Growing a healthy business requires a thoughtful approach to service, people, strategy, and finances. To set your commercial janitorial company on a path to success, focus on these four key areas.
First, establish a service model that ensures you can serve your customers well, especially when you land new accounts. Retaining customers is vital to your long-term success, and a strong service model is the foundation. Your service model should detail how you will consistently deliver on the promises made during the sales process. This includes how you’ll respond to customer service requests and issues and how you’ll proactively anticipate and meet customer needs before they even know they need something. By doing this, you’ll build trust and loyalty, keeping your customers coming back.
Next, hire the right people. In his book The Ideal Team Player, Patrick Lencioni describes the qualities of an ideal employee as being humble, hungry, and smart. Humble employees put the team’s success before their own, hungry employees are driven to work hard and achieve goals, and smart employees are not only knowledgeable but also have strong interpersonal skills. By finding people with these traits, you’ll create a strong, cohesive team that works well together and drives your business forward.
Another critical step is to establish a growth strategy and make business growth a priority. It’s essential to have a clear business growth process in place, as growth often gets pushed to the back burner due to challenges like finding employees, serving customers, and other operational issues. Start by determining your ideal customer profile. While it’s okay to take on customers who may not perfectly fit this profile, over time, aim to make these ideal customers a larger part of your customer base. By prioritizing growth and sticking to your process, you’ll ensure that your business expands in a focused and sustainable way.
Finally, manage your cash carefully. Many profitable companies fail because they are cash-starved. Develop a relationship with a banking partner who can provide temporary cash needs when necessary, and focus on reducing or eliminating debt. By keeping a close eye on your cash flow, you’ll ensure that your business remains stable and can weather any financial challenges that come your way.
In conclusion, growing a healthy business is not just about landing new customers—it’s about retaining them, building the right team, focusing on strategic growth, and managing your finances wisely. By paying attention to these areas, you’ll set your commercial janitorial company on a solid path to long-term success.
