Congratulations on finally starting your own business! It’s a dream that most people have but few actually manage to make a reality. That may be a good thing because as you have no doubt become aware, there is a lot to running a business that isn’t very glamorous or exciting. The sooner you learn to effectively manage the repetitive, daily tasks, the more chance you will have for success.
While you will quickly realize that there is never enough time to do all the things clamoring for your attention, there is one thing that will never be in short supply; advice from your family and friends. Everyone will have a suggestion about what you should be doing and how you should be doing it. It might be wise to keep in mind that there’s a reason why they still work for someone else. The best advice will come from other business owners, and becoming a member of professional and trade associations can be invaluable.
One particularly mundane chore is that of cleaning. If future entrepreneurs were polled about what they imagined themselves doing, it’s unlikely that many responses would include trash removal or cleaning up after customers or messy employees. Nonetheless, any business that does not have an adequate cleaning program is only asking for trouble.
If you lease space in an office building, the owner or management company will contract for commercial cleaning services that will normally include your offices as well as all common areas. Just make sure that you have taken the additional cost of your prorated share of operating expenses into account.
In smaller buildings or complexes and retail and industrial space, each tenant is responsible for the cleaning of their leased space. Early on, you will be faced with the choice between tasking your staff to do the cleaning or entering into an agreement with a commercial cleaning service.
This is where the advice of industry veterans can be especially helpful. Many businesses that are just getting started opt to save money and do everything in-house. While this can be a viable option, many times it is counterproductive in that it prevents employees from doing the job they were hired for, which should have been using their unique skill set to grow your business.
Even in those cases where it may be possible to have the daily vacuuming and light cleaning done by staff and not overly sacrifice productivity, there are exceptions. More specialized and time-consuming projects should be handled by professionals. Contracting for regular visits from one of the commercial carpet cleaning services will insure that your carpeting is effectively cleaned, which will keep it looking far more attractive and will also lengthen the time before it must be replaced. If there is a reception area or other location with an insert with something like oak or walnut flooring, it will require professional care to avoid the appearance of wear. Marble or stone in an entryway will soon start to lose its shine if not correctly cleaned and polished.
You only get one chance to make a first impression on a new client or customer. Spots on the carpet, dull marble or hardwood flooring do not make a positive statement about your attention to detail.
There is also something to be said for the morale of your staff. While there is certainly nothing demeaning about cleaning, many employees resent being expected to do tasks that are not remotely related to their job description. They may not express how they fee,l but it will usually manifest in attitude and performance.
Controlling expenses is a key factor to growing a business to the point where it is making a profit. Knowing which items end up being more costly by not outsourcing is a skill that takes time to develop. One of the first places a new business owner is put to the test is in regard to commercial office cleaning services. How you score will be one of the many indicators that ultimately determine whether you succeed or fail.
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