| If you're an independent janitorial cleaning business, | | | | to this question thrust at them by building owners |
| you may have been asking yourself lately, "What's | | | | and managers, namely, "Why should I keep buying |
| happened to the cleaning business?" And you'd be | | | | from you when this competitor is saying they can do |
| right to wonder. You see the world of janitorial work, | | | | the same job, but for a lot less than I'm paying |
| or if you prefer, commercial cleaning, doesn't look the | | | | now?" |
| same anymore. | | | | If nothing else comes out this crisis in the cleaning |
| Independent cleaning businesses - the ones that | | | | business, one thing is certain - it points to the |
| decide to own and operate their own cleaning | | | | importance of pricing routine, regularly scheduled |
| business without financially 'handcuffing' themselves | | | | janitorial cleaning projects (i.e. 3 days per week) |
| to a franchise, used to 'reign supreme'. | | | | starting from the point of determining cleaning time |
| That's right; independent cleaning businesses used to | | | | required, rather than simply using an oversimplified |
| be the 'backbone' of this important industry. Building | | | | price per square foot approach. |
| owners and property managers alike turned regularly | | | | So, how should these independent cleaning business |
| to their local, trusted, independent cleaning companies | | | | owners have responded? |
| when it came time to arrange for someone to | | | | First, they should have pressed hard on an important |
| maintain their building's appearance. | | | | point - the direct connection between the time |
| Why? | | | | (hours) spent cleaning a building and the quality of |
| Well, customers were happy because they could | | | | cleaning in that building. |
| count on getting quality cleaning and reliable service | | | | There's no question that time alone isn't a guarantee |
| from cleaning people they knew, liked and trusted. | | | | of high quality cleaning. The amount of training and |
| Employees were happy because they were given | | | | level of supervision provided, makes a difference in |
| enough time to deliver quality cleaning; the kind they | | | | both the appearance of a building, as well as, how |
| could be proud of, not embarrassed of. | | | | efficiently that cleaning was delivered. |
| And, you guessed it, the independent cleaning owner | | | | But that said; there is still a strong, direct connection |
| was happy too, because he could steadily grow his | | | | between time and quality. Put differently; when it |
| business, and at prices that gave him a healthy profit. | | | | comes to reducing time, the 'cleaning business' is |
| That's right; he could make a good living. | | | | simply not the 'mass producing widgets business'. |
| Well, not anymore, at least not for many cleaning | | | | All things being equal - the amount of time (hours) |
| businesses. That's right; slowly, but all too surely, | | | | spent cleaning still, to a great degree, determines the |
| everything changed. | | | | resulting quality of the cleaning (building appearance). |
| Independent cleaning businesses 'lost their way'. And | | | | So, the independent cleaning contractors should have |
| here's part of the reason why: | | | | strongly encouraged building owners and managers to |
| They faced a 'perfect storm' of challenges. The | | | | ask the following three questions when those 'big |
| struggling economy combined with the widespread | | | | guys' that low-ball prices arrived to deliver their |
| use of illegal workers by unscrupulous contractors, | | | | slick-looking proposals: |
| put many independent cleaning businesses into a tail | | | | 1. What budged hours is the price based on? |
| spin. But, unfortunately, there was even more trouble | | | | 2. How exactly was the time determined? |
| on the horizon. | | | | 3. How can you assure me I will consistently receive |
| Already off-balance, many would soon find | | | | this important budgeted time? |
| empty-promising cleaning franchises and national | | | | We suggest that would have gotten their attention! |
| cleaning management companies taking some, or all, | | | | Why? |
| of their best, oldest and what for a time were, their | | | | It is our strongly-held belief that many of these |
| most loyal customers. | | | | low-balling characters give little or no consideration to |
| And, the reason? | | | | the time required to deliver quality cleaning. |
| Well, to be fair, some independent cleaning | | | | We believe it is, in fact, their hidden weakness or |
| contractors were caught flat footed, not prepared to | | | | 'Achilles heel'. |
| adjust their own cleaning businesses to the changing | | | | Instead, we suggest their pricing strategy often |
| demands of business customers scrambling frantically | | | | seems no more complicated than this: Low ball the |
| to save money by cutting costs. | | | | price to get the job, and then later on figure out |
| Being ready to respond to a changing economy is | | | | how much cleaning time they can afford, or are |
| something all businesses have to be prepared to do - | | | | willing, to give to it. |
| and cleaning companies are no exception. | | | | Well, that's a problem. And Independent cleaning |
| In addition, many independent cleaning businesses | | | | businesses should have pointed it out then. They |
| were simply unable to come up with a good answer | | | | should point it out now. |