[Jan K]

This is just a gripe post, cos I have just been let down my 2 of my 'new' cleaners which leaves me in the lurch for the 3 new Clients I have just taken on!! Worse bit about it is they are both friends of mine who both approached me for work, and that's the only reason I took on the new Clients...grrrrr!! I am not particularly bothered that they don't want to work......it has simply annoyed me that they chose to leave it to the last minute to tell me.....some friends!!

I will have to take on the contracts myself for the time being, tho' I don't really have a lot of spare time to take on new work, and I was trying to cut back so I could concentrate on employing a bank of cleaners that I could call on as and when new work came along, which I was also going to concentrate on doing...........oh well back shelf for that then!!

Anyway, apart from an ad in my local rag, which will cost over £100 quid, and I am loath to do, and the Jobcentre, who won't place an ad unless I've got guaranteed work with guaranteed hours, and placing ads in my local shops and supermarkets, which I am not going to have much time to do now, so that wil take a little bit of time to sort, is there anything else any of you experienced peeps can suggest for me to do to get maself more cleaners??

Ta in advance

Jan

[Fox]

Hi Jan

Do you already employ cleaners?  If so then speak with them about covering the new jobs for a week or two while you sort out new employees.

An ad in the paper will be the way to go even though it is expensive.  Don't you think it is more expensive for you to go and do the work instead of expanding your business?  Your time is so much more valuable elsewhere, especially this time of year.

I am assuming that you carry out domestics.  Think of all the people out there who are going to decide to get a cleaner in as they have made new commitments themselves - New Year new start and all that.

When you advertise take every call seriously even if you have filled your vacancy, start a database so you have got numbers to call without re advertising when new work comes in. 

We are all in the people business and unfortunately recruitment costs are essential and don't come cheap.  Cards in shop windows don't take long to sort out and if you know of any teenagers with time to spare pay them to put flyers out stating that you are recruiting in that area.

Hope all goes well have a happy new year.

Fox

[Jan K]

Hi Fox, thanx for your reply!

I do already employ 1 cleaner, but she is fully committed! I wil most likely do the new jobs myself in the short term, but that indeed leaves me short on time for all the other important jobs that come with running a business! C'est la vie! I have put into motion an advert to place in shop windows and I will get myself out and about next week placing those!

I think you may be right about the ad in the local rag.......the old adage, you have to speculate to accumulate springs to mind, and it is so very true sometimes! Hopefully I should be able to pull together a good base of cleaners from one ad, and I am offering a better than usual rate of pay for down here in the South West, so that may help me get a good bunch of peeps working alongside me!

No point dripping and moaning just gotta get on with it, and it all scrubs up clean in the end!!

[Ian Gourlay]

I think you have a problem anyone wanting to enter the Contract or Domestic Cleaning business, has, what comes first Contract or Cleaners. How do you keep cleaners with no Contract.

That where people with lots of family and friends have advantage in early days.

Pulling together. Poling resources and getting off to flying start.

[Clean 'n' Tidy]

Hi Jan,

I have had the same problem as you. I have found that advertising in the local rag the best way forward for recruiting people. the only problem I have encountered is that you also get a lot of time wasters. I have offered people jobs taken on more work and then they don't turn up. This has been a learning curve for me. I now find the cleaners telling them that it will take a little while to build up their work. Some seam to be happy with this but usually most of them want the hours straight away.

It usually takes me about 15 interviews to find one person. This maybe that I am fussy as I have set high standards. Lucky the ones that I have choosen have turnt out (touch wood) to be ok so far.

It is hard though it seams that you take 3 steps forward and then 20 back. It does get easier but it takes lot's of hard work. I myself do alot of the work myself but I am just starting to off load some.

Kim

[Jan K]

Hi Kim!

I have today placed an ad in my local paper, which will be in tomorrow. Hopefully I shall be lucky in finding some decent and reliable peeps! I have one little 'trick' up my sleeve, however. I will be carrying out Police Disclosure checks on staff and under part of my employment terms I have stated that anyone leaving my employment within 26 weeks will be required to reimburse the fee I have to pay to carry out this check, ie £33.00. The documentation will then be given to that person, so they have at least something to take away for their future and I won't have wasted any of the business' hard earned dosh!!

[Clean 'n' Tidy]

Jan,

Good luck with your advert.

Kim

[Jan K]

Hi Kim!

Thanks for that good luck wish.......the ad was in the paper today, and I have had 3 responses, 2 of which went nowhere. I even advertised specifically on the 'Job Ads' day...........can't believe I had such little response, and it cost me over £60.00, I can only hope that people might look back and contat me in the future...........my next bet is an ad at the Jobcentre

[Clean 'n' Tidy]

Jan,

I have found with adverts in the paper it can take a couple of weeks before you get any response. I advertise about 3 times a year for upto 8 weeks. The first couple of weeks I tend to get only one person but after that it seems to improve with about 4 - 4 responses. You usually find that normally only one is worth interviewing if any.

Kim

[Jan K]

Hi again Kim!

I must've been really lucky, as I have 5 really good leads, now all I need to do is get some work for them lol!

[Clean 'n' Tidy]

Jan,

Good luck. If you need any more advise please get in touch.

Kim

[nicki]

hi jan i am a reliable hardworking cleaner looking for work in swansea area if your in this area

[Jan K]

sorry nicki, absolutely nowhere near you

[dustycorner]

Hello Jan,

Hope you take this advice in good faith, no matter how desperate you are for your business to grow dont take the first person on that seems capable of filling your vacancy, trust your instincts, its better to do a job yourself rather than have a employee not turn up or let you down. Its your reputation they tarnish

Kind Regards Mark 

[Jan K]

Hi Mark!

Thank you for the advice, you are sooo right about instincts, although I have alrerady fallen into the trap of taking the first person on........it wasn't so easy to do the work myself, as I had Clients lined up that 2 pf my pals were going to clean for, but they both let me down at the last minute, and as I as already working on the days they were supposed to work too, I couldn't take on the Clients myself. Now before anyone says never employ friends or relations  I already employ a friend (she's been with me since beginning) and she is my star cleaner (as I always say if I could clone her I would be laughing, and extremely rich). Anyway, the person I took on out of desperation rather than not taking her on due to instincts telling me not to, also let me down (see I Told me so). However, all that said and done, I have learned from my mistake(s) and moved on a wiser and slightly more experienced person. Luckily for me none of the Clients have left and I have a new lady (who I am much more settled about) starting in a week's time.

I believe the right cleaners are the ones who (please don't take this the wrong way) don't have high expectations out of their work, but simply enjoy cleaning (it isn't a nice job, generally doesn't pay that well, down here anyway, so you've gotta like it to do it), want to earn a few pennies to maintain their standards of living, don't want to have to worry to much about the work, go in, do the job, go home, forget about it till the next job. Dom cleaning isn't hard, and the only thing my girls need to concern themselves with is that the job they are doing is keeping the client hapy.....I concern myself about that and everything else. Money helps, but mostly I think for my girls it is about peace of mind....pleasure, no stress, knowing what you are doing and when, and getting praised when praise is due.   I always, always make a point of telling my girls when a Client has praised them, and that is more often than not!!