3 Steps to Moving from Cleaning Technician to Business Leader
There is a lot involved when it comes to running a house cleaning business. Besides the actual cleaning, you deal with hiring and firing and you have to make important decisions that will impact not only the business, but your employees.
When thinking about everything you to do, you may wonder how you're going to be able to manage it all. One thing you might want to consider is leaving the cleaning to your technicians and focusing your efforts solely on running your business.
3 Steps to Moving From Cleaning in the Field to Leading Your Company
Most cleaning business owners start out as cleaning technicians. They've either worked for a house cleaning business or have decided to start their own entrepreneurial endeavor. For those that understand cleaning, it feels natural to start out by doing all the cleaning themselves. And for those that start a cleaning business with no cleaning experience, it seems appropriate to learn the ropes by working in the field for a time. But as time goes on, they realize they can't continue doing it all on their own.
If you are at this stage of your business, it would be wise to look to successful business owners and follow their footsteps. Not only will this help you build a profitable business, it will help you get past the challenges of moving out of cleaning in the field and into the position of leadering your team.
Here are just three steps successful business owners have taken to build their cleaning business.
1. Create a Practical Business Plan. Long before you take the plunge into business ownership, create a plan. A business plan is like a map. If you were told to trek across the country from Point A to Point B, it might seem like an insurmountable task. However, if someone were to give you a map that not only pointed you in the right direction but gave you the exact route to take, getting to your destination wouldn't seem like such a big deal. The same is true of a business plan. It is your guide toward a profitable business. You can create a business plan on your own—just make sure it is practical. An unrealistic plan will do more harm than good. If you're a little lost when it comes to creating a plan, schedule a consultation with a business consultant or attend a class. Local government agencies usually have programs to help local businesses get a good start.
2. Set Realistic Goals. Setting practical goals will help you create your initial business plan, as well as those you will make when you're ready to build your business. Try creating a master goal sheet, one with all of the goals you want to achieve within a certain period of time. Then, create an action plan of manageable steps to help you achieve those goals within your designated time period. When you start to see those goals being met, you can't help but be enthusiastic about new goals.
What types of goals can you set? You can set business/financial goals—the level of growth you would like to see, a financial goal for the day/week/month/year. Your cleaning technicians can have goals too, like finding ways to make their workday more productive or learning how to teach new employees to become efficient cleaners. Getting your staff involved in setting goals for your business is a surefire way to keep them happy and motivated.
3. Don't Try To Do Everything On Your Own. One of the worst things a cleaning business owner can do is try to accomplish everything on their own. Before you start hiring employees, make a plan to find the employees that can best take over the tasks that you shouldn't be doing. Perhaps it means finding a part-time employee to take over bookkeeping and scheduling. Next, training the cleaning technician with the best supervisory skills; the one who can take over your role in the field so you can focus on managing the business.
When you have questions or concerns about your business, utilize your business consultant or ask questions of fellow cleaning business owners who can walk you through how to manage it all. If you try to do things on your own, burn out will soon follow.
Bonus Step—Understanding the Differences between a Manager and a Leader
House cleaning business owners need to be good managers and great leaders. It is two sides of the same coin—you cannot have one without the other and hope to succeed.
Business owners need to wear both hats. As a manager, you have the responsibility of organizing your cleaning technicians; training them and helping them develop their skills. As a leader, you inspire your team to be the best and to implement the skills you've taught them, as well as to come up with innovative ways to motivate them and create a house cleaning business like no other.
Help To Achieve Success as a Leader
The decision to move from cleaning in the field to a position of leadership may seem daunting, but be proud—you're showing bravery and confidence in yourself by doing so. We are excited for you and the journey ahead of you, and we're here to help you along the way.
PDF Download
If you'd like to move from cleaning in the field to running your business, then it's time to groom your best employees for leading the team. The Team Leader Training Program provides practical training for developing supervisory skills.
To learn more about this system and purchase, visit our store.
