Cleaning Business Life

CBL Episode #66 Fear VS Growth for your Cleaning Business

• Shannon Miller

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Ever wondered how to fearlessly grow your cleaning business while maintaining your sanity? Get ready for a deep dive into the world of business expansion with personal tales and actionable strategies. We start off by reminiscing about our favorite summer vacations, from roughing it in the wilderness to indulging in luxury hotel stays. Then, we shift gears to tackle the often-overwhelming fear that comes with expanding your business. You'll hear practical advice and real-life experiences that will help you navigate this challenging journey with confidence and clarity.

Rapid growth can be both exhilarating and terrifying, and Kim knows this firsthand. She opens up about scaling her cleaning company at lightning speed and the anxiety that came along with it. This episode emphasizes the importance of solid systems—like staff vetting and remote operation management—that are crucial for handling increased demand. We also discuss the challenges of adapting to different markets and economic changes, stressing sustainable growth and meticulous planning to ensure long-term success. 

Looking to set your business apart from the competition? We share innovative strategies, such as offering unique services like feng shui cleaning, and emphasize the importance of continuous education. Dive into niche markets like post-construction and move-out cleanings, and learn how to effectively manage financial risks and maintain quality through structured training. By the end of this episode, you'll grasp the significance of community support among business owners and understand the necessity of self-care in maintaining a balanced work-life structure. Don't miss our tips for ensuring your cleaning business not only survives but thrives.

Questions? Feel free to reach out!

Shannon Miller: cleaningbusinesslife@gmail.com

Join my FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1583362158497744
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIjMz_-9YyiFvNVIgb61iYg

To order All-Natural Cleaning Products: www.purevergreen.com
See Shannon's latest courses: www.KleanFreaksUnversity.com

Speaker 1:

This show is brought to you by the Maids Network. Want to get serious in your cleaning game? Join my group. It's one of the larger Facebook groups just for cleaning business owners. I look forward to seeing you there. Recording in progress. Welcome everyone to Cleaning Business Life. I am joined by my wonderful host, Kimberly Gonzalez. Kimberly, take it away.

Speaker 2:

Hello everybody. How's everybody's summer going? You guys getting ready for vacations and trips? Beaches I would like to sit on the beach right now, or, I think, to sit by the river. I'm trying to convince Mark to let us go camping, like just on a spur of the moment and just take off and go. But I'm ready. Are you ready for vacation?

Speaker 1:

Yes, I got a little staycation last week so I'm not sure when I'm going to actually get to go on an official vacation. But we are going to take several trips, Like we're doing the pink Jeep tour in Sedona, we're going to go camping up in Williams and we're going to do a couple other, you know, local things. We shall see, I don't know. I don't know how thrilled I am about camping. I think I've passed that threshold. When I was younger I used to go hiking up in Yosemite and you'd have the swag bag and sleep out in the woods and all that stuff. As I've gotten older, I want to stay at the hotel and I want someone to bring in my bags, I want to drink wine, I want to massage after I've been hiking all day. I'm not into hardcore camping like I used to be. I mean when I was younger. I mean we would miles and miles and miles. But as I've gotten older I'm more into the creature comforts that are provided.

Speaker 2:

And I'm like, do I really want to sleep on the ground? Like, where's my mat? I need a blow up mattress.

Speaker 1:

There's so many things you need to bring, I'm like, is it even worth it? It's a go. I'm not going to have any pee, so thanks you guys for joining us.

Speaker 2:

You guys, we are excited because today we are going to discuss the crucial topic in the cleaning industry is growing. I'm not going to talk growing your cleaning business and overcoming the fear that often accompanies with expansion. I know I've had it, I'm sure you've had it. Everybody has that fear. I've had it with my personal business, for my cleaning company and then also just with my Pure Evergreen. And expanding a business can be daunting and scary. It can be filled with all the uncertainties and risk. But today we're going to help you guys with the strategies and the mindset when we're going to be able to try to help navigate you guys through these challenges successfully. So let's explore how to grow a cleaning company fearless and effectively.

Speaker 1:

Yes, um, growth is good. We all agree that growth is good. Growth needs to be controlled. Um. Last year, I believe it was, I spoke to someone who who went from like I think she was at the 275 mark 275 K for the year and grew up to $760,000 all in a 12 month period.

Speaker 2:

It was trial by fire.

Speaker 1:

And it was too. It was too much because she didn't have any solid systems in place and she wasn't prepared for the growth. So, excuse my French, it was a shit show. Um, we were able to fix it and I'm not turning down. When you have too much business, you need to raise your rates, but if you don't have the structures in place, you need to put the structures in place, either on the fly or you need to say no and then put the structures in place and then grow Steady. Growth is always expected in business. What about with you, kim? Have you had an experience with phenomenal growth like that? That's a scary's, a scary jump from 275 to 750 in a 12 month period. That means you're doing a lot of volume and it's just like rinse and repeat, rinse and repeat.

Speaker 2:

I did that in my first year of my cleaning company. I could not believe how quickly I jumped and it was scary because I was still trying to get my systems in place and I was still trying to work on my employee handbook and my growth went from like zero to like 100. It was so quick and I was not prepared and I had the anxiety and I was still just overwhelmed. It was nuts and I wasn't prepared and I was trying to get prepared and I was in the process of getting prepared. So I had my steps in place but it happened so quickly. So I always say that it's good to like, before you get started in your cleaning business, to like get those systems in place, and we talk about that all the time. It was scary, I'm not going to lie, I was. I was kind of freaked out. I like went from, like I think, 20,000 to over 113,000 in a year.

Speaker 1:

Like it was quick 20,000 to over 113,000 in a year. Like it was quick. That's a, that's a lot of growth, definitely. And then the most popular type of growth right now is to work remotely, and there's a lot of, there's a lot of. You also have to when you have your systems in place.

Speaker 1:

There's little baby steps that have to fit into the cogs of the wheel, and if you don't have those little baby steps put in, you can run remotely and it's, and it's just so. You're like, why? Why didn't this work? Why, because there's. It's like, when you own a short-term rental, right, how many times have we been um confronted with hey, I can't get a cleaner. It's because, a they never pay any money, or, b they don't live here, or c they live here but they live in another state. And it's just like you have to set up little baby steps.

Speaker 1:

I obviously can't tell an owner or a host you have to set up baby steps to run remotely. It's not my job to tell you how to run your business right, well, for that business, that business model, but you have to have those things in place. You know, like, for example, if you run remotely and you have crews down in Tucson. I've been trying to crack into the Tucson market all year Haven't had any luck. I have four cleaners that I know in that area. I can't pick up anyone to save my life. It's been interesting, not even one-time cleanings and I'm a really good closer, but there's a lot of things to running remotely that have to happen. You have to have vetted staff, and when I mean staff or vendors, your cleaners have to know how to clean. Can they operate by themselves or do they have to call you for every little thing? Can they think outside the box Right?

Speaker 2:

It's. It's hard to see what I can think of, cause I know my mom's area. They're always looking for cleaners in that her area, right, so I have to like get in contact. But yeah, it is, it's hard to find some Tucson.

Speaker 1:

Central is really it's. And then there's they're competing with people who aren't legal and it's a side hobby for them and it's just. It's been interesting. But if you don't have the systems in place to run remotely, you can't right. So you have to look at. You know where your numbers are. How much are you spending on advertisement? You know are the? Do you have systems in place where they could submit their hours to you? What's the deadline for that? When is payday? And you have to have all of these things going so that you know you're not having to type things up last minute on the fly and you're like well, what am I supposed to say?

Speaker 2:

And you're stressing yourself out. It's crazy. So, each of these paths so, depending on where you're wanting to go and expand to the different locations, each path requires, like, careful planning and execution, like what Shannon was saying. And why is it so important? It's sustainability. It's growing. Your business is more likely to sustain itself in the long run. So when you have all your systems in place, it's able to run smoother, it can adapt to all the different market changes and we talk about this, shannon and I talk about this all the time, about the market changes and the economy, like how it's changing and the fluctuations opportunities it opens up for new opportunities for growth. So, if you have your systems in place, the people that are like customers are going to come to you and they're going to see that you have it all together, that you're running smoothly and don't have those hiccups.

Speaker 1:

Like having a system for reviews. I almost am just about ready to say you guys need to get reviews right away because it takes so much effort and you have to have that right system in place to acquire the reviews you guys have all heard me mention in the past. When you get a review and if you're not advertising with one of the big guys, you better screenshot what you got because at any time they'll take them down. It's just how the world works. It's just how the world works and you know getting you know when you have a business that has 500 five-star reviews and no negative reviews. I got a question if they're real.

Speaker 2:

It's okay to get negative reviews, you guys. It's just on how you respond to that.

Speaker 1:

Right and you should have. If you've been in business for several years and you have 500 five-star reviews, you should have a couple of token bad ones in there. For example, my dentist my dentist has over 500 five-star reviews. If you scroll through all of those cause I looked cause I what I've given five-star reviews to him. He doesn't have any negative reviews. I'm like this tells me that might not be real.

Speaker 2:

Those reviews are everything Competitive. Stay competitive, expanding your services and reaching help so you guys can stay ahead of the competitors. I always say always think outside the box, so be creative. Think outside the box on how to get be competitive.

Speaker 1:

The real estate packages that you offer. That marketing package is a game changer. So if that's something you want, don't come asking me. I don't sell them. I'm not interested in selling them. Kim has them on her website. I believe she has two options on there.

Speaker 1:

I've been adding stuff slowly to it and being competitive doesn't mean that you go with the lowest price. Being competitive means that you offer a superior product. The mindset is changing of the industry. Cleaning is essential. Having a clean home gives you more prosperity. Having a clean home helps your mental health. It gives you less anxiety when your home is clean. I can't talk about the clutter, because that's a different issue, but there's a lot of things that you can do to make yourself competitive. For those of you who are inside the maids network Facebook group, I posted I haven't done one in three or four years of what my latest offerings were, and the biggest question was what was a feng shui cleaning or Swedish death cleaning? And these are all things that I do personally, with help of others, because I am an expert at it. Right, I paid for the certification. You thought outside the box.

Speaker 2:

Shannon, you thought outside the box. You thought of something that was different and unique. Incorporating that in your business is going to separate you from the other businesses. What makes your business unique? Shannon's business is unique because she offers those unique things.

Speaker 1:

Right, and I don't sell oodles and oodles and oodles of them, but when I do sell the package, it's a lot, so it kind of works its way out. You know what I mean. So being competitive is super important and not being the lowest price is also super important. Don't run your business until you realize you've bankrupted yourself. I cannot pump oxygen back into you and your business when you are having a heart attack on the operating table. You're going to have to, like, wipe it clean and maybe start fresh, or you're going to have to work for somebody else for a while and then come back. And these are all different scenarios that I've had to tell people what to do because they weren't charging enough to be viable or sustainable at all.

Speaker 2:

And that brings us to our common fears. Like, one of the biggest fears is financial risk, right, fear of losing quality, fear of managing larger teams. So the fear of financial risk. The solution, like you said, is start by creating a detailed financial plan. Having that organized like that organization is huge, you guys, and Shannon can help you with that. She's a genius at that. Um, you know, and like what she was saying pricing pricing is everything. It's going to help you cover all your costs and that will help take some of that fear away as you grow. Um, what was the second one? Shannon is fear of losing quality, do you want to say? Was the second one? Shannon is fear of losing quality? Do you want to say anything about?

Speaker 1:

that one, like you know it's. We all struggle with it. Kim and I have both mentioned how we run in blocks of time and sometimes that structure can vomit out and then you're next thing. You know you're at the lake underneath a tree because you needed to have downtime, because you know we're constantly. You know, and it's, it's, it's. We've become such a fast paced society. I saw a post on Facebook and it was a post from a real estate agent and she didn't answer the phone over mother's day weekend and she ended up losing a sale and she ultimately got fired from her real estate thing. And we've become such an instantaneous society. I've had it happen with me is they messaged me on a Saturday night at 10 o'clock at night and they want, they want a price for weekly service and then they harass you until they get the price. Hey, aren't you going to pay attention to me? You're like dude, I'm, I'm crawling in bed, we're not going out.

Speaker 1:

You know I'm not here to answer my phone 24 seven. So you need to have boundaries, you need to have family time, you need to schedule it in. You don't need to work all of the time, and when you have the structures in place, it makes it so that you are delegating and that you were not working all the time. Yes, with any new adventure in your first year, you're going to have to suck it up, unfortunately, and you're going to have to put in sweat equity, whether that is personally working in your business or working on your business. But at least have an idea of what your cleaning techs are going through. There's nothing more frustrating, and the cleaning techs can tell if you've ever cleaned. They will eat you up and spit you out. I mean that in the nicest way and it's not funny, but it is.

Speaker 2:

It's like losing that quality. To like having those, like you said, operating standard, like SOP, standard, operating procedures, and like investing in your staff is so important. The training we talk about training, like having that training. It's not just training that you do training once when they, when you hire them, it's not ongoing training. It's not just training that you do training once when you hire them, it's an ongoing training. Keep that training up, because stuff changes all the time in the industry.

Speaker 1:

They want to learn more too, and we talk a lot about company culture on a lot of things. If you don't have any company culture and you're not communicating with your staff and you're not providing any sort of enrichment for them to hang around, it can cause problems. We're watching this in the state of California. They have raised the minimum wage rates to $20 an hour, which is fine, but I keep having to explain to people when you raise the wages for people, the only two entities that benefit from it it's not the employee, because they're going to get their hours cut. It's the government entities, the city, the state, the federal sorry, three entities. So you know, think about what you're doing to enrich them.

Speaker 1:

Like over 4th of July. We used to have when they would come in. This is way back when, in the day before direct deposit, and even after we had direct deposit, we still did it. They would come in over 4th of July and we'd have an ice cream social. When was the last time any of you have been to an ice cream social? I had never been to one until I had one, and they're fun. People had root beer, floats and sodas and it was fun.

Speaker 2:

We did scavenger hunts and I made them take pictures, like one of them was, and I gave him some petty cash, and so one of them was to go buy a coffee for a police officer and it had to get a little picture, and so it was like doing something kind and they had to do like a cartwheel or some kind of like stand and they had to do a video. So it was like different activities. So make your team meetings and your trainings fun. Get them engaged.

Speaker 1:

Definitely and Make your team meetings and your trainings fun. Get them engaged Definitely and it really does help keep them long-term. I know everyone complains about the younger generation and there are stark differences and the workforce has changed a lot. I keep saying it every time, but it's just every time I look at it because I pay attention to these things. It keeps shifting and shifting, and shifting. So I'm hoping that it's beneficial for everyone. At the end, we shall see these things. It keeps shifting and shifting, and shifting. So I'm hoping that it's beneficial for everyone. At the end, we shall see. But there are people out there who are wanting to work. You just have to find them. You got to dig around over here and you got to dig around over there, and then the next thing you know, you've got four of them and then they.

Speaker 2:

then you have to find a fit Right, find your diamonds Definitely fear of managing a larger team. I think once your business starts growing and you have that fear of like, oh my gosh, I got to grow and grow and grow, I think that just kind of gets scary. Like then you got to like okay, well, I've got to figure out a manager and a team. It's like it starts growing and you get that fear. I know I did. I was like oh my gosh, my business is growing. What do I do? Who do I, who do I like, have for being like a manager and team leads? I started freaking out about that Little things like that.

Speaker 1:

I think when I really started to grow after the 750 mark, the biggest thing for me because we paid weekly was the payroll. Covering the payroll was the biggest stressful event I have ever gone through. Every week, 20 grand, 25 grand, 30 grand You're just watching I got to make sure. I got to make sure I meet payroll. I got to make sure and that for me was probably the most fearful incident. And then I had to. I had to. You know, I had to have a coach help me out with that and I'm like everybody does it. I'm like, oh my God, it's not just me.

Speaker 2:

No, you guys just know, you know your.

Speaker 1:

Your payroll is, I would say, one of your biggest expenses. Oh yeah, it's stressful, like if I don't have this payroll, they're gonna be pissed crucial for having your business expand and grow.

Speaker 2:

It's part of growth. Part of growth, um. Another one is fear of market competition. You, you know everybody, always we talked about that a little bit earlier, just briefly touched on it Like you're selling points and your strengths and like the competition I see it all the time in our groups. They're like oh well, this person's charging less and I I'm trying to get this one and it's okay. There's so many fish in the sea of customers, there's so many customers to choose from, and maybe that was not your customer. Your customer is going to come along.

Speaker 1:

There are. I have to have this conversation quite frequently. There are plenty of customers for the amount of cleaners. It really genuinely still takes 350 or 400 clients to hit the seven figure mark right. Take 17 to 24 girls, depending on if you're running part-time or full-time and what's your state requirements are to hit that marker as well. So if you were to take your city that you reside in and this is hypothetical and I've mentioned this, I'm on my soapbox.

Speaker 2:

Don't be my town. My town's too tiny.

Speaker 1:

Right for every. If you only need 400 clients to hit the seven figure mark, and that's the goal, right. Everyone wants to have a seven-figure business. You divide 400 into your population and that hypothetically should be how many cleaning companies your community can support. Now, does everybody need or want cleaning services? No, that percentage is way down on the spectrum, but there's still plenty of business for everyone. Everyone has a different skill set. Everyone has a different spin on what they do. There's just different methodologies.

Speaker 1:

I just went through a training to become certified for someone and the methodologies it's. It's what the whole point was, just getting the information there and I just I did things a little bit different and that was totally okay and it was interesting to learn. For example, you know cause you we've all seen scary movies or where they take the, the cells of the dead mummy, and they're trying to contaminate the rest of the world. So but I learned something and I didn't know this for some reason, I don't know why, I didn't know, but viruses can only spread through living cells, so you can't take a dead mummy and spread a virus. I was like whoa, like this is like way cool. And my husband's like what I'm like did you know a virus can only spread with a living cell? It was a topic for us geeks, right? So we're just like, okay, yeah, so like the mummy movie.

Speaker 1:

And then my little little, who's eight, was all into because he loves mummies. I can't tell you how many thousands of times I've seen the movie the mummy with um Brendan Fraser yeah, I think thousands. He hums the soundtrack, the whole deal. But, um, yeah, there's just stuff that you learn and it's it's important that you continually educate yourself's. It's important that you continually educate yourself and focus on your market being a little bit different. For a long time, when I had castlekeeper cleaning, I was pet friendly. I was the only one, and then suddenly everybody was pet friendly. So just go with what works with you. I mean, there is someone who only does monthly cleanings.

Speaker 2:

I've done. I've talked to somebody that just does monthly clean. That's all they do is monthly cleanings right, that's their, that's their competition, that's all they. They service so they can get all the clients that only want monthly cleanings.

Speaker 1:

Right, and every single spot on her schedule is full. I don't think we're talking about the same person, but it's interesting business model and it works for them. And then it's great because then you're not sweating through. You know a two, a two and a three, or three and a, two or three. You're just taking your time and you're like straightening things and it's not. It's not stressful and it works great. So make sure that if you have monthly, you're charging it up Right.

Speaker 2:

Exactly Fear of uncertainty. Did you ever feel like that? I know I did, like the uncertainty of what is to come next and what do I need to do. And you know just the planning. There was a dip.

Speaker 1:

So business goes smooth for months and months, and months, and months and months, and then some world event like makes them take a dip and you're just like smack right across the face.

Speaker 2:

That was me last month. I had to like smack myself in the face. I was like, am I doing this, am I doing this right? Like I don't know what I should do with my next step. And I was like Kimberly, pull it together, you're okay. You know this is your slow month.

Speaker 1:

A little bit and we all do it. It's almost similar to imposter syndrome. You guys all remember when I got onto the maid summit last year and how I was just like, oh my.

Speaker 2:

God, shannon, you've got this. Don't let anybody else You're you're you. Your clients will come. So yeah, just that uncertainty is like get a business plan. If you want to do a business plan, have it organized Like I like business plans, just because they can keep you organized. And like Shannon always say, stay informed about the industry, like the trends and the constant changes, and always just keep yourself again the training for that Strategies for successful growth. Shannon, do you want to jump into that one?

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I'm looking, I'm cheating on my notes and I don't have that pay. Oh, here it is. It's just backwards. So a lot of successful growth depends on the research that you're doing. So sometimes that's marketing, sometimes it's just talking to people.

Speaker 1:

Oftentimes, what makes people and we're more forgiving in the cleaning industry now, client wise, than we ever had. So before COVID, god forbid, you ended up sick and you didn't show up at someone's house to clean it. They would have fired you. Now, because we've had COVID and everyone's like Whoa, don't come over, I don't want your cooties because they're contagious. Now you can probably have someone who's a little more forgiving and understanding, or what do you mean? You're going to have a baby and you're going to take time off to go spend time with your child. Who's going to clean my house? And then they'll fire you and go on right. So make sure you're doing market research to see who your demographic is.

Speaker 1:

When I had Castle Keeper Cleaning for a long time I catered only to seniors. That's all. That was my. That was my bread and butter. And then COVID happened. I had to pivot, and I had to pivot hard because I like almost suffocated myself because those guys were all afraid, right, that they were afraid of dying, they didn't want anyone in their houses. So I did have you know, clients who it didn't bother them, you know they were in the medical industry, they were all you know, whatever. But you have to kind of pivot, so I had to look for other types of clients. I didn't look for just. But you have to kind of pivot so I had to look for other types of clients. I didn't look for just retirees, I looked for other small business owners and, for example, when COVID happened, we stopped cleaning houses. I'm like, hey, do you have a business we can clean so I can keep these girls busy? Those types of things to kind of get the income coming to cover and meet payroll right.

Speaker 2:

Do your market research. I know in our ski towns Aspen being one of them, breckenridge I know like the busy season for cleaners is the wintertime, especially the STRs they are swamped during the wintertime, summertime not so much. So know your customer segments for your market research. Know what area you want to stand. Like you know, like you said you know, know what you want to specialize in, like what your busy season is.

Speaker 1:

Maybe you just want to do post-construction cleaning. I know a couple of people that's their bread and butter. Maybe you only want to do move out cleanings. Just remember that move out cleanings typically are seasonal, depending on what part of the country you live in, because weather affects moves. Nobody wants to lug furniture in the winter. Just something to think about. I'm not saying you can't do it and make it work. I'm just letting you know that I see the difference, the stark difference. So making sure that it's viable products. For example, I launched Laundry Pros. I don't have any clients yet, but it's a Facebook page. You guys can like it if you want to follow it, and I'm going to build this up and I'm probably going to sell it in a year. It's my experiment. I haven't told any of the people that it is an experiment, but I want to see if I can do a side hustle. I'm right here. My utility room is right next door to me. I'm not doing any.

Speaker 2:

I have a question. Sure, how are you finding time for all this?

Speaker 1:

I do laundry anyway, so it's just like what's? A couple more loads of laundry aren't going to really affect me. It's just like.

Speaker 2:

I was thinking about you this morning when I was making French toast I was like making French toast for Ellie and I was like man, I don't know how Shannon does everything, like she does this, this and this, and then she's on the phone with people and then she's answering people's questions on Facebook and I'm like she needs like a superwoman cape. But she like secretly like going to open your shirt and it's going to have a big S on it.

Speaker 1:

I know W for wonder woman right, she had that. There are things that you can do to differentiate yourself from the other cleaners. You know, one of the biggies and Kim and I are passionate about this is having insurance. That differentiates you from the herd. When you have insurance, it means you're serious about your game and that this is going to be long term for you. When you don't carry insurance and I hear the pity party all the time yes, I can't afford it, I can't do this.

Speaker 2:

Everything is wrong with the world no-transcript buyback program and we really need some used cars. Would you be interested in selling your car? Your Subaru is sent back to me and I was like no, my payments. I'm like almost done paying off my car Right.

Speaker 1:

We live in interesting times, so you know, make sure that you're paying attention, that you're doing your own market research and do what you love. If you hate doing move out cleanings. Don't do them. I don't care how much money they flash in your face, don't do them. If you don't like doing post-construction cleaning guess what? Don't do it.

Speaker 1:

If you don't like doing post-construction cleaning. Guess what? Don't do it. You're going to regret going to cleaners. Or you know, if you do stuff cleaning or if you don't want to wash dishes, don't do it. And then building a brand. Kim is really big on this. I'm big on it. Sometimes I'm not as religious with it as I probably could be, because I feel it's time for a change with my cleaning service. So I'm going to be working on that and I've literally gone into Moo several times, made business cards, then got sidetracked, didn't put the thing and then I lost everything. And no, I don't get an affiliate for Moo, I just happen to be on there because Kim.

Speaker 2:

I love you, yeah, yeah, I love you. I've used move for man 14 years, right years, I love you and we need to get them to sponsor us cards, um, but, yeah, building a brand for me has always been big because you want it to stand out, you want to attract customers. Um, we always talk about investing back in your business and how important it is. So getting a website, you know you can send people to your Facebook, but Facebook, you guys, is not going to be around for you know another 50, who knows probably another 50. We don't know. Social media is so unpredictable Exactly, it's so unpredictable. So getting that website is going to be huge. You know, engaging with your audience on social media. Why we still have it is huge Emails. We talked about getting and collecting emails. Brands like make your brand stand out, make it look professional support.

Speaker 1:

There's a lot of ways to get support, and then this has been a conflict for me and I'm going to just vomit this right here. If you are looking for support of your business and it is a cleaning business, then seek support from people who've actually run a cleaning business. I see people who have never been in the cleaning industry dipping their toes in the water because it's lucrative right now and everybody's doing it. But if you're getting advice from people who A have never had a business in their entire life and they're a bureaucrat, or they have never had a side hustle, or they've never done a show where you go to a jewelry show, they've never done anything but sit behind their desk with clacking their keys please do not take advice from them.

Speaker 1:

Find people that you resonate with. Whether it's me, you might not like me, maybe it's somebody else Sorry, it's my dog slipping. He's having problems with his hip. Find somebody that resonates with you and it doesn't have to be me, it could be. You know, there's six or seven others of them. I'm sure there's more than that but find someone who's in the industry. It drives me nuts to see people who've never, or or they they do their first hundred K and then suddenly they want to be a coach. It's like, really, and they've been doing it like nine months, right, and then suddenly they're the expert. They're not the expert. You want to find seasoned professionals.

Speaker 2:

I've literally been I have to experience all the crap that Shannon and I have gone through 15 years.

Speaker 1:

Next year will be officially 15 years doing that, just in this industry. So find someone that you love, that you want to work with, who will benefit you, because that's the whole point of paying right. You want to benefit from their knowledge. Don't go to somebody who's brand new in the industry, who doesn't have any of the proof that you were requiring to show that you know what you're talking about, right? So, seeking support, and sometimes you can DIY it, but that also takes time. You have to wait out.

Speaker 1:

I'm at the point in my life where I don't want to take a lot of time DIYing anything. I just hired a health coach, right? You need coaches to help you get you through whatever it is that you want to do. Next, there are coaches for everything. I've seen massage coaches, health coaches, exercise coaches. I've seen coaches for everything, and I'm at the point where I don't want to waste any more of what time I have left here trying to figure it out. I just want someone to show me what it is and if it's a reasonable price, I'm happy to pay. It doesn't, doesn't bother me at all. What have you done for comments and stuff, haven't you? I recall you going to a couple of things. Didn't you go to an all-girl event last year?

Speaker 2:

yeah, I did an all-girl event. I've done a couple like things for growth. Um, I want to do some more personal growth.

Speaker 1:

It wasn't like business business and then you went to the um. You went to the actual business thing. What was that called? With the ladies who sell?

Speaker 2:

Oh, yes, yes, with my products. So I invested in that. That was a hefty price but I got to meet like one of the ladies that has built up her business. And then we learned and I got to meet a bunch of other women that were doing their products and it was just really interesting to hear from all their different gross. You know strategies and we're there and we're all at different levels. So, like you know, here's little me. You know barely at my hundred thousand. And then I've got these people that I was talking to. They're at 700,000 for their products. But it was just interesting and actually we still chat. We have a group chat on Instagram and we still chat and check in with each other.

Speaker 1:

And I love it. Awesome and what you realize the most when you start to do these events like we've talked about going to the ISSA show is that you realize that you're not alone. Being an entrepreneur is probably the hardest fricking thing that you will ever do, besides being a mother, and you you feel alone A lot of times. It's overwhelming. And when you start to collaborate with others who are in your industry, you realize that you're not alone and that you can bend their ear for emotional support. Sometimes bad things happen. You don't see all the bad things happen because we talk about it privately. We're not on social media announcing it. But you just realize that you're not alone if you collaborate and establish relationships with others.

Speaker 2:

Every seasons are different and everybody's going through a different season and it's okay to talk to other people because maybe they've already gone through that season of you know the change of whatever they're working on in their business, and it's okay because they've got experience. That's what the coaches come from from experience and training. Which number are we at?

Speaker 1:

Are we on?

Speaker 2:

I think, yes, we keep notes. We're letting you guys know because we both have ADHD and we both like to go all over the place, so we have to keep notes.

Speaker 1:

Seeking support and then staying informed with the industry trends you guys will always see me talk about. Hey, I found this. It's like non-competes they have eliminated. The federal government has the use of non-compete contracts, so make sure that you I posted that in the group several times. I sent it out an email. If you're not on my email list, go right to my website and sign up, but you have to be on top of that. We're not going to be able to use non-competes anymore.

Speaker 1:

So you're going to have to reword the non-compete or you're going to have to come up with something different. But you can't make people sign non-competes, hypothetically speaking, and then, if you're supposed to have known, you can get dings. Sometimes those dings are like 50 grand. So make sure that you are fluent in what's going on with that stuff, and then practicing self-care is super, duper, whooper, pooper important.

Speaker 2:

I am going to work on my self-care. This weekend I have been so short-staffed, like incredibly short-staffed, I've been like burning the midnight oil and working crazy hours and I told Mark, like I said, we're going to try to go sneak away to go camping. Um, I haven't made the huge announcement to everybody yet, cause I'm making. I want to do a cute little photo op, but I'll tell all of you listeners, gutter and Goldie are expecting. Oh, congratulations.

Speaker 1:

I will be a grandma. Oh, congratulations.

Speaker 2:

I will be a grandma. We weren't planning on it, but an accident did happen and so puppies will be born at the end of June and then I'll have puppies for eight weeks and so I won't be able to have self-care for eight weeks, just to get away and recruit. So we're going to try to sneak away. So always having that self-care guys is needed.

Speaker 1:

I need that self-care so bad, more than you guys know and yes, I'm drinking lemon water.

Speaker 2:

It's not a margarita or anything. I could pretend, just lying. Can I pretend I'm just having like a mimosa? I'm like drinking my mimosa definitely definitely so.

Speaker 1:

Practicing self-care, um, there's been like you just hit a certain milestone and you just get to a certain age and you're just like it ebbs and flows, and then you're just like I am going to take care of only myself this year. Yes, I have littles and I'm not a selfish person, but I give and give and give and give and give and give and give and give and give and give and give and give and give and give and give and give and give and give and give and give and give. I can make my own song.

Speaker 1:

Yes, you get to a point where you need to start taking matters in your own hand, and it has to benefit you. So that's the reason why I hired a health coach. So, yeah, just make sure that you are practicing self-care with whatever it is. I mean, we've given suggestions in the past, but do something that you that benefits you. Whatever that reward is Maybe it's Paris, france, maybe it's going to the Louvre, maybe it's Italy, maybe it's Greece, maybe it's staying home that's a big self-care.

Speaker 2:

I like that big self-care Right.

Speaker 1:

I'm like I'll just take going outside and putting my feet in the grass Like that makes me happy, right? So making sure that you're you're setting goals and you're getting self-care that is catered to what your needs are, and it could be that you get a mani-pedi. It's just whatever. Whatever it is do it.

Speaker 2:

So growing your cleaning business is exciting and it's a challenging journey. But fears and uncertainties are natural you guys. They should not hold you back. Um, the growth is important. Receiving like having implementing those strategies and building that confidence, you guys can expand your business successfully and fearlessly.

Speaker 1:

Right. What's worse is when you get advice and you don't act on it, and then two years go by and then you go to Shannon going I'm still struggling. I'm like, did you do this, this and this? Well, I didn't have time. I'm like I can't. I can't help you.

Speaker 2:

If I'm giving you stuff to do and you haven't implemented or taken action.

Speaker 1:

I you know I have to move on to somebody who is going to take action. I don't mean to sound mean or cool, but that's just the reality of it. If you haven't taken action the first time, you're more than likely not going to take action the second time. So make sure that you are implementing those strategies because they are important. I'm not just talking out of my butt most of the time, even though sometimes I feel like I am. I'm not just talking to hear myself talk. I'm talking because I legitimately have experienced a lot of these things and I want to share that wealth of knowledge so that you don't make the same mistakes I've made. I've made some blenders, oh my goodness. You just don't hear about them because I don't post them on social media.

Speaker 1:

You're like some days, other days not so much so, yeah, making sure that you're implementing and that you're doing it fearlessly. And there You're, like some days it's a spot day, other days not so much. So, yeah, making sure that you're implementing and that you're doing it fearlessly. And there are key points that will give you anxiety, as you heard me mention that mine was the payroll. It was stressful to have to come up with a payroll every week, not that I wasn't going to make it, but I would give myself so worked up.

Speaker 2:

I'm like I'm not going to do it. I'm not going to do it, so worked up.

Speaker 1:

I'm like I'm not going to do it. I'm not going to do it, and then I would make it, you know, flying colors, but it's just. It's just the internal dialogue in your, in your brain, Right?

Speaker 2:

Exactly. Well, that's all, you guys, for today's episode of cleaning business, life, life. I promise I'll put alcohol in my drink. I hope you find these insights helpful and you guys feel more prepared to take on your cleaning business to super big heights. If you guys have questions, reach out to us. If there's topics you want us to cover, go back into our old podcast to see if you can find any of those and then reach out to us. Do not forget to subscribe to our podcast, leave a review. We love reviews and we're looking for sponsors. You guys, we're all up for sponsors. Shannon, you and I definitely need to reach out to some of these bigger companies and be like hey, do you guys want to be on our podcast?

Speaker 1:

Definitely, definitely. Well you go snow. My door's always open. If you have any questions, have a great day. You guys take care Bye Cleaning Business Life is sponsored by Pure Evergreen Cleaning Products. That's P-U-R-E-V-E-R-G-R-E-E-Ncom. Pure Evergreen Cleaning Products.

People on this episode

Contributor

Jamie Runco

Host
Head Shot

Shannon Miller

Host
Head Shot

Kimberly Gonzales

Co-host