Start a Cleaning Business

Franchise Disclosure Document: What it is and Why it’s Important

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What is an FDD?

Franchise disclosure documents were created by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to help potential franchise owners gather the information they need to conclude whether they’re making a good investment or not. These documents are meant to protect American consumers and guide them as they search for the right investments to meet their needs. At first glance, a franchise may seem like a good investment, but it’s never a good idea to make such a big financial decision without digging a bit deeper first. Your franchise disclosure document will provide you with details on everything from affiliated companies to dispute resolution requirements.

Why is it Required?

This legal document is an important part of doing your pre-purchase due diligence. The information contained in a franchise disclosure document is essential to potential franchisees who are preparing to make one of the most significant investments possible. In your disclosure document, you’ll read about the roles of each party involved, among many other things. Knowing what falls on the franchisor and the franchisee will help you make a diligent and informed decision. Providing this information is also beneficial to the franchisor, as they now have their legal obligations and promises in writing should a conflict appear later on in the business relationship.

The Federal Trade Commission requires that franchisors provide the document to the franchisee a minimum of 14 days prior to it being signed, or before any money changes hands. This means that the start-up costs and annual licensing fee will be handled after the document is signed. This may seem like a lengthy period of time, but this document contains a lot of information, and you should take your time reviewing it section by section. Once you’ve reviewed and signed, keeping a copy of important documents like these for your records is always a good practice. It may be helpful to refer back to them later.

Why is it Important to Potential Franchise Owners?

When we were young, inexperienced students, we all learned how to make pro-con lists when we were making important decisions. Franchise disclosure documents are essentially the adult version of this useful organizational tool, except they’re put together by someone who already has all of the information we need. Potential franchise owners can use a federal disclosure document to weigh the risks and benefits of the investment they’re considering so they’re not walking blindly into a situation that may not work out for them.

When you’re teaming up with a franchise to access their business knowledge, established processes, trademarks, and more, it’s important to know exactly what you’re getting. You’ll need to know which obligations fall to which party, and whether they’ll help you with things like finding the right location, training your team, management guidance, and marketing strategies. Franchises are unique investments in many different ways. For this reason, it’s important to weigh the pros and cons, or risks and rewards, before you enter into this important business decision.

What is Included in an FDD?

Franchise disclosure documents contain 23 specific pieces of information about the franchise you’re looking into, the franchise’s officers, and other existing franchisees. This is an incredibly thorough and important document involved in any franchise purchase. It’s also long, and if this is your first franchise purchase, maybe a bit confusing. It may be a good idea to go through your franchise disclosure document under the guidance and watchful eye of an experienced franchise attorney before you sign.

Below is a breakdown of the items that will be included in your franchise disclosure document, what they are, and why they’re important:

1. The franchisor and any parents, predecessors, and affiliates
All corporate, affiliation and parent company information related to the franchisor should be included here

2. Business experience
Information regarding the franchisor’s management team

3. Litigation
If the franchisor, affiliates, predecessors, or management team members are involved in certain kinds of litigation, that information should be disclosed here

4. Bankruptcy
If any of the parties listed above previously filed for bankruptcy, that would be contained in this section

5. Initial fees
Having a clear outline of both initial and other fees will help both parties avoid disputes over undisclosed costs down the road

6. Other fees
Same as above

7. Estimated initial investment
This section of your franchise disclosure document should give you a range for the expected initial investment needed to get your franchise up and running

8. Restrictions on sources of products and services
This section includes a list of products or supplies that the franchisee needs to buy from the franchisor (or suppliers that they designate). It also included information on revenue and rebates that they earn from this

9. Franchisee’s obligations
As a franchisee, your obligations (legal, termination, etc.) will be listed in a table here

10. Financing
If your franchisor offers their franchisees financing for initial or other fees, you’ll find that information here

11. Franchisor’s assistance, advertising, computer systems, and training
This section will list the types of assistance or training you’ll have access to, advertising requirements, and the systems you’ll need to buy and use within the franchise

12. Territory
Your franchisor will disclose whether you have access to a protected territory, how that’s determined, and situations that will allow them to operate within your territory

13. Trademarks
If your franchisor has trademarks, they’ll include registration (with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office) information, status, and related details here

14. Patents, copyrights, and proprietary information
Similar to the section above, here your franchisor will include information on any applicable patents, copyrights, or other proprietary information you may need

15. Obligation to participate in the actual operation of the franchise business
If you are obligated to have any involvement in the daily operations of your franchise, your franchisor will provide the details of that obligation here. Some may require that you work in the franchise full-time, while others have no requirements listed in this section

16. Restrictions on what the franchisee may sell
Your franchisor may limit what you can or can’t sell here

17. Renewal, termination, transfer, and dispute resolution
Your legal rights, renewal obligations, termination process, and transfer details, along with a summary of dispute resolution requirements between you and your franchisor will be listed in this section

18. Public figures
Lists celebrities and public figures (if any) that were hired to promote the franchise

19. Financial performance representations
Outlines information about sales or other financial data. This is not always provided

20. Outlets and franchisee information
A table will be used here to summarize things like the number of opened franchises, the number of franchises that were terminated, closed, or transferred, and contact information for each franchisee in the franchisor’s system

21. Financial statements
Financial statements are one of the most important inclusions in any federal disclosure document. Your franchisor will need to provide three years’ worth of audited financial statements. This will give you insight into costs and cash flow, among other things

22. Contracts
Buying a franchise includes signing several contracts, like your franchise agreement. Others may include financial contracts, agreements made regarding products supplied, licensing agreements, and more

23. Receipts
The last section of your franchise disclosure document is a receipt page that you’ll sign to let the appropriate parties know (and keep a record of) when you received your FDD

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. Visit our website for more information regarding Corvus and the franchise opportunities we offer nationwide.

Disclaimer: This blog is for general information only. It is not intended to advise an individual on their purchase of a franchise and should not be used in place of legal counsel. There are many factors that affect the purchase of a franchise. Any person considering the purchase of a franchise should become familiar with their state laws related to franchising.

How to Win Commercial Cleaning Contracts: 5 Factors to Consider

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Eager entrepreneurs everywhere are reaping the benefits of opening a commercial cleaning business. Once you are open for business, it is time to start selling contracts. Here are five factors to consider when acquiring commercial cleaning contracts and customers: 

1. Facility Selection

Deciding what type of facility you are going to target is a critical step to acquiring commercial cleaning contracts. Facility types vary amongst industries, so it is important to consider these differences and make your decision accordingly. For example, a standard office workspace likely requires less detailed cleaning and disinfecting services than a hospital would. 

All facilities come with unique needs that you, as the cleaner, must be able to meet in order to retain customer satisfaction. Appealing to every industry type may sound like a good approach, however, it can lead to accepting a contract that you are unequipped to handle. Instead, try honing in on facility types that you are best qualified for. Think about your skills, strengths, and weaknesses. 

Determining what suits your skill set best will help you identify your ideal customers, which, ultimately, will likely lead to strong customer relationships and long-term success for your business. Keep in mind that not all companies want or need recurring janitorial services. They may, however, require special event cleaning or “one-time work” services. As with recurring commercial cleaning contracts, special event clean-up contracts will have a wide variety of needs that the business owner must consider when deciding which opportunities to pursue. 

2. Location, Location, Location

Establishing a service area is an important aspect of your business. Targeting customers everywhere may sound strategic, however, travel time and logistics are major expenses that must not be overlooked. Calculating the costs and risks associated with commuting to and from customer accounts will benefit your business greatly. Circumstances like heavy traffic and inclement weather might be out of your control, but they will cause you to be tardy and miss cleans. By clustering your cleaning accounts close together you are greatly reducing the chance of these undesirable occurrences from happening in the first place. 

3. Pricing Your Services

Creating a menu or list of services your cleaning company offers can serve as a valuable asset when pricing and selling your cleaning contracts. This allows you to be transparent to your potential clients about what you are willing and able to offer. Additionally, a menu allows you to clearly state your availability. The level of cleaning you intend to provide on a nightly, weekly, or monthly basis should be advertised similar to how a store displays its hours of operation on its window or website. 

A major benefit of being your own boss is having a great deal of control over your work schedule. You might plan to clean Monday through Friday, during regular business hours. Or maybe you intend to clean on the weekends when no one is in the office. Whatever the case, this method is an effective and efficient way to attract your ideal clients straight away. You soon will notice that your level of service, as well as frequency, has a significant impact on pricing. 

Take electrostatic spraying, for example. Does your cleaning company intend on disinfecting the facility once a week, or nightly? If the answer is nightly, you will be spending more time and resources and, therefore, you should charge accordingly. Frequency and level of service are the determining factors for how to price a cleaning contract. The kitchen area of a restaurant requires a much more extensive cleaning than the dining area does, and these elevated expectations should be reflected in the contract. 

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

4. Marketing Your Cleaning Business

Fortunately, cleaning companies provide an essential service that every industry type needs. Unfortunately, it is likely that there are several other cleaning companies that provide the same services target the same customers. That is why marketing can be a powerful strategy to differentiate yourself from your competitors.

Cold-calling potential customers is a traditional and common way to acquire commercial cleaning contracts. Over time, it has proven to be an efficient and cost-effective way to target businesses in your areas. This remains true, especially if you already have an established network with local business owners and office managers. Tapping into these networks is a great way to generate word-of-mouth referrals as well. Satisfied customers are oftentimes willing to recommend you to other businesses in their building, network, or industry. 

Cold calling, networking, and customer referrals have proven to work, however, there are several other approaches available to business owners. In fact, additional marketing efforts are necessary if you hope to establish a large client base. Fliers and pamphlets are a time-tested and relatively inexpensive advertising method. Building relationships with real estate agents and property managers can generate word-of-mouth referrals for customer contracts, which is especially beneficial for those who do not already have established networks and connections. 

In today’s day and age, a digital marketing strategy is critical to successfully compete in the commercial cleaning industry. Creating a simple website, and/or social media page (like Instagram or Facebook) is an effective way to showcase your services and provide contact information. 

5. Consistency is Key

Getting cleaning contracts- and retaining them- is no simple task. Determining your service offerings, location, target customer, and marketing tactics is only the beginning. Having systems in place is crucial to building, growing, and maintaining a profitable business, but you will soon learn that there is no way of knowing how much and how often you are able to sell. In the end, consistency is the foundation of running a successful business. The steps listed above will help you acquire commercial cleaning contracts so long as you are committed to putting in the work day in and day out. 

About Corvus Janitorial Systems

Founded in 2004 to make people’s lives better, Corvus Janitorial Systems 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. Visit our website for more information regarding Corvus and the franchise opportunities we offer nationwide.

7 Reasons You Should Start a Cleaning Franchise Instead of Job Seeking

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Whether you are an experienced cleaning professional seeking work or just simply interested in learning more about what being a janitor entails, we recommend that you consider opening a commercial cleaning business instead. Read on to learn more about the several advantages of starting a commercial cleaning company.

1. Now more than ever, cleaning matters

Throughout the past year, businesses nationwide have had to adjust their normal, day-to-day operations in response to COVID-19. Many companies implemented measures like working from home, enforcing proper social distancing protocol in facilities, and routinely checking employees’ vitals following the initial outbreak.

Businesses, workplaces, and schools are seeking excellent cleaning services for their facilities as they begin to reopen and operate through COVID-19. A clean facility is essential to maintaining a safe and healthy workspace. Therefore, the cleaning services you provide are an essential business. Here at Corvus, we suggest that you seize the opportunity to become an essential business owner rather than simply filling the role of a janitor.

2. Help meet your financial goals

As the owner of an office cleaning company, you will reap many of the benefits that come with business ownership, like the chance to make money and become financially independent, for example. While owning a cleaning business does not guarantee automatic financial success, it has the potential to become incredibly lucrative over time.

Oftentimes, those who start a cleaning business do so as a way to supplement their pre-existing incomes. He or she likely has a full-time occupation and plans to clean a few customer accounts on a part-time basis. While you might start out by cleaning just a few customer accounts, there is certainly the opportunity to grow your business into a full-time job by which you completely support yourself. Whether you eventually hope to build a large, full-time business or are just hoping to make some extra money on the side, a commercial cleaning business can be tailored to meet your financial goals.

3. Stable market

Potential business owners and entrepreneurs are especially 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. A commercial cleaning business requires relatively low startup capital and minimal ongoing overhead requirements. Since most people do not have the finances needed to start a business readily available, it is oftentimes hard and discouraging to start a business. The reduced financial barrier to entry associated with starting a commercial cleaning company makes it possible for people from all sorts of financial backgrounds to embrace their inner entrepreneur and begin operating their own business.

Despite what the state of the economy may be, businesses and other public spaces will need to keep their facilities clean, and thus, there will always be a need for cleaning services. We are seeing this consistent demand for quality cleaning and disinfecting services as we live through a global health pandemic. While many industries are concerned by how they will persevere, an earlier study predicted that the cleaning industry will earn over $46 billion dollars in 2020, and grow 10% by 2026. Commercial cleaning is a segment of the cleaning industry that offers a stable market with consistent demand.

4. You get to be your own boss

An especially attractive part of owning a cleaning company is that you get to be your own boss. As a janitor, you will be bound to what many consider to be burdens of the traditional workplace (having to report to a long chain of command, inflexible hours, a set schedule, etc.). As the owner of a commercial cleaning business, you are in control of making the right decisions for your business. Any financial, personal, and professional success that comes is even more rewarding knowing that you did it all on your own.

5. Expertise from your franchised business partner

While the idea of being an entrepreneur is very enticing, there is a lot of work that goes into starting your own business that oftentimes goes unrecognized. Becoming a business owner through an office cleaning franchise system is an excellent way to pursue your dream while avoiding many of the time-consuming and challenging tasks most startup companies endure. A cleaning franchise provides their Franchisees with marketing, sales, financing and other ongoing support that enables them to focus on delivering quality cleaning services to their customers. So, when you buy a franchise from Corvus, you are not only becoming an owner of a janitorial business, you are joining a community of experienced professionals that will provide you with resources that are difficult to obtain alone.

6. Automatic brand recognition

One of the most difficult aspects of the cleaning industry is building a clientele. While you may be a hard worker who provides excellent cleaning services on a consistent basis, businesses will often choose a cleaning company whose brand they recognize and trust. Opening a commercial cleaning business through an established franchise company is a great option. The brand of a franchisor has already been established over many years, and by representing that brand, customers will trust that you can offer the same quality service. Corvus helps folks start their own business using the nationally recognized Corvus brand and proprietary systems. The public is likely to already know the services you offer, and by representing the Corvus brand name, customers can trust that you will match the level of quality that Corvus provides.

7. The opportunity to Make Lives Better

While Corvus is a cleaning company, we are also a people company. Since our founding in 2004, our mission has first and foremost been to Make Lives Better. Everyday we pursue our mission by providing clean, healthy, and safe workplaces to our customers. The ways by which our Franchisees are able to make lives better is especially noticeable amidst the COVID-19 outbreak. Providing quality cleaning and disinfecting services allows for businesses to reopen their doors, employees to return to work and students to go back to school. A commercial cleaning company and the services they provide truly impact the members of your community.

Conclusion

The need for quality cleaning services is absolutely essential – now more than ever. Starting your own commercial cleaning business offers you stability, flexibility, and support while you are working hard to make your customer’s workplace as clean and safe as possible.

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. Visit our website for more information regarding Corvus and the franchise opportunities we offer nationwide.

Why Purchase an Office Cleaning Franchise…and Why Not

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In the past, we’ve talked about the actionable steps involved in opening an office cleaning business. We’ve talked about personal considerations, preferences, and unique goals, risk tolerance and aversion, and the benefits of entrepreneurship. Since we’ve shared these thoughts with you, the world has changed. Traditional employment options are fewer and farther between than they have been in a very long time. And it’s difficult to predict when things will return to normal for us again.

For some people, starting a business or becoming an entrepreneur has shifted from wish to necessity. For others, the trials and tribulations of this year have been enlightening and shown them that there is a better, stronger, and smarter career path available to them. Whatever drives you to consider purchasing an office cleaning franchise, it’s important to make sure that you’re doing it for the right reasons. If a business venture aligns with your personal mission, values, and goals, it’s much more likely to be successful.

Let’s talk about why you may want to purchase an office cleaning franchise first:

It offers freedom and independence

Purchasing an office cleaning franchise gives you freedom and independence that is nearly unmatched when it comes to other career paths. You can choose how much of yourself you want to dedicate to this business. You can work full-time with a few other employees or hire a full team and supervise, check-in, or work part-time. You can run a large full-time operation that acts as your sole source of income or you can simply use your office cleaning franchise to bring in supplemental income. Unlike many others, you can tailor this type of career path to align with your unique goals and lifestyle.

You can skip a step or two

When you purchase into a franchised business, you gain immediate access to assets that have already been established by someone in your industry. The franchisor has developed a business model, systems, and procedures that you can adopt and learn from. This saves you valuable time and energy by allowing you to skip over the time-consuming steps of developing these things on your own. You benefit from the work that they put in, their track record, and their success. They’ve established themselves as reliable, credible, and high-quality service providers in the cleaning industry. These things all increase the probability of your success when you purchase an office cleaning franchise under their wing.

Additionally, you’ll benefit from ongoing operational and sales support, access to capital, and a strong support system to rely on when you need guidance. While we help you build, you can focus on providing quality services, building meaningful client relationships, and doing what you do best. When you choose to own and operate an office cleaning franchise under Corvus, you’re never alone. With nearly 15 years under the same management and ownership team, we’ve built a trustworthy brand with national recognition. Our high-quality service, honesty, and reliability are what we’re known for. When you join us, these qualities will be what you’re known for, too.

Commercial cleaning is an essential business

Another important factor to consider is the incredible amount of stability involved in purchasing an office cleaning franchise. The cleaning industry isn’t going anywhere. Offices and other commercial buildings will always need to be cleaned and disinfected, and now more than ever before, they’ll need these services to be more frequent and more thorough. But that stability also comes with a few additional bonuses: the cleaning industry also has low initial capital requirements and allows you to keep your overhead low, create recurring and reliable revenue streams, and remain open as an essential business, even when other businesses are being shut down.

Low barriers to entry

Unlike many other startups, there are no licensing fees, patents, heavy machinery, or sprawling factory needed to own and operate an office cleaning franchise. You can hire as many or as few employees as you choose, depending on how much time you personally want to dedicate to your business. There is no formal training or educational requirements. Janitorial expertise and technical skills can be developed through experience rather than costly training programs. This means that you can get started right away, building and growing at your own pace.

You choose your hours of operation

This goes along with office cleaning franchises providing freedom and independence, but it’s worthy of its own explanation. Anyone who already works during traditional business hours, takes classes during the day, or cares for family members knows how difficult it can be to juggle so many different things at once. This career path opens the door to an incredible amount of customization, right down to your hours of operation. You can customize the volume of your services, the scope, the days and times your business operates, and so much more. If you’re working or with your kids during the day, you can operate your office cleaning franchise on weeknights or weekends.

Now, here are a few reasons why you may not want to purchase an office cleaning franchise:

You’re capable of building the business on your own

At Corvus, transparency and honesty are important to us. It wouldn’t be right to issue blanket statements and claim that our office cleaning franchises are right for everyone. We know that for some people, this is not the right choice. If you’re already at a high level in your career or you’ve built successful businesses in the past, you may already know how to perform the functions necessary to run an office cleaning business. You may know how to develop operating systems, handle marketing and brand development, and look forward to completing these tasks rather than skipping over them. If this is true for you, it may not make financial sense for you to purchase a franchise.

You don’t need access to capital or other forms of support

While we exist to help our Franchisees improve their lives and careers, we are also a for-profit company, like all other franchisors. This means that royalties or start-up fees will be owed to Corvus by Franchisees. If you are privy to effective sales and marketing techniques, have access to sufficient capital, have time to oversee your team, and can juggle everything from training and customer service to payroll and performance, it likely won’t make sense for you to be part of a franchise system. Whether you’re starting your own business or purchasing an office cleaning franchise, it’s important to remember that starting a business is inherently risky. Success is never guaranteed. Everything from the economic climate to your own effort and ability will impact the success of your business, no matter what form it takes.

The wrap-up
In our humble opinion, there are more reasons to purchase an office cleaning franchise than there are not to. But we recognize that this is not the right path for everyone. Ultimately, it is up to you to decide what the right path is. Consider your goals, strengths, and weaknesses. If you do decide to purchase an office cleaning franchise, our proven process and successful track record give us confidence in our ability to support and help franchisees prosper. Contact us today for more information.

Starting an Office Cleaning Business: Invest in an Essential Service

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Interested in starting an office cleaning business of your own? It can be a very exciting venture, but there are several things you need to do before diving in! Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered with the four biggest things that should be on your to-do list before starting an office cleaning business.

Now more than ever, cleaning matters. As an essential industry, the commercial cleaning business has never been more in the spotlight – or more in demand.

STEP 1: RESEARCH

At Corvus, we are partial to the reliable and tested system that we and our franchise partners have built. However, as with any important decision, we recommend researching your options. There are many different franchisors of office cleaning and janitorial services concepts out there, and it’s important to familiarize yourself with the market. Resources to assist an individual in their initial research include Franchise.com, Entrepreneur Magazine, and the International Franchising Association (IFA).

When researching potential franchises, we suggest paying attention to the following:

• Company’s longevity

• Pricing of fees and services

• Quality of relationship between firms and its franchise base

While there are other things to consider than the few items listed above, this will be a great starting point on your researching journey. Once the initial due diligence has been exhausted and you have decided whether or not to go with a franchise base, it’s time to start the process.

STEP 2: CONTACT

Once you have researched, it’s time to make an initial call or email to a company teammate in order to learn more and explore the possibility of purchasing a cleaning franchise. The aim of the initial call is intended for both parties, the potential franchisee and franchisor, to get a basic sense of each other’s goals, experience, and ideal investment level. At Corvus, we aim to understand the level of interest by the inquiring party. When it comes to franchisees, we only want the best and most dedicated to represent us. At some point during the initial call, a prospective franchisee will typically be invited to attend a “Disclosure” meeting, or Discovery Meeting, at a Corvus Regional office.

STEP 3: MEET

The Discovery or “Disclosure” meeting is critically important. Many companies conduct these in a variety of ways, but we will be sharing how it is handled with our franchisees.

While there are several things that will be happening at a Corvus Discovery meeting, there are many things that most certainly will NOT be happening. Specifically, no sale or pressure is applied whatsoever to the prospective franchisee. The meeting is simply intended for two purposes. First, we provide the individual with regulatory paperwork called a Federal Disclosure Document. Then, we explain Corvus’ franchise system. During that explanation, we will typically go through the different features and benefits while also addressing cost structures and ongoing fees. In other words, the goal is to explain to potential franchisees how our system works and what it costs. We want anyone that is considering joining our team to make an informed decision about starting an office cleaning business.

Although a general presentation is a part of the meeting, the balance of time is usually spent addressing any and all questions and concerns the prospective franchisee may have. Additionally, for any franchise company, it would be against federal regulations and laws to affect any sale until the minimum 14 day holding period has passed following the Disclosure Meeting. Corvus highly recommends that all interested individuals review and thoroughly read FDD materials, including providing the FDD to an advisor, attorney or CPA to receive additional professional counsel or advice.

STEP 4: LAUNCH

Once the fourteen-day holding period has passed, an individual may become eligible to purchase a Corvus Cleaning Franchise. To do so, the individual contacts their regional Corvus support office to schedule a closing, or as we call it, an opening. Business openings typically occur on Fridays, but regional offices will always be willing to schedule an opening at a time that works for the franchisee. Generally, a business opening takes approximately 1-2 hours. Oftentimes, a regional office will attempt to include some initial cursory training at the time of signing. Once the individual purchases their franchise, becoming an owner of an essential business, training and orientation is scheduled…and then it’s time to launch!

As you can see, there is a lot of careful consideration and time that goes into deciding to start an office cleaning business by opening a franchise. While we at Corvus Janitorial are only one franchise of the many available, we hope this gives you a little more insight into what’s ahead if you decide to venture into the world of franchising.

If you are interested in learning more about business ownership with Corvus Janitorial Systems, inquire today to speak to a local representative.

Commercial Cleaning Contracts: What You Need to Know

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Now more than ever, cleaning matters. As more and more businesses open their doors to employees and the public, ensuring that workplaces are clean and sanitary has never been a bigger priority. Business owners across the country are working diligently to keep customers and employees alike healthy. For many businesses, this means enhanced protocols for cleaning and disinfecting.

Demand for commercial cleaning services is at an all-time high and is still growing. With so many new cleaning contracts up for grabs, you may be wondering how you can get your cleaning business in front of potential customers. Read on for insights on how to acquire office cleaning contracts, bid customer contracts, collect money from clients, and more.

Choosing the Right Facilities to Clean

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 daycare 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 skill set 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.

Keep Your Cleaning Customers Close – Travel, Expenses, Logistics

Travel and logistics should play a role when you are 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 Commercial Janitorial Services

Creating a menu of the services your professional 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 Office Cleaning Customers…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 Your 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 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 contract prospects.

Pricing 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 Customer Contracts

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 the 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.

Wrapping Up

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.

Franchise with Corvus: We Get Cleaning Contracts for You

If you are a professional cleaner looking for contracts or are simply interested in learning more about owning your own business, the Corvus Team is here to help. Our dedicated sales and marketing teams do the hard work for you – all you have to do is clean! Contact us today to learn about franchising with Corvus.