[nat1]

Hi again, just wondered if many of you have a "business background"?  what i mean is how many of you wanted to go into the cleaning industry because you like cleaning and decided to give it a whirl as a business or you wanted a business and just decided on "cleaning" as you have a business background etc? not sure if you get where im coming from but most of you guys seem really well up on the business side of things did you just learn as you went along because you had too?


Thanks Nat








 

[Griffus]

Came into this industry following on a longish career within Logistics Management.

Whilst going through redundancy consultation I was offered an opportunity via an external source which was too good to pass. I consequently pushed hard for redundancy and incorporated the company a few months prior to eventually being made redundant.

I am still hands on and it looks like I will be for another couple of years at least. The business plan is therefore a little off-track, mainly due to the recession.

Ironically the recession has helped us as we have been able to gain experience and knowledge at a sustainable rate. If we had been as busy as expected we may well have failed already.

[Pristine Clean]

Hi Nat thats a really intersting question.

I originally was a computer analyst / programmer. I had done some cleaning in the past when I was much younger working for a couple of cleaning firms.

I worked my way up the ranks in the IT industry with top qualifications and sheer hard work. I worked mainly for large corperations and move the the united states for severl years because of my work.

However they work you to the bone, and they dont care about family when you are in a hi paid job. Yes Sir three bags full! You know what I mean?

Anyways I had enough and wanted to spend time with the family, the wife the kids. And anyone else that wanted to tag along.

I decided to move back to the UK as I didnt really enjoy the food in the US.

So I was left with a blank canvas, I wanted a balance. I knew about cleaning, I knew about flooring and building. So I started into the cleaning industry. Nervous as hell. Just because I had cleaned a few offices in the past did not make me know what I was doing.

However I took the skills I had, Invoicing is easy, Tax was easy as the wife knew all about credit control, tax, vat etc. So we combined forces. Luckily not only living with her, we work together as well. Some times she gets a bit much but I have a 4 x 2 in the corner...(Only joking)

She also has knowledge in Law, Accounts the list is endless so we make a good team.

As for being business minded its not for everyone. But everyone does not know it all. We all learn or have to learn how to apply certain things. The skill is in finding the information that is required and using it. Theres plenty of resources out there.

And this forum is one of them. Business link can be helpful. Or Chambers of Commerce even better.

If your knew to it all dont worry it will come with time and experience.

Dave

[Fox]

Hi Nat

I have been in the cleaning business for many years now, before that I worked with mental health and have qualifications in psychology, counselling and management amoungst others, this definately helps!  I was employed by a cleaning firm to set up a domicilary care business for the elderly and mental health, as I built this business for them I was constantly sticking my nose into the cleaning side of things.  After a few years I took over the cleaning side and the company I worked for sold the domicilary at a healthy profit!  This made me think, yes it had been the companies money that set up the domicillary business but it was my knowledge and personality that built it and made it a success.

The guy I worked for had a home in another country and spent more time there than working in the cleaning business, I basically ran the business for a wage and he took the profit with very little work.  It was then I decided to do it for myself.  I started up 5 years ago on my own, I now have 30 staff and a fair profit, I suppose I could have grown alot quicker and be much bigger by now but my attitude is slowly slowly catchie monkey!! 

Of course you need to enjoy the area of business you go into and no matter how experienced you may be you will make mistakes and learn from them as you go along.

It's great to hear about how other people reached their current positions, keep them coming.

Fox

[dianegreenwood]

Great question Nat

For me it was business background first.  I have a BSc in IT & Business Management and had worked in recruitment head hunting but it was 4½ years working for a company that helped business owners grow their businesses through business coaching that inspired me to start a business.  I decided I wanted to run a business that would eventually work without me and that I would do it using all I had learnt.

Of the options I had, cleaning was a business that I could run from home, that I could systemise, that was low skill in that anyone with the right attitude can be taught to clean properly and that will eventually work without me having to.  My other choices simply involved me exchanging my time for money which in my view isn't a business its a freelance job.  I had also worked as a cleaner several years ago and had a cleaner myself so felt I could come at it from both sides of the coin and as a working mum I had spent many a weekend catching up on housework so felt there was a real need out there for a great cleaning service.

I'm lucky in that I'm also a qualified Accounting Technician so can take care of payroll, self assessment and VAT issues  myself or alternatively set up the systems so I can hire someone to do it.

I've only been going a year and have 5 staff at the moment so its early days but we're up to 125 hours per week so I will have to get someone new on board very soon or I'll be doing too much cleaning and not enough growing the business!

The hardest bit was giving up a salary but thankfully I've now replaced that and should earn 25% more this coming year than in my job.

Recession my arse is my current motto

Cheers

Diane

www.freshlymaid.co.uk

[Gilbert Sprous]

I thought this was a great question and have found the answers very interesting.  I thought I would put my two cents in. 

I spent 20 years in the U.S. Army.  I was an NCO, not an officer, I mad my rank pretty quick and was pretty successful in that career field.  I made it to the rank of First Sergeant.  I believe it is on the lines of Company Sergeant Major in the UK Army.  While in the Army I started attending University and recieved a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with an emphasis on Management from the University of Hawaii (4.0 GPA pretty proud of that, I believe it is equal to First Class Honours).  I retired from the army in 2005 and spent 14 months working at John Lewis as a manager in thier supply chain and then got the offer I could not refuse from ASDA (around a 50% pay rise) to work for them.  When I retired I though retail would be my preferred avenue into business but I did not like it as much as I thought.  I really enjoyed the selling parts but the back room stuff was not as challenging.  Pretty monotonus really.  So I decided to start up my own business and trying to decide which way to go forward I considered what were my strengths and where my experience could help.  I decided on cleaning becaus:

1.  20 Years in the army, I know what clean looks like and I know how to get to the end result as quickly as possible with a meticulous outcome.
2.  I had a sales background because of my time in the Army.  I spent 3 1/2 years on recruiting duty.  If you think selling contract cleaning is hard try selling someone their life for the next 4 years, and they do not get to try it out first.  The army paid for training from some of the US's best.  Zig Zigglar, Lee Dubois, I do not know if you have heard of them but they are some of the foremost sales trainers in the US.
3.  I wanted to use my degree, I love business, I love the challenges, the numbers, everything about it and I dont mind cleaning, been doing that for 20 years lol.
4.  I have a high tollerance for work.  My wife would say a work-a-holic.  I will work as much or as little as needed, up to and including 15 hour days 7 days a week (as a matter of fact I have not took a day off in the last 3 weeks)  Not that it is always necessary but to build cash flow, increase margins, gain the on site experience I do a lot of my own cleaning plus all the records, the website is completely ran by me.  All payroll, quotes, sales are fit around my cleaning at present.  I have 3 Cleaners that work for me but I still clean on sites 31 hours a week.

I have been at it for 18 months now and would be a bit further ahead but the one business decision that really messed me up was I started out with a franchise and I got mixed up with a couple of cowboys.  Not all franchises are bad but this one was pretty bad.  They had all the right answers when I started but it went down hill quick.  Then last January they liquidated and took 2 1/2 months of my invoices with them.  That almost put me under, but again I love challenges and am now out of that mess and back on my feet swinging but with my own company now.  I like it better on my own even though it took a lot of money to get me here lol. 

Quite a few answers to your question Nat, so what about you, what brought you here?

[nat1]

Hi all, some very interesting stories! & quite scary from my point of view, because I do not have a business background(ie) no experience in accounts, bookeeping, managing staff etc so it's all quite daunting, however on the plus side I have a background in cleaning ( i suppose this helps) & get along with people & can pick things up easily so I'm giving it a whirl. I did'nt intend too run this as a business I kind of fell into it, my mums neighbour wanted a cleaner twice a week for 2 hours per visit & my mum was happy to look after my youngest son who was 3 1/2 at the time, so I decided to go for it & people got wind off this & it kind of snowballed, I have 9 domestics & 1 small office which I do twice a week, i've done a few EOT & really love it.  Im now in the position where I will have to take on staff due to me being limited at present with the hours I can do due to my children( 10 & 5), I've contacted Customs & Excise re a course they run for taking staff on & i'm lucky my brother-in-law is a charted accountant who is always available for advice plus he does my partners tax & mine.  Anyway I think thats as interesting as it gets... Im just going to take things slowly whilst the kids are small & gain as much knowledge as I can & who knows maybe I'll win "business woman of the year" 


Anyhow it's been very interesting reading all your stories, keep them coming guys & good luck to all!!


Nat1

[vacman]

It is genuinely interesting to hear of people's backgrounds.

That said, I have always noted that for some it's all about getting bigger and 'succesful' and being busy, where as for others its about making as much money as possible. As has been said before, its possible to be smaller and make more money than you would by expanding, though of course ultimatly bigger should equate to more money in the long run. Possibly.

There is a lot of help out there, especially accountants etc. My own worries are employment law and employees rights, as these have to come first at all times.

[Fox]

Hi Nat - you go girl, I am sure many people just 'fall' into this sort of thing, the difference is you are going to take it one step forward and become an employer.  Alot of responsibility comes with that but you seem to have the right attitude and are not afraid to go and seek the advice you need to do things correctly and to the best of your ability, you will be fine, I hope you enjoy the challenge and learn lots. 

Vacman - I find your post a bit odd, ultimately people go into business for themselves for the challenge and the ownership (of oneself) it gives them, of course growth and profit come into it (have you seen my catchphrase?).  Then different stages of life will determine how a person takes their business forward, so some will be happy working alone with only themselves to worry about (still loving the challenge of the job though) and others relish the daily change, unexpected and acheivement of employing others.  No one person is the same that's why you 'note' that for some, the reasoning is different to others, however I wouldn't say that to be 'successful' you have to be 'bigger'. 

All - It's great reading about your backgrounds and amazing at how many different professions chose the cleaning industry.

Fox

[vacman]

Hello Fox

What i was meaning was that I have met people over the years for whom the idea of having a big business (not just cleaning) was more important than the money it brought in, if you follow.

It was personal circumstances which forced me to start my own business, i don't say too much, but it wasn't by absolute choice, more that changes in my families private life meant i needed to be my own boss for a while so that  i could manage my time myself. I didn't want a challange or had a desire to be my own boss, more that I had to do what I had to do at the time. As you say, no one person is the same.

Yes, i did see your catchphrase.

[shelton]

I started my company about 4 years ago, basically through boredom!

My husband has a good job with a good income and we enjoy a good standard of living.  However, once the kids were at school, I was becoming more and more bored and needed to get out.

I took on a job at Tesco's, doing 7 hours a week, but soon left as the people policy they are very proud of isn't actually very good at all and they treat their staff like crap!  So I told them where to stick it.

Still waiting to do something, I got a job with a local cleaning company and was the driver, going to jobs with a variety of partners.  It soon became apparent that the other cleaners were rubbish.  No care, no attention and mostly all foregin students, not speaking a word of English.  Not only that, but they were all very lazy and not delivering a good job at all.

This made me somewhat depsondent, so my husband suggested I setup my own cleaning company.  I am useless on computers and have no worthwhile qualifications, but I am a people person.  I can relate to people very well.  My husband says that when we have an enquiry, 90% of the time we just have to get me in the same room as the client and he can virtually guarantee we'll get the work!  I reckon he's just buttering me up!

So, we work as a team.  I clean, with a couple of staff, and he looks after the paperwork, invoicing, etc.  He also does my website whenever it needs altering and maintains his sisters site too . ..  we keep him very busy!!

So, my story just goes to show that if you have enough drive, access to the right skills and are personable and approachable, you can succeed in this business.

[heritagecleaning]

I have a degree in law, which is quite helpful with the contracts side of things

[big J]

I currently work on the railway in Operations Control but in past lives I have run my own businesses such as Contract Canvassing, Market research, Mobile shops and Executive transport. I feel that my back ground will serve me perfectly in my next venture .......Window Cleaning 

[paul macca]

Spent most of my working life in high profile jobs at board level.
Most recently I was a company director and partner in a food processing business.for a better quality of life i sold my shares and quit to set up an oven cleaning business.Never been happier, no more board meetings and stress.
Money is not everything.

Paul

[suffolkclean]

My husband left school and worked for commercial cleaners - lots of cradle high up window cleaning work, bit of carpet cleaning etc, he then got into printing. Printing magazines etc worked for printers who had the contract for printing BT phonebooks for years it then got taken away to be printed overseas! January 2007 made redunant.
Me I've been in the printing industry too since I left school, with me ending up as a Print Manager and Buyer. I dealt with customers on a daily basis did quotations, gave staff information on customers requirements so that was all great experience for me. (also got a National Diploma styudying in lunch breaks) Left nearly 6 years ago to have my son, the printers went into recievership before I even gave birth!
When hubby was made redunandant we saw an advert for a local cleaning company for sale. We didn't have the money to buy it and decided to start one from scratch ourselves.
We spent around 80% of the redundancy money on all the equipment we needed. This was seriously sceary with 2 young children, a mortgage to pay & not much money left.
I was the salesperson - I spent days knocking on peoples doors firstly asking if they needed a window cleaner and got a good success rate. We now have 4 employees and have been going for 2 1/2 years I have gained so much knowledge in this time. It is perfect for me with two children now 4 & 5 as I can fit my side of things around my children.

Good Luck to you all - I now know it is shear hard work & determination having your own business and my husband & I have lots of that - we want to do well

Barbara