Reality Check: The Mental Burden of Growing a Commercial Cleaning Company
You have more work than you can handle and clients are begging you to expand into new areas or to offer new services. Cash flow is good, you have a strong team of employees, and you've mapped out a plan for growth. All signs point to this being the perfect time for expansion, but have you considered your own feelings?
Growing a commercial cleaning business is exciting and rewarding, both for your bank account and your life as a whole. But it can also be incredibly stressful.
Rapid growth takes time and energy, and puts plenty of pressure on you as the ship's steward. Being ultimately responsible for whether your company succeeds or sinks (and drags your employees down with it) is no small burden.
It's a mistake to blindly expand without thinking ahead. It's not about waiting for the right time, it's about waiting until the time is right for you. After all, you'll be the one burning the midnight oil, hiring and training staff, setting up and managing systems, finding and retaining clients, and more.
- You're Trusting Your Instincts: Is your gut telling you to act now? Do you have a deep-rooted feeling you just can't shake that you want (not need) to take your business to the next level? It's imperative that your head and heart are on the same page.
- You're Acting on Passion: If you can't imagine doing anything else with your life and can't wait to work on your business each day, then you probably have what it takes to not just survive but thrive during an immersive time of growth.
- You Know the Burden: You understand the mental bandwidth required for expansion and want to do it anyway. Growth means spending more time at work and away from family. It adds extra pressure and anxiety and eats up brain space. It's like starting your business all over again until the dust settles and your team can pick up the slack.
- You Have the Right Mindset: You're not afraid of risks or failure, you're a lifelong learner, and you have a glass-half-full mentality. These attributes are key differentiators between leaders whose companies grow and those whose die. Nothing else will matter if you don't have the right mindset during a period of growth.
Tips for Reducing Stress
Most small business owners work more than 40 hours a week (with 19% working more than 60 hours a week). During a period of growth, that number can skyrocket.
Working extreme hours can cause health problems and damage relationships. It can also lead to burnout, which causes many businesses to fail.
Never is it more important to work smarter, not harder, than when you're scaling up. While it's not realistic to completely eliminate stress, it is possible to take some proactive steps to reduce it during times of growth.
- Use Systems: Make smart investments in software and other systems that can automate repeatable tasks. Too many business owners get bogged down not by big-picture thinking but by handling menial chores that could very easily be automated. Look for solutions that can streamline everything from bidding and billing to payroll and social media.
- Lean on Your Team: Work-life balance will likely be out of whack during a growth phase, but your employees can help ease the burden. Surround yourself with people who have strong skills and a work ethic that matches yours, plus a genuine desire to see the company succeed. Then, delegate whenever possible to take things off your plate. The goal is to spend more of your time focusing on growth-related activities and have your staff handle more of the day-to-day operations.
- Schedule Your Priorities: Yes, your business will need to take up more of your time during the scaling process. But that doesn't mean you should lose sight of other things that are important to you. It's important to prioritize family and health as well. Make them part of your schedule and make that time off-limits to changes and cancellations.
Coping with Stress
Despite your best efforts, stress will be inevitable during growth. Finding healthy ways to cope with it is essential to your health and to the long-term of your company.
- Stay Healthy: When time is at a premium, it's easy to eat out of the vending machine, skip workouts, and sleep in the office. That's a mistake. Not making your health a priority can quickly have you feeling run down and burned out. To maintain the energy you'll need to endure the long, arduous growth period, it's important to set aside time for eating right, exercising, and getting a good night's sleep.
- Take a Break: With everything you'll have on your plate, you may quickly feel overwhelmed by the noise and clutter. It's okay (and actually wise) to take a few breaks throughout the day. This isn't a time to check email on your phone, but rather an opportunity to relax, breathe, and regain your focus.
- Have a Plan: Knowing exactly where you're headed and how you'll get there goes a long way toward reducing stress. It helps you clearly identify what tasks must be accomplished so you have fewer decisions to make each day. It also prevents “shiny penny” syndrome, or getting distracted by fun, new ideas that don't really fit into your overarching goals.
- Let Go: There are many things you can control in your business, but there are plenty you can't. Learning to recognize the difference can help you when challenges arise during growth. Rather than stressing about things outside your control, you can keep your eyes on the prize and focus on affecting change where you have power.
- Remember Your Team: Although the greatest share of stress during expansion falls squarely on the owner's shoulders, employees are affected, too. It's your responsibility to ease the pain of change for them. Schedule team-building exercises and other fun activities throughout the growth process to keep your team happy and invested.
- Ask for Help: It's not a sign of weakness to ask for support. When you encounter challenges beyond your expertise, reach out to peers for input or to pay a professional for help. And if ever the stress becomes overwhelming, invest in counseling to avoid long-lasting negative impacts on your health or relationships.
Download: 10 Surefire Signs It's Time to Scale Your Contract Cleaning Business
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Most building service contractors dream of someday growing their business. Unfortunately, many start scaling before they're ready, and that can be a recipe for disaster.
Download the 10 surefire signs your business is ready to enter a growth phase.
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