to mentally prepare for the ongoing cost of purchasing additional supplies and equipment.

For more intensive commercial cleaning specifications or contracts, additional equipment may be called for which typically is far more expensive than basic materials. For instance, some cleaning contracts require ongoing upkeep of hard floors or carpets – typically referred to as a floor care program. Schools, for example, frequently use Vinyl Composition Tile (VCT) in hallways. The wear and tear from foot traffic may cause those floors to require a specialized program to maintain the look and protection of the floors. Specifically, the cleaning contract might need the cleaning service to buff, scrub and recoat and, eventually, strip and refinish the flooring. Intensive floor care programs call for equipment like high speed floor machines and slow speed scrubbers, as well as the chemicals required to perform that task. Again, whether or not a janitorial service requires these more expensive and specialized equipment and chemical stocks depends on the company’s aims and goals.
All of the supplies and equipment above can be easily purchased, though it is important that the business owner determines the amount of inventory, and therefore startup capital to allocate to supply purchases.

Marketing and Branding a Cleaning Business

The final aspect for an individual to consider when determining how much money to set aside for startup costs is branding and marketing spends. Will you create company uniforms with logos? Are you going to use a standard color to represent your company? Will you target customers the old fashion way of going door to door, or will you create and produce marketing materials such as fliers or pamphlets to get the word out about your cleaning company? Will you build a website and create customized email addresses, or forego that expenditure? All of these considerations are important to account for and have an impact on the amount of startup capital that will be required to open your cleaning business.

 

Conclusion

Individuals must consider numerous factors before opening for business, including the type of entity they want to start and the associated startup costs. Different structures will bear different costs, but all cleaning businesses must have essential supplies and equipment to begin servicing customers. Additionally, the owner of a cleaning company needs to decide who their customers will be and how they will target these customers.

Starting a business of any kind is risky and challenging, and any individual seeking to become a business owner should carefully consider the pros and cons of entrepreneurship as well as the risk associated with launching a business. However, with business ownership comes the potential for independence, financial security and a deep sense of accomplishment. Because starting a professional cleaning business requires less startup capital and ongoing overhead, is customizable based on the owner’s goals and objectives, and delivers a service that is recurring and relatively recession resistant, more and more individuals are opening office cleaning businesses.

 

Resources for Cleaning Businesses

There any many useful resources out there that the owner of a cleaning business can reference. The following are by no means an exhaustive list but are certainly a great starting point for the potential cleaning business owner. The International Sanitary Supply Association (ISSA) is a global trade organization of cleaning professionals, from cleaning supply manufacturers to distributors to cleaners themselves. ISSA is one of the leading resources for information, networking, education, commercial opportunities, and government advocacy for companies in the cleaning industry. If it’s cleaning supplies and equipment you are looking for, some great choices are Buckeye, Betco, Spartan, Bissell, and ProTeam.

Daycare Cleaning Service for your Facility

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The importance of daycare cleaning

It is known that young children are at a greater risk of exposure to toxins and germs than their adult counterparts. Common cold, the flu, coughs, sore throats and diarrhea are just a few of the illnesses that run rampant in daycare facilities. It is estimated that children in child care and school settings will have as many as 8 to 12 colds…each year. In addition, one of the most likely groups to get hepatitis A are children and workers in daycare centers. With this in mind, operations managers at daycare facilities must do all they can to maintain a safe and clean environment for the children in their care. Cleaning services for daycare facilities can be an answer for facility managers looking to ensure the most thorough clean.

 

Daycare cleaning procedures: Cleaning, sanitizing and disinfecting

Cleaning comes first in child care facilities

The first step to creating a germ and toxin free daycare facility is to clean. Cleaning removes dirt and other grime from surfaces. All surfaces, including windows, carpets, glass, doorknobs, bathrooms and toys should be scrubbed, washed and rinsed. Dirt can prevent sanitizers and disinfectants from working properly, so it is critical that all dirt is removed in this step. A mild detergent and water solution is best; avoid cleaning detergents with lots of chemicals. Green cleaning solutions are the best; they have less effect on human health and the environment than non-green alternatives.

Sanitize areas in your daycare facility that are touched by many hands or come into contact with food

Choosing the correct daycare cleaning supplies is important to maintain a healthy facility. In order to properly sanitize, you will need an appropriate sanitizer. Sanitizing lowers the number of germs on surfaces and objects to a safe level. Sanitizing is done using products called antimicrobials.
Antimicrobials are agents that kill microorganisms or inhibit their growth. Antimicrobials are intended to kill germs, making them pesticides. Because they are pesticides, caution must be used when using sanitizers in a child care setting, as these pesticides can be harmful to humans. For example, phenol, found in many common sanitizers and disinfectants such as Lysol and Pine-Sol, can cause many problems such as heart damage, respiratory damage, and liver, kidneys and eye damage. Any product used to sanitize or disinfect must be registered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The most commonly used sanitizer and disinfectant used in daycare facilities is bleach. Bleach is a good sanitizer because it is readily available, relatively inexpensive, easy to use and has a short killing time. Sanitize all door knobs, railings, faucets, and eating utensils.

Disinfect areas in your childcare facility that come into contact with bodily fluids

Sanitizing is great, but disinfecting all areas in your facility that come into contact with any bodily fluids is key to keeping the children in your care healthy. Disinfecting kills germs on surfaces and objects. Areas to disinfect include diaper changing areas, toilets, mouthed toys, water fountains and any other surface contaminated with blood or other fluids. Again, bleach is the most commonly used disinfectant. To properly disinfect, apply a disinfecting solution to an area and allow it to air dry for a few minutes. If the area is going to be used right away after disinfection, rinse the surface with a solution of soap and water.

 

Why use a cleaning service at your daycare facility?

Cleaning can be strenuous, time consuming and difficult. That’s why professional janitorial services may be your best option for cleaning your child care facility. Professional cleaners know what it takes to properly clean, sanitize and disinfect facilities, making the children in your care safer. At Corvus Janitorial, we have a plethora of professionals with years of experience cleaning daycare facilities. For more information on the services we offer to child care facilities, click here.

Spring Cleaning Wisdom for your Office

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The weather is changing, the days are longer, moods are better. Suddenly there is more sunlight, exposing all of the dust on your desk, stains from winter-cold coffee stand out, and the floors just look dull! Sending out a spring cleaning office memo is great, but often not enough to make sure the job gets done. Take advice for cleaning on a smaller scale from those who clean on a larger scale. Corvus asked teammates from around the country to share their insights and spring cleaning office space tips to assist your organization’s efforts.

1. Teamwork makes the dirty-work, clean:

“It is something that must be done, why not make it fun?” remarks Jonathan Frias – Corvus of Denver Regional Director. “Whether it’s in our own regional office at Corvus of Denver or in a client facility, we often perform “Spring cleaning impact cleans” and pull additional crews in to knockout the job.  It is important to set aside an actual window so those responsible are held accountable and the spring cleaning gets done. Turn it into a treat, such as a happy hour at the end of the day, or a company wide donuts and coffee morning. The energy will be contagious, and this will ensure the cleaning actually happens”.

2. Declutter by keeping what you need at arm’s length:

Getting to the edges, ledgers and hard to reach spots for dusting and disinfecting is high on the list of spring cleaning tasks, noted Corvus of New Orleans Senior Account Rep, Reed Warren.  The old coffee cups must go, essentials only! Corvus recommends making organization a priority. Dedicate a corner or a drawer for the personal and sentimental items. The tools you use daily such as the pen, highlighter, stapler, etc. should be the most accessible. The clutter is distracting!

3. Give back:

Provide a few boxes for the Goodwill or donation boxes! This will encourage declutter of unnecessary items and turn a problem for you into a profit for someone else (submitted by Corvus of New Orleans).

4. Time to Care for Carpets:

During the long Midwest winter, client employees understandably quaff a disproportionately large amount of hot beverages to keep them warm and restored…problem is those liquids often end up staining carpets, traffic areas, and can get pressed into the floor by office chair wheels.  Corvus of St. Louis Director of Operations, Louis Kline, makes a habit of checking with all customers during the spring to schedule an array of carpet cleaning work – from bonnet cleaning, to high-traffic area hot water extraction, to dry method carpet cleaning, to complete extraction carpet cleaning.  “It’s a good time to knock out carpet cleaning because we’re finally comfortable that the weather is turning, and the work won’t have to be re-performed. Plus, most of our customers have been with us an average of five years, and it’s just become part of our routine to not only clean the carpets, but to ensure the client doesn’t have to spend on replacing that material as a result of lack of care”.

5. Dust busting:

Corvus of Jacksonville recommends replacing all air vents and filters from high and low intake and outtake ventilation systems.  Regardless of whether your battling Midwest winters or on the verge of confronting blistering Florida or Louisiana summer heat, facilities put their HVAC units into overdrive which in turn pushes dust, particles and dander through those hard working ducts.   And while high and low dusting and vacuuming of intake vents needs to be part of a regular cleaning schedule, the fact remains that filters and vents need replacing, decluttering and cleaning. The combination of high and low dusting and mechanical / filter changes greatly reduces distribution of dust particles and dander, which leads to a healthier, cleaner and more productive workplace.

Corvus is a firm believer that what you do on a small scale spreads to the larger scale. A clean workspace makes for a clean head-space. As a business owner, you lead by example and by education. Share these tips with your staff!

Contributors: Corvus of New Orleans, Corvus of Jacksonville, Corvus of Denver, Corvus of St. Louis, Jonathan Frias, Louis Kline