How Can You Compete with Cash-Under-the-Table Cleaners? Charging What Your Service is Worth, and Getting Away With It!
“How can we compete with the cash-under-the-table cleaners?” is a question that I hear at least once a week. And, my short answer is “don’t” compete with them because they are not your competition. Let me tell you my experience with this. For a while I was in that same
TMI: Too Much Information! The Pains of Getting Too Personal with Your Clients and Employees
While it might seem innocent to tell your office assistant that you are out sick with feminine cramps or gastrointestinal issues, would you feel comfortable broadcasting that to everyone in the office, or even to your clients? Are people leaving your conversations feeling like you’ve told them “TMI”
Quick Tip: Easy End of Year Financial System
This system uses lots of paper, but it also keeps a printed copy of all of your records in one handy place. If you need easy records for tax preparation, to apply for a loan, review for profitability, check on a previous year, find out why there is a record missing from QuickBooks, or be very organi
How to Hire the Right Manager for Your Cleaning Business
Business is booming and its time to hire a manager. Good for you! Here’s a question that I hear frequently on this topic. “I need to hire an office manager. I have an employee that’s been with me for 5 years that I am thinking about promoting. Is that a good idea?” My answer… “maybe”. It depen
What’s Business Worth?
“It’s 9:00 am and I have already reached the end of my rope. Three employees called in sick including my Operations Manager, two 3-day old employees did not return to training, 4 vacuums are on the fritz, my staff dropped bleach on a client’s Swedish finished floors and I received a notice from the
Viral Marketing – Putting Your Customers to Work
You may or may not have heard the term “Viral Marketing”, but I bet you’ve seen it in action. Block long lines outside of a new Krispy Kreme grand opening, X-boxes being released at midnight that draw crowds of thousands, the buzz about the Blair Witch project movie a few years back, and even the sp
Secrets Revealed: How Profitable Owners Set, and Achieve, Their Goals
It’s the New Year and you’re armed with a list of resolutions: increase sales, organize everything, spend more family time, and the list probably goes on and on. The question is, do New Year’s resolutions really work, and how do you make your dreams your realities? You can achieve
Bill O’Reilly and Stephen Colbert May Hold the Secrets to Your Next Big Success
Have you heard? Fox News and the Comedy Channel have announced that Bill O’Reilly and Stephen Colbert will trade appearances on their respective shows. These are very unlikely co-stars due to the controversial nature of their two opposing shows. Bill O’Reilly is known for his #1 top-rate
3 Things That May Prevent You From Achieving Your 2007 Business Goals
HAPPY NEW YEAR! I Love this time of year! Yes, I know I am a strange duck. Much more than ripping into a pile of presents, I enjoy ripping into a messy closet or garage, and making sense of the chaos; Creating systems for the running of my family household until they plead for mercy; And, conjuring
How to Create Employee Training Programs That Work For Anyone
As unemployment dips lower and lower, attracting the right employees to your organization may get trickier, and the skill levels that you are looking for in a new employees may not be as attainable as before. So, what’s a business owner to do? Well, when I owned my cleaning company, hiring and[constantcontactapi formid="1"]