I’ve always been in business and had people work with me. For most of my life it was both a blessing and a curse. Things need to be done correctly, there is no other way to survive. All business is competitive, some more than others. My first business was as a house painter, which we know every one can do, and now it’s cleaning. That may be a step down, because really, even though any one can clean a toilet, who would want to?
For me it makes no difference how we make money, as long as we do, and as long as we do it well. There are morals that go along with a job well done. It’s a personal compass that tells me if things are the way they should be. Very simply, there is the right way of doing things. So if it’s cleaning the toilet, or preparing a surface for paint, it’s important that every one on the team knows the right way of getting the job done.
For most companies that have labor, managing, and supervising, are the hardest tasks to teach. Very few times will you find some one who is committed to your business more than they are to the pay check. It comes back to the morality of knowing the right way. So really it’s a personality trait.
In any team of cleaners there has to be one person who knows the difference of right from wrong. In forty years of being in business there have been times when I was comfortable following some one else’s lead. The cleaning business is one of those times. The point is that one of the big differences in most companies is that level of care to have the teams supervised.
Since 1968, high school, I have worked on properties for rent and sale. My first company was formed in 1972 with a partner. Over the years the business grew. Last year in 2008 my main company A Spring Cleaning won an award for Cleaning Service by the U.S. Local Business Association.
A Spring Cleaning was my own creation. In the 1980s and 1990s we did many things. Dry rot repair, yard work, paint, pressure washing, hauling, and design. In 2000 we changed to a regularly scheduled house cleaning company with the trade name Seattle House Cleaning.
The transition was gradual. A Spring Cleaning got a boost in 2005 with a mention on a national TV show, then a few interviews in the local media, and business was very good. I was also a licensed Real Estate agent with some project properties.
In 2005 I became concerned about the housing market and concentrated on finishing my projects full time. We sold off properties in 2006 then concentrated on the Seattle House Cleaning business. Three years later the cleaning business is good.
Blogging is a part of my daily routine. Most of the time my focus has been on Real Estate and economics. To go along with that we encourage people to be in business. Our cleaning business has branched off into other cleaning businesses and we consult with other business owners.
This site is an extension of what we already do. By sharing what we have learned about the cleaning business we hope you will see it's more than just a bucket and rags that get you the fresh feeling of a clean home. These are just some tricks of the trade and some of the pit falls we experience.