Cleaning Business Tips
Cleaning business articles
Practical written advice on bidding, pricing, hiring, marketing, operations, and growing a cleaning company.
Written for commercial cleaning and janitorial business owners.
In today’s COVID-19 environment, there are generally two types of cleaning and disinfecting jobs janitorial business owners find themselves being asked to bid on. The first kind are project requests from building owners and property managers who are not current…
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Keep exploring practical written advice for cleaning business owners.
Why Most Cleaning Business Marketing Fails
What makes most cleaning business marketing fail isn’t unique to the cleaning industry; it’s what can make any service industry marketing ineffective – having a limp, lifeless marketing or no message at all.And, with no compelling, value-creating differences being offered, building owners and property managers naturally and logically assume – none exists.From there, price or…
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Bidding and Pricing
How to Add COVID-19 Disinfecting to Current Cleaning Contracts
In today’s COVID-19 environment, there are generally two types of cleaning and disinfecting jobs janitorial business owners find themselves being asked to bid on. The first…
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Bidding and Pricing
How to Price and Bid COVID-19 Disinfecting Jobs
Janitorial Business Guide with Sample Work Specifications Today, more than ever before, cleaning businesses are being asked by building owners and property managers to bid on…
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Bidding and Pricing
How to Bid Cleaning Jobs: Guide for Janitorial Businesses
Everyone has an opinion. Let’s take a look at what works, what doesn’t – and why. Price per Square Foot Some say pricing an office cleaning…
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Marketing and Sales
Why Most Cleaning Business Marketing Fails
What makes most cleaning business marketing fail isn’t unique to the cleaning industry; it’s what can make any service industry marketing ineffective – having a limp,…
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Bidding and Pricing
Should YOUR Cleaning Business Perform Sub-Contracted Janitorial Work?
Want to maximize the control, profit and financial security of your cleaning business?If so, aim to be the janitorial business owner who holds the cleaning contract…
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Cleaning Business Tips
Do You Ever Feel Like A Punching Bag?
Do you ever feel like a punching bag… in your cleaning business?Well, if so, you’re not the only one, because that’s exactly how we felt.Let me…
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Cleaning Business Tips
Picture Something!
Would you do me a favor? Here it is…. Picture something. That’s right, I know it may sound lame, but stop for just a second and…
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Marketing and Sales
Who Do You Want To Clean?
OK, let’s get right to it, because the sooner we answer this question, the sooner you can get the kind of cleaning business you’ve always dreamed…
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Marketing and Sales
Who You Don’t Want To Clean!
Today, let’s talk about deciding who you don’t want to clean …and why. Let me tell you a quick story, When Tony and I first started…
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Marketing and Sales
Get The Regular Advantage!
If I had to choose between a regular customer and a one-time job, I’d take the regular customer nearly every time! You might want to do…
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Bidding and Pricing
Big Jobs, More Profit, Same Work!
Last time we looked at regular jobs versus one-time jobs. Today, let’s talk about big jobs vs. small jobs. Let me tell you a story… For…
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Marketing and Sales
Targeted Lists Get Maximum Results!
In the movie, The Patriot, Mel Gibson in his role as a revolutionary war patriot, asks his young sons if they remember what he taught them…
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Marketing and Sales
Aim To Be Next!
We always hear “aim to be first”. Well, if you want to grow like crazy in the cleaning biz, here’s a secret: Aim to be NEXT!…
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Marketing and Sales
Something Every Six Weeks!
How often should you make contact with the companies on your target list? Answer: We suggest you make some kind of contact with them no less…
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Marketing and Sales
Should You Call Or Send?
Should you call your prospect – or send them something? It’s an important question. And the answer is… well, both. But in our strategy, we do…
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Marketing and Sales
The S.M.A.R.T Call
So what do you do once you have a list of targeted companies; the actual names and addresses of the accounts you want to go after?…
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Marketing and Sales
Get Filed To Get Hired!
Get filed…to get hired. It’s an insider tip that still works even in today’s online world. Specifically, you want to get your company info. i.e. sales…
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Marketing and Sales
Credibility And Believability
We’ve talked about the importance of contacting our prospects about every 6 weeks. This week, let’s talk about what messages we should be sending when we…
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Marketing and Sales
Ingredients
Today, let’s start a grocery list of ingredients that should be included in really any successful sales letter or marketing piece? And, a great place to…
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Marketing and Sales
Use Hi Octane Headlines
For your sales letters to generate lots of interest from prospects try using powerful, ‘hi-octane’ headlines. What are ‘hi-octane’ headlines? Well, let’s first say what they’re…
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Marketing and Sales
Testimonials & Visual Proof
We’ve discussed how including features and benefits in our marketing pieces help us to show credibility. Now, we need to tackle BELIEVABILITY. So, how do we…
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Marketing and Sales
The BIGGEST Mistake
For goodness sakes, don’t make the BIG mistake I did. And, what is it? Ok, well, here it is… drum roll… To stop marketing! Now, I’ll…
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Bidding and Pricing
One Question to JUMP START your profits
Is there one question you can begin asking that can JUMP START the profits in your cleaning business? Yes, but first, let me tell you a…
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Marketing and Sales
Is It Still Who You Know Part I
Let’s go way, way back in our ‘time machine’ to the 70’s or 80’s, when playing 18 holes of golf with the manager of a downtown…
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Bidding and Pricing
Is It Still Who You Know Part II
Last time we talked about how tough it is out there – you know, the fast changing, competitive world we live and work in today. We…
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Bidding and Pricing
Never Hear Your Price Is Too High Again
WARNING: This e-mail is LONG, but I hope you give it the extra couple of minutes to read, because if it helps you land even just…
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Hiring and Staffing
Do You Have A 3 Hour Magnet
Next time you sit down to figure out how many cleaning hours to bid a building at, budget for and assign to a cleaner – you…
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Cleaning Business Tips
Maintain Forward Motion
My father, now nearly 90 years old, always says to me, ‘Don’t worry Dan, just keep trying do your best everyday, and you’ll be fine.’ What?…
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Marketing and Sales
What’s In A Name?
What does the name of your cleaning company say about you? Think about yours. Say it a few times. Write it down; look at it for…
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Hiring and Staffing
The Winner Is The Winder
Want to hear my secret, non-scientific method, to spotting potentially great employees? Great! It starts with a story. One day, while waiting in line to get…
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Bidding and Pricing
All Things Aren’t Equal
Ever had one of your customers cut back on the cleaning to save money? My guess is a big YES, you have – us too. In…
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Hiring and Staffing
Don’t Shop When You’re Hungry
This old wisdom says it all. Go shopping when you’re hungry, and you may come back with everything in the world, except what’s good for you! You…
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Bidding and Pricing
When Is The Best Time To Raise Prices In YOUR Cleaning Business?
We get this question a lot – WHEN is the best time to for your janitorial business or maid service to RAISE prices? Well, the short…
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Bidding and Pricing
Bid Cover Letters With MUSCLE!
Frankly, most people think of a cleaning bid cover letter as a weak, nearly meaningless, part of any janitorial proposal, nothing more than a formality. Don’t…
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Bidding and Pricing
Bid Cover Letters With MUSCLE! – Part 2
OK, no more theory! Let’s look at how you can easily add marketing MUSCLE to your janitorial proposals and cleaning bids by creating powerful COVER LETTERS.…
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Marketing and Sales
The One-Word Secret To Getting Great Testimonials for YOUR Cleaning Business
So, what is it? What is THE one-word secret to getting great testimonials for your janitorial business? Ok, here it is – ASK It’s that simple. Well,…
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Bidding and Pricing
Cleaning Business Tip: Dip Your Toe In FIRST!
Warning: This blog is long. I know. Sorry, but, it’s important – and I think it reveals a strategy which may REALLY come in handy for you…
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Bidding and Pricing
Cleaning Business Success: 1-2 PUNCH
I see it all the time. I go out to meet someone in charge of hiring the janitorial cleaning company for a building. It can be grumpy…
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Marketing and Sales
Cleaning Business Owner: Are You Too Needy? Part 1
No disrespect. It’s really more of a business question, than a personal one. Put another way, what message are you projecting to your prospects? Think about…
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Marketing and Sales
Cleaning Business Owner: Are You TOO Needy? Part 2
Ok, let’s pick up right where we left off last time. We were looking at how, if we’re not careful, our marketing, selling and customer service…
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Marketing and Sales
Should You Guarantee ALL the Work of YOUR Cleaning Business? – Part 1
Should you guarantee your work? Yes! That’s right, I’m tempted to answer the question with a flat out ‘Yes!’ and call it a day, but it…
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Marketing and Sales
Should You Guarantee Your Work? – Part 2
Last time, we tackled the question of whether you should guarantee your work. This time let’s talk about what kind of guarantee it should be. Well,…
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Marketing and Sales
The Keys To A Successful Walk Through – Part 1
Ok, let’s walk-through (hehehe..I know, lame right?) some of the important keys to a successful walk- through together! But, to be honest, this is ‘big elephant’…
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Marketing and Sales
The Keys To a Successful Walk Through – Part 2
Last time, we talked a lot about preparation. Today, let’s discuss another important key to success – once you’re past the doors and standing in the…
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Marketing and Sales
The Keys To A Successful Walkthrough Part 3
So, you’re prepared, on time and have met the receptionist. Now what? Well, of course, when your contact comes to the lobby, be ready to meet…
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Bidding and Pricing
You Need To Know What They Want
Sure, when you go out to do a walk through of a building, you’ll be getting the measurements of the rooms and restroom fixture counts…. but…
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Marketing and Sales
Prospects Leave Valuable Clues
Last time, I promised to tell you about another key to success when meeting with prospects. And here it is: Prospects leave valuable “clues” for us.…
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Marketing and Sales
What REALLY Makes A Great Presentation Part 1
Well, YOU, of course. Your Attitude, Your Professionalism, Your Thoroughness, Your Attention To Detail. All that’s true, no doubt about it. But today, I want to…
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Marketing and Sales
What REALLY Makes A Great Presentation, Part 2
Last time, I explained how cleaning contractors who take the time to prove to prospects they truly understand what they’re looking for from their next cleaning…
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Marketing and Sales
Don’t Automatically Agree
When janitorial business owners go out to sell their cleaning services, they should be reasonable, cooperative and even accommodating – but not a door mat! Shooting…
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Marketing and Sales
When Should I Call Back – Part 1
These are two of the most common questions we hear from janitorial businesses. Here’s why: 1. After so much work has gone into preparing a commercial…
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Marketing and Sales
When Should I Call Back – Part 2
Last time, we tackled the question of when to call back after we deliver a janitorial or residential cleaning bid. Today, let’s look at the, maybe…
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Cleaning Business Tips
A Watched Pot Never Boils
You’ve probably heard this expression before, well, probably not with the word cleaning in it – but, hopefully it still rings some sort of bell. Here…
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Cleaning Business Tips
Too Many vs. Too Little
I’d lean towards too many – you might want to too! What in the world am I talking about? Ok, let me explain. Some strategies we suggest…
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Marketing and Sales
Make Multiple Offers To Build Your List
Sometimes, even after your best marketing efforts, property owners and building owners still, just aren’t ready to decide. So, do you simply throw up your hands,…
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Marketing and Sales
How Many Brochures Should My Cleaning Business Send Out?
I understand why people are always asking how many brochures to send out per week – I really do. But the question of whether to send out…
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Cleaning Business Tips
Practice Doesn’t Make Perfect …Really!
How can I say such a thing? Well, let me explain.. Picture, for a minute, your neighborhood driving range with an army of ‘weekend warrior’ golfers…
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Hiring and Staffing
Rules? Yep, Your Cleaning Business is Gonna Need ‘Em!
Rules. Who Needs ‘Em? We were going to be different. That’s right. When we first started, we decided we were going to be the first cleaning…
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Operations and Systems
Systems, Yep, You’re Gonna Need Those Too!
Today, we want to talk about something just as important – systems. That’s right, systems. What they are? How to create them? And what they can…
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Cleaning Business Tips
Lawyer Is Not A Dirty Word in the Cleaning Business!
That’s right, lawyer doesn’t have to be a dirty word in the cleaning business. Ever heard the expression, ‘If you want to be successful, watch what…
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Marketing and Sales
How YOU Can Stop Wasting Time in YOUR Cleaning Business!
Today can be unforgiving. There isn’t a lot of time to waste time anymore – as if there ever really was. But, again, certainly not today.…
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Marketing and Sales
What’s More Important To Your Cleaning Business – Sales or Profits?
The folks in the ‘SALES’ camp would say, you can’t spend what you don’t have – and you don’t have anything until you make a sale.…
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Cleaning Business Tips
I Got A Bulldozer Last Night
It’s true. Last night, my wife gave me a bulldozer. Let me explain… It was one of those small trophies- the kind you get for playing…
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Cleaning Business Tips
Reinvent Your Cleaning Company Before It’s Too Late!
Scary, I know, but let’s be honest; today isn’t like yesterday. Yesterday , you might have been able to “pick and choose” which buildings you wanted…
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Marketing and Sales
How Your Cleaning Business Can Survive ‘Windows Of Vulnerability’
As usual, let’s get right to it. What are these windows of vulnerability, and why do I need to know how to survive them? Ok, let’s…
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Operations and Systems
Cleaning Business Meetings That Aren’t A Waste Of Time
First of all, let’s be clear – there’s a time for ‘shooting the bull’. There is. I mean, if you don’t take some time each day…
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Cleaning Business Tips
You’re Not In The Cleaning Business
That’s right, I’ll say it… You’re Not In The “Cleaning Business” ..at least, that’s not the whole truth by a long shot! Don’t get me wrong.…
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Hiring and Staffing
Cleaning Business Owner: If You Want It Done Right – Don’t Do It Yourself!
No you didn’t mis-read what I said – I mean it. If you want it done right, you shouldn’t do it yourself! And I know that…
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Marketing and Sales
Does YOUR Office Need A New Cleaning Company?
I hope not. Instead, I hope the way your office or building looks is a shining example of the very best your company can deliver. But…
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Cleaning Business Tips
Cleaning Business Owner Confesses ‘Stop The World, I Wanna’ Get Off!’
Ever felt that way? Has the ‘stuff’ you’ve got to get done today got you spinning so fast -you feel like shutting the whole thing down…
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Cleaning Business Tips
ONE Secret To Success in the Cleaning Business?
I wish there was one secret – really, I do. Life would be so much easier. I could simply whisper it in your ear and poof…
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Hiring and Staffing
It Takes More Than MONEY For A Cleaning Business to Keep Good Employees!
If the key to keeping and motivating people was as easy as just throwing money at it – then paying the highest hourly wage would be…
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Bidding and Pricing
Should Your Cleaning Business Treat All Customers The Same?
The safe answer would be, Yes!, right?Well, never one to play it safe , I’ll go ahead and say it… No! Ok, hold your horses…let me…
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Hiring and Staffing
Help! All the New Jobs We Just Landed Want Us To Start Cleaning On the SAME Day!
We’ve all been there, haven’t we?You’ve been marketing, and measuring, and bidding, and selling, and hoping and then suddenly – the phone rings! Your dreams are…
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Cleaning Business Tips
I Can’t Believe We Lost THAT Cleaning Account!!
Ever gotten a phone call or certified letter informing you that one of your big customers is dropping you?It can be devastating, leaving you completely blown…
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Marketing and Sales
Niche the Niche to Attract Profitable Cleaning Jobs!
No question about it.Finding a niche or a targeted part of the market to focus on, is one of the best strategies to attract profitable new…
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Bidding and Pricing
We Lose A Little Bit On Every Job, But Make It Up In Volume?!
Ever heard that line before?It’s supposed to be funny.And it is – if you realize it’s poking fun at one of the most ridiculous business strategies…
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Marketing and Sales
Don’t Trash Other Cleaning Companies!
We’ve all been tempted.You’re walking down hallways, and in and out of offices and restrooms, being shown a building to bid on and suddenly there it…
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Bidding and Pricing
Is YOUR Cleaning Business ‘In Budget’?
No doubt about it.It sure is exciting to announce to the office that you just landed a new account!Making a sale is, and always will be,…
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Cleaning Business Tips
The Secret To Getting Things Done in YOUR Cleaning Business!
It sounds straight forward enough.Create marketing.Sell better.Hire better.Train more.Inspect accounts.Repair equipment.Stay in budget.etc etc etc, right?…So, with a short list of to do’s as overwhelming as…
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Marketing and Sales
What Do Customers in Your Cleaning Business Really Want?
Well, let’s start with this: It’s not perfect cleaning .What? I mean how can I say such a thing?Well, because your customers know, as well as…
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Bidding and Pricing
Why Price Per Sq. Ft. Won’t Fly in Bidding Office Cleaning Jobs!
Maybe.Yeah, maybe if all cleaning companies were the same, it might work.Yeah, maybe if all customers wanted the same thing, it might work.But they’re not… not…
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Cleaning Business Tips
Use this SUPER-Power in Your Cleaning Business!
Take your pick:1. The question isn’t ‘What CAN you do?’ – it’s ‘What WILL you do?’2. Quit talking , and start doing !3. And, of course,…
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Marketing and Sales
Does Your Cleaning Business NEED References?
Does your cleaning business need references?Short and sweet answer?Yes you do, or at least, you’ll WANT them – and sooner rather than later.And what exactly is…
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Operations and Systems
Label Everything in Your Cleaning Business! – Part 1
I think it was 1987. It was also our first year in business, when Tony and I were still doing almost everything ourselves. Anyway, we were…
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Operations and Systems
LABEL Everything in Your Cleaning Business! – Part 2
Ok, so let’s pick up where we left off last time. I promised I’d spill the rest of the beans — so here goes. If you…
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Marketing and Sales
Does Your Janitorial Business Prefer to Clean Property Managed or Owner Occupied Buildings?- Part 1
Ok, I’ll go first. Which do we prefer?Short answer – owner occupied.There, you have it.But, on a serious note, we could learn a few things by…
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Marketing and Sales
Does Your Janitorial Business Prefer to Clean Property Managed or Owner Occupied Buildings?- Part 2
Last time, we looked at the pro’s and con’s of cleaning property managed buildings.Today, let’s look at owner-occupied ones .It’s probably obvious, but worth saying just…
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Cleaning Business Tips
Could Ice Cream Biz Hold KEY to Success in Cleaning Biz?
There’s a place that sells soft serve ice cream near where I live.Don’t ask me how I know…. lolAnyway, in the last 2 or 3 summers,…
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Cleaning Business Tips
Small Goal Setting Tip for BIG Cleaning Business Success!
Standing in awe – admiring the Great Wall of China, sprawling over 4,000 miles, as far as the eye can see, a man asks: How in…
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Marketing and Sales
Being REAL Beats Being Clever in Janitorial Business Marketing!
It’s fun to think up something clever. You can see a lots of clever writing in advertising.Our local zoo advertises, for example, advertises on billboards from…
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Bidding and Pricing
Cleaning Business Owner Warning: Don’t Kid Yourself!
‘Oh, we’ll be able to ‘bang out’ the cleaning in no time, probably an hour! No problem .”Oh, I know this building is really dirty and…
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Bidding and Pricing
Should You Do ‘Sub Contract’ Work for a National Cleaning Management Outfit?
I got a call one day – it went something like this…Yes, this is Steve with a management firm out here in California.We’ve just picked up…
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Bidding and Pricing
Janitorial Business Key: Measuring
Ever went to a building to take measurements so you could figure out how much to charge for a carpet cleaning or tile job? Ever had…
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Operations and Systems
Take Inventory of Your Cleaning Business!
It’s hard to make some business lessons exciting.This is one of them: Take inventory In other words, know what you have AND where it’s at .Why?Well,…
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Bidding and Pricing
Why Your Cleaning Business May Be Doing More Work, But NOT Making More Money!
Ever felt that way?Ever wondered why it seems you’re cleaning more accounts than ever, but not making any more money?How can this be? It’s enough to…
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Marketing and Sales
Offer Options To Land More Cleaning Jobs!
It’s funny. People like to choose. They like options to pick from.Ask if they want ice cream – and they say ‘No’.But ask them if they…
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Marketing and Sales
Just Being ‘Green’ Isn’t Going to Save a Cleaning Business!
It’s a constant drumbeat.Frankly, it’s just about the only thing you hearanymore! You know what I’m talking about.. . Green Cleaning !Yep, cleaning companies are ‘climbing…
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Bidding and Pricing
Price Cleaning Jobs to Hire Locally!
Let me tell you a story…There was a time, when Tony and I weren’t getting the number of new cleaning jobs we wanted.We were getting a…
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Bidding and Pricing
Use Minimums To Protect Your Cleaning Business Bottom Line
All you seem to hear about is the power of – maximums. Maximum Speed! Maximum Returns! Maximum Protection! Well, I’m hear to tell you about the…
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Cleaning Business Tips
Cleaning Business Tip: Cut Out The Static!
It’s too much.It’s not just mind-numbing TV shows or the so-called experts yelling at us all day on talk radio – or the endless online surfing…
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Cleaning Business Tips
Where Cleaning Businesses Can Find Time
I don’t have the time.I can’t find the time. There’s never enough time. We’ve all heard people say these things – you may have even found…
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Bidding and Pricing
Measure to Grow Your Cleaning Business
You already know how important I think it is to workload every office-cleaning job you bid on.Getting a calculated cleaning time by gathering the actual dimensions,…
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Operations and Systems
When Does Your Cleaning Business Consider a Mistake Fixed?
It happens, right? It certainly happened to us.You break a plaque on a wall or a decorative figurine on someone’s desk.Your floor crew forgets to clean-up…
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Marketing and Sales
Your Cleaning Business’ 10 Best Customers
What do I mean BEST?Actually, good question.Well, by ‘best’ I mean – the ones who always seem to generate healthy profits, happy customers and few ‘headaches’.…
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Marketing and Sales
Unusual Marketing Can Get Your Cleaning Company Noticed
The ’round file’ – yep, with barely any notice, that’s where a lot of marketing ends up.Why?Well, for one reason, it all looks the same .While…
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Operations and Systems
Cleaning Business Inspection Guidelines
In general, when it comes to inspecting cleaning accounts -short, general and frequent beats long, detailed and occasional.Let me tell you a story…In the early years,…
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Marketing and Sales
Should Your Janitorial Business Go After Bigger Buildings?
Whether it’s a 35,000 sq. ft. building or a 135,000 sq. ft. one, at first – big places can be intimidating.But here’s something to think about..Some…
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Cleaning Business Tips
Run Your Cleaning Business Like you Were Selling it
Ever noticed someone in your neighborhood getting ready to put their house up for sale?You know the drill.They start frantically plowing through off a list of…
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Bidding and Pricing
Highly Profitable Accounts Are A Mixed Bag
How in the world can I say HIGHLY profitable cleaning accounts aren’t great – period? How could making more money on a job be anything other…
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Operations and Systems
Use A “Cookie Cutter” Approach
Here’s a tip…Think of setting up and running your company like you were getting ready to make cookies.Good cookies? Yep. Tasty cookies? Sure, but, one other…
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Hiring and Staffing
When Did “Employee” Become A “Dirty” Word?
I don’t get it — I really don’t. I’ve been an employee. That’s right, when I was younger I worked for “the man” in businesses ranging…
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Marketing and Sales
HOW and WHEN to Follow Up on a Cleaning Proposal
So far so good.You got the lead, met the prospect, did your walk-through and delivered the bid.NOW what – or, more specifically: What should you do,…
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Marketing and Sales
HOW and WHEN to Follow Up on a Janitorial Bid – Part 2
Last time we talked about when to follow up.Now, let’s tackle how to follow up and give some real life suggestions of what to say -…
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Marketing and Sales
Cleaning Business Selling Tip: Find a Reason to Stop By
You may have heard an expression -Give yourself the GIFT of a good habit. Well, here’s one gift you should seriously look at giving yourself -Find reasons to stop…
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Bidding and Pricing
Janitorial Business Tip: CLEAN Up Your Notes
Let me tell you a story…Years ago, I had just finished ‘plowing’ through a long and difficult bid walk through of a building.It was a tough.My…
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Marketing and Sales
Who Needs to Hire a Cleaning Business? Follow the Public
Want to know a trick for finding what places need a cleaning business?Here it is: Follow the public! That’s right, that’s where the cleaning is most…
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Cleaning Business Tips
What Cleaning Businesses Should Worry About MORE Than Results
Stop worrying so much about results. Surprised to hear me say that? Well, don’t be – I mean it.Excessive worrying about results in your cleaning company…
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Marketing and Sales
How Important is NETWORKING in My Cleaning Business?
First of all, you can relax – I realize not everybody likes networking . It’s understandable.That’s right, for many people, the very idea of going up…
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Marketing and Sales
Use STEPS in Marketing Your Cleaning Services
Sitting on my desk was a business card (A). It was from an insurance agent who stopped by while I was out of the office. No…
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Marketing and Sales
Step Series Letters to Promote Your Cleaning Business
Last time, we saw how three properly timed, related marketing steps can be much more powerful than – three random, unrelated ones.Today, let’s look at how…
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Marketing and Sales
WANTED: Photo of Cleaning Business Owner
We’ve all heard it a million times. A picture is worth a thousand words. Why? Well, because people like to buy from people – people they…
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Marketing and Sales
What Cleaning Businesses Need to Know About FREE
We know people like getting ‘something for nothing’ or – FREESo, if we all agree on that, why am I devoting an entire blog to this…
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Marketing and Sales
How Target Marketing Can Help YOUR Cleaning Business
How can I get more BANG for my marketing dollar? It’s a question we hear a lot. And it’s a fair question considering how expensive it…
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Marketing and Sales
The BEST Place To Get More Cleaning Business!
We hear it all the time. Cleaning companies call – and what do you think is the one thing they nearly all ask? Well, if you…
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Marketing and Sales
Golden Rule for Selling Success in the Cleaning Business
Here’s what you absolutely MUST know if you hope to be successful – selling cleaning services:Drum roll please… the answer is…What They (Your Prospects) WANT.You see,…
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Marketing and Sales
Want Compelling Marketing? Change the Internal Reality of Your Cleaning Business.
Janitorial businesses complain their marketing isn’t working – not getting the phone to ring. Maid Services complain they can’t get noticed with so much competition. Commercial…
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Marketing and Sales
Tell Cleaning Business Prospects, Then Tell Them AGAIN
Prospects can be like kids . Here’s how:They both just don’t get it – the first time.You know how kids can be.Tell them to clean up…
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Marketing and Sales
Stick With Your Cleaning Business Story
It may not be a holiday classic like ‘The Night Before Christmas’ – but you’re going to want to tell the marketing story about your cleaning…
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Marketing and Sales
PAIN in Marketing Cleaning Business
Prospects are people first!It’s something to keep reminding yourself of.Don’t make the mistake of thinking prospects are logical, practical business men and women who – after…
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Bidding and Pricing
Can you ELIMINATE the Price Objection in Cleaning?
By now, you know how important we feel it is to grab your prospect’s attention in your marketing.And hopefully, you also remember we suggest you do…
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Bidding and Pricing
Show and Sell – How to Overcome the Price Objection in Cleaning
To overcome the PRICE objection in the cleaning business – you need a plan.You need to show and tell (sell) how your cleaning plan makes UNDERSTANDABLE…
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Marketing and Sales
Cleaning Marketing Tip: Write Like You Talk
People are always asking what their brochures, flyers or marketing letters should say.Hopefully, by now, you have a pretty good idea, including:Powerful HeadlinesTestimonialsMeasurable Guarantees of Performance…
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Marketing and Sales
P.S. Remember to Use P.S in Marketing YOUR Cleaning
Some things in life defy logic.For me, it’s golf .Seems the harder I try, the more effort I put into the swing – the better my…
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Operations and Systems
Deliver NOTICEABLE Cleaning!
Here’s the question:How can you deliver cleaning that delights your customer – at prices that delight you? Now, THAT is an interesting question, isn’t it? To…
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Operations and Systems
How to Deliver NOTICEABLE Cleaning
Where do we go from here?Last time, we highlighted the fact that customers are delighted – when they NOTICE the difference in the cleaning.So, how can…
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Operations and Systems
How to Implement NOTICE- able Cleaning – Profitably
Ok, here are my final notes on NOTICE-able Cleaning – how you can efficiently, consistently and profitably deliver it.You’ll need to make two shifts. A shift…
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Marketing and Sales
Making Cleaning Prospects Decide
You’ve done everything right.You’ve..- learned what the building owner or manager wants- put together your proposal highlighting why your cleaning business is uniquely able to deliver…
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Marketing and Sales
Making Cleaning Prospects Decide, Part 2
Last time, we talked about WHY so many prospects seem to ‘drag their heels’ in deciding whether to hire you or not.You know the ones; they…
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Marketing and Sales
The Power of Multiple Offers in Marketing Cleaning Services
Sometimes, even after your best marketing efforts to persuade people to move forward – hire you, they may still simply not be ready to act.So, do…
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Cleaning Business Tips
How the Janitorial Business Has CHANGED
Here’s the way it was…. Independent cleaning businesses used to reign supreme.Why?Well, among other things – customers liked the quality , reliability and responsiveness of doing…
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Bidding and Pricing
Actual Steps Cleaning Business Owners Can Take to Deal with Low Balling Competitors
Here’s a question that’s been bugging me for a long time.What can independent cleaning business owners do when a current customer calls to say a competitor…
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Marketing and Sales
Revisit EVERYTHING
Re-visit procedures, policies, systems and rules in your cleaning business.Why?To re-think WHY you do them the way you do.Companies often find the only reason they make…
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Hiring and Staffing
The Exponential Value of a FEW People in Your Cleaning Business
Let’s get this out of the way right out of the gates…. Everyone is important in your company – everyone.From the most part time cleaner to…
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Marketing and Sales
Social Media is a MEDIUM not a MESSAGE
It would be great if simply getting your cleaning company up and running on sites like facebook and LinkedIn was all it took to bring in…
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Cleaning Business Tips
‘String’ Theory 101 for Cleaning Businesses
Don’t worry – this isn’t the String Theory physicist use to help explain, well, just about everything in the universe.No, this is ‘string’ theory for cleaning…
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Marketing and Sales
Questions and Answers in Selling Cleaning
Sure, you can probably agree that BOTH are important, but, what you many not realize, is – when it comes to selling cleaning services – IT’S…
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Marketing and Sales
Why Would You Hire Your Cleaning Company?
I’m pretty sure you would answer with a confident – Absolutely! to the question of whether you would hire your cleaning company. What I’m not so…
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Cleaning Business Tips
Why CLEAN Beats NEW
Here’s WHY. Because — CLEAN is within reach — within your control. Now, if you were lucky enough to be born rich and have always been…
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Cleaning Business Tips
PLAN for ‘Where They’ll BE’ NOT ‘Where They ARE’
More than ever, this advice applies.With the speed of change today – not planning for where things are headed – is business suicide.What works well today…
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Marketing and Sales
Strong Guarantees and Embarrassing Admissions
As you know – we suggest taking service guarantees to the next level by creating Measurable Guarantees of Performance, or what we call MGPs, for short.We…
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Cleaning Business Tips
Go in KNOWING
When you go in to fix a problem in your cleaning business… Go in KNOWING: Knowing WHAT you want to solution to do BEYOND…
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Marketing and Sales
That Little Something Extra
A while back, we talked about how the P.S. at the very end of a sales letter is one of the MOST read parts of the…
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Cleaning Business Tips
THIS Can Help Your Cleaning Business
In an effort to say MORE while saying less…. the THIS I’m talking about is.. – an OBJECTIVE look at your operation. Disappointed? …
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Cleaning Business Tips
THEN I’ll Be Happy
It’s an easy trap to fall into. Our grown children, 25, 26 yrs old often do it.They’ll see either one of their grandparents and sigh…’Oh, man,…
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Cleaning Business Tips
It’s Not ONE Thing, It’s EVERY Thing
It would be easier to think the difference between most cleaning companies and the really great ones – was just one or maybe two things.That’s right,…
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Marketing and Sales
DISNEY-fy Your Cleaning Business!
Everyone offers cleaning.But, few businesses, including cleaning companies, offer an EXPERIENCE to their clients.DISNEY does.Disney designs, offers and delivers an EXPERIENCE, a dramatic, compelling and scripted…
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Marketing and Sales
Think COUNTER-intuitive When Marketing Your Cleaning Business Services!
This blog post will be different, even weird – in how it’s structured, in what it says.But, maybe that’s a good thing.Maybe, it will get your…
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Cleaning Business Tips
DTM – Dump the MIDDLE-men!
WHEN you can, IF you can – Dump the MIDDLEmen.And, who are these MIDDLEmen?They’re the national management outfits (NMO’s) who see their job as little more…
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Cleaning Business Tips
MORE Important Than Answers
Getting answers used to be a problem. Not any more. Now, simply hop ONLINE and one can find a tidal wave of answers to even the…
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Hiring and Staffing
Preventing vs Fixing Employee Mistakes
It’s tempting -To simply ‘take to task’ and correct an employee when you notice they’ve made a mistake.It’s easier -To place the blame on the person…
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Cleaning Business Tips
Some Answers Cleaning Business Owners Know
Some questions are better answered by others. For example, complicated legal or accounting issues. Some questions are answered pretty quickly and confidently by the owners of…
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Cleaning Business Tips
The Part of Working SMART That Makes Sense
People often think working SMART is learning insider tricks or shortcuts to do less work -or better yet, figuring out how to have other people do…
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Bidding and Pricing
Numbers WITHOUT Meaning
When I was 25 yrs old, a wise businessman – my boss and mentor, said to me – ‘The numbers have got to MEAN something to…
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Cleaning Business Tips
Pros vs Amateurs
In watching sports, you can learn a lot by identifying the differences between professional athletes and amateur ‘weekend warriors’. Pros focus on accuracy . Pros know…
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Cleaning Business Tips
Insulate Your Cleaning Business!
What do we mean by insulate ?Well, let’s look at a more common use of the term.In our homes, we insulate around doors and windows to…
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Cleaning Business Tips
You Can’t ‘Drop Ship’ Cleaning!
Go online and buy anything you want, anytime.Go online and have what you want delivered in mere days, and, in some cases – for free.Go online…
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Marketing and Sales
What You Say About Your Cleaning Proposal AND How You Say It
We went to church on Sunday. The reader walked up to the alter and stood behind the podium. He then read that day’s verses from the…
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Cleaning Business Tips
Do the OLD Cleaning Business Strategies Still Apply?
I read an article recently suggesting – America’s love affair with cars is over .It offered all sorts of reasons; everything from young ‘millennials” more interested…
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Marketing and Sales
Is Your Cleaning Business Marketing to a CLEAN List?
First things – first.What do we mean by a CLEAN list? Answer? By ‘clean’ list we mean – a targeted list of prospects where any names/buildings…
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Cleaning Business Tips
Ask Your Embarrassing Cleaning Business Question
We all have them. In fact, over the years, most of us have plenty of times when we have a question about something in the cleaning…
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Bidding and Pricing
The Wrong Question To Ask When Bidding Janitorial Jobs
Lots of cleaning business owners call or email in a note, asking lots of questions.Most of the time, they’re very good questions, having to do with…
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Bidding and Pricing
How to Bid Cleaning Jobs More Accurately
It’s hard. When you bid on a cleaning job, one you really wanted, but don’t get it – it’s really hard.But, remember this – you’re not…
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Cleaning Business Tips
Power of One Simple Rule in Your Cleaning Business
It doesn’t take a bunch of rules to make a big difference. Don’t believe me? How about a practical example – not related to cleaning.Let’s say…
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Marketing and Sales
Is Your Cleaning Business Message Relevant?
They say the only CONSTANT is CHANGE. It’s a great catch phrase. But, more importantly – it’s the truth. We have a restaurant nearby who used…
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Marketing and Sales
Popular Without Purpose or Plan
Everything about getting older isn’t great, but here’s one thing that is: You can see things for what they REALLY are and what they REALLY aren’t…
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Cleaning Business Tips
Knowing WHEN to Say NO in Your Cleaning Business
We mostly think of saying YES as the way to growing a successful cleaning company. “And, YES, it is important, saying Yes that is – to…
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Hiring and Staffing
Powerful, Specific, Genuine Compliments
I continue to be amazed. Seems whenever I offer even the smallest of compliments to someone, as long as it’s very specific and completely genuine… people…
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Cleaning Business Tips
Get to the POINT
We generally have one – a point, that is.We want to explain something. We want to convince someone.In business, we might want to train, motivate or…
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Cleaning Business Tips
Less ‘Dealing WITH’, More ‘Directing OF’
What am I talking about?The work.The older I get, the more clear it becomes, that…the less time I spend frantically trying to ‘deal with’ today’s work…
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Hiring and Staffing
Ask Every Customer or Employee Who Leaves Your Cleaning Business – THIS
You probably know the answer. That’s right – the one thing you should ask everyone of your clients or employees who leaves is… WHY? We know…
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Cleaning Business Tips
UnTapped Value of Practice
When I was young, I belonged to a forensic team.You may wonder what the heck ‘forensic’ even is.You’re not alone. Hardly anyone I’ve run into over…
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Cleaning Business Tips
What’s Working and What’s Not in How You Run Your Cleaning Business?
Not everything works well. No shame in that; it’s how we learn.The shame is in continuing to do the ‘stuff’ that’s NOT.The BIG reason it happens…
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Cleaning Business Tips
Go BEYOND Expected in Your Cleaning Business
How many pages does the report have to be?What’s the earliest I can leave?How far do I have to go?When we ask what the LEAST we…
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Bidding and Pricing
Is it TABOO for Cleaning Businesses to Ask THIS Question?
Yep, owners or salespeople in cleaning businesses can feel compelled to ask a question some may consider ‘off limits’, that’s right – taboo . And what…
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Cleaning Business Tips
Cleaning Business Owners Need to ‘Sharpen the Saw’ Too
Stephen Covey, author of 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, tells the story.Long story short, a lumberjack, unwilling to ever take time to sharpen his saw,…
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Marketing and Sales
Bid When They’re NOT ‘Going Out to Bid’
What do I mean? Well, one approach to growing you cleaning business is waiting until – they (building owner/manager) calls because they’re simply ‘going out to…
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Marketing and Sales
“Bonded and Licensed and Insured”… Oh, My!
It’s got to stop. Really; overused phrases like the one above have been used so often and with so little affect that they can barely be…
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Hiring and Staffing
From ‘Can’t Get Enough Jobs’ to ‘Can’t Find Enough People’ in the Cleaning Business
It’s funny, not in a ‘haha’ way’ of course, but in more of – ‘it’s interesting’ way. You know the feeling – how one year the…
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Cleaning Business Tips
What is Your Cleaning Businesss Foundation?
First of all – I’m not going to be talking about religion today, so relax, but I am going to be sharing something I noticed in…
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Cleaning Business Tips
Cleaning Business Building Tip
There are a handful of key strategies to building a profitable cleaning business. You know the ones… – Choose a targeted list of prospects- Create a…
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Cleaning Business Tips
The Secret to Successful Partnerships in the Cleaning Business
Before I reveal the secret, let me state the following:1) The secret isn’t limited to the cleaning industry2) The secret isn’t written on a ‘stone tablet’…
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Marketing and Sales
Do People Instantly Associate Your Cleaning Business with SomeThing?
It can be simply SOME-thing like…. The cleanest, sharpest company vehicles The brightest colored, most professional uniforms The catchiest, coolest company name or logo And, all…
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Marketing and Sales
Make Your Cleaning Business Necessary
Perceived as necessary – to avoid problems Perceived as necessary – to avoid worry Perceived as necessary – to ensure quality cleaning Why perceived?Well, because while…
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Cleaning Business Tips
Should You Go UnderCover?
You know the show – the one where the ‘boss’/owner disguises himself and pretends to be one of the workers.It’s interesting.They always struggle. They don’t ‘catch…
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Cleaning Business Tips
Passenger or Driver?
Yep, you guessed it – it’s that ‘talk’You know, the one where I point out how easy it is to feel like you’re simply a ‘PASSENGER’,…
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Hiring and Staffing
R-E-S-P-E-C-T Find Out What It Means To Your Cleaning Business
Please Thank youListeningHelpingWords we heard – early in our lives Ideas we were taught – at home, at school Expectations parents and teachers had of us.…
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Marketing and Sales
No ROOM for RUSTY
While NOT ideal – it used to be, if you had a company vehicle with a few dings and a little rust, you could mostly get…
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Operations and Systems
Leveraging Janitorial Software
We quickly and clearly see the value of leveraging – when we buy better, faster cleaning equipment. It’s hard to miss the opportunity a new, highly…
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Marketing and Sales
Easy Cleaning Business Networking
You know traditional networking.It’s the ‘go to a business event, stand around and awkwardly introduce yourself to others who are trying to do the same thing’…
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Cleaning Business Tips
What Janitorial Software Can and Can’t Do
It’s an interesting topic really.It forces us to think about the critical role janitorial software can play in growing a professional and profitable cleaning business.At the…
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Cleaning Business Tips
Tired of TV Sharks Biting Entrepreneurs
I can’t stand watching ‘the Sharks’.I know, I know – everyone loves ’em, but not me. Here’s why…Sure, they can be interesting and funny at times,…
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Cleaning Business Tips
How to Start a Cleaning Business is Easy Compared to THIS!
I read an article recently suggesting – America’s love affair with cars is over. It offered all sorts of reasons; everything from young ‘millennials” more interested…
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Cleaning Business Tips
They Come and Go
We’ve all had them; the miserable, disagreeable, hard to please person, who is, unfortunately, (for now) your primary contact – at one of the buildings you…
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Common questions about CleanGuru's cleaning business articles.
The articles cover bidding and pricing, marketing and sales, hiring and staffing, operations and systems, and general cleaning business advice.
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Most articles are written for commercial cleaning and janitorial business owners, although some advice may also be useful for residential cleaning companies.
Articles are organized into five topics: Bidding and Pricing, Marketing and Sales, Hiring and Staffing, Operations and Systems, and Cleaning Business Tips.
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