LATEST
LATEST
Interview with Amber Starling: Because of HCT…
Amber Starling is a convert. She and two supervisors (crew bosses in her shop) earned their House Cleaning Technician certifications with the IICRC last November at the ARCSI/ISSA convention. [...]
How to compete on value in an on-demand world
Sure, it’s convenient for consumers to order up stuff on an electronic device, even cleaning service. According to HomeAdvisor professional house cleaners can cost anywhere from $50 – [...]
There’s a right way to do everything
House Cleaning Technician certification through IICRC is the right way to set yourself up for success. Next class: April 5-6, 2019. There is a right way to do everything. [...]
Culture: Compete for the best employees and win
Q & A with David Kiser There are lots of reasons why people hire a specific residential cleaning service, but only two reasons why they fire one: (1) [...]
Service Trends: Cleaning for an aging population
6 reasons to understand how the aging brain affects our interactions with senior customers One out of five U.S. families is dealing with dementia today. In 15 years [...]
Improve Your Google Search Results with These New Changes
Google Search and Maps is an import part of any house cleaning company’s lead generation strategy. Learn how to create a GMB Account and get on the map.
Categories
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SPONSORED
Cleaning Industry Benchmarks – Foundations 10
Free Download - House Cleaning Industry Benchmarks It is important for any house cleaning company to have a general understanding of industry benchmarks. More important, cleaning business owners [...]
CBT Product Review: Compressed Eraser Sponges
Derek Christian explains why two particular sponges from SpongeOutlet.com are easier to use and more cost-effective
Compelling reasons not to miss the cleaning convention
Derek Christian and Ernie Hartong sat down today for a Facebook Live to discuss the upcoming ISSA North America 2018 trade show.
CBT Product Reviews: Sponge Outlet
CBT’s series of Product Reviews continues this month as Derek Christian examines the melamine sponges from Sponge Outlet. As it turns out, not all manufacturers are the same.
TECHNOLOGY
Leveraging the right technology and platforms for your brands
Virtually every aspect of your company is touched or driven by some innovation that didn’t exist 5 or 10 years ago. I describe below four areas where user-friendly apps can make a big difference in how smoothly your operation runs.
Five reasons the professional cleaning industry needs training videos
In many industries, training videos have become an additional layer of training and instruction. They create a deeper understanding of how to perform specific tasks, and the training they provide appears to have "staying power."
How technology has had a positive impact on the cleaning industry
As technology advances, the process of creating this sort of space is almost as therapeutic as obtaining it. Industrial cleaning machines get the work done to a high standard and with such ease, that it can prove to be a delight to behold.
Voting opens for the 2018 ISSA Innovation Award Program
Program recognizes the cleaning industry’s most pioneering products and services ISSA, the worldwide cleaning industry association, has opened voting for the association’s 2018 ISSA Innovation Award Program at [...]
umf Corporation develops Micrillon
umf Corporation has developed Micrillon, the first rechargeable broad-spectrum antimicrobial polymer additive that will have a significant impact on the spread of drug-resistant infections and preventable hospital associated infections (pHAIs), now considered the fourth-leading cause of death in the United States.
Amazon ditches independent contractor model for house cleaning services
Amazon has a new pilot program in Seattle, Amazon Home Assistants, which hires cleaners as regular employees, not as 1099 independent contractors.
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START YOUR CLEANING BUSINESS
7 keys to prioritizing when you work from home
I gave up my office space in favor of working from home. While it’s extremely convenient in a bathrobe-and-slippers kind of way, I find that it has forced me to prioritize my time and my business in a new way.
Seven characteristics of successful consultative selling
Distributors need good schmoozing skills Tuscaloosa, AL - One of the most effective sales techniques available to distributors is consultative selling. Consultative selling is a problem-solving approach to [...]
How to go from grilling to engaging the customer
To make sure the consultative process works, here are some pitfalls distributors should avoid. Tuscaloosa, AL - Consultative selling is one of the most powerful selling techniques jansan [...]
Radical new approach to marketing: tell customers the truth
A conversation with Marcus Sheridan about “They Ask, You Answer,” the content marketing approach that saved his business and catapulted him to search engine royalty
Michigan based cleaning company jump starts their business in 2018
Julie Vincent and Katie Postema of Coastal Clean on the challenges and adventure that are Foundations of Success Julie Vincent and Katie Postema of Coastal Clean in SW Michigan are [...]
5 interview questions and tips you probably aren’t using and should
Some out of the box questions for job applicants - by Nancy Friedman Sometimes companies hire people because they’re breathing. We all get desperate. And it’s not fair to [...]
START A CLEANING BUSINESS
READERS’ CHOICE
Hydrogen Peroxide + Vinegar = A Disinfecting Duo?
An old home remedy might be just the solution you're looking for. With growing awareness of the dangers of manufactured and even naturally-derived cleaning products growing among consumers, [...]
Biofilm: What It Is and How to Get Rid of It
Knowing the common bond between bad breath and pink bathroom “mold” just might help your technicians get better at cleaning bathrooms. What’s slimy and sticky and red all [...]
Deep Dive: Dealing with Theft
One of the first theft accusations that Maria Dorian, owner of Welcome Home Cleaning Services in Austin, Texas, dealt with was from a very well-known woman with an enormous house. The client was a local, celebrated political figure and had a live-in nanny and full-time gardeners. Her house was always open with multiple workers in it.
Can you make a million bucks in the house cleaning business?
7 steps to control costs which affect your gross income potential People enter the residential cleaning business for a variety of reasons. Some to make a little extra income [...]
Top 15 Stories of CBT’s Third Year
Even as we’re planning articles more than halfway through our fourth year, we reflect on the new shape of the cleaning industry in the past year. During our third [...]
12 Cleaning Upsells for 12 Months
Upselling to your current customers is easier, less expensive and more profitable than relying only on new customers to raise your revenue. Part 1 of 2. Pull out your [...]
9 Questions with a Cleaning Business Insurance Expert
What you don't know about business insurance for the cleaning industry could save you a lot of time and money. In the insurance industry, cleaning businesses are a very [...]
3 Ways My Business is Better Today Than a Year Ago
Major change requires checking progress and making adjustments as needed. In Part 1 of our series, we analyzed the profitability challenge my business was facing at the start of [...]
Active versus Passive Time Management for the Cleaning Business Owner
Practice time management – don’t just talk about it – in this 1-hour workshop at the 2015 ARCSI Convention.
LEADERSHIP
Business Plan Preparations – Part II: Marketing Plans
Learn about the importance of Marketing Plans and how they can be used to grow your business throughout the year.
Business Plan Preparations – Part I: The Key Measures
Learn about the Key Measures of your business and their importance in the development of your company.
Ashkin answers the question: Are we cooked?
"A world of worsening food shortages and wildfires … as soon as 2040, a period well within the lifetime of much of the global population."
IEHA launches health care initiative
IEHA, a Division of ISSA, proudly announces a new program initiative geared specifically to cleaning and maintenance professionals in health care facilities.
ISSA Next Gen makes its debut
ISSA, the worldwide cleaning industry association, is proud to announce the launch of ISSA Next Gen. This program replaces the previous ISSA Young Executive Society (YES) program.
ISSA announces 2018 Achievement Award winners
ISSA, the worldwide cleaning industry, will present the following awards to these achievers in the professional cleaning industry during the ISSA Show North America 2018.
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MEASURING SUCCESS – KPIs
Minimum Wage increases to impact Canadian cleaning industry
Some of the other more populated Canadian provinces are experiencing wage increases. Ontario, CANADA - In January of 2018, the minimum wage in Ontario, one of Canadas most [...]
Now is a good time to fix mistakes in overtime and minimum wage payments
New PAID program from US Department of Labor gives employers a second chance to get their reporting right. Keeping accurate overtime and minimum wage calculations can be hard to [...]
Knowing the math of hiring and retaining talent in the cleaning industry
There’s a lot of variance in the cost of turnover. Here’s a reality. Half of you hire better than the other half. Some are in the bottom 10%, and [...]
3 Tips about retirement
Insights on how to prepare for retirement especially for business owners Most of us want to eventually stop working. The best way to do that is to plan ahead. [...]
ISSA launches DEAL
Program helps businesses reduce costs and be environmentally responsible Northbrook, IL, USA―April 3, 2017―ISSA, the worldwide cleaning industry association, in partnership with Sustainability Dashboard Tools, LLC, has kicked off [...]
Who and what should dictate cleaning product pricing?
How to avoid a never-ending price war with your competitors The price of your products is a fundamental element of your sales and marketing strategies. Competition is continually fierce [...]
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CLEANING
Sears Home Services may be acquired by Service.com
With Sears in bankruptcy, Service.com has placed a bid of $60 million dollars with the court to acquire the Sears Home Improvement Products division.
Ashkin answers the question: Are we cooked?
"A world of worsening food shortages and wildfires … as soon as 2040, a period well within the lifetime of much of the global population."
How to get rid of bad smells in the home
Professional cleaners remove the source of the foul odor. They don't just cover it up with perfumed air fresheners.
Keeping Fido safe and healthy at the vet
HAIs are believed to be on the increase. It appears pets contract these infections in many of the same ways humans do.
ISSA announces 2019 CMI schedule
ISSA offers education, training, and certifications under its Cleaning Management Institute (CMI) brand, carefully curated for cleaning industry professionals.
10 ways distributors can promote worker safety
AFFLINK, a leading sales and marketing organization, with more than 300 members throughout the U.S., offers the following "Ten Ways Administrators can Promote Worker Safety" at distribution locations.
