As a janitorial franchise owner, you’re part of an ever-growing community of business leaders. You’re also in an optimal position for growth. Being part of the commercial cleaning sector further increases that potential. After all, this industry is in high demand right now, and it’s only going to surge moving forward.
Reports show that the commercial cleaning sector has grown by more than 5.5 percent annually over the last few years. That places it among the nation’s fastest-growing industries. It’s also projected to pick up more steam in the years to come.
Having said that, taking a janitorial franchise to the next level is often easier said than done. You may be ready and willing to grow, but putting that motivation into motion requires certain measures. If you’re ready to move up in the industry, consider the following points to help you expand your janitorial services and truly establish your place in the commercial cleaning sector.
1. Take Advantage of Available Resources
Franchise owners are in a unique position. Rather than starting a business from scratch, you’re part of a well-established brand. That gives you a range of exclusive benefits that aren’t available to the average entrepreneur.
For one, the franchise most likely offered the training you needed to get up and running. That means there was no need to take part in multiple business courses, accounting classes, and other types of training business owners typically need to get off the ground. At the same time, the training you received was specific to the janitorial services sector as opposed to a more general education.
Franchises also enjoy a higher success rate than other start-ups, so you placed yourself in a position to succeed right from the start. Additionally, you were probably up against fewer financial hurdles than other entrepreneurs. Furthermore, franchisees receive all the tools and equipment needed to serve their customers from the beginning, so purchasing all those essentials along the way wasn’t a problem for you.
You’re banking on all the attributes the franchisor has already built, too. Instead of having to build a reputation, discover effective marketing strategies, determine which customers to market to, and overcome other hurdles, all that has already been done on your behalf. You simply have to live up to the expectations of the franchisor.
On top of all that, franchisors make numerous other resources available to their franchisees. An entire community of leading company executives, experienced franchise owners, and other experts is at your disposal. Taking advantage of all those resources is the most significant and effective way to propel your business to new heights. They’re there for you; don’t hesitate to use them.
2. Hone Your Marketing and Advertising Strategies
Franchisors develop marketing and advertising strategies and pass those along to their franchisees. That gives you the benefit of brand awareness and recognition among numerous other bonuses. It also gives you a solid basis on which to promote your business. Still, it’s only a starting point. Expanding upon that foundation is another key to success.
While the commercial cleaning industry thrives on general marketing and advertising tactics, you’ll need to further hone those aspects based on the needs and expectations of businesses in your area. Countless prospects could be relying on the janitorial services of your competitors. It’s not that they offer more options or better services than you; it’s simply because they’ve successfully targeted local customers.
In short, many prospects either don’t know you’re there or don’t realize you offer the services they’re looking for. Making yourself known to local prospects means tailoring your marketing strategies to their expectations. Those differ from one location to the next.
If your area is known for its range of medical facilities, focus on promoting your ability to meet their unique needs. In cities that are rife with office spaces, advertise the ways you can improve their productivity and reduce illness-related absences. If there are numerous manufacturing facilities in your area, focus on your cleaning solutions for sensitive equipment and your knowledge of the distinct needs of manufacturers in different market niches.
Familiarize yourself with local businesses that might need janitorial services. From there, understand the specific cleaning and disinfection solutions they’re looking for via keyword research and other strategies. That’ll give you the information you need to target various prospects in your area. You can even launch different marketing and advertising campaigns for each market niche. In turn, you’ll be able to expand beyond your current scope.
3. Use the Power of Networking
Numerous marketing and advertising outlets are now available from email and social media to print mail and beyond. That doesn’t mean networking is any less relevant than it was in the past. In fact, it’s even more important now than ever. It gives you ways to further extend your reach.
Joining an industry-specific association can work wonders for your reputation while increasing awareness of your business among other advantages. Some well-known associations in the commercial cleaning sector are:
- Building Owners and Managers Association International
- ConnexFM
- ISSA
- Green Seal
- The American Association of Cleaning Professionals
- Building Service Contractors Association International
Those are only a few options that are relevant to the commercial cleaning sector. There may be others in your city or state, too. Being a member of associations like these testifies to your dedication to the cleaning industry, the environment, and the varying needs of clients.
By extension, they help reinforce your position in the industry. Seeing that you’re a member of such an organization may entice prospects to choose your business over the competition as well. These organizations can also offer a wealth of resources to further your expertise.
That’s only one networking option. Attending trade shows, business conventions, and other events will also help spread the word about your services. Those events don’t have to be relevant to the cleaning industry. Businesses in all industries need janitorial services. As such, your presence is sure to be applicable.
Keep in mind, different types of businesses have different cleaning and disinfection needs. Because of that, you’ll need to understand the unique requirements of the prospects who’ll likely be in attendance. Then, you’ll be able to promote the services that are most relevant to the people you’ll be reaching out to.
4. Build Strong Business Relationships
Building strong business relationships is yet another way to expand your janitorial franchise. This could be considered a form of networking and marketing, but it extends well beyond the basics. It could also lead to a continually growing list of new clients.
Think about some of the prominent industries in the communities you serve and what you have to offer them. For example, you could reach out to local commercial real estate agents. Offer your cleaning services to help them prepare their listings for viewings and new tenants, and move-outs. In turn, they might recommend you to property managers for office spaces, apartment complexes, and other commercial properties.
Maybe you work with local schools. If so, you could use that relationship to market yourself to daycare centers, nursing homes, and other facilities that may need your services. Perhaps you’ve provided janitorial services for several local retail spaces. List those on your website to show other stores in the area that you cater to their needs.
Once you gain the trust of one respected client in your area, that business relationship could spark a range of new opportunities. From there, you could expand into any number of new sectors. It’s an ongoing cycle that’s sure to foster your businesses as long as you continue to build upon existing relationships and maintain a reputation for excellence.
5. Embrace Technology
Those previous points cover ways to foster your company, reach more prospects, and make conversions. Now, we’ll look at a factor that could help you keep your business processes organized and streamlined. Technology has advanced by leaps and bounds in recent years, and a range of new tools have been made available for businesses.
Among those is business software. Numerous options are at your disposal in this arena. They range from accounting and finance management software to dispatch and workflow management solutions. Each one is designed to foster businesses of all sizes and in all market niches.
Some business software options cover a range of factors while others target a single aspect of daily operations. Many software suites can be further customized to meet the distinct needs of your franchise as well. Being part of a franchise, you may be limited in the types of software you’re allowed to use per the franchisor’s prerequisites. Still, it may be possible to take advantage of some of the tools on the market.
Business software can offer several benefits. It’ll allow you to better manage relationships with customers while helping to keep track of invoices. It can aid in planning for upticks in demand for different services and help you hone your marketing efforts to name a few possibilities. At the same time, it may help you better handle the growing volume as your franchise expands.
Enjoying Growing Success with Your Franchise
Being a franchise owner gives you a solid foundation and multiple resources to draw from. Those resources are effective tools for fostering and growing your business. Marketing, networking, and building strong business relationships can help to further expand to new customers and into new niches of the market.
Along the way, using business software to your advantage can set you up for even greater success. Tools like these are designed to meet the specific needs of businesses like yours. They can also grow and change along with you, setting you up to meet the needs of your expanding clientele.
If you are interested in starting your own janitorial business, speak to a Corvus representative today about franchise opportunities. Contact us today.
