Transitioning From In-House Cleaning to Outsourcing Cleaning Services

Having a reliable, trustworthy and efficient cleaning staff is an asset to any company. Services like nightly janitorial services help ensure a sanitary working environment under any circumstance. It also helps to keep your personnel motivated and happy by ensuring that they get to work in clean and healthy office spaces, thereby increasing your overall productivity.

Traditionally, many companies have been accustomed to maintaining their own in-house cleaning staff for handling all the cleaning and janitorial duties. Recently however, many companies are outsourcing their cleaning needs and hiring commercial cleaning services. There are various reasons behind this. The first and foremost reason is that of cost cutting and increased efficiency.

The cleaning staff usually is in no way related to the daily operations of the office although they provide an indispensable essential service. They cannot be done without and hence you are responsible for maintaining an entirely separate division under your company. You need separate administration, policies, etc. in which you will need to create, setup and maintain for them to function properly and in an organized manner. This leads you to invest more time, money and effort that is counterproductive for your business. You should be spending those resources on areas that are directly related to your business.

This is one of the main reasons why companies are outsourcing their cleaning tasks - because it is much more efficient and incurs fewer expenses. In addition, commercial cleaning services are also more professional and their service is usually of higher quality. After you have hired professionals, you can rest easy and forget about the entire process because everything will be taken care of by the service provider.

The cleaning contractor will be taking care of administration and organization of the cleaning efforts and you don't have to actively supervise it all the time to ensure a smooth operation. Once you outsource your cleaning services, it becomes a true background service that is constantly working behind the scene to give you the best cleaning service possible.

You will not have to organize training for the new work force and everything will be done by competent professionals. The janitorial cleaning contractor ensures that you are provided with adequate staff to meet your requirements. So you will not have deal with issues like compensation claims, sick days and general problems of being understaffed.

The economical benefits are also very substantial because you are eliminating a large portion of your operational costs and instead incorporating an outsourcing solution that is self-managed and self-contained. You will not have to look after anything once you hire contractors to take care of all your cleaning needs.

This is why outsourcing your cleaning services is a smart business move. A competent, professional commercial cleaning service will be able to provide you with a seamless transition from your in-house staff to their services. Once you hire the right janitorial service provider and allow them to take over operations, the difference will be noticeable almost immediately.

Contact cleaning service Norristown or cleaning service king of Prussia to find out more.

Green Cleaning Services Keep Your Home, Office or Business Spotless and Safe!

Did you know that conventional cleaning products can actually add pollutants and contaminants to your indoor space? When you want a truly safe, clean environment for your home or office, opt for green cleaning services from your local janitorial service instead!

Keeping a clean interior for your home, office, or business is essential. A spick-and-span environment not only eradicates harmful bacteria and germs, it also presents a crisp shine that's appealing to guests and customers alike. But did you know the cleaning products that you're currently using could actually be doing more harm than good? Standard cleaning services use chemical cleaners to get a deep-down cleansing, but these products are known to cause environmental damage as well as harm to individuals who come in contact with them. Conventional cleaning products may contain any number of the following dangerous ingredients:

Antibacterial agents: Antibiotic-resistant bacteria, or "superbugs," are caused by our excessive use of antibacterial agents like benzalkonium chloride and triclosan. Making human sicknesses more and more challenging to treat, these superbugs are rapidly increasing in presence and strength.


Chlorine bleach: Even more off-putting than its acrid smell is the fact that bleach contributes to the formation of organochlorines, most notably chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), that are known to deteriorate the Earth's ozone layer.


Phosphates: Contributing to disproportionate levels of algae in small bodies of water, phosphates indirectly cause the suffocation of marine life. Phosphates are found in a large number of detergents.


Pesticides and carcinogens: Contained in a large number of air fresheners, disinfectants, and other spray products, pesticides and carcinogens are dangerous for both children and adults.


Phthalates: Recognized as causing cancer and reproductive illnesses in laboratory animals, phthalates are found in many products that produce long-lasting aromas.


VOCs: Contained in products ranging from latex paint to furniture polish, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can cause serious health problems.


Petroleum: Petroleum is a finite resource often used in household cleaners and products in the form of perchloroethylene, diethylene glycol, butyl cellosolve, mineral oil, and paraffin. The constant drilling and refining required for petroleum use contribute to air, land, and water pollution.


Glycol ethers: The majority of traditional glass cleaners are known to contain glycol ethers, which negatively effect the reproductive system when exposure takes place at
high levels.

Such a long list of harmful chemicals and environmental repercussions can be disheartening, but don't resign yourself to old-fashioned cleaning methods: there are other options! Many professional cleaning services now offer eco-friendly solutions that will keep your home or office clean without exposing you or the environmental to serious health risks. Check with your local janitorial service for more information!

Today, more and more janitorial services are offering green cleaning solutions that protect the welfare of your family, your visitors, your pets, your employees, your customers, and you. Biodegradable, nontoxic, and nonflammable, green cleaning products are useful for projects of all types. Whether for a one-time move out cleaning service or routine office cleaning services, a janitorial team that uses eco-friendly products will significantly improve the hygienic quality of your space.

If you want fewer air pollutants, toxins, and contaminants indoors, contact one of your nearby residential or commercial cleaning services. When you hire a professional cleaning service that uses green products, you'll be protecting your health and the well-being of the environment at the same time. Call your local professionals today!

Rebecca Paul is an advocate for eco-friendly solutions and an Internet marketer for Prospect Genius, delivering affordable marketing solutions to local business providers.

How to Start a Janitorial Cleaning Service

If you are a hard working person and willing to start even from scratch, a janitorial cleaning service is one of the best businesses you can try out. Every business and facility out there needs to be cleaned once in a while and for some, they need to be cleaned regularly.

If you are seeking for advice on how to start up your own janitorial cleaning service, read on. For you to effectively start up, you can try to make use of the information that you will get from this article.

With as low as $500, you can start your own business. You need this amount in buying the equipment and supplies that are needed for your business. With the proper equipments, it can aid you to gain many thousands of dollars as you run your business.

Before anything else, you need to create a business plan that describes how to start your own janitorial cleaning business in your neighborhood. You need to conduct marketing research and planning as well in order to make your business grow bigger in the long run.

You need to think and decide on the rates that you will charge to your clients. You can base it by time you spend to compete your task to your client, like you can charge $20 to $50 per hour before taxes and expenses.

Think of the services that you can provide to your clients. Make sure to itemize the exact services that you will offer your clients. It is best to do a little survey to know the services that businesses and facilities need. In charging per hour, it can make clients comfortable and can ask you to do more tasks, so you need to be clear to your clients that these are just the services that you provide and you provide services for certain price. So, it is better to charge a flat fee for the certain service you provide.

Of course, in order to gain clients, you need to advertise your business. Post flyers on notice boards. Create business cards and hand them out to all the people you meet each day. These are few of the ways that you can advertise your business.

You can start your janitorial cleaning service very small and with hard work and determination, you can grow and be popular in time. Always provide quality works in order to make your clients happy and satisfied.

For more info see: How to Start a Cleaning Service Business

Dolson McArt - Author of: How to Start a Janitorial Cleaning Service

Contributing to EzineArticles.com since March 2007

Janitorial Cleaning Businesses

Janitorial cleaning businesses can be very lucrative.  The "niche" for this type of business is in professional office buildings, doctors and dentist offices, and other similar buildings.  Many times the people who work in these businesses don't employ janitors.  But guess what?  Someone has to clean the office.   This is where janitorial cleaning businesses come into the picture.

There are some important factors that come into play as to whether or not a business will be successful.  One of these factors is image.  There's absolutely nothing wrong with being a janitor but for some reason there is a certain stigma that is often associated with the job.  People often think things like, "whats wrong with that guy that makes him have to work as a janitor?"  Some people just don't trust janitors for one reason or another.  In order for your janitorial service company to be success full, you must somehow overcome this negative image.

One way to do that is through advertising.  With the right advertising campaign, whether it be print or media, you can do a lot to present your company as trustworthy and professional.  Office buildings are often cleaned after hours when the office staff is home for the evening.  There's no way that your company will get hired to clean their office if the client doesn't trust your employees.  Getting the clients to have trust and confidence in your employees is your responsibility.

The uniforms that your employees wear has a great impact on the image that your company projects as well.  If you're janitors wear white overalls that look like they have never been washed, the odds are immediately stacked against you.  Your janitors MUST portray the image of "clean" or your business doesn't stand a chance.  The easiest way to make sure that your employees always look presentable is to employee a uniform laundering service.  If your staff shows up to work wearing bright and clean uniforms everyday, your clients will have a much better comfort level with your company as a whole.

Remember, pay attention to the little details and your business will be much more successful.

Patty Hahne

My personal websites:

Getting good deals on janitorial cleaning supplies is essential if you want you janitorial company to be successful.

Utah janitorial services are provided by a number of companies. Enviro Clean LLC. is the leader of the pack in terms of providing reliable and professional services

How to Market your Cleaning Services on the World Wide Web

Although it is difficult to get accurate statistics, it is estimated there are over 500 million people out there surfing the web, and half of those regularly. Studies also reveal that three out of four Internet users are in North America. With that many people out there searching, no business should be without a website. However, a search for cleaning services on Google brings up over 13 million entries. So can your cleaning company profit from being on the World Wide Web? Sure it can! But you need to be strategic about how to get visitors to your web site.

In today's competitive business world it does give you an edge up if you have a website presence. Your first contact with a new client may be through direct mail, the phone book, networking or print advertising. But many people will do research on the Internet on the products or services they are considering before making their final decision.

If you have a website, a potential client or even an existing customer can learn more about your company and the services that you have to offer 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can put much more information on a website than you can on a brochure or in a phone book ad.

What should you put on your website? Your cleaning business can probably get by with a simple a 3 to 6-page, static type website. Suggested pages for your site include:

1) Home Page. This is the page people go to when they type in your website address (www.yourcompany.com). Make sure your home page draws people in by talking about "what's in it for them".

2) Services Page. Include all the services that you have to offer. This is a great place to go into detail about the cleaning services you provide. You can also include "before and after" photos.

3) About Us Page. List information about yourself, your training, certifications, memberships, and how long you have been in business. Be sure to include a photo. People like to see the face behind the website.

4) Products Page. If you sell products (even if you do not sell over the web) list what products you have available.

5) Contact Us Page. An e-mail address or phone number should be on every page of your website to make it easy for people to contact you. However, you can also put together a page that includes all of your contact information and even a form that people can fill out requesting more information or to ask for a bid. This helps to protect your e-mail address.

6) Testimonials. Get your current clients to write a few sentences on how pleased they are with your work.

Once your website is up and running, how do you get people to visit?

1) Include your website address on all your promotional materials. Look around and you will see that businesses have their website address on company vehicles, brochures, ads, business cards, and even their voice mail.

2) Include your website URL in your e-mail signature. E-mail programs will allow you to set up "signatures" that are automatically included at the end of your e-mail message. Be sure to list your business name and tagline, website URL, and any special offers or promotions.

3) Join your local Chamber of Commerce - they should have a website with listings of all their members. Their listing should include a link to your website. Many people who visit Chamber websites would like to do business with members, so having your business and website listed will generate visitors to your website. There may also be banner ad opportunities so ask your Chamber for ad rates.

4) Be sure to include your website URL in your yellow pages ad. Most people would rather check out your company on the Internet before calling. I've noticed that few cleaning companies list their website in their yellow pages ad (probably because they don't have one), so they're missing a big opportunity.

5) Submit your site to online directories like Google Local - http://www.local.google.com. If people DO search for a cleaning company, they'll most likely search for janitorial services in their city. For example, "janitorial services in MyTown, California". If you're listed in the online directories, your listing should come up. A few others are http://www.superpages.com, http://www.yellowpages.com, and http://www.411.com.

6) Check with your local paper. They may have a directory where you can list your site. Or see how much it costs to place a banner ad on their web site.

7) Write a press release about your business and post it at an online press release service like http://www.prweb.com. When I search for janitorial services in my local town, a press release that I sent out came up on the first page.

A website is not the only way to attract customers to your cleaning business. However, websites are a great way to "showcase" your business and present in-depth information that your clients and potential clients can access 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Your website can help your clients and potential clients understand the many services you cleaning company can provide. And providing more services to more customers means more profit!

Copyright 2006 The Janitorial Store

Steve Hanson is co-founding member of TheJanitorialStore.com, an online community for owners and managers of cleaning companies who want to build a more profitable and successful cleaning business. Sign up for Trash Talk: Tip of the Week at http://www.TheJanitorialStore.com and receive a Free Gift. Read cleaning success stories from owners of cleaning companies at http://www.cleaning-success.com

What to Find Out About When Hiring a Janitorial Cleaning Service

Hiring a janitorial service that is not legally licensed to work can cause several problems. One such problem is if their employees get injured while working on your property. The owner of the company could then hold you responsible.

If the janitor service is insured, there is usually not any problem. But otherwise, the injured person may expect you to foot the medical bills.

You may think that to have a good relationship with your janitor service that it is important to trust them. However, you need to be wary because even the best most open relationships change when injury and a lot of money is involved. The may have a different attitude toward you if they don't have the money to pay for medical care.

If the janitorial cleaning service has their own insurance (which they can only get if they are properly licensed and a legal company) they will have that to take care of them. Now, rather than going to your business trying to get you or your insurance to pay, they will only be requiring some sort of a statement from you to take to their insurance provider.

Most areas around the country consider the property owner liable for any person invited onto their property. This means that if the janitor service were to take you to court, you would be held liable to pay for medical care for the hurt individual.

The best plan is not to take any risks. Be sure the janitorial service you are looking to hire has proper and adequate bonding and insurance and that they are properly licenses. Also, be sure to put in the contract who is responsible for payment in case of accident or injury.

Another important reason to make sure the janitor service company you hire is legitimate is to ensure that you can deduct the cost of their service on your taxes. If they are not a legal company, you may run into trouble trying to claim that as an expense if you get audited. Every business must at minimum have a state license, and usually they have to be licensed in the city and sometimes county they will be working in as well. If the janitorial cleaning service doesn't have a license from the state, they are probably not a legal company & don't have proper bonding and insurance either. It only takes a few minutes on the phone or internet to verify the company. It is to your advantage to make this a top priority.

Spencer Arnold is and experienced custodian and business owner. To learn more about Janitor Service please visit our site.

We offer professional information for helping you choose a Janitor Service.

Janitorial Cleaning Business Buying Tips For Buying Janitorial Businesses

The English have a saying: "Where there's muck, there's money," which can certainly be true for companies providing janitorial cleaning business services for commercial and/or residential clients. But before buying a janitorial business service for sale that seems profitable, it's good to look into six aspects of the offering to make sure the business is sound.

1. Value is not in capital equipment. A seller emphasizing the amount of cleaning equipment that will be included in the sale, may be attempting to distract the prospective buyer from more important aspects of the business. It's beneficial, when taking over a company like this, to get enough equipment--in good working order to conduct the business. But it's important to remember that most capital assets in this kind of enterprise, with the exception of any vehicles, have a short life span and are easily replaceable.

Most commercial grade vacuum cleaners and power washers can be purchased for a few hundred dollars per item. And will be useful for a matter of months, rather than years. And carrying more equipment than is needed may be an indication that the firm has lost accounts and not replaced them with new customers.

2. Customer contracts also can be overrated. Written agreements with residential customers, even with commercial clients, may be reassuring to the prospective buyer of a janitorial cleaning business service. But keep in mind that such agreements can be broken or circumvented by customers who change their needs or decide they don't like the service provider. While it's a good sign that a company has contracts with its clients, the careful janitorial cleaning business buyer should be doubtful if a seller claims these documents mean that future business is "guaranteed."

3. Customer distribution and loyalty: For some people buying a janitorial cleaning business service it's appealing to know there's a major customer contributing a big chunk of the firm's income and, consequently, reducing the need for a lot of smaller accounts to keep track of and to bill for services. But most experienced business people don't think it's a good idea to have all, or even most, of your eggs in one basket. There are a lot of reasons a new owner could lose the major client, including a personal relationship between that customer and the seller--a loyalty that would not be enjoyed by the buyer.

When examining the customer list, it also is important to know how long each one has been serviced by the company. A two or three-year history with a retail or commercial client is ideal because it represents a long-standing relationship that's likely to continue. The buyer is wise to ask a lot of questions about customers with the firm more than eight to ten years. Are principals of that firm ready to retire or move on? What's the possibility of a management change with someone new in charge wanting to do things differently by using other vendors? And, of course, clients who've been with the firm only a few months can pose a risk because they may be among the many companies that constantly try different vendors, searching for the ideal match and the absolutely lowest price.

4. Employee longevity: It's not uncommon for a person with a background in fast foods, now interested in buying a janitorial business service, to make the mistake of discounting the importance of long-term employees. Considerable training is involved in preparing cleaning crewmembers to work quickly, thoroughly and carefully. The seller of a company with high worker turnover may want buyers to believe that competent and reliable employees are easy to find and to train. But it's not a good sign if at least half of the cleaning staff hasn't been with the enterprise more than a year.

5. Review those receivables: While many janitorial firms are able to get customers in the habit of paying immediately after each service is completed, the buyer may find an interesting acquisition target that receives many payments later, after sending out invoices. That's particularly the case with a company serving commercial accounts. The critical factor here is to examine the receivables ledgers to make sure most invoices are paid within 30 days of service.

If the company for sale is carrying customers any longer, the buyer will notice the receivables total exceeds the monthly revenue figure. And it's likely that some of those debts are uncollectible. A large receivables sum may not be a problem with some service companies but it should raise the red flag of caution when reviewing a janitorial service for sale.

6. Financing available: With purchase money difficult to borrow in the current environment, the entrepreneur interested in buying a janitorial service should be encouraged by an offering that includes seller financing. Not only does this feature make the purchase easier, it demonstrates the seller's faith in the company's continued success.

A bonus for buyers of either starting a janitorial business or buying a janitorial cleaning business company, or any business opportunity for sale, is pre-approval for an SBA-backed loan to assist in the purchase. Considering that many small business lenders are reluctant to help buyers and sellers complete their transactions, a small or mid-sized business offering that includes a commitment for bank assistance is a particularly appealing opportunity.

For an entrepreneur interested in acquiring his or her own enterprise, buying a janitorial business for sale can be a smart move. It's important, however, to consider these six factors when reviewing potential business opportunities in this industry.

Looking to buy a janitorial business? See the entire list of California janitorial service businesses for sale in the marketplace at this time.

About The Author: Peter Siegel, MBA is the Founder and President of BizBen.com. He is an SBA SCORE Counselor, author, consultant/coach, and advocate on the topic of buying and selling small to mid-sized businesses in the California marketplace. He has written three books and hundreds of publication articles on how to buy, sell, and value small businesses. For over 25 years he has assisted small business owners/sellers, business buyers, business brokers, and agents. For a FREE consultation on how to best buy or sell a California small business phone him direct at 866-270-6278.