Stop letting yourself get pulled back into the field
What It Takes To Stop Cleaning And Get Out Of The Field Once And For All
Have you ever found yourself wondering why it's so hard to find employees that clean like you do? Do you worry which employee is going to "no show" tomorrow? Have you stopped taking on new clients because you just can't find decent employees and you're too busy cleaning to find the time to hire? Does it feel like for every step forward you take two steps back?
If you answered "yes" to these questions, then I'm betting you are also tired of having to be out in the field cleaning every day. After all, how can you possibly grow your business if you are constantly being pulled back out to clean for one reason or another?
If you've read any of the "E-Myth" books by Michael Gerber, then you know that if you are working in the field you have basically created a job for yourself. In order to get out of the field and become the business owner you want to be, you must do two things: 1) commit to change, and 2) systematize your business.
Commit to Change
If are trying to get out of the field but are constantly being pulled back in, then it's time to make some changes. Too many people keep running their business the same way, yet they expect different results. The only way to change the result (being pulled back into cleaning), is to change the way you run your business.
One change you need to commit to is to STOP making quality control the most important focus of your business. It's true that quality is probably what got your business to where it is today. That's because you either did all the cleaning yourself, or as you started growing, you focused much of your time on detailed follow up to make sure your employees provide the high quality service your clients are accustomed to.
I'm NOT saying that quality isn't important -- it certainly IS one of the most important components of running a successful cleaning business. But until you shift your mindset and realize that your time is better spent on growing your business and increasing profit, your attention will always be pulled towards quality control. A word of caution -- before you take a hands-off approach to quality, you must create a quality control system for your supervisors and employiees. Once the system is up and running smoothly you'll be able to focus more of your attention on growing your business and increasing profit.
Systematize Your Business
Many of the issues that keep pulling us back into the field are chronic problems that can be solved by systematizing your business. An example of a chronic problem is continually hiring "warm bodies" to fill an open slot because you always seem to be short-handed. When you are short handed, you may take hiring shortcuts just to get them out there cleaning as quickly as possible.
Another chronic problem is inadequate training systems. The common way to train cleaning technicians is to pair your new employee with an "experienced" employee who normally does a good job of cleaning. The "trainer" takes the new employee out on the job with her and trains as they clean. The problem with this method of training is that most of the time, the new employee is not being trained to your standards, and there is no consistency from employee to employee. When this happens you end up with disastrous results, meaning you are going to wind up back in the field either doing the training or doing the cleaning.
The only way to break the cycle of chronic problems is to create systems for everything you do in your business. This will enable you to hire the RIGHT people and train them on your systems, rather than reinventing the wheel every time you hire a new employee.
If you don't have an employee manual yet, this is an absolute must if you want to get out of the field. Without a manual that states your policies specifically, you will constantly be dealing with employee issues that arise daily. When you have policies around these issues, it makes it much easier to make quick decisions based on your company policy. Plus, when you have the policy in writing, there will be little or no controversy with your employees.
How to Start Creating Systems
First make a list of everything that you are currently doing that you should NOT be doing. Examples might include daily quality control, answering phones, bookkeeping, payroll and first interviews.
Then go through each item on the list and write down your system for getting it done. An easy place to start is with miscellaneous office tasks. When you hire an office assistant, use your system to train her so she doesn't have to come running to you for instructions every time.
The problem many employees have is that a lot of tasks are done periodically, so they easily forget a step or two. Then when they need to do the task again, they come running to you for help. This is when we usually get frustrated and think, "it would be easier if I just handled it myself!" So if you write it down, step-by-step, it will eliminate most of those interruptions.
You will need systems for hiring. Include where to run ads, what to say in the ads, how the prospects should apply, how many interviews to do, what questions to ask, how to do reference and background checks, and how to offer the job.
You will also need training systems for your cleaning technicians, including how to clean and safety training. You can either write out your own detailed systems for training, or you can buy someone else's system. Either way, once your training is in print, train every employee consistently. Also make sure that if you hire a training manager, he or she is following your system to the letter. Do periodic checks to make sure they are keeping to the system.
Another tip I've used is to let my employees write out the systems they use to do things. This works especially well for office tasks, and it will save you time from having to write every system yourself. If you already have people doing the work, then they should be able to write out, step-by-step what they do for a particular task. Then you can review it, make any corrections or additions, and your system is complete.
The idea is to get things in place so if you lose someone, whether temporarily or permanently, that someone else can easily step in and take over that task. This will help keep you from being continually pulled back in.
Create a Template for Your Systems
In order to stay consistent with creating your systems, use a template. Your template should include the following:
- The System that it is a part of. For example, Hiring.
- The name of the Process. For example, Interviewing.
- Who is responsible for this task. For example, bookkeeper or team leader.
- When it is to be done. For example, daily, every Monday, or the last day of the month.
- Purpose of the task, if applicable.
- Steps required to complete the process. The more detailed the instructions, the easier it will be to follow. Don't generalize or assume your employees will understand the steps without writing down the details.
- "Pending" means you have not yet created the system for this process. You might create a document that has notes for systems you need to create, or named templates that are ready to start.
- "In Progress" means systems have been started but are not yet complete. As you start working on a new system, create another sub-folder for the processes related to the system. For example, you will have a "Hiring" folder within the "Pending" folder. Within the Hiring folder you will have documents related to the hiring process (ie: interview questions, reference checks, orientation checklist)
- "Complete" means the system has been written and is being implemented. You will have several folders within the Complete folder. For example, when the Hiring system has been completed, you will move that folder and the files within that folder to the Complete folder.
By setting up your computer this way, you will know exactly what systems are complete, which ones are in progress, and which ones need to be started.
Getting out of the field isn't something you can just decide to do one day. It takes planning and implementation. Instead of staying in a constant state of overwhelm, start laying out a plan for systematizing your business, one step at a time. Give yourself deadlines to complete each system, get help from your employees, and start enforcing the systems. This will get everyone on the same page, which will make the transition from cleaning technician to business owner much smoother and less stressful.
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Jean Hanson helps owners of residential cleaning companies build a more profitable and successful cleaning business through her online community at MyHouseCleaningBiz.com. Jean is also the host of the popular Web TV show CleaningBiz.tv and author of the popular newsletter House Cleaning Profit Tips - sign up today!
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Documents for training Spanish speaking cleaners
Documents for training Spanish speaking cleaners
January 11, 2016
By GingerMo1 - See all my comment or reviews
It would be great if some of the training process was in Spanish like tests, etc. so that the people who are only speaking, reading and writing a little English can learn also.
