Just Spend the Money! Invest the Time!

My wife and I stopped by a local restaurant the other night for a light meal. The cost? Just about $20.00. The food was good, the time spent together - "great": at the end of the evening the meal and the $20.00 were gone, but the investment in the experience of building our relationship remained.

That is true of so much of life: a $20.00 bill almost 'vanishes' from a wallet. A few groceries, very little gas for the car, a couple movie tickets (maybe), order some popcorn and drinks - extra.

Twenty bucks, gone in a flash without thinking; and yet to invest $20.00 in building a future? Impossible for some, the best money ever spent for others. One of my 1st subscribers, and possibly my first book buyer, recently contacted me regarding bidding on another account. Like my friend Gina, who makes an extra $30,000/year office cleaning (her story is here), my subscriber/buyer runs her janitorial service as a part-time endeavor. She and her daughter make an extra $1,000.00 per month. She's grown comfortable in the business and now wants to bid on an account that will double her income. 

She spent $20.00 on a book that taught her how to earn an extra $1,000.00 a month, and sees unlimited potential. See, the Twenty Dollars was a Low Cost expense; the High Price was the willingness to do it.

If you want, you can pick up a used bike fairly cheaply, but if you want to use it to get healthy, that takes hard work.

How about you? Check out the opportunities here. The cost is LOW, But the price you're willing to pay for economic freedom.........?

New Lawn Care Business Guide & Window Cleaning Business Guide

Update on this book: My intent was to have this available in early January, but I wanted to add some more information and change the format to 'tie' things together better. It is ready as a downloadable file and is available at a discount as part of a package with the Office Cleaning Book and Bonus House Cleaning Guide, or available for purchase by itself.

I am so excited! I have had a number of subscribers ask me if we had ever provided business services other than office cleaning or residential house cleaning. The good news is that we have developed a number of side businesses: including providing lawn care service to both residential and commercial customers.

Providing lawn care service is a great way to enter the world of self-employment and to provide financial security. If you own a push lawnmower and a weed eater, plus a way to haul them around; I can show you how to start your own lawn care business. Start small, purchase additional equipment as you need it, and develop your own part-time or full-time lawn care business.

Why introduce a lawn care business guide now? Yes, it is Winter as I do this, but I'm bringing it up now for two reasons:

1. Lawn Care is more than mowing.  Winter seasons don't bring a total end in cash flow for lawn care businesses. In fact, Winter opens the door for soil preparation. In snow country, in fact, you can seed a lawn by spreading seed on top of the snow.

2. You need time to develop the business properly. When does your mowing season start? It will vary, depending on where you live and also upon what the customer wants done. Does your customer want Spring lawn cleanup? That's when their mowing season begins. Each customer is different, but if you're going to advertise do so a month or two before the official lawn care season starts.

Here are some of the reasons to consider a lawn care business:

Tax Write Offs:

When you work a normal job, your employer pays you your salary on your paycheck. When tax time comes, you may have a few deductions you can make but there is not much leeway. However, when you are self-employed, you can avoid paying many taxes. There are many ‘write-offs’ so you can reduce what you pay in taxes.

Efficiency:

If you are at ‘work’, you are at work. You may sit fooling around on the computer because you are stuck there for 8 hours per ‘shift’. Your boss may ask you to do tasks that are a complete waste of time, but you have to do them anyway which can definitely be frustrating.

When you are self-employed, one of the benefits is that your time spent is your time spent. You don’t have to work 8 hours, you just have to get your tasks done. You get straight to it and don’t mess around. Therefore your time is spent much more efficiently. Also, you can combine your personal errands with your work errands.

Make Your Own Hours:

As I said above, you don't have to come in at a certain time to start your job or leave at a certain time. You can set your own business hours. With a part-time business it is possible to schedule your lawn care business around another job.

Vacation:

You don't have to wait for your boss to approve your vacation, you schedule it as business allows. Plan ahead, pace yourself, and schedule the vacation that you desire.

Be Your Own Boss:

You don't have to answer to anyone but yourself (and your scheduled customers). If a customer is difficult to work with, discontinue your service. You choose your clients.

You Have Control of Your Income:

The more effort you put into building your business, the more you'll get out of it. This is the best business growth motivator I know of! At a regular job, you will most likely get paid your salary or hourly wage regardless of how hard you work. Oh, there may be raises and promotions, but there are limits as to how big these will be. And the reality is you have to wait for someone to offer these to you. 

When you work for yourself, the opportunities are limitless. Is a lawn care business your 'ticket' to the extra income or economic freedom you need?

NEW Book Now: Window Cleaning Business Guide

You'll be able to get both books here.

Self-Employment: Is It A Business or a J-O-B?

The latest employment figures showed that about three-quarters of the jobs created were part-time (30 hours per week or less). Now, more than ever, your financial success may depend on whether or not YOU control your earning potential.

‘Successful and unsuccessful people do not vary greatly in their abilities. They vary in their desires to reach their potential.’ -        John Maxwell

I often ask people: ‘Why do you want to be in business? Why on earth would you leave the security of a job (no matter how unpleasant) with regular pay and benefits to start your own business, with all the uncertainty this holds?’

I usually get similar answers. Mostly, people say they:

• don’t want to work for someone else,
• don’t want to be told how a job should be done,
• are tired of having their income potential limited.

They do want:

• flexible schedules to spend time with their families,
• to do something they really love or gives life ‘meaning’,
• unlimited income potential or to build a valuable asset for their families.

These are all valid reasons for starting a business. But, ironically, many business owner-operators end up with the complete opposite. They find themselves with little control. They discover their clients will often demand they work longer hours than they ever did when working for someone else. Most small business owners pay themselves less than they would be paid working for another company.

If you pay yourself too little, work long hours, and don’t take a vacation, you can wear yourself out. A high percentage of businesses fail within five years of start-up. Disillusionment gets the better of them. They go into business to set themselves free and find themselves with a virtual chain around their ankle. Not surprisingly, they decide they don’t want to do it anymore.

 Here’s the problem: most people who fail to achieve financial freedom through their business do not have the right mindset.

Let me tell you about two friends of mine. One, we’ll call Jeff; the other, Richard.

Jeff and Richard opened businesses at the same time. Jeff opened up a small carpet cleaning service in the town where he lived. Fourteen years later he still had that small business and was still cleaning residential carpets 5 days a week and office carpets on weekends. Jeff was no better off financially and he still had to do all the work himself.  But what worries me most is that Jeff, like so many other owner-operators, will wake up one day and won’t want to do it anymore. As much as he loves his work and his customers, something will happen that changes his ability to live off its income, for health reasons or, more likely, because he’s lost the passion for it.

Richard started an office cleaning business, got a few accounts, then hired a neighbor to help him a couple night a week. Over the years he’s gotten more accounts, hired a couple managers and several employees. He mostly spends his time ‘selling’ his company’s services, then turns the new accounts over to his managers. When he’s ready to retire, he’ll have a valuable asset to sell.

Let’s look at the situations of these two friends. Why did Jeff go one route and Richard go another? The key difference was the mindset. Jeff chose to employ himself in a job he enjoyed. He did not choose to build a business. Richard knew he wanted a business and created a lifestyle where he never had to worry about money again.

They both made their choice; probably without even realizing they had done so.

We make choices every day. The most important choice is one you may not have given much thought to – until now. Are you choosing to build a business that will pay you back or are you choosing to work for a living?

If you want to build a business with unlimited potential, subscribe to my FREE newsletter here. Take charge of your life!

Getting Your 1st Client

How Do You Get Your 1^st Client When You Have A New Cleaning Business?

Often I get this question asked of me. One subscriber had a prospective ‘account’ manager that said, "I like what you seem to offer, but I don't know if I dare take a chance on a new company. If you could get a few clients first, then come back and I’ll take your proposal to the building owner.”

That was pretty discouraging to my reader and he didn't know how to handle the situation. Without having any customers, he had no testimonials or letters of recommendation. What should a new business owner do?

Here is an approach I used when starting my business.

"No, I don't have any clients yet, so if you’ll give me the account I have to work harder than anyone else! I can’t afford to lose you as a client because I need your recommendation to get my next account. Here’s the best part; if you ever have a problem with the work being done, you call me, not some office manager or route supervisor.”

By-the-way – the statement that “If you ever have a problem with the account, you can call me.” still holds true today.  Yes, I have account managers and route supervisors, and most of the day-to-day communication occurs between them and the building owners/managers; but every building owner/manager has my phone# and email address.

Does this approach work? After nearly 2 decades in business, I still have my 1^st cleaning account, and our client retention rate is nearly 100% in an industry where client turnover is reported to be 40% annually. Yes, it works! 

For more ideas on starting your own business, go here.

Client Security Concerns for the Cleaning Service contractor

 I get lots of questions from my readers (many of these are addressed in the book Make Money Cleaning Offices - availalble below) but let me address some of them here-

One of my readers asks: I have a question. Each office has an alarm and key.

1. How do you organize everything so that you have all the codes at hand for the offices? 

2. Do you just write them down in a binder and carry it with you all the time? 

3. When you have employees that do the work for you, do you only ever have one copy of the entrance key or do you have a backup key?

My Answer: I always have duplicate keys; you never know when an emergency will rise. By the way, employees who are going to have a key must sign an acknowledgment that they have been given possession of the key and, should they quit or be let go, their final check will not be given to them until the key is returned. 

Alarm codes can be kept in a binder or on a mobile device, but they are ‘mislabeled’ so that if the binder or device is found access to the building will be denied. For example, I have an account where our contact person is named Eric. The code is filed under 'Eric's building' and has no relationship whatsoever to the corporate name of the building.

Sometimes, you have a situation where employees 'block open' a side door to take out trash, etc. In order to insure that your crew has not left a door unsecured, you may use an approach similar to this: We provide a security 'log' at the account. The log is on a clipboard in the Janitor's closet. Each night the crew leader will:

1. Physically verify that the door was secured and note that this was done,

2. Set the alarm when leaving and note that they intend to do so,

3. IF a company employee is still in the building, get a name and note it on the clipboard.

That should eliminate any possibility of your people leaving the door open.

These are all simple steps but:

a. never having a key labeled with an account's actual name can prevent major problems if it is lost or stolen, 

b. requiring an employee return a key before getting a final check, and

c. having a written security 'log' makes your client feel more secure.

Thanks for the questions!

For more information or to get your copy of Make Money Cleaning Offices, go here.

How I Overcome Discouragement in Selling

Reader 'C'  sent me this statement:

"I am so grateful for all the information; it encourages me to eradicate fear. Sometime when I give a bid, and it didn't go through I take it too hard. How do you get through situations like this?"

My answer: First of all, in order to succeed in your cleaning business, you need to believe in the value of your service. Can you possibly convince your prospective client of this if you don't believe in it yourself?

Keep these thoughts in mind-

Realize that people pick up on your anxiety and tentativeness. When you're doing calls to prospects and you're thinking to yourself that they probably don't want to be bothered, then they'll hear it in your voice and will end the conversation right away. However, if you change your belief to the idea that they really need what you're calling for, then they'll be more likely to listen and have a favorable response.

Think about the various services you offer. Do they have a benefit to your potential clients? Make sure you are able to deliver the benefits your prospects expect. After you can do this, you will believe in yourself and the value of the services you provide. If you're unsure of your ability to deliver, then you need to spend more time educating yourself on the niche you've chosen for your business. The more knowledgeable you are about your cleaning services, the more confident you'll become. When you have confidence, you'll believe in the services you can provide your clients.

Do you feel as if you need your clients more than they need you? Then you are 'selling' from an attitude of desperation. Realize that there are more than enough clients for you and the other ‘quality’ cleaning companies in your area. Then you'll be able to relax in the knowledge that your ‘share’ of clients will come. 

 Second: I devoted an entire chapter of Make Money Cleaning Offices to writing a proposal that sells and the proper way to present that proposal. Are you professional in your approach?

 People do tend to judge a book by its cover, and your potential client will judge the quality of your cleaning service by their first impression of you. People like to deal with other successful people, so look as successful as possible. Dressing neatly in clean, professional looking clothes is essential.

 Check your grooming. If possible, stop into a restroom before the meeting to make sure you look presentable.

 Keep things neat and orderly. Whatever sales material you use should be neat and organized.

 Be professional. Be on time. In fact, give yourself a 10 minute head start. Be a little early. It is far better for you to be waiting for them than for them to be waiting for you.  Don't smoke and don't chew gum; you need an empty mouth to carry on a conversation.

 Stay positive. Be enthusiastic about life and your business. Do not allow negatives to enter the conversation. Don't boast about your company, but present its strengths in a positive manner. Set the stage for success. Be personable, smile, use a firm handshake, and give a pleasant greeting. Remember, the potential client is not your enemy—someone to be beaten into accepting your services—rather, both of you will be winners in this relationship.

 Learn to Close the Sale

 There are many good books that will help you develop skills in selling your company's services. The Art of Closing the Sale by Brian Tracy and Secrets of Closing the Sale by Zig Ziglar are highly recommended. Read them, use what you can, and for good measure pick up a copy of How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie.

Build Relationships

 Developing a successful list of clients has as much to do with relationships as it does with cleaning. Some relationships will be built immediately; you will get to bid and your bid will be accepted. Other relationships will be developed more slowly; you will be building a bridge to a future successful business relationship. Don't be disappointed when a presentation does not lead to a successful sale.

Your goal is to establish a bond with the prospect and offer yourself as an expert in the contract cleaning field. At some point in time they may grow dissatisfied with their present cleaning contractor and turn to you.

Want to Learn More? Get my FREE Weekly newsletter to help you decide if a Cleaning Business can help you earn extra money, pay off bills, and retire in style! Check it out here!

Don't Let Anyone Tell You, "You CAN'T'

“Someone's opinion of you does not have to become your reality.” I don’t know much about Les Brown, but this quote ‘rings true’ for me.

My parents were teenagers during the Great Depression and lived through the turmoil of World War II. They married right after the war and life seemed to work against them. My mother suffered from health issues, my dad was crippled in an car accident; they saw life as unfair and unforgiving and predicted life would be the same for their sons.

Almost every one of us can remember someone who predicted that we would be a failure! Maybe it was a family member or the next door neighbor who told you that you would never be a success if you continued on as you were doing. People offer opinions about you for many reasons, and not all of those are fair and just. Some people are simply jealous of you, thinking that if you succeed it will show up their weaknesses or inadequacies. They try to hold us back with caring statements like, “I just don't want to see you get hurt when you fail.”

Beginning with our childhood, we are influenced by those around us in so many ways that limit our thinking. In order to become a successful adult, we need to examine these limits that we've accepted about ourselves, and eliminate the ones that don't apply. No matter how you were labeled as a child, you can acknowledge that, as an adult you actually have many positive attributes. Perhaps you are creative, focused, hard-working or adventurous. If you think about it long enough, you discover that you are smart, mature, strong, committed and knowledgeable enough to do whatever it is that you want to achieve in life. You are capable of believing in yourself and can accomplish whatever dreams you set as your goal.

The key is to know who to listen to. My life changed when I started listening to positive thinking CD’s and podcasts. I started reading Success Magazine to be motivated by the successes of others. If you are going to do big things in life, it means that there are some people who will not like it. Learn to tell the difference between someone who should be listened to, and those who ought to be ignored. A good idea, like a small potted plant, needs to be nurtured

Take your good idea, your big dream, and believe you can achieve it. Work on a plan to accomplish it. Oh, the plan may change and the outcome may be different than you anticipated. It may be far greater and far bigger than anything you ever imagined.

Learn How I turned my big dreams into reality here.