Frequently Asked Question:
Note: Cleaning Service Owner/Operators - If you would like to add your 'two-cents' in
the form of another answer to the following question please send us an E-mail message
containing your best answer.
Question: How best to make the move from a one person service to managing
employees?
Theresa,
I found your listing on the net and I was wondering if you would mind sharing a few
pointers about the cleaning business? I live in Brownsburg Indiana and I have been
cleaning houses for about 10 years. I have often considered expanding my business
and making it a "real business". I have always been hesitant because I was
unwilling to lose that personal touch with my clients. I also have had problems
hiring employees. Do you have any suggestions for making the leap without taking a serious
cut in pay for myself? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you
Terri Driggers
Answer:
Terri,
My name is John Happy. I'm writing on behalf of my wife, Theresa.
From the beginning, Theresa wanted to manage the business, not do the cleaning, so
soon after she got a few clients she hired two people and did her best to give them the
work. She occasionally filled in when someone was sick or when there was more work
than two people could handle. She still fills in occasionally and looks after about
22 people.
If we faced your circumstances we would do the following:
1) Explain what you are going to do to your present client base.
a) As you visit each house tell them what you are going to do and give them a few
good reasons why. Tell them you plan on hiring quality people - trained by you.
b) Leave something in writing about the upcoming changes and how it will affect them
- how it will make it better for them in the long run.
2) Give yourself plenty of time to find a couple of experienced people. Call their
references, run a criminal background check...make sure they are quality. Reliable
transportation, working phone, years of experience, etc.
3) Take the person (people) you hire to the house(s) you would prefer they work at and
introduce them to the client...work as a team one or two times. Be ready to offer your
client someone else if your client doesn't 'like' the person initially introduced to them.
You may face a certain personality type in your present client base that simply will
not accept anyone but you... will resist the change strongly but, if given the chance, you
can explain that if they changed services they would face having to deal with a new person
in either case.
I would expect to lose one or more clients regardless of how well you prepare your
clients. There may be one or more clients who will simply 'retire' from getting
their house cleaned on a permanent basis or for a period of weeks or months until they get
tired of doing it themselves and call you back.
Suggestions:
Hire two people to start. Most people who want housekeeping jobs in our marketplace
are not looking for full-time work. Some are, but not most. You will prefer having a
choice of cleaning person to give to your present client base and to prospective clients.
Make sure (as best you can) that the folks you hire have a reliable car/truck and a
working phone...some reliable way for you to reach them on a daily basis.
Consider buying some software to help you organize your business. Go to: http://www.insightdirect.com . This firm offers a
software product that will help you...but it's not cheap.
Note: You will quickly find out that male employees are much less accepted in
residential house cleaning positions than females. We do have males working as part
of teams (husband/wife, boyfriend/girlfriend) but most housewives interested in inviting
someone into their houses on a regular basis are much more nervous about a male than a
female. We do have some commercial jobs (janitorial jobs) where males are readily
accepted - sometimes even preferred.
Regarding your point about not taking a serious cut in pay for yourself well I'd have
to say that you will face a noticeable decrease in your personal income at the outset.
You can do your best to avoid losing clients and their income but if you are going
to hire employees and not raise prices you will have to give up some of your personal
income. To keep as many clients as you presently have you will not desire to increase
prices but to keep your personal income at it's present level and hire employees you will
need to increase the income from your present clientele or quickly gain new customers. I
recommend taking a hit for awhile, raising your prices (assuming your marketplace will let
you) in six months to one year and hire more employees as you need to.
Experience has taught us that you will certainly grow your business if the following
are true:
a) You have average intelligence and good to excellent administrative/ management
skills.
b) You usually hire dependable, honest people with reliable transportation and the
ability to communicate with you on a daily basis.
c) You quickly 'deal with' undependable employees.
d) You are somewhat patient with your employees and very patient with your customers.
e) You get a yellow pages listing ( a small display ad is better if affordable), an
Internet presence and and at least one other effective ad. We found our most effective ad
(besides our Yellow Page's listing) is our business card-sized ad in our local 'city club'
magazine. Most cities have a club that the more well-to-do folks in town normally
join - not a sports club but the club where the local business people go to socialize and
have dinner and work out. Usually these clubs have a monthly magazine sent to club
members.
f) You are prepared to deal with your local, state and federal taxing agencies.
Get yourself some good accounting software (Intuit's Quickbooks Pro) or a good
accountant that will help you with employee taxes, quarterly reporting, etc, etc.
g) You have a little money put away to replace or fix items that are broken by
employees or for hiring someone to come in to fix or dye stained carpeting. Accidents
happen, as you know.
h) You don't plan on taking very many vacations. Vacations would be possible if
a) you can afford to hire a business manager or b) one of your seasoned, trusted employees
has the ability to fill in for you for a week or two or c) you are not the least bit
concerned about why the business phone is ringing. We've managed two
vacations since 1993.
Hope this helps,