Articles
Marketing and Advertising
Thoughts on the FTC ban?
Read the full article here https://www.zenmaid.com/magazine/cleaning-business-noncompetes/ Non-compete agreements are essential for protecting employers from losing intellectual property, employees, trade secrets, and customers. There are already lawsuits in progress...
Part Time or Full Time? What’s right for you?
Part Time vs. Full Time Which is Right for Your Company? So much controversy about which is best for your service company; Part Time or Full Time employees. Some say Full Time people make the best employees and others are passionate about hiring only Part Timers....
Answering The Question “HOW Do I Get To The First Million”?
Companies who achieve a million dollar revenue mark are owned and managed by people who have a mindset that is different from the average business owner. What’s so different about it? How do you get that mindset? Let’s look at how they think! Marketing is everything!...
Small Business Coaching
Is YOUR Service REALLY this Good?
Well I was once again "wowed" by the level of customer satisfaction I felt with doing business recently with a local small business. The culture of customer care and concern permeated throughout the company. I know this because from the person who answered the phone...
No La De Da! Stop Procrastinating!
Oh Oh...she's back! the wicked witch of procrastination. She comes and goes at her leisure and at times takes weary business owners with her. She can surface at any time of the day or night or any day of the week. She isn't concerned about you or your productivity,...
Ability to Respond: Do You Have It?
There will be days when nothing goes right! From employees who don't show up, to customers who demand the moon, to equipment failures and everything in between. At the top of the list is of course taking care of the customer. Whether it's a late arrival time, a...
Operations and Financials
“PLEAZZZZ Tell Me What I Should Charge”
How many times a day do we see this question posted on forums all over? It appears in every industry group on LinkedIn, Facebook and even Google +. Business owners looking for the magic bullet and the quick answer. That's the age we live in. Seeking to get...
Workers Apprehensive About Returning to Germy Offices Post-Pandemic
Reprinted from cmmonline.com Workers Apprehensive About Returning to Germy Offices Post-Pandemic Survey finds employees fear high-touch surfaces such as restroom door handles As states end their shelter-at-home orders and employees return to their offices, they most...
Removing Gray Areas
Reprinted from cmmonline.com Removing Gray Areas Effective training is key to infection prevention by John M. Poole Jr. April 28, 2020 How does an environmental services (EVS) technician approach his or her responsibilities in thwarting the spread of pathogens? Is...
Commercial Cleaning Help
Workers Apprehensive About Returning to Germy Offices Post-Pandemic
Reprinted from cmmonline.com Workers Apprehensive About Returning to Germy Offices Post-Pandemic Survey finds employees fear high-touch surfaces such as restroom door handles As states end their shelter-at-home orders and employees return to their offices, they most...
Removing Gray Areas
Reprinted from cmmonline.com Removing Gray Areas Effective training is key to infection prevention by John M. Poole Jr. April 28, 2020 How does an environmental services (EVS) technician approach his or her responsibilities in thwarting the spread of pathogens? Is...
Effective Training for Retention
Sharon's article for “Cleaning and Maintenance Management Online”. One of the greatest challenges for building service contractors (BSCs) during the next decade will be attracting and retaining quality employees and maintaining a stable workforce. With the labor...
Residential Cleaning Help
Thoughts on the FTC ban?
Read the full article here https://www.zenmaid.com/magazine/cleaning-business-noncompetes/ Non-compete agreements are essential for protecting employers from losing intellectual property, employees, trade secrets, and customers. There are already lawsuits in progress...
Part Time or Full Time? What’s right for you?
Part Time vs. Full Time Which is Right for Your Company? So much controversy about which is best for your service company; Part Time or Full Time employees. Some say Full Time people make the best employees and others are passionate about hiring only Part Timers....
Answering The Question “HOW Do I Get To The First Million”?
Companies who achieve a million dollar revenue mark are owned and managed by people who have a mindset that is different from the average business owner. What’s so different about it? How do you get that mindset? Let’s look at how they think! Marketing is everything!...
Construction Cleaning Expert
Stopping Employees From Jumping Ship
Sharon is a contributor to this article in "Cleaning and Maintenance Management Online". Maintaining a well-trained, capable staff is a crucial part of providing consistent, high-quality commercial cleaning services—yet many organizations struggle to keep employees on...
It’s All About the Tone!
Over the years I have become more in tuned to levels of service from the tone of voice when answering the phone to the response to my questions or problems. I find it absolutely amazing that there are still companies who skip the most important element of their...
No News Is Not Necessarily Good News!
“Well, we didn’t hear anything from her so she must be happy”. “We sent a customer satisfaction survey out to her but she never responded so I guess we’re doing ok.” “They’ll contact us if they’re not happy”. Have you ever spoken these words? Most probably we all have...
Employee Retention
Thoughts on the FTC ban?
Read the full article here https://www.zenmaid.com/magazine/cleaning-business-noncompetes/ Non-compete agreements are essential for protecting employers from losing intellectual property, employees, trade secrets, and customers. There are already lawsuits in progress...
Part Time or Full Time? What’s right for you?
Part Time vs. Full Time Which is Right for Your Company? So much controversy about which is best for your service company; Part Time or Full Time employees. Some say Full Time people make the best employees and others are passionate about hiring only Part Timers....
Answering The Question “HOW Do I Get To The First Million”?
Companies who achieve a million dollar revenue mark are owned and managed by people who have a mindset that is different from the average business owner. What’s so different about it? How do you get that mindset? Let’s look at how they think! Marketing is everything!...
Customer Satisfaction
Stopping Employees From Jumping Ship
Sharon is a contributor to this article in "Cleaning and Maintenance Management Online". Maintaining a well-trained, capable staff is a crucial part of providing consistent, high-quality commercial cleaning services—yet many organizations struggle to keep employees on...
It’s All About the Tone!
Over the years I have become more in tuned to levels of service from the tone of voice when answering the phone to the response to my questions or problems. I find it absolutely amazing that there are still companies who skip the most important element of their...
No News Is Not Necessarily Good News!
“Well, we didn’t hear anything from her so she must be happy”. “We sent a customer satisfaction survey out to her but she never responded so I guess we’re doing ok.” “They’ll contact us if they’re not happy”. Have you ever spoken these words? Most probably we all have...
Sharon L. Cowan CBSE, Industry Expert
We Haven’t Gotten A Complaint So Everything Must Be Ok
No communication from the client doesn’t necessarily mean everything is ok! In other words “ no news is NOT necessarily not good news”. Meeting and exceeding client expectations in terms of delivery of quality service in your cleaning business is critical to your...
Advertising Costs Eating Away At Your Bottom Line?
Finding a solution to the common problem of getting new customers without breaking the bank has many business owners scratching their heads wondering what to do. If this is a problem in your business, keep reading. I have a solution. Unfortunately, many business...
The Price Is Right….Or Is It?
The most important skill a service business owner needs to learn is the art of pricing jobs profitably. Profitably being the key word here. It’s not something you can or should find out in a FB group, or by asking friends in the industry or by guessing because to do...
Sharon L. Cowan CBSE, Turnaround Specialist
How Can I Price My Service To Compete With The “NON-LEGAL” Companies And Still Make A Profit?
This age old question has been on the mind of every cleaning business owner since the beginning of time. Throughout the years, there have been non-legal, private individuals in our industry attempting to take business away from legitimate businesses who work hard, pay...
Who Are You And Where Are You Going?
“If you do business today the way you did business yesterday, you won’t be here tomorrow”. A business philosophy that has helped many business owners stay focused on vision and goals. This mantra holds true in that if you are not open to new methods and ideas, you...
Check out Sharon’s Article in ISSA Today
Click here to read Sharon's article, Diversify & Grow