Cleaning Business Life
Cleaning Business Life, is a weekly podcast co-hosted by Shannon Miller, founder of Klean Freaks University, and Jamie Runco, CEO of Above All Cleaning Company, based in Northern California.
This podcast is dedicated to helping cleaning business owners at every stage, from startup to scaling to 7 figures. Whether you're a new entrepreneur or an established business owner, you'll discover proven strategies, systems, and methods that will help you streamline operations, increase profitability, and grow your business.
Each episode dives deep into essential topics such as:
- Effective business systems and structures that drive growth.
- Product recommendations and tips on using the right tools for the job.
- Expert interviews with industry leaders sharing insights and success stories.
- Q&A sessions where we answer your pressing business questions.
- The **latest trends** shaping the cleaning industry today.
Tune in weekly to level up your cleaning business and stay ahead of the competition!
For additional resources, including Kim's exclusive real estate cleaning packages, visit her website at [purevergreen.com](http://purevergreen.com).
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Want to get a hold of us, please email us at cleaningbusinesslife@gmail.com
Cleaning Business Life
CBL Episode #92- GOALS 2025-Unlocking Seven-Figure Success: Strategic Growth and Empowerment in the Cleaning Industry with Jamie Renko
Unlock the secrets to achieving your business goals in 2025 with insights from Jamie Renko, the dynamic co-host and owner of Above All Cleaning Company. Wondering how to hit the seven-figure mark or expand your client base effectively? You'll learn the strategic systems and teamwork approaches that have allowed Jamie to grow her service area and reach her ambitious target of 125 recurring clients. Whether you’re aiming to boost online reviews or navigate the empowering shift in the women-dominated cleaning industry, this episode promises actionable insights and inspiration for entrepreneurs ready to elevate their business game.
Explore the power of collaboration and personal connections in driving business success. We discuss the invaluable role of finding the right coaching or mastermind group, featuring inspiring leaders like Sarah in Phoenix and Courtney Lee. Hear firsthand how personal relationships and face-to-face interactions have led to substantial contracts and a robust client base, and discover how adapting to generational communication preferences can sharpen your edge. If you're committed to crafting a thriving business in the cleaning industry, this episode is your blueprint for growth, filled with practical strategies and heartfelt stories that resonate across generations.
Up your cleaning game, join over 6000 Cleaning Business Owners most of whom are located here in the United States.
It can be crowed when trying to figure out who you are going to learn from
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Shannon Miller: cleaningbusinesslife@gmail.com
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All right, everybody, welcome. We are hitting the month of December 2024 is almost at its end and it has been a pleasure to be able to give you 52 more episodes of Cleaning Business Life. And I got my co-host here, ms Jamie Renko, who is the owner of Above All Cleaning Products not products company company. I'm just creating things for you to do in Northern California, and she has a very large service area and I think possibly is getting some office space. So congratulations there, we'll see how that works out.
Speaker 1:And today we're going to talk about considering your goals for 2024. Usually, at the beginning of the fourth quarter, you have already anticipated what your goals are going to be for the following year. This might be a new thing for you. So, for Usually, at the beginning of the fourth quarter, you have already anticipated what your goals are going to be for the following year. This might be a new thing for you. So we're going to talk a little bit about some of the goals you should consider when looking at your numbers and your P&Ls. Those are profit and loss reports for those of you who don't know, and not everything has to be a financial goal, so to speak. Some people it really genuinely is, but there are other goals to consider as well that are nice markers to hit so that for those of you who are still growing up on the food chain can hit those just as easily as some of the bigger number guys. Jamie, what would you consider a number one goal for 2025? For?
Speaker 2:your business. For my business, well, it used to always be financial and now I think that growing into like an office space is what I'm really trying to go for, the amount of clients that I'm trying to get, and I want to be able to hire some more employees. And you know, there's a lot, there's a lot of markers for me. I'm all a little all over the board, I feel like. Also, this is kind of like you go by your plan. This is like a plan, your business plan, and, um, whenever you can dream it, if you can, it starts manifesting itself. Mindset is everything, yeah, mindset. So you know, getting those reviews of mine up. Again, we, we're rural, we're very spread out, so I think it's 200 miles across for our uh service area, so we're really large and again, it's very densely populated. So, um, making sure my those reviews start getting up. So, making sure my those reviews start getting up, you know, I know you had a goal of what was it?
Speaker 1:Over a hundred reoccurring clients, or 125? I don't remember 125.
Speaker 2:this year was 125. I think I made that goal with you at the beginning of the year and I was like, yeah right, so much has happened from January to December.
Speaker 1:It's amazing and how quick the whole year has gone by.
Speaker 2:It just it's crazy, it's crazy, so we surpassed that.
Speaker 1:We surpassed Yay, congratulations.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I, just I, I I'm in shock. I always, every step of the way through this whole, this whole ride, I've just, I've been blown away that I wow, this is working. You know, this is, once you get those systems and everything in place, everything starts working. It just I really, yeah, I really had a lot of people you know, and you know I paid good money for that too, but I had people you know steering me in the right direction, and it's not just me, it takes a whole team of people to help build what we're doing here. So I just yay, so I just yay.
Speaker 1:So for perspective, for those of you who are listening it legitimately takes 350 to 400 regular reoccurring clients to hit the seven figure mark. If that's a goal, it's really doable. If you do everything right, you can some people fast track it and do it in three years. I've seen other people take a little bit longer and then others. It just depends on where you are in your business, but it is a very doable achievement If that is something that you are wanting to do. We have some of you guys who are still solo cleaners and you're perfectly fine with that and it works because you have babies who are in school, like most of us, and you know it's just. It is what it is. Whatever your goals and whatever your markers are, it's totally okay where you are.
Speaker 1:I'm not going to sit there and criticize. Well, if you don't have this, then you're not worthy. That's not my intent. My intent and you guys will hear me talk about it all the time is to push the industry in the direction it needs to go, and I passionately, on my soapbox, want to see that happen in my lifetime. So that's why there's a lot of information that I give out for free. That's why I give out the scholarships. That's why I do what I do, because I want to see as many business owners succeed as possible. And we are and I mentioned this in another podcast we are the only trade that is almost 100% women-based for the first ever in the history of the United States, and I think in the world we are the only industry that is almost 100% woman-based. Think about that. I mean like 50 years ago we couldn't even vote, or not. It's like almost a hundred years ago.
Speaker 1:It was the credit card thing. I apologize, a little little fuzzy on my dates there, but if you, if you think about the dynamics of where we are and I do consider us a trade you have to decide what your goals are. Sometimes it's buying a house, sometimes it's getting 125 clients. Other times some of your goals could be that you want 105 star reviews. There was a company that was featured on the ISSA Facebook page and they had hit a thousand five-star reviews. You know how hard and how much work that takes One thousand five-star reviews. Do you know that that particular company and I believe they are Vegas-based will come up on the algorithm automatically, by default, by having that mini, so you always will have to pay for your Google profile, which I wouldn't want to lose any of those because that's a lot of work. Yeah, it's, it's, it's a marker, it's something to consider, it's something to pat yourself on the back.
Speaker 1:Sometimes some of your goals are to have better relationships with people and if you look at Jamie's profile, jamie knows she's friends with everybody, like legitimately. If you look at her friends list, she is friends with everybody and that has really helped get her name out there and has really helped with her business. When you click on her profile, you can see immediately what she does. There is. You know, we don't have to hunt around. You know that she's the owner of Above All Cleaning Company. You know what she's all about. So these are all things to consider as part of your goals list. What are some of the other goals you have for 2025?
Speaker 2:That's for me. But I'm looking at, you know, especially for these, the newbies that are just now starting out, that I want to be able to help people get to where I've gotten, because I started off just like that. That's definitely a goal. I love networking. I love collaborating. In the beginning I felt, I don't know, I was a little selfish, probably, and it felt like competition was like no, but now it's, it's, it's not about that. I literally want to see as, especially in my area, I believe that, if we can, uh, I've made a Facebook group that's supposed to be local for my area, of cleaners and of cleaning companies and just to get together and make sure that you know If we all are charging right around the same price, that we're going to force the consumer to pay our prices, and I've gotten quite a few people on board with that.
Speaker 2:Keep talking, oh, and looks like Shannon has to go somewhere real quick. No, but some of my friends here. I've gained a lot of following and I love it. I love networking, I love leading the way and helping people. So that is some of my goals. There Must be. Shannon has heard a bird or a child or a husband call. Maybe you can do a create your own local cleaners group right.
Speaker 1:You can. Sorry, not wanting to medisabit, I have an eight and a nine-year-old who are outside my door fighting and I don't know where my husband is.
Speaker 2:So I'm like I said. It sounds like there may be a small one shouting.
Speaker 1:I'm like, oh, better go intervene. Um, yes, having a, um, a messenger group. You don't even have to have a Facebook group. As my little messenger group grows, I might consider a Facebook group, and the reason why I didn't do that right away is because I didn't want to have to manage yet another thing. But I think eventually I'm going to have to, and collaborating is key, as Jamie has reiterated, and the reason why you want to collaborate is so that you can be aware of what's going on in your industry and your own little niche.
Speaker 1:In my messenger group we talk about clients that might be a red flag. We talk about how sometimes clients are always looking for cleaners so they're turning and burning. So then we all know not to, like you know, engage with the individual. Sometimes there's just difficult clients, or you know, or there might be something going on that we all want to participate in. For example, we are going to be doing the Christmas parade this year. I believe I have 10 other cleaning businesses and we're all going to drive through the Christmas parade in Prescott, arizona. I'm going to think that's great and it's a great way to collaborate with other businesses. So the community knows that there's at least 10 businesses who are cleaning companies, who are part of the community, and it's a great and inexpensive way to advertise.
Speaker 1:We can put tinsel on the cars. I mean there's a thing for every bubble machines. Bubble machines from inside filming the crowd, and someone can maybe film the outside. There's a lot of things you can do with promo videos, fun, fun. I'll be sharing the videos that I film. If they want to use them, they're more than welcome to. But it's collaboration. We all need to support each other and not be the crabs in the bucket. Every once in a while I have to give that speech, and crabs in the bucket is a reference to when fishermen are fishing. They have a big five gallon bucket and they throw all the crabs in the bucket and the crabs want to get out. So one crab does try to get out and the other crabs freak out, so they pull the crab back down into the bucket. We don't want that mentality anymore. We want you guys to succeed and be as successful as you possibly can.
Speaker 2:Right, Right, I don't you know. I hear a lot of people Well, how can I compete with somebody that's charging $20? An hour and you don't. And if you look at that as a competition, maybe help that person. Say, hey, you know, this is how I got to where I'm at, charging flat rates or whatever you know, make it a goal to maybe help the next person in line.
Speaker 1:And it's easy to be as hard as it was when I first dipped my toe in the industry. Many of you guys have heard me talk about how the only there weren't Facebook groups really any resources except for other franchise owners, and franchise owners paid $500,000 for the franchise. You think they're going to want to give me any information? No, and they're paying franchise fees and there's, you know, pos and all this other stuff that goes along with a franchise. So it collaboration is key. If you really want to shift your industry in your area, collaborate with other cleaning businesses. So you guys all have the same momentum price wise. Now there's going to be some resistance and I still get it to this day, believe it or not. And they were like I can never get those rates in my area and I go. I live in a small town and I get those rates all the time, every day.
Speaker 2:Yep, I, I. I think that I even told you. I was like there is no way I can charge that much. I charge a little more than Shannon does.
Speaker 1:Yes, her expenses are higher.
Speaker 2:I'm in California, so it makes sense, and there's some ladies out here that I want to see succeed, but that's one of my goals is to try and get. Of course, financial is always, you know, I think that's top of the list for almost everybody. Right? And it wasn't like this just fell out of the sky and fell into my lap and I knew how to do this. I literally had to have help, so I invested into a training course. Um, so I, I invested into a training course and it it. You know, it wasn't cheap, but I had somebody that was really willing to work with me and really wanted to see where I was going to. Shannon, that was you. And uh to to help me get to where I am right now.
Speaker 2:This was not uh, this was not by myself. I again, it took a team. It took a team, and all you're doing is really copying and pasting over into your business and making it kind of your own. But I'm listening to every single thing that is being told to me. Step one, do this, step two, do this. And now I have what? 157 reoccurring clients. So we're on the up. We surpassed the goal of 125 this year. I'm really proud of that we're looking into an office space. I don't know if that's going to be the direction I'm going, but I am. You know, I got an appointment today at two. Go look at it.
Speaker 1:Creating a local Actually like hitting the 300 reoccurring, if not 325 or 350, next year in 2025. And for those of you who don't know, I'm just going to drop the bombshell now Jamie is actually coming on as a coach to help with the caseload, so to speak, of all of the cleaning business owners who need assistance with their business. So you can reach out to Jamie as well as myself, and if you have questions, she's happy to answer them for you. But yeah, having goals, and the stipulation when Jamie and I first met was you just have to listen to everything I say and just do it.
Speaker 1:And she did everything I did say she did do a lot of people in the cleaning industry DIY it and you will spend hours and hours, and hours and hours of your time trying to figure out how to piece all the systems together, whereas if you got to cut into the chase and get hire a coach, it's and you know, and it depends on your life cycle. I'm at the point now where I just want to hire. If I need a help with something, I will hire a coach to help walk me through whatever it is, cause that's fast tracking for me. I don't want to DIY it off Pinterest and try to figure out what goes where. I don't have the time. I feel that life is short and precious and I don't want to waste the time spending my wills trying to make it happen.
Speaker 2:I want to get there, get going and move on, because I have other, bigger goals, right goals right, right, right, or getting stars, yeah, or paying, or trying to pay, $25,000 and $5,000 down payment. I just you know, we just hit it off really good and um and I'm not discounting any of those other coping programs.
Speaker 1:It's just you have to find, when you're looking for those types of things, you want to look for the person who resonates the most with you. Whether it's me or someone else, I'm totally OK with that. But make sure you're asking questions and that you understand what you're getting yourself into and you know you either resonate with a person or you don't, and that's it's totally OK. Another goal you might have for 2025 might be joining a mastermind we actually I had one last year and then I got too busy this year, but we're going to start it back up next year a mastermind that meets locally with other cleaning business owners once a month where we can all have lunch and collaborate. I've seen Sarah, who's down in Phoenix, and she has a mastermind she meets with, but she has a financial criteria for that. I'm not interested in that. I've done that game before and there's nothing wrong with what Sarah is doing, but I don't want it to be exclusively for seven figure businesses. Like I said, my goal is to shift the whole industry where it needs to go Right.
Speaker 2:Because there are still people down here, down here, down here, that you can get to where people like Sarah and oh who else TLC up in North Dakota. You can get like these people, you can. There are processes in there and I'm going to tell you these people have bought into training. It wasn't this, this did not just fall into their lap. There is a whole team that helps these people get to where they are and you know, I don't want to hear whenever something this isn't working for me. What did you do the work?
Speaker 1:No, when I hear that this isn't working, it's because they haven't done the work. I know that systems work. I know there's other coaching systems that work. It just depends on where you are in your business. There's, you know, heavy hitters who have several thousand dollar programs, and then you know there's more economical approaches. So you, you have to decide what works for you and where you are in your business. Um, so these are some of the things that you should consider for 2025.
Speaker 1:Having a financial goal maybe it's how many clients, maybe it's how many employees I'm talking legit employees, w-2s, not 1099s that you're treating like W-2s. It takes 17 to 24, depending on where you are in the price spectrum to hit the seven figure mark as a marker not required. You, you are not less than if you don't hit the seven figure mark. It's just what everyone wants to achieve. And I've heard other mixed things about who's the one who sets the seven figures, and we all know that it's Debbie Sardone. Yeah, always, and, and that's totally okay, and yeah, no, the charter is the same way and I love them. Yeah, it's just your markers might be a little different in your first year and you have to, and that's totally okay, and the charter is the same way and I love them. But it's just, your markers might be a little different in your first year and you have to listen to what the information is being given out there.
Speaker 1:I know there's what's his face up in Montana. I can't remember his name. I believe he's doing coaching. I've seen a lot of people step into the coaching realm. So I think there's like 10 or 15 cleaning business coaches and then there's like 10 or 15 cleaning business coaches and then there's the commercial side, then there's carpet and then there's, you know, short-term rental, coaching and da-da-da-da-da, yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's specific to the industry. There's also commercial. Exactly, courtney Lee, he does. He's a coach. I do too a lot. He's a great coach. Yeah, I do too a lot.
Speaker 1:He's a great. Yeah, I do, he's a character. Oh my gosh stories I could tell.
Speaker 2:Yeah, really. And you know, ricky Ricardo of Route Industries is he's actually going to be at the ISSA. Oh, he's on a member, yeah, it's already happened, but he is a board member on the ISSA. Oh, he's a on a member, yeah, it's already happened, but he is a board member on the ISSA, but he is a a coach. And uh, ricky, if you're listening, we would still love to talk to you. Uh, yeah, we, uh, we did treads trendsetter I, I just boy doing good, and that could be. You know, he started off too, just like us. He was coached. It just it's, you know, specific to his area, area which is commercial, commercial, the industry. He's in Chicago, but just yeah, you guys, I like to be more economical because I was there, I went to the dollar tree and got my first. I had no idea what I was getting. I got some we're all guilty of that.
Speaker 1:Yes, I got the awesome center.
Speaker 2:I charged the $25 an hour because I didn't know any better, and I was burning candle at both ends real quick. So I know what it's like to be there, and I want to help as many people as I can, too, to get up even to where I'm at. You know, I bought a house, shannon. That's another thing that she can put on her resume is she literally was one of my biggest cheerleaders in the back, like, oh, you got this, and I was like I don't know.
Speaker 1:I don't know. She came up with a lot of money in a very short amount of time. It was impressive. Catch yourself on the back. But yeah, think about and consider what you're right down on the list. It could be a dry erase board. It could be a piece of paper. It could be a dry erase board. It could be a piece of paper. It could be a cocktail napkin. One of my goals this year and I didn't make it because I had a lot going on um was 105 star reviews. I think I got 25 on top of what I already had. So I and I did try the jobber thing and I did try a couple other things, but I gonna, I'm gonna see what this uh uh, I use nice job again.
Speaker 2:I am in such a rural area that they give me a different kind of pricing because they look at how many people are per capita, something, something like that, and so I get a little bit lower. I don't have the premium, but I'm able to at least email off through NiceJobs. So they haven't dropped me.
Speaker 1:I don't know if they're going to or not, but yeah, there's a lot of things that you can do and the biggest thing is and I know this is not standard in our society right now, Everyone wants to do everything through the phone and I cannot reiterate this enough Establishing human to human relationships is so important to growing your business. I can tell you how many times I have seen people go just email, just get on your phone, just do this, just do that. We are a human based industry. We need to engage human to human. House cleaning is still a very personal industry. We see stuff that most house guests do not see and there's a relationship building that has to happen, especially with long term clients. I mean, I had, I had clients that stayed with me nine or 10 years. That is phenomenal in this industry.
Speaker 2:Right, right. Yeah, I have a couple of clients that have been with me and, you know, moving forward, some, some of these clients have just phased themselves out.
Speaker 1:They do you know?
Speaker 2:that's whenever I starting with new clients, that's whenever I get my price increases. Unless you know, that's neither here nor there. But, yeah, very much human-based industry. Human-based industry. Uh, the, the person that I'm meeting with today, told me that through text, that, um, he can send me pictures and I or I can meet you at two o'clock. I said, no, you're gonna, I'll make it happen, I'll be there at two. I, that's, that's for me. That's my time to shine.
Speaker 1:That's where negotiations happen is in person, when you see people on the golf course. The reason why people golf yes, it's a great sport and it's a very hard and difficult sport and requires skill, but most of the transaction that's going on people are doing businesses on golf course it's the human to human relationship. So something about it's not on your phone, on these little crazy things that drive us nuts. It's the human to human element that gets you in. I I've mentioned on more than one occasion I showed up to a chamber meeting and I got like a $5,000 job because I happened to show up to the meeting. They're like you're that cleaning lady? I'm like, yeah, how can I help you?
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:All I had to do was just come in to scoop it up, because I was there, right, yeah yeah, and I think about yeah, oh, you know, maybe practicing your public speaking.
Speaker 2:I know that's hard. I stumbled through it at so many chamber meetings until I got it. I know I turned bright red. I remember some of those meetings, like I on here I'm doing podcasting, I know I, because I go back and listen to myself and I can't tell you how many ums and dead silence there is and it's just like, well, you know I, trying to come out of my shell, I should say, um, yeah, so, so that could be. You know it's, being an introvert is hard in this business People do, especially our elderly people want to know you, want to hear your voice, want to hear. Is there compassion? Is there empathy? Is there? They want to hear your voice, want to hear. Is there compassion? Is there empathy? Is there? They want to hear those emotions.
Speaker 1:um that generation is different than even my generation or um jamie's generation or even even the generations below us. It's we. We engage differently and and that's okay. But you have to learn to overstretch, because most of the people who are going to be able to, who need it more so than the younger generation, is going to be our elderly and they're going to. They usually will have the funds to just add it right into the household budget. They've lived a certain standard of living. They're looking to have services that they can no longer provide for themselves, and for a long time it was left up to the you know, the woman of the house to manage the home. And then they, they just get to the point where they can't do it anymore and the husband has a certain standard and they go okay, well, what is it going to cost? Right, and then the younger generation, engaged from phone to phone, but they're, they're missing the human element of our industry and I see it a lot in the, in the other groups. I've seen people slap down 100,000, 200,000 and still not make their business work. It's because they don't get the fact this is a human industry and they need to build relationships, showing up and emailing people and not hitting the ground, running and building and establishing relationships is not going to get you anywhere.
Speaker 1:In our industry I know people keep trying. I see it all the time. Yeah, something that to be said for us doing the human, human engagement. So that might be something that that might be a goal. I know someone who is very, very shy who has done a couple of live videos and I almost started to cry when I saw her do it. I was like, oh my god, this is huge. It's just because she's just a younger generation Nothing wrong with you guys being a younger generation.
Speaker 1:But it's stepping over those hurdles and learning how to manage that piece so proud.
Speaker 2:Yeah, totally yeah.
Speaker 1:You just never know where this will be. I mean, who would have thought that the cleaning lady would end up on TV doing a spot on germs?
Speaker 2:right, it's just yeah, lady would end up on TV doing a spot on germs. Right, it's just yeah. No, I agree. Whoever thought the cleaning lady would be right here where we're at right now, I just I'm still so just blown away, especially whenever you said we were going to do a podcast on goals and I started looking and I have if you write it down, you start manifesting it.
Speaker 2:And I have reached all of the goals and then some, and I just I almost want to cry right now because it's like I'm so grateful Make me cry, if you cry. I know I'm just so grateful and I never and I know people are out there like this that they never thought they would ever- be where they're at.
Speaker 1:I'm going to announce it. Oh, don't cry. So I'm going to announce it. I'm going to my goal. One of my personal goals for my business, for my cleaning business, is to get 105 star reviews. I'm going to make that firm and I'm going to gain a hundred more cleaning clients by the end of 2025. Unless the zombie apocalypse comes and I have no control over that I fully anticipate being able to achieve both those goals. I'm just marking, checking the mark, and we'll see if I actually make it the end of 2025.
Speaker 2:Right, right, I need to get uh more reviews. That's a big one I would like to get for my area.
Speaker 1:this is my area I I'm 50 is pushing it I think, but capable, and it will help you with the algorithm research, house cleaning, cleaning in your area.
Speaker 1:So these are just some of the ideas to consider for 2025. Those are my top two that I'm going to add to my list and I'm going to put them right here on my computer. So I see them every single day and we're going to see how I get it. I'm going to see how I get there. Oh and for those of you who do not know, I started an in-home laundry service. There's a Facebook page. It's called Laundry Pros of Prescott. If you want to watch my progress of what I'm doing to. Literally, I'm just sitting here in my office. My utility room is right there. I am eventually going to sell this little teeny micro business to someone who wants to make it and grow it, but I thought it would be a nice experiment for everyone to kind of watch the process and go through it. So it's called Laundry Pros of Prescott and you can like it right on your Facebook page.
Speaker 2:Wow, I love it. I do. That's a good. That's I love that you're doing that Well.
Speaker 1:This concludes some of the goal suggestions that we have for for 2025. If you guys have, we love to hear your questions. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out and we look forward to seeing you in the new year. Take care Bye.
