A lot of people take the contract cleaning business for granted.

How hard can it be, right?

Maybe they should shadow you for a day…

The work can be demanding enough, but then there’s the ins and outs of finding customers, hiring and training employees, new technology and staying competitive.

Based off conversations with clients and feedback from within the industry, we have compiled a list of the Top 5 Challenges for Commercial Cleaning Companies.

1. Business Development & Marketing Changes

Getting a steady flow of new jobs and high quality accounts is the lifeblood of every commercial cleaning business but the problem is that most people have no idea how to do it consistently, beyond relying on referrals that trickle through...

Traditional cold calling-whether on the phone or in-person has become much less effective.

Who really has the time today to take a cold call? Most business owners (you included) need to calendar all meetings. To quote Jim Rohn…

“Either you run the day or the day runs you.”

Another factor is that more and more business owners and building managers have the tendency to select cleaning contractors by doing their own online research.

The good news is that there has never been a better time to rapidly grow your cleaning business! With so many great marketing tools available, and the ability to track and measure success - now is the time that we’ll see the growth of many privately owned contract cleaning companies.

2. The Digital Revolution

Related to marketing changes, internet search platforms like Google and Bing continue to make several adjustments that affect how visitors find businesses, and these changes will continue. Cleaning Contractors must stay aware of these changes and how they impact their online presence.

Businesses can literally change overnight if you are not prepared for changes on these digital platforms.

Make sure that you have an expert on your side to help you navigate the digital playing field. If you feel like you are ready to put your foot on the accelerator and dominate your market, then contact us to see if our process is a good fit. We give our contract cleaning clients a serious competitive advantage.

3. Hiring

The continued strength in the economy this year, has increased the confidence for many cleaning contractors who are more targeting aggressive growth and plan to hire more full-time workers. But with growth can come pain. Hiring can be time-consuming, costly, and a fresh challenge for newer companies.

But as every successful cleaning business knows, employees are critical to your success; after all, it is the quality of their performance that directly determines whether your customers are satisfied or not.

A recent article in entrepreneur recommends to take time and learn as much as possible about effective hiring practices before starting the process.

Look for ways to help staff want to do their best. Train them well, don’t micromanage, and treat them with respect. Provide bonuses and incentives for top performance, and consider offering perks such as flexibility to use company equipment in their own homes.

4. Competition

Let’s face it - people are buying a book on Amazon and starting a new cleaning business overnight.

904,718

A report from IBIS World lists 904,718 janitorial businesses in the United States alone!

It has never been more important to be able to clearly articulate your business’s Unique Selling Points (USPs) and what sets you apart from the rest.

To find out how to avoid the trap of becoming just another name on a potential vendor list, book your complimentary strategy session with us.

5. Wages & Benefits

A few years ago, many cleaning companies were concerned with how the Affordable Care Act was going to impact them. Now there seems to be more attention on raising the minimum wage in some parts of the country and such changes can directly affect the commercial cleaning industry, pricing, and profit margins.

Some things are out of our control but we must control what we can.

Are you on course to reach your goals this year?

Set up a free 30 minute strategy session with Bref McHugh, to analyze your business and get a clear understanding of exactly what it is that you need to do in the next 12 months to move your commercial cleaning business to the next level.