Purchasing Supplies; What's Best For Me? Sams, Walmart, Supermarket, Janitorial Supplier?

As a business owner, one of your priorities is expense control, which will lead to profitability, which will lead to growth, which will lead to diversification, which will lead to financial security, all of which will make you happy! In today's business climate, being aware of every saving possible is one of the keys to survival. The more you are open to new ideas and methods, the better opportunity you have to put these new ideas into play and add to the profitability of your company.

There are many residential cleaning company owners who ask their clients to provide the cleaning supplies and what the company provides is the labor to do the work. If that is your business model and it works for you, don't reinvent the wheel. If however, you supply the cleaning products, equipment and labor to your clients, you will probably want to keep reading.

When starting a new residential cleaning business, most owners begin by buying products off the shelf from a retail outlet. They use Sams, Costco, Wal-Mart or even supermarkets as their "vendors". They purchase the cheapest products or the items on sale that day. They might use a different general, all purpose cleaner each week, or a window cleaner that is on sale this week. Often, there is little consistency in what is purchased and used for cleaning by either themselves or their cleaning crews.

There are several things to consider when buying retail.

1. First and most important is that you are paying "retail". Even when the product is on sale, you are paying more than if you purchased from a janitorial vendor.

2. Inconsistent performance from using different products. Cleaning personnel don't know the effectiveness of products when they are changed often.

3. Lack of Safety Information is an important reason to consider using a professional vendor. You have a responsibility to your employees to have "on hand" safety information about the products you ask them to use. A janitorial supplier will provide you will all the safety information you need, a supermarket will not.

4. Delivery of products is often a money and time saver for you. A supplier will deliver products to your office, usually for no charge. This saves you time and gas driving around town looking for the best deals.

5. Professionalism and the image you project will be enhanced when your clients see you using "professional" products.

Let's look at how to go about partnering with a professional supplier.

1. Select 3 suppliers in your community from whom to get estimates.

2. Call all 3 for an appointment with a sales rep, either in your place of business or theirs.

3. Before you go, prepare a list of all the items you use in your cleaning business. If you have an idea about quantities, that will be helpful. Don't forget to include equipment, cleaning cloths, extension dusters, buckets, mops, brooms, etc. All of it will help with getting you the best price possible.

4. When you meet with the rep, ask about concentrates*, delivery, payment terms, specials and notification of items that go on sale.

5. Ask for a line by line price of each item that you use.

Now for the negotiating! Remember that the janitorial supplier wants your business. If you let him/her know that you are taking bids for your supplies, the pencils might get a little sharper and you may end up with better pricing. Let him/her know that you are looking for a "partner" and would like to be able to give all of your supply and equipment business to one vendor. Your goal is to be able to pick up the phone, call in an order and have it delivered to your home or office and get the best price out there. It IS possible. With some initial leg work and planning on your part, you can elevate your residential cleaning business to the professional level and reap great profits.

Why should I change what I am doing now? Simple.

• Consistent performance by your staff when they know how a product works
• Huge money and time savings for you.
• Safety information at your finger tips.
• Free delivery of supplies.
• Enhancement of your professional image.

Sharon L. Cowan is President and CEO of Maid For Success, a coaching and consulting firm dedicated to assisting established and emerging cleaning companies realize their potential and business goals. Sharon specializes in companies who are in both residential and commercial cleaning or who wish to diversify their business. Sharon can be reached at www.maidforsuccess.com or [email protected].