Keeping the world clean is a full time job, and that is good news for those in the cleaning business. Whether they specialize in commercial businesses or the residential community, making a living cleaning up after others can be a very lucrative thing to do.
Running a cleaning business can be a great way to forge your own path and make your own way in life, but this type of business is also labor intensive and often difficult to staff. If you want to succeed, you need to know what to look for in those you hire, starting with these 10 essential qualities.
1. Communication skills – The ability to communicate effectively is very important for those in the cleaning industry, so look for people who are well spoken, intelligent and willing to speak up and ask the right questions.
2. A solid work ethic – Cleaning homes and offices is hard work, and you will want to hire people who are willing to put in the effort. A solid work ethic is absolutely vital for anyone entering this industry, including the men and women you rely on to wow your clients.
3. Attention to detail – It is important for the people you hire to be able to focus on not only the big picture but the tiny details as well. Attention to detail is an important but often overlooked quality for those in the cleaning industry.
4. Friendliness – While they often work alone or in small teams, it is important for workers who clean homes and offices to be friendly and engaging. Friendliness is a vital quality in this people-focused and client-centered industry.
5. Interpersonal skills – The ability to work effectively with all kinds of people is absolutely essential in the cleaning industry. Interpersonal skills are vital, so look for those qualities every time you need to hire.
6. Trustworthiness – Cleaning crews are often left on their own and expected to do the jobs they are paid for, and that makes trustworthiness a vital quality. It is important that you are able to trust the men and women you hire, not only with the job but with the personal possessions of the business owners and homeowners they serve.
7. Previous cleaning experience – It is easy to think of cleaning as an semiskilled or even an unskilled job, but those on the inside know that is not the case. Previous cleaning experience can be very important, so scan those resumes with care and be sure to check those references.
8. Independence – The ability to work independently and operate on their own is vital for workers in the cleaning industry. An independent spirit is essential, so choose your workers accordingly.
9. Problem solving abilities – Problems come up all the time when cleaning homes and offices, and the ability to think on the fly and solve those issues is very important. Look for problem solving skills in those you hire, so you can rely on them to handle whatever comes up.
10. Dedication – As the owner of a cleaning business, your clients rely on you to provide top notch service, and you rely on the men and women you hire to be dedicated, loyal and ready to do their jobs. This kind of dedication cannot be taught – it is an innate quality and one that is very important to the hiring process.
If you want to do a great job for your clients, you need to hire the right people. You also need to make it easy for your clients to book services, get your staff to the right places with the right supplies in hand, and keep your cash flow strong. ServiceWorks can help, by automating tasks like inventory, accounting, scheduling, and routing. Our software lets you schedule, dispatch, and collect payments from anywhere and any device
ServiceWorks is built for businesses like yours, that send staff into the field to visit client locations. Our program does all this so you can focus on what you do best:
- Manage leads
- Convert leads to customers
- Create quotes
- Create & track work orders
- Schedule jobs
- Chase payments
- Push transactions to Quickbooks
- Keeping customers organized
Check us out for free with a 14-day trial, and see what field management software can do for you.