Episode #36 -- Is Your Cleaning Business Running You Or Are You Running Your Cleaning Business?
Jean Hanson
One of the biggest mistakes you can make as a cleaning business owner is to let your business run your life. When you allow this to happen you end up with regrets later on because of missed opportunities to spend time with family, take vacations and enjoy a life outside your business.
In this episode Jean shares how she and Steve allowed it to happen right from the start of their business and how they were eventually able turn it around. Plus she offers tips on how you can do the same!
Steve and I just got back from a vacation in Jamaica, where we celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary. I was really determined to have an anniversary celebration that felt like a honeymoon. And the reason I wanted to do that was because Steve and I never got a honeymoon when we got married. There were several reasons for that -- first among them is that fact that we were in the start up phase of our business; I was still working full-time; and we just didn't think we could pull it off! Unfortunately we didn't have the money nor the time to be able to celebrate our new marriage.
What happened right from the start is, we let our cleaning business run US. Not only did we miss getting a honeymoon, we missed out on years of family celebrations, holidays and vacations. And the worst thing that happened because our business was basically running our lives, is that Steve wasn't able to travel with me back to our home town when my mother died unexpectedly. This is something that I know still bothers him to this day, and after that painful time, I vowed never to let our business dictate my personal life again.
So after about 8 years of never taking a vacation other than to travel home a couple times to visit family, we finally took a real vacation, and what a difference it made in our outlook on the business and our overall attitude! What we realized is that our business didn't fall apart, and our clients were very understanding when we told them we would be on vacation the following week. The other benefit WE'VE had from unplugging from the business for a few days is that we've come up with some of our best ideas when we take time off.
When we're so busy in the day to day running of our business, we often don't take the time to brainstorm new ideas that will help move the business forward and keep us competitive. So when driving in the car to our destination, or on the flight to the convention, we take out a notebook and jot down our ideas so we can work on implementation when we get back.
So what I'd like to do next is share two tips for taking time off that will really help to recharge your batteries. The first tip is to think about an activity that you really love -- then spend your time doing THAT while on vacation. Too often we forget about the things we enjoy doing, and before you know it, years have passed and you've forgotten all about the things that used to give you joy. Steve spent most of his time in the water snorkling; something he just loves to do. I could have sworn he was starting growing gills because he spent so much time in the water - but he was SO happy, and it was great for ME to see the fun he was having.
Now for those of you who work with your spouse like we do, after so many years, if you're running the business together, you start to think of yourselves more as business partners than a married couple. That can be dangerous for your relationship. So this past week we learned how to reconnect as a couple. So I encourage you to do the same. Put the business aside for a few days and get back to rediscovering what you love about each other.
Now many of you may be thinking at this point, "that's great, but how do I actually take time off without things coming apart at the seams? Every time I take even one night off it seems like some disaster happens that pulls me back in!" That's a very valid point, and I'm not going to stand here and tell you to just walk away from your business to take a vacation. It takes planning to pull it off, especially in the beginning if you're managing it by yourself.
So the first thing you want to do is start taking 15 to 30 minutes a day to write down some of the most important systems that your employees would need to know while you're gone. For example, what procedure should they follow if one of your accounts runs out of any cleaning supplies? Do they call up your supplier to have it delivered? Do they run over and pick it up the next day? How do they pay for it? Another example would be to let them know what questions they should ask if a customer calls to complain that something didn't get done the night before. The more systems you can put into place for your employees the better. Then all they have to do is refer to your procedures in order to make the best decisions.
The next thing you need to do is start grooming your best people to handle things in your absence. When we took our first vacation, we didn't have an Operations Manager to run things, but we had two dependable Supervisors. We had a meeting before we left and went through who was responsible for what, and also discussed some common scenarios that they might have to deal with in our absence. And be sure to talk to your clients before you go. Tell them what you're doing and the days you won't be available. Then give them the cell phone number of the person you've assigned to make sure they have a contact person should they need anything. If it's your supervisor, chances are they already have a good relationship with that person and will tell you to go enjoy your vacation.
So for those of you who have put your personal life on hold so your business can run your life, I strongly encourage you to re-think your situation. Steve and I don't want you to do like we did and let the business run YOU. Turn the tables on your business and take charge so you can not only have a successful business, but a successful and enjoyable personal life too.
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