Is Your Lack Of Confidence Killing The Growth Of Your Cleaning Business?

Let's face the facts, owning a cleaning business is hard, not only physically, but mentally as well. And the daily mental challenges of being the “person in charge” can really hit your confidence hard. Customer complaints, staffing and scheduling issues, employee turnover, bills, budgets, you name it; you're constantly getting beat-up by pain points in every direction. The result is a damaged psyche, particularly your self-confidence.

Is this lack of self-confidence killing your cleaning business' growth potential?

Most certainly, yes! Although, many cleaning business owners have already taken the first step of overcoming their fear by starting a business, this is just the beginning. Even the most confident owner can harbor fear and self-doubt as they run their business. Self-doubt will not only affect the way you operate your business but can also trickle down to your staff.

Everyone has their bad day, heck, even bad week. But if you allow this to affect your attitude and enthusiasm, it can most certainly snow ball on you. Your attitude influences the attitude of your staff. If you come to work with a ho-hum approach, your staff, perhaps without even realizing it, will reflect this in their work and actions, hurting the company's overall production and operations and company moral will suffer.

What are some of the signs that you may lack self-confidence?

• You listen to the naysayers. You know the ones. They frequently engage in excessive complaining, negative banter and genuinely have poor attitudes about everything.
• You are overly dependent on the opinions of others and tend to seek their approval.
• You focus on unrealistic expectations such as:
  - Every home must be cleaned perfectly
  - If I get a complaint I've failed
• You use the word "should" way too often.
  - I should do more networking
  - I should get rid of Sally, but then I'd have to find someone to replace her
• You assume that if you didn't get the client, they didn't like you or you did something wrong.
• You avoid trying new things because you're afraid they may not work.
• You regularly think about your shortcomings as a business owner.

To quote William Jennings Bryan, "The way to develop self-confidence is to do the thing you fear."

How do you develop and gain self-confidence?

• Start by keeping track of the small successes. We often forget just how many things we accomplish from day to day, no matter how small. As you begin to realize you are making progress, your confidence will grow.
• Make a plan for reaching each of your goals. When you have a plan, you'll have a series of tasks to accomplish. As you check off each accomplishment your confidence will grow.
• Make a list of the areas where you know you lack confidence. Then make a list of solutions for each of these areas. For instance, if you get a complaint, how will you approach it so that you can confidently talk with the client to handle the situation?
• Make a list of people you feel are self-confident. Think about why it is they exude confidence and write down those attributes. Then figure out how to mirror those attributes in your own life.
• Ignore the naysayers and do what you believe is the right path for you.
• Pay attention to your positive inner voice and stop putting “YOU” down. Focus on building your self-esteem and confidence with positive self-talk.
• If your lack of confidence stems from inexperience, then commit to spending more time learning about your industry and becoming a better business owner.

If you realize your lack of self-confidence is adversely affecting the growth of your cleaning business, then take the next step by figuring out exactly what it is you fear and making a plan to move past it. Once you get started, you'll realize there is nothing that can stop you from moving forward and growing your cleaning business!