3 Key Steps if You Want to Make Money Cleaning Offices

If you decide to clean offices as a great way to earn a full or part-time income, you need to educate yourself on all the various requirements of the business. Although there are a number of ways to learn how to make money cleaning offices, there are three basic steps.

Step one to becoming a profitable office cleaning company is to build up your client base. There are two different ways you can do this:

One option is to subcontract from an existing cleaning service. This is the easiest option as you will not be looking for clients and come up with a proposal or sales program. You will have this done for you.

The second option will require hard work but will have you ‘building’ your own commercial office cleaning company and putting in the work to get your first few clients. Having your own cleaning business allows you to earn more money and build up an asset you can pass on to your children or sell when you retire.

Step two of how to make money cleaning offices will be determining what individual ‘jobs’ consist of, as well as having the tools on hand to do the job right. You might find this a bit more complicated than expected, but be assured it is very doable. Some clients may prefer you to use their purchased cleaning supplies and products while others will expect you to provide all cleaning supplies. Sometimes the cleaning agents you use will be left to your discretion; other clients will emphasize ‘green cleaning’. Simply accommodate your client’s individual needs and preferences.

The third and most important step is maintaining consistency in all phases of your relationship with the client. This includes: 
showing up on time to complete the work, 
taking on extra tasks if needed 
or putting in some extra time one week when your client has people coming by. 

You want to make sure your client is invoiced properly and on time and that you create a good impression in every area of your relationship. If you decide to go with the cleaning on a full time basis, this easy step will do a world of good in making it possible to increase your office cleaning business volume.

Learn to properly do the work in an effective and professional manner that will keep your clients happy, earning you great references. Build a solid foundation for your work, whether as a second source of income or your main income source.

Need more info? Check out http://makemoneycleaningoffices.com

5 MORE Networking Mistakes

Here are 5 MORE Networking Mistakes to Avoid:

6. Staying focused on your own self-interest. If you make the effort to find out how you can help someone else get what they want, there is a good chance they will reciprocate and give you what you want. Zig Ziglar said it best, “You can have everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want”.

7. Inability to articulate how you can help others. You need to distill what your company brings to the table in easy to understand language (make it easy for others to grasp what you are all about). How exactly would you do this?

Basically this means telling people that you operate a cleaning company that knows how to get things done right the first time, you won’t make excuses if there’s a slip-up, you are fanatical about quality control and you will solve their cleaning woes if given the chance.

If you can leave them convinced you are that person, you are going to be one busy owner of a highly successful cleaning company. Oh and by the way, you will probably become quite wealthy in the process.

8. Not establishing any connections. To network effectively you need to connect with people. Though you will not connect with everyone you meet, you can improve your results by making use of a simple approach that is guaranteed to work wonders for you. I call this the “A, B, C Technique”. If you master this method you will be ahead of the competition.

A. Make eye contact

B. Smile

C. Ask questions

Three easy steps: It all starts with great eye contact, followed by a smile, then finish by just asking questions and showing interest in the other person. You will instantly be among the best networkers by using the A, B, C technique.

9. Performing the “meet, greet and leave” strategy. Virtually every networking event has at least one person running around like a jack rabbit saying “hi, here’s my card, nice to meet you”. Then they run off to the next person in their path.

This type of technique may let you give your card out to a lot of folks, but you will never build a relationship with anyone that way. You will get much better results by creating relationships instead of performing the meet, greet and leave.

10. Not following-up afterwards. What you do after the networking event is just as critical as what you did during the event. You need to follow-up with whoever you just met (this is part of the relationship building concept). Keep in mind that following up does not mean touching base three months later to see what’s going on.

Instead, you need get in touch while everything is still fresh. Here are two follow-up strategies to consider:

# 1 – When you meet a prospect, make plans to get in touch with them shortly after the networking event took place. Contacting them within 2-5 days would be optimal. Arrange a meeting at a time that suits your prospect’s schedule. 

# 2 – When you meet someone at a networking event that is not a prospect, look for any opportunities to send some business their way. If you have someone that may need the services of the person you just met, either refer them ‘ASAP’ to that person, or give the contact info to the person you just met. Being a “giver” is a sure fire way to not only make friend, but to get some referrals coming your way when they reciprocate the favor.

Networking can have a huge impact on your sales providing you take the time to do it correctly. Avoiding these ten networking mistakes will make your efforts much more fun and profitable.

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5 Networking Mistakes to Avoid

One of the fastest ways to drum up business for your cleaning business is through networking. Networking gets you in front of more people who either need your service or know someone who does. In other words it creates sales opportunities.

However many people make a number of mistakes during the networking process that keeps them from getting the most out of their efforts. I’ve made a lot of them! Here are 10 of the biggest mistakes people make when networking.

Ten Networking Mistakes You Should Avoid  - (Part 1)

1. Going to all the wrong networking events. When I first started my cleaning business I attended as many local networking events as I could fit into my busy schedule. However I quickly realized that I ran into the same group of “regulars” at some of these events, and very few of them interacted with the type of decision-maker I needed to know (they had no clue who hired the cleaning service at their company).

Before long I realized that I was going to some of the wrong events. For me the solution to this problem was to focus on the smaller networking groups around town. By-the-way, my wife does really well in business women’s groups – ‘administrative assistants’  are often the real decision makers when it comes to selecting a cleaning company.

2. Waiting for other people to introduce themselves to you. A sizable percentage of the population is hesitant to go up to a total stranger and strike up a conversation. That’s human nature at work, but to have success at the networking game you need to find a way to overcome that fear (just bite the bullet, and take the initiative to introduce yourself).

Another quirk of human nature is that if you break the ice first, you will be perceived as a person of authority and power (all it takes is a little confidence in yourself).

3. Talking too much. This is a common mistake I see all the time. You do not want to dominate the conversation (it’s not about you as much as it’s about them). If you want to make good impressions with others there is only one way to do so, listen much more than you speak.

Keep in mind networking is not really the time for hard selling (don’t go trying to get someone to sign up for your cleaning service on the spot). You are here to make connections that you can follow up on later.

4. Not engaging others (not asking questions). The fastest and most effective way to create a connection with others is to ask them questions. Inquire about their business and what they do. Ask them about any special challenges they face in their field. Ask them what they enjoy most about their work.

These types of questions encourage people to share information with you and help position yourself as someone who cares (and as someone they may be able to do business with later on).

5. Getting distracted by others. Ever had a conversation with someone who constantly watched what was going on in the room instead of paying attention to what you were saying? Didn’t that leave you feeling somewhat ignored and unimportant (I know it gives me that feeling).

People who do that make a bad impression (maybe bad enough to not get a referral). Don’t make the same mistake. Give absolute attention to every person you meet and try to learn how you might be able to help them.

Tomorrow - 5 More

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Some Financial Security Advice in today's faltering economy.

There are many people today that are unhappy with life. Many would like to leave the the insecurity and the boredom of the jobs they have. Even those individuals who have relatively secure jobs often find they are unhappy with the work they are doing. Unfortunately, many of them feel trapped, locked into the routine of the 8-5, day after day.

Their greatest fear is that they will run out of money; be unable to put the kids through college, be unable to retire in comfort.  They read magazines, investment guides, etc.; looking for the best investments, hoping the 'market' will be UP when they need to sell.

There are many people who would prefer instead to choose their own path, enjoy the rewards of their own effort, building a business for themselves instead of developing someone else’s.

 There are many reasons for choosing self-employment: 

1. Some people have the goal of increasing their earnings;

2. Others desire to have more time with their families,

3. Some want time for their other interests in life.

These goals are achievable to anyone who is willing to invest time and effort in a commercial cleaning business to make money by cleaning office buildings and other facilities. The start up costs can be low - just a few hundred dollars, and the potential is unlimited.

That is Financial Security Advice that works.

Retire without worry? Can DO!

To be honest I never really thought that someday I would be talking about retirement, let alone be retired. I remember being 20, standing in front of the mirror in a college dorm, and wondering what I would look like at age 40. At age 40, I never stopped to wonder what I would look like 60 or 65; I was too busy. Just the day-to-day struggles of making a living and paying the bills; it never dawned on me that there would be a day when I either would not, or could not,  put in a 40 hour work week.

Retirement? That was too far down the road. And now suddenly retirement age is here. Unlike my father, who retired and expected to live no more more than a decade or two, experts now tell us that we need to plan for retirement could last 30 to 40 years! It is said that many boomers who retire in their late 50s or early 60s can expect to live far longer than any previous generation. In fact many will spend more years in retirement than they were in the workforce, according to “10 Ways Baby Boomers Will Reinvent Retirement,” by Emily Brandon, in a January 2010 article on usnews.com.

Maybe you're retired. But the retirement income, the Social Security, the pension plan you counted on is not enough. As a rule of thumb, studies suggest that most retirees need about 78%-94% of their pre-retirement income, adjusted for inflation, to maintain their same standard of living in retirement.

 Many Boomers have felt the shattering effects of having two economic bubbles burst on them within a 10- year period, in many cases decimating the accounts they anticipated using for retirement. “The Great Recession clearly hit Baby Boomers at a vulnerable time, when they were close to retirement or at least should have been preparing for it, noted Rick Newman, in a Dec 10,2010 article, ”Why Baby Boomers Are Bummed Out,” on usnews.com.

Maybe just a few hundred dollars a week; or maybe a couple thousand dollars a month would change your life? I have good news for you. I found an income source that allowed me to pay my bills, support my family, and live a lifestyle that I could never have dreamed of just a few years ago.

Not a franchise; an office cleaning business that anyone can start with only a few dollars and build it into the part-time or full-time business you desire. I’ve written a book, sharing my experience, on how you can make good money with your own office cleaning business.

Find out more here, and start building your own successful office cleaning business.

Create a 3 - Day Weekend 52 Weeks a Year

I lived for five o'clock on Friday. It did not matter if it was when I was a factory worker waiting to ‘punch out’, or sitting at a desk waiting for the clock to strike five, I lived for the weekend.

There was only one problem; the weekend was never long enough! Saturdays were usually spent doing projects; and Sundays meant going to church in the morning, a leisurely lunch with family, and some social time with friends or neighbors on Sunday afternoon. And then came Monday again!

Three day weekends were really special. You got to do all of your regular weekend routine and then have one extra day. Sometimes you could skip the routine altogether, take a trip or go camping. On those three day weekends an idea began to form: what if every weekend could be three days long?

When my wife and I realized that our future lie in the contract cleaning business we decided to make the three-day weekend a reality. We decided that we would only take on janitorial accounts that allowed us to work them Tuesday through Friday evenings. Later, as our business grew larger and we hired employees we did take on accounts that would be five or more nights per week.

But for us, a four day work week was the maximum. As a couple it meant that many of our accounts would have to be cleaned on Friday nights; that meant getting home at midnight or later. But that schedule would give us Saturday, Sunday and Monday off, and we would not have to return to work till late Tuesday afternoon!

It is almost impossible to describe the benefits of having a three day weekend every week, but let me list a few for you:

• Knowing you have it three day weekend ahead of you keeps you highly motivated during your four day work week. Why mess with a good thing by performing shoddy service?

•  A four day work week gives you a mental break on the weekend, allowing your brain to recharge and come up with new and exciting ways to build your business.

• You have an opportunity to travel more. Instead of hurrying to get somewhere, see and do something, and then rush home in time to go to work Monday morning; travel can become more leisurely and leave you feeling refreshed upon your return.

Would I give up my three day weekends? Not on your life! Can you enjoy three-day weekends? The answer is a resounding yes! Start now by learning how owning your office cleaning business can create a permanent 3-day-weekend in your life. Start here!

Can you retire early?

Any one who took a recent look at the CNN Money site to determine if they could retire early was in for a shock. You're going to need to save a lot of money each year to afford to retire with 80% of your current income coming in on a regular basis.

Many people are counting on Social Security, but it only provides 40% of the average retiree's income according to a Daily Finance article.

With the recent government announcement that the Social Security trust fund is set to run out in 2037, four years earlier than previous estimates, many young workers are asking themselves: Why am I paying into a system that might not be there for me when I retire?

The entire premise of the Social Security system is that the current generation of workers will be able to fund current retirees’ benefits. But because of shifting demographics and the added stress of the recession causing baby boomers to retire early, in 2016 the benefits being paid out will start to exceed the amount being taken in.

Even more troubling, the Trust Fund is nothing more than IOU’s: the Social Security funds were NEVER invested in real assets ranging from stocks and bonds to mortgages and other financial instruments. The Social Security trust funds are  ”invested” in a special type of Treasury bond that can only be issued to and redeemed by the Social Security Administration

HERE IS THE PROBLEM:  The funds needed to ‘redeem’ those IOU’s are the same tax revenues needed to pay for defense, Medicare, Federal employee’s salaries and benefits, and a host of entitlement programs.

“It’s very much a Ponzi scheme where the next generation will get stuck holding the bag,” says Laurence Kotlikoff, author of The Coming Generational Storm and a longtime advocate of reform.

The baby boom generation “has seen much of its retirement savings wiped out at a point when it’s too late for many to recover. So the new context is, the elderly are going to be the fastest-growing poverty group in the United States...,” says Phillip Longman, author of Born to Pay: The New Politics of Aging in America and a senior fellow at the New America Foundation.

What can you do? Do what I did years ago:  By starting and operating a commercial cleaning company, I can retire without worrying about Social Security reductions. My company has many clients: I may lose some but gain others: it is virtually recession-proof!

Go HERE for more information  http://cleanup4profits.com

The Top Ten Commercial Cleaning Franchises and what they cost.

That was the title in a May, 2011 issue of Entrepreneur magazine.  The author listed the top 10 and their franchise start-up costs: Here is the list:

1. Vanguard Cleaning Systems

Startup costs: $8,200 - $38,100

2. Jan-Pro Franchising International Inc.

Startup costs: $3,145 - $50,405

3. Stratus Building Solutions

Startup costs: $3,450 - $57,750

4. CleanNet USA Inc.

Startup costs: $6,655 - $92,950

5. Bonus Building Care

Startup costs: $9,020 - $41,919

6. System4

Startup costs: $5,460 - $37,750

7. ServiceMaster Clean

Startup costs: $47,072 - $141,303

8. Anago Cleaning Systems

Startup costs: $8,543 - $65,406

9. BuildingStars Inc.

Startup costs: $2,195 - $52,795

10. Steamatic Inc.

Startup costs: $96,600 - $166,960

Often new entrepreneurs who are looking to start a commercial cleaning business wonder whether buying a commercial cleaning franchise is the right choice for them. I looked at several over the years, but never found them worth the expense and ‘headache’. I realize that most people haven’t a clue as to how to start a business, and that starting a home based business by buying a franchise seems easier.

In a typical janitorial cleaning service franchise, you pay the franchisor a fee for a “package” of janitorial cleaning accounts. The fee is based on the dollar value of cleaning accounts that the franchisor will make available. The fee usually is about half the gross income the accounts are supposed to generate in a year. For example, for a fee of $10,000, you’ll get cleaning accounts worth $20,000; for a fee of $15,000, you’ll get cleaning accounts worth $30,000. You also may have to pay ongoing royalty or management fees.

Many companies say they will offer you contracted office cleaning accounts that will produce the level of income represented in the package you purchased. However, several factors can affect that level of income. For example, if you don’t accept an account, the franchisor may not have to offer you a substitute. Or, if you refuse a cleaning service account because you feel it’s located too far away, you may lose your right to that income. Also, if you lose cleaning accounts because you did a poor cleaning job, the franchisor doesn’t have to replace those accounts.

One should consider a commercial cleaning franchise 'opportunity' only after asking themselves some questions.

Would you be a good manager?

Purchasing a commercial cleaning franchise is essentially managing a pre-developed company. You’d need to hire employees who’d fall in line with your thinking and buy into the concept the franchisor has already set in place. Want to offer widow cleaning, but you’ve bought a carpet cleaning franchise? Sorry!

How good of a follower are you?

Franchising is all about following an existing set of rules and procedures which are defined by your franchisor. If you are a highly creative person, and enjoy being creative, innovative and open-minded, a franchise environment will only suffocate you as there will be no room for your creativity and ideas. A commercial cleaning franchise is built on the idea that the consumer will expect the exact same experience no matter which location they deal with.

Do you enjoy hard work?

Even though your partner (commercial cleaning franchise) will give you all the tools to get started, you’re still on the hook to bring in new clientele and build numbers. Are you willing to pay $40,000 and up for a franchise, just to discover you don’t like to sell?

The above questions should be taken seriously, and if your answer is “No” to any of the above questions, maybe a commercial cleaning franchise is not right for you.

For a couple hundred dollars in equipment and supplies, my FREE newsletter http://cleanup4profits.com , and a $19.95 book; you can do everything a franchisor can teach you to do. And, there are no monthly royalty fees.

Start a cleaning service from home!

When I started my own office cleaning business, I found the ‘job’ I could never lose!

If you are like me, you grew up believing in a myth. We were told the story that if we went to school, learned a trade or got a college degree, we could go to an employer, offer up our services and be guaranteed a lifetime income. And for many people that was true. There were those who got factory jobs, perhaps in the auto industry. Once they were hired and joined the union, they were guaranteed a 40+ hour work week as long as they wanted. Layoffs were rare, pension and health benefits were great.

Many joined the corporate world. White-collar workers sitting at their desks pushing paper 48 hours a week. They too were secure. Good work was rewarded by increased pay, a health benefit package, and a generous retirement plan.

But those days are over. As I write this over 14 million Americans are officially out of work. The real number may be double that. We live in a changing economy. Our time, our labor, our education, are only commodities that are bought and sold at the lowest price.

Many want to blame these current changes on corporate greed, government failings, or policies that reward companies for taking jobs overseas. Regardless of the cause these factors are beyond our immediate control. What we must do is guarantee real economic security for ourselves and our families. That is why I started a commercial office cleaning service.

I know that self-employment is a scary concept for many people. When I found that my career was over, that everything I had worked for and believed in had come to an end, I realized that I was responsible for providing my own security. I vowed that I would never again have one employer.

I wanted an income base that was broad enough that no one person, no one business, could ever take it away from. That’s why I started an Office Cleaning Business to provide expert Janitorial Service. I may lose 1 cleaning job, or even 2. But when I have a dozen or more under contract, I can never lose them all.

Remember this, real job security requires getting rid of the J-O-B. With a Commercial Office Cleaning Business, you have low start-up costs and no experience is needed. There is a lot of flexability here; you can provide office cleaning, business cleaning and building maintenance, carpet cleaning, lawn care, window washing, etc.

Subscribe now to my FREE weekly newsletter  Right Here   to receive tips and advice on starting YOUR office cleaning business. NO Franchise needed, Low Start-Up costs make this an ideal part-time income booster with full-time potential.