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| Here's what our members are saying...
"I had my first strip and wax
job and it happened to be a VERY picky Client. Well I have the advantage of
living very close to Steve and Jean. Steve offered to come and help. With
Steve's help we completed the strip and wax job. I learned so much and I am
extremity grateful for Steve and his commitment to helping his members succeed.
Steve and Jean you both are a GREAT blessing to our industry and an example of
true selfless individuals that I am proud to know. Thank you for all you do."
Matthew Kitzmann
Air Quality Solutions
Rochester, MN
"Steve, thanks for your help. I can't even begin to tell you
how valuable your site and help has made a world of difference to how we do
business."
Rocky Lozano
Big Sky Mountain Enterprises
Great Falls, MT
"Steve thanks for all your
help. I got the contract. Just to let you know this site has been fantastic. I
have been in business for 4 months here and I have secured 6 contracts with your
help and info. Keep up the great work."
Tim Daniels
All Green-All Clean
Long Beach, MS
"Jean and Steve, this is a big thank you for your knowledge and expertise in operating your company. There is an old familiar saying, 'only in America'. Well that is how one should feel about The Janitorial Store. 'only at THE JANITORIAL STORE'. Where else can one go to find the wealth of information that you provide daily? Where else can one have experience people like you and people like Sharon Cowan, Dick Ollek and Debbie Sardone, just to name a few, share their knowledge of how to run a successful business. These are people who have been there and done that. Thank you and continue doing what you do best."
William Briggs
One Briggs Janitorial
Service
Woodbridge, VA
"You two have been a blessing to our business. Your knowledge, wisdom and tools on your website has allowed us to bid on our first contract feeling like an expert. We have continued to acquire more clients with your help. Thanks again for all you do."
Norman and Alecia Smith
Covenant Commercial Cleaning Services
Little Elm, TX
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Business Planning Articles
It takes more to running a successful cleaning company than just a broom, mop and elbow grease. It takes proper planning so you get your cleaning business started off on the right foot and to keep it running smoothly.
You have to find the right niche for your business and learn how to develop a network to market your cleaning services. Having a successful business means knowing how much to charge, what additional services you can offer existing customers, when you should "fire" a customer, how to get up and running on a shoestring and ways to finance your business.
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Press Releases: The Best-Kept Secret To Free Advertising
Sharon Cowan
One of the most underutilized and best kept secrets in effective marketing is the use of the Press Release. It is an easy, no-cost way to spread the word about your business. A well-written press release can be used to describe events, grand openings, new services you provide, new personnel, or even new products that you are using in your business. . . . keep reading
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What is a Mastermind Group and Why Should You Join One?
Jean Hanson
You know what they say about free advice? It's worth every penny you pay for it! If we were to listen to everything that everybody told us, we would be all over the board with ideas. Let's face it: you don't know everything. Who do you listen to? Who do you trust? What makes person A's advice any better than person B's? If we all had crystal balls, the decisions we make might be much easier. Now it's time to enter the real world. Growing your cleaning business means you need the best advice available. Where do you get that from? . . . keep reading
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Part-time vs. Full-time Employees
Jean Hanson
One decision you need to make when hiring is whether to hire full-time or part-time employees. Easy question to answer you say? "Well, part-time of course. They are cheaper!" In many instances, this is true. You may be able to pay a lower wage and offer fewer or no benefits. In addition, it can be easier to find people to fill in for a part-time employee versus a full-time employee. In an industry as competitive the cleaning business, labor is HUGE in determining profitability. That is why so many positions are part-time. However, this does not mean there is no reason to hire full-time employees. . . . keep reading
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Attending Cleaning Trade Shows, Part Two
Jean Hanson
Trade shows serve a useful purpose for the commercial and residential cleaning service owners. Like most things in this world, it is all about your attitude going into it, how much work you put into it, and what you do with the knowledge you learn. In Part Two of this series of articles about trade shows, we will pick up where we left off and discuss the things you need to know while you are attending the show. . . . keep reading
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Do You Have Minimum Prices In Your Cleaning Business?
Steve Hanson
Many new cleaning business owners get started by taking on smaller sized accounts with low frequencies of service. For example, they may clean offices that are as small as 1,000 sq ft up to 5,000 sq ft. Generally the clients of these smaller sized buildings need less frequent service than clients that have much larger office buildings requiring 5 days per week service. . . . keep reading
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Attending Cleaning Trade Shows, Part One
Jean Hanson
As a small business owner, I'm sure you have received many invitations to attend a trade show. If you are anything like I was, these invites ended up in the proverbial "circular file." You probably thought they were for corporate big-wigs or for those who needed an excuse to attend a "convention" on the company dime, when in fact you were looking for a mini-vacation. Those thoughts are misconceptions. Trade shows serve a useful purpose for the commercial and residential cleaning service owners. Like most things in this world, it is all about your attitude going into it, how much work you put into it, and what you do with the knowledge you learn. In this two-part article, you will learn about what trade shows are, how to prepare for them, what to do while attending one, and the benefits you can achieve. . . . keep reading
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The Grant Process for Cleaning Companies
Jean Hanson
So you want to start a cleaning service or expand your current one. You have the knowledge, skills, and ambition to do so, but are missing one thing -- money. Personally financing your business is often not an option. How about a loan? While a common choice for many people starting out, sometimes loans are not possible due to your circumstances or credit rating or for whatever reason. Plus, they have this built-in disadvantage: they have to be paid back! . . . keep reading
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Why You Should Diversify Your Cleaning Services
Steve Hanson
The cleaning business is one of the most obvious examples of what we call being in a service industry, the key word being "service." There are thousands of cleaning services, and therefore thousands of competitors. On the surface, many of them appear to offer basically the same thing: trash removal, restroom cleaning, vacuuming, dusting, etc. You may have a superior "product" by having the best training, best equipment, best employees, and best management techniques, but in a competitive market, an extra edge will put you at an advantage. One way to get that edge is by offering additional services that other companies do not offer. Diversifying your services gives you an opportunity to taking advantage of potential sales. . . . keep reading
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How To Get Your Local Cleaning Business Found Online
Jean Hanson
Many cleaning business owners know the importance of having a website, but many don't know how to optimize it so that the local community can find them online. Here are some tips to consider when optimizing your website for local search. . . . keep reading
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Sales and Use Tax for Cleaning Companies
Jean Hanson
We are all familiar with what sales tax is. You go to the store, restaurant, bowling alley, auto repair shop, wherever, and added on your receipt is that extra chunk of money known as sales tax. Yes, your state government needs to build roads, plow snow, pays its employees, etc. Each state sets its own sales tax rate, and even then, many large cities and counties tack on additional taxes above and beyond the regular state tax. Transportation tax and taxes on food and beverages are common ones. There are five states which charge no sales tax, namely Alaska, Oregon, Montana, New Hampshire, and Delaware. . . . keep reading
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Twitter for Cleaning Companies: How to Get Started
Jean Hanson
Twitter is the newest and hottest social networking site to hit the internet. In 2008 alone Twitter grew by 422% and there are reports of 15 million Twitter users as of April 2009. You want to know the best part of it? It's Free! By using 140 characters or less you can start building relationships through Twitter that will eventually bring you business. . . . keep reading
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Cleaning Business Mastermind Group Instructions
Move your cleaning business forward by joining one of The Janitorial Store's Cleaning Business Mastermind Groups! Joining a Mastermind Group is a commitment for those that are ready to take their business to new levels and be part of a team. You raise the bar for each other to set and achieve goals, brainstorm ideas and above all, bring support, energy and respect to your team. This is a program for growth. Your team is here to hold you accountable and provide you with unconditional support. Are you ready to take bold steps for a more successful cleaning business? . . . keep reading
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AUDIO: Recap of the 2009 BSCAI Convention
Jean and Steve Hanson recap the 2009 BSCAI Convention and Trade Show, held in Chicago. In Part 1, they discuss some of the presentations they attended including Bridging the Generation Gap, What is Marketing? -- The Difference Between Marketing & Sales (presented by David Holly, who is a member of The Janitorial Store's Panel of Experts), How Current Customers Are the Easiest Way to Grow Revenue and Explode Your Profits, and How to Build a High Performance Team. In Part 2 they recapa keynote speech from a NASA astronaut who spoke about the importance of teamwork, and they recap the Trade Show floor. . . . keep reading
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How to Handle Special Requests in Your Cleaning Business
Steve Hanson
Do you ever get special requests for additional services from your customers? Maybe they decided to go through their old files and have a huge pile of papers and boxes that need to be hauled out to the trash. Or perhaps they had a birthday party and have a big mess in the breakroom with confetti all over the floor, cake crumbs ground into the carpet, and punch spilled all over. . . . keep reading
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The New Account Startup! You Got the Job, Now What?
Sharon Cowan
You got the call...you got the job! Now what? Where do you begin? You will want to put your plan in action so that you have a step by step map of how to get this account off the ground without a hitch. Start up nights are so important and can go smoothly or can be a nightmare resulting in an unhappy client from day one. . . . keep reading
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5 Easy Steps to Creating an Actionable Marketing Plan for Your Cleaning Business
Jean Hanson
Whether you're just getting started in the cleaning business or you're a seasoned veteran, now is a good time to start a marketing plan (or refresh an existing marketing plan). With the economy in dire straights, it's every business for itself. There is a lot of competition within the cleaning industry so you need to find a way to separate yourself from the competition and the best place to start is by creating a new marketing plan. . . . keep reading
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