If you own or lead a commercial cleaning company, and you want to see that company grow and thrive, this podcast is for you. I've spent 15+ years building a $20 million commercial janitorial company. In this podcast, I will share with you what I've learned along the way.
Should sales reps stay involved with customers after the deal is closed, or should there be a clean handoff to operations? In this episode, I unpack a question that comes up often in sales workshops and peer discussions: how involved should sales be once a new account is won? I explain why blurring the line between sales and account management can slow growth, dilute focus, and ultimately hurt…
The janitorial industry is filled with immigrant workers. One could argue that they are the backbone of the industry. As owners and leaders, we have an obligation to think and lead clearly in this current cultural climate. How can we take care of our businesses, love our people, and lead well?
No matter the size of your janitorial company, your key operational leader is critical to your success. What does this role look like? Why is it so important? What qualities are we looking for in someone who could fill this role?
Opportunities are like rain. The wider your bucket, the more opportunities you can catch. But how do we increase our "luck surface area"? In this episode we dive into some of the habits, actions, and attitudes that increase our chances of succeeding. https://elitebsc.com
Is luck something that randomly happens to people, or is it the product of specific actions? And if it is specific actions, how can we increase our "contact" with luck to have a corresponding increase in success? https://elitebsc.com
It if your ratio of janitorial proposals to closed deals is super low, that can be a frustrating experience. Here are a few suggestions to improve your close ratio. For more resources, check out https://elitebsc.com
In this episode, the following content is covered: (1) A few of the ways I use ChatGPT for my professional and personal life (2) A few ways to use ChatGPT and AI in your business (3) Some dangers and/or cautions of AI use https://elitebsc.com
In the early days of the company, leading means doing everything it takes to get the job done. Usually that means wearing all the hats. But as the team grows, your jobs as leader changes. You now have to lead and work through others to get the job done. Here are 6 keys to doing that effectively
In this podcast, we look at the five domains of emotional intelligence, what they are, and why they matter in your cleaning company. The springboard for this discussion is Daniel Goleman's HBR article "What Makes a Leader?" For more resources, check out https://elitebsc.com
Here is a short speech I gave at the Elite BSC Janitorial Leadership Conference earlier this week. The goal of the speech was to cast a vision for the industry, and specifically for "Elite" janitorial companies. For more resources, check out https://elitebsc.com
In this episode, I sit down with Jeff to talk about the role of the CEO—or what many call the visionary—in a growing company. I share my own story of stepping out of the day-to-day at Frantz, why I knew it was time to make that shift, and what I’ve focused on since making the transition. We also discuss how to stay engaged in areas you love, like sales or customer relationships, without stepping…
Medical facilities are often a untapped source of business for janitorial companies. It is a growing industry that shows no signs of slowing down. In this episode, Jeff Carmon and I explore the why and how to pursue medical facilities. https://elitebsc.com/
In this conversation, Jordan Tong and Gerald Fong discuss the journey of BrightGo, a technology company focused on the janitorial industry. Gerald shares his background in tech and how he transitioned to address the challenges faced by the janitorial sector. They explore the importance of data-driven decision-making, the significance of understanding margins, and the strategic choices businesses…
This is part 4 of a 4 part series on janitorial marketing. Part 1 - Developing you Ideal Client Profile Part 2 - Building a list using free and paid tools Part 3 - Identifying decision makers and outsource status Part 4 - Nurturing decision makers For more resources, check out http://elitebsc.com
This is part 3 of a 4 part series on janitorial marketing. Part 1 - Developing you Ideal Client Profile Part 2 - Building a list using free and paid tools Part 3 - Identifying decision makers and outsource status Part 4 - Nurturing decision makers For more resources, check out http://elitebsc.com
This is part 2 of a 4 part series on janitorial marketing. Part 1 - Developing you Ideal Client Profile Part 2 - Building a list using free and paid tools Part 3 - Identifying decision makers and outsource status Part 4 - Nurturing decision makers For more resources, check out http://elitebsc.com
This is part 1 of a 4 part series on janitorial marketing. Part 1 - Developing you Ideal Client Profile Part 2 - Building a list using free and paid tools Part 3 - Identifying decision makers and outsource status Part 4 - Nurturing decision makers For more resources, check out http://elitebsc.com
In the episode, Jeff Carmon explains how to estimate man hours needed when you are bidding a new job. There are a couple of different methodologies for doing this and he breaks them down for you. For more resources, check out http://elitebsc.com
At my company, Frantz Building Services, we have a monthly leadership meeting that includes all department heads and regional managers. Part of this meeting includes a performance snapshot report of the company. I discuss the contents of this report in this episode.
If you are a small janitorial company, but want to grow, what is the best way to get there? Without question, larger accounts help move the needle. However, if you are a small cleaning company, landing larger accounts can be a challenge. In this episode, I offer few tips to increase your chances of success. **Come join our tribe of commercial janitorial companies** http://elitebsc.com
In order to properly train a dispersed workforce, you need consistency, good training content, accountability, and a means to distribute the training content. Here is an interview w/ CTU director Ben Hoak, examining how CTU is a solution to those needs. http://elitebsc.com http://cleantrainu.com
Marketing in the commercial janitorial space isn't quite like marketing in other industries. As a result, some of the more popular approaches to marketing might not work in our industry. In this episode, we take a look at a few that don't work particularly well for the cleaning industry.
What is the one quality that is necessary for a leader, especially a leader in the janitorial industry? In this episode, that question will be answered drawing from the insights of Jim Collins, Patrick Lencioni, and Jesus. http://elitebsc.com
How should you compensate key leaders in your janitorial company? Is there a way to do this that is fair yet generous, good for the leader but also good for the company? For more resources: http://elitebsc.com
This episode is part 5 of a 5-part series on the five most important questions you can ask about your organization. In a book written by Peter Drucker, along with co-authors such as Jim Collins, Drucker walks us through key questions we must ask about our companies. The fifth question is: What is our plan? In this episode, we will unpack that question and discuss it's application to the janitorial…
This episode is part 4 of a 5-part series on the five most important questions you can ask about your organization. In a book written by Peter Drucker, along with co-authors such as Jim Collins, Drucker walks us through key questions we must ask about our companies. The fourth question is: What are our results? In this episode, we will unpack that question and discuss it's application to the…
This episode is part 3 of a 5-part series on the five most important questions you can ask about your organization. In a book written by Peter Drucker, along with co-authors such as Jim Collins, Drucker walks us through key questions we must ask about our companies. The third question is: What does our customer value? In this episode, we will unpack that question and discuss it's application to…
This episode is part 2 of a 5-part series on the five most important questions you can ask about your organization. In a book written by Peter Drucker, along with co-authors such as Jim Collins, Drucker walks us through key questions we must ask about our companies. The seconds question is: Who is our customer? In this episode, we will unpack that question and discuss it's application to the…
This episode is part 1 of a 5-part series on the five most important questions you can ask about your organization. In a book written by Peter Drucker, along with co-authors such as Jim Collins, Drucker walks us through key questions we must ask about our companies. The first questions is: What is our mission? In this episode, we will unpack that question and discuss it's application to the…
Here are 7 best practices to help you achieve the vision of your janitorial company you hope for. Mission/vision/values 3-5 year strategic plans Annual strategic goals/objectives KPIs Right people/right seats Regular meeting cadence Scoreboard
Partnership meetings are a MUST for maintaining long-term relationships with clients. The janitorial company is often not thought of until there is a problem with the cleaning. Partnership meetings can help reshape that negative habit.
Bidding and estimating can feel daunting for newcomers in the janitorial industry. However, it doesn't have to stay that way. Here are a few things I've learned in my nearly 20 years of bidding and estimating.
Is there ever a time to turn down a cleaning account because it is too small? Is there ever a time to terminate a contract with a customer because they are too small?
There was once a time when nearly all schools, both public and private, handled all their cleaning needs with an in-house janitorial staff. However, that has been changing in the last 10 years. In this episode, we discuss how to go about pursuing educational facilities.
If you want to grow your cleaning company into a new geographic market, how should you go about making that happen. In this episode, we explore three possible options.
Family businesses abound in the janitorial industry. In fact, I'm not quite sure I've seen an industry filled with so many family businesses. Speaking from experience, family business can be the source of tremendous blessing and joy. But if not carefully managed, can be a source of dissension and frustration. In this podcast, I look at 4 principles you can practice to help produce better outcomes…
It is easy to get lured into thinking new sales is the best way to get more profit in your cleaning business. There is no doubt that new sales are important. However, existing customers are often an untapped resources for growing your business. Website: www.elitebsc.com
Here are 5 leadership lessons from the life of Winston Churchill, as highlighted at the end of Paul Johnson's book Churchill . The lessons are applicable to the life of any leader.
When we think about measuring performance in our cleaning companies, we often look at lagging indicators. How did we do in the past? However, we need some indicators - activities we measure - that will help predict how we will do in the future.
The reason people buy products and services is somewhat of a mystery. Sure, there are the obvious reasons that make someone choose one thing over another. But why do they choose the way they do? When you sell janitorial services, what exactly are the buyers looking for to help them make a decision? Is it only price?
If you want to build a company that has a thriving culture and team members who are bought in, you must have right beliefs about EVERY member of your team. elitebsc.com
Some people in the cleaning industry are paying commission on jobs that they shouldn't be paying commission on. On the flip side, some companies aren't rewarding the right kinds of sales enough. How can you avoid these traps and develop the right comp plan for your sales person?