How to Start and Grow Your Own Cleaning Business
 

Supplementary Manual

For the complete 4-CD

House Cleaning Biz 101

Seminar Series

Great for quick review/look-up:  Get this handy 595-page reference manual in printable PDF format for quick lookup on any of the topics, forms or documents contained in your PowerPoint seminar series of House Cleaning Biz 101. This is the same material contained in the 4-CD seminar series but in book form.  Print out specific chapters or the entire manual.  The ideal companion to your House Cleaning Biz 101 program.

Cleaning Up!

Table of Contents

Click the Topic Links below to preview the chapters

Chapter	Topic	Page
1	Selecting a Business Entity The options for establishing your new business (sole proprietorship, partnership, limited liability company or corporation) and the advantages and disadvantages of each.	2
2	Pre-Opening Checklist We provide you with a 46-point sequential checklist of procedures you should follow prior to opening for business.   How to register your new company and the licenses you'll need; the cleaning equipment and supplies you'll need; insurance and bonding; starting out of your home or commercial office space and the furniture and equipment you'll need -- and more. Includes the following documents: EIN Application 46 Point Pre-Launch Checklist Competitive Survey Report Media Rate/Circulation Data Report Client Control Form Work Schedule Form Sample Invoice Illustrated Itemized Cleaning Supplies Checklist Furniture & Equipment Checklist	9
3	Your Chart of Accounts How to set up your chart of accounts, balance sheet and profit & loss  statement.  Identifies what portions of your initial investment must  be capitalized and the period of time over which such items can be depreciated.  Includes the following documents: Sample Chart of Accounts Sample Balance Sheet Sample Profit & Loss Statemen	41
4	Your Business Plan Starting a business without a well-thought-out business plan is like heading out on a trip to parts unknown without a map.  While a business plan is necessary for anyone looking for funding for their business, it is even more important to the business owner as a road map  for  where  his or her business is going to go. Includes the following documents: Sample Business Plan	56
5	The 3Rs of Employee Development Today, more  than ever before,  there is a need for business owners to create a Success Strategy for development of  their human resource efforts.  This chapter sets forth the premise for building a successful workforce for your company.	90
6	Recruit to Win How  to  define  the ideal candidate for employment and how to develop the strategies to attract them to your company.  This involves a 5-step selection process discussed in detail  in chapters 7, 8 and 9. Includes the following documents: Sample Help Wanted Brochure Sample Web site recruiting page Sample Online Employment Application	94
7	Conducting the Phone Interview When an applicant calls in response to your help wanted advertising, this is the first step in the 5-step selection process.  You will  be taught what questions to ask to either screen the candidate  out or invite her in for a personal  interview. Includes the following documents: Phone Interview Screen and Evaluation Form Hiring Interview Log Form	113
8	The Application and Interview Using an industry-specific and quantifiable application form, this becomes  the second step in the selection process.  If the responses to  the application meet the predetermined  criteria, we then show you how  to  conduct the personal  interview.  Again, each of these steps will either screen the candidate out or identify them as a person worth  pursuing for employment. Includes the following documents: Industry-Specific Application Form Personal Interview Evaluation Form Cleaning Team Member Job Description Authorization for Release of Information Form	126
9	Reference and Background Checks These are the  4th and 5th steps in the selection process and both are invaluable in helping to determine the likelihood of a person's suitability as a potential  employee.  We give you the questions to ask both previous employers and personal  references. Includes the following documents: Employment Reference Report Worksheet Employment Reference Questionnaire & Checklist Personnel Reference Questionnaire	147
10	The Hiring Decision All throughout the 5-step selection process we  provide you with a  quantifiable rating system.  If the employee  makes it through all five steps, we provide you with a scaleable method of choosing the best potential candidates among all who made it  this  far. Includes the following documents: Cumulative Hiring Decision Worksheet	167
11	Orientation for the New Hire One of the  biggest  mistakes owners  in this industry make when they hire a new employee is failing to  conduct proper initial orientation.  You can't (or shouldn't)  simply throw  them out into client's houses on her first day on the job.  This is a critical  step in human resource management. Includes the following documents: New Employee Information Form Employee Change in Information Form Cleaning Team Member Job Description Employee Acknowledgement Form Request for Leave of Absence Form Request for Time Off Form Record of Verbal Warning to Employee Employee Notice of Deficiency Attendance Record Form Team Member Performance Review Training Review Report Employee Handbook Confidentiality Agreement	186
12	Training - The Never Ending Process While on-the-job training is important, a structured training program is necessary to provide consistent training for all employees.  This includes providing materials that set for standard methods and practices that all employees are required  to follow.  This chapter includes training handouts and a 60-page manual which can be printed out and distributed to each employee. Includes the following documents: Training Handouts: Efficient Bathroom Cleaning Efficient Kitchen Cleaning Efficient Dusting and Polishing Efficient Vacuuming Efficient Project Cleaning Efficient Window Washing 60-page Professional House Cleaning Supplementary Manual Training Review Report Training Review Report Rating Guide	212
13	Compensation What  is the best way to compensate your  employees?  What are the various options  available?  Which option is  the best for your business?  This is an important topic that will help you create a fair,  equitable and affordable  compensation program  for your  employees. Includes the following documents: Daily Team Record Individual Weekly Revenue Share Summary Individual Weekly Hourly Payroll Summary Employee Wage & Payroll Tax Record Record of Labor Expense and Payroll Tax Summary	333
14	Team Composition How many people should you send out to clean a client's home?  One, two, three, more?  This chapter provides invaluable  information to help you decide.. Includes the following documents: Staff Roste	352
15	Team Leaders One individual  needs to be responsible  for the team's actions and overall performance.  What responsibilities does a team  leader have and how do you choose the right person for the job? Includes the following documents: Team Leader Job Description Promotion to Team Leader Worksheet	358
16	Conducting Effective Performance Reviews Periodic performance  reviews are critical to the success of your work  force.  Like a report card, a performance review identifies each employee's strengths and weaknesses.  But it must be done  professionally,  systematically and objectively.  We show you how. Includes the following documents: Team Member Performance Review Form Team Leader Performance Review Form Training Review Report Form Performance Review SMART MODEL Coaching Guide Record of Verbal Warning to Employee Form Employee Notice of Deficiency Form Exit Interview Form	368
17	Office, Autos and Employees Should you work from your home or a commercial office space?  Should you provide  company vehicles or pay employees for using their own?  We discuss the advantages and disadvantages for each.	389
18	Theft and Damage How  do you handle  situations involving damage or employee dishonesty?  How do you deal  with clients in these situations?  And how do you deal with employees who may be involved or accused?  We give you the answers. Includes the following documents: Breakage/Damage Report Form	394
19	Injury and Illness Prevention Job-related injuries can and do happen.  But there are steps you can take to minimize your employees having to experience them.  One of the ways is to implement a Safety Program and we lay one out for you that can save you potential liability and save your employees from potential injury. Includes the following documents: Safety Program Handbook	405
20	It's the Law! Regardless of what state or country you're located in, there are a myriad of employment laws that need to be adhered to.  Failure to do so can result in hefty fines of up to $10,000 per occurrence.  This chapter deals with compliance with state and federal employment  laws. Includes the following documents: State Minimum Wage Standards Personnel Records Retention Guide The 5 Federally Mandated Posters Specific State Posting Requirement	428
21	Staff Meetings and Employee Relations When you really think about it, your employees are your customers,  too.  When you get good ones,  you want to do everything you can to keep them.  This chapter provides some valuable tips on how to do so.  We also show you the importance of holding staff meetings and provide you with several topics that can serve this purpose.	440
22	The "4Ps" of Marketing The 4Ps of Marketing consist of (1) Product,  (2) Price  (3) Positioning and (4) Promotion.  We show you how they all combine to give you the power to become THE premier cleaning service in your market.	457
23	Pricing for Profit This is the Achilles Heel of most cleaning businesses.  How to establish a cleaning price that (a) give employees a good wage for a fair day's work; (b) covers overhead business expenses and, most importantly; (c) give you a good return on your investment.  Our POM-CP formula will show you how to do this.	463
24	Establishing the Price We show you step by step  how to determine how much time it will take to clean a home -- both on your first visit and then on subsequent regular cleaning visits.  Once you determine this factor,  then using the POM=CP pricing formula is easy to implement. Includes the following documents: Cleaning Price Worksheet	477
25	Scheduling Inefficient scheduling is another area where many cleaning businesses fall short.  We show you how to use an inexpensive off-the-shelf software program to create efficient scheduling to avoid wasting time and travel expense.	496
26	Your Advertising Options There  are a myriad of options when it comes to advertising your business.  But which are the most efficient in this industry?  How much should you expect to pay in marketing costs to get a new client?  This in-depth chapter deals with these issues. Includes the following documents: Never Clean Your Home Again Brochure Newspaper Display Ad Yellow Page Ad Newspaper Insert/Flyer Flyer Referral Post Card Referral Letter	507
27	A Word About Public Relations Paid advertising is not the only way to attract your prospective customers' attention in the media.  This brief discussion on how to use Public Relations activities to get FREE media attention for your business.	541
28	Telephone Technique The telephone is usually your first contact with a prospective client.  How you handle telephone inquiries from customers calling to inquire about your service is critically important to growing your client base.  We show you how to convert telephone inquiries into opportunities for sales. Includes the following documents: Telephone Inquiry Log	544
29	In-Home Presentation Trying to sell your service over the phone is not the most effective way to convert inquiries into paying clients.  We explain how to increase your closing ratio by doing in-home consultations with prospective clients. Includes the following documents: Cleaning Checklist Our First Cleaning Visit Brochure Quality Control Checklist Happily Ever After post-sale booklet	553
30	Nurturing Your Clients It costs a lot of money to build a client base.  Yet few businesses spend much time or effort in nurturing those clients and keeping them for life.  This chapter teaches you how to do just that. Includes the following documents: Client Form Letters Client Survey Card	571
31	Your Marketing Plan After studying chapters 22 through 30, you're now ready to develop your own personal marketing plan.  This final chapter delves into this topic in detail.	589

 

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