How to Set Up A Cleaning Business Episode 175 Jackie Lysak Home Made Perfect Ever wonder how to set up a cleaning business to provide you with the lifestyle you want? Mike and Jackie Lysak, owner of Home Made Perfect talk about that in today’s podcast/ blog. Jackie finds herself working IN the business instead of ON it and wants to know how to set up a cleaning business that gives her more freedom and less headaches! There are two components when asking how to set up a cleaning business. Tactical and philosophical. Most owners of cleaning company want to start with the tactical- what to do and how to do it. The problem is, none of that works until you know how to think. KEY POINT: If you want to know how to set up a cleaning business, what you believe is as important as what you do So many owners that want to know how to set up a cleaning business cling to two beliefs that hold them back: more work = more money less work = less money This can lead to self sabotage or guilt around “not working hard enough” or “sitting around while the employees work”. Make the mental shift that disassociates the number of hours you work with the income that you are able to make or deserve to make. Start associating the QUALITY of your work with your income- NOT the quantity. KEY POINT: To increase your income- increase the value of what you do NOT the hours you work So many owners think how to set up a cleaning business is all about ability to clean better than the next guy or gal. They are comfortable cleaning and doing the work of their company. It often gives them emotional fulfillment. That is a great mindset for a cleaner, but an ineffective, costly mindset for the owner of a cleaning business. Once you understand that you get paid on the result you create in your customers lives and NOT the time that you invest, you are ready for step two of “how to set up a cleaning business” Box Your Time What percentage of your day is spent “multi tasking”? Talking on the phone while emailing, texting, responding to a Facebook post, and on and on? You can’t do the quality, high level work we have been talking about while your attention is divided. When setting up your cleaning business, identify the key things you should be focusing on. Low dollar, in your business tasks like answering the phone and putting out fires tend to take over your business life and choke out time for important high dollar tasks. You can solve this by putting a “box” around time to work ON your business. Set aside 30 minutes to a couple hours per day. This is sacred time. No email, texts, phone calls, emergencies or interruptions. Just you and the important work that needs to be done on your business. You only need 5-10 boxed hours/ week to explode your growth. You will be shocked at how much you get accomplished. KEY POINT: Multi tasking and high dollar work are mutually exclusive There really is no such thing as “multi tasking”. If you are honest with yourself you are really just switching what you are focusing on quickly. Not only is this ineffective, it is extremely frustrating and will suck the life out of you! Schedule your “boxed time” around your natural rythyms. If you’re a morning person, do high level boxed time in the morning, if you are a night owl save your tedious “in the business” type work for the morning. Now that you have your mindset right, how about the tactical answer to how to set up a cleaning business. What you should and should NOT be working on… The number one thing you should NOT be doing is cleaning. No matter how good of a cleaner you are, cleaning is low pay work. There is only so much value you can bring to the world cleaning. You bring much more value hiring, creating a special culture and community, solving your customers pain. ASK YOURSELF: If you are cleaning, who is running your company?? The next thing you are going to want to eliminate is busy work- paying bills, answering the phone, buying supplies, fixing vacuums. So what are these mythical high pay jobs you should be doing? Creating systems, creating a culture, living your Core Values, clarifying the vision of the company, building high level relationships with key customers and influencers in your space. Notice any theme running through these tasks? These are all things you do once and get paid for forever. Once Mike answers Jackie’s question on how to set up a cleaning company, he gives her a chance to share her expertise in the…