6 Cleaning Business Books for Business Owners

  • December 20, 2019
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What cleaning business books should owners be reading to help grow their business? We’ve highlighted six books we think all owners should read.

Some are cleaning business books and others are valuable resources that will be especially useful for cleaning business owners.

The Cleaning Business Books You Should Be Reading

When thinking about investing in the growth of your cleaning company, do you ever think about the books sitting on your coffee table? As a cleaning company owner, making an investment in your own continuing knowledge will make a huge difference in the growth of your company.

What do you think would happen if you invested your time into intentionally reading books that expand your vision for your cleaning company? You may gain some new perspective, be inspired to make necessary changes, and learn how to set yourself up for even greater success.

Here are six suggested cleaning business books you should read to become the best cleaning company owner you can be.

1. Employee Retention Rules! 

It’s easy to make the mistake of focusing solely on books written for cleaning company owners. Resist the urge to learn solely about one single industry and focus on learning about your company’s biggest challenges. One of those challenges that all cleaning company owners face is finding and keeping good team members.

This book by Harold Lloyd was written more specifically for business owners in the retail space. However, the 52 solid ideas he shares for recruiting and retaining your best employees apply just as easily to the cleaning and janitorial industry.

According to Lloyd, it costs the average company $3,500 every time an entry-level employee leaves. This doesn’t come close to mentioning those employees you’ve worked so hard to find, train and launch in your business at leadership levels. Especially as a cleaning company owner, you can’t afford to miss this one.

2. The DO’s and DON’Ts of Contract Cleaning – From One Who DID and DIDN’T

No matter the stage of your cleaning company, author Dick Ollek has a book that can reshape the way you start (or improve) your business. This book covers everything from naming your new business to how to sell your business when you’re done with it, not to mention everything else in between. 

By sharing his own personal experiences, Ollek gives you a window into the possibilities (and pitfalls) that come with owning a cleaning company. Here he offers practical, how-to advice on some of the most intimidating parts of building a business, including how to approach bankers, attorneys, accountants, insurance agents, and suppliers.

3. Finding, Training, and Keeping GREAT Service Employees 101

Another book by Dick Ollek, that contains timeless wisdom for cleaning company owners. With a strong sense of humor and tons of practical tips, Ollek provides creative ways to find the right employees for your cleaning company. Next, he teaches you how to implement the necessary policies that will make them want to stay long-term. 

Learn how to hire valuable asset employees (rather than just a “warm body”). Establish tried and true methods to streamline the process of recruiting, running the application process, interviewing, orientation, and training. You’ll even receive a complete sample Hiring Process Manual, a sample Employee Policy and Procedure Handbook, and sample job descriptions for a Building Service Contractor.

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4. The Business Remodel: Transform Your Business to Love It (Again!) or List It

Almost 50% of new businesses fail in the first five years and 75% close within just 15 years. Motivated by his desire to avoid becoming a tragic statistic, Huntsville-based author, trainer, and Area Developer for Office Pride Commercial Cleaning Services, Troy Hopkins decided to completely remodel his business operations from top to bottom. His goal: to make his cleaning company so successful that it would essentially run itself.

Hopkin’s helpful examples and advice will help you move towards implementing proper processes, getting employees on board, and being successful in running your business day-to-day.

5. Taming Turnover

Paula MacLean gives even more ideas for making sure your cleaning company is retaining its most valuable asset. MacLean promotes the need to structure your business in a way that offers a healthy, thriving environment.

Some of the specific points that she discusses in detail include:

  • Providing clarity of roles and job expectations
  • Measuring your turnover rate via benchmarking
  • Defining avoidable/unavoidable turnover and setting realistic targets for retention
  • Creative recruitment, training, and development strategies
  • Identifying counterproductive mistakes that managers and supervisors make
  • Specific strategies that guarantee improved retention

6. Making Cents of A Dirty Business: How to Survive and Succeed in Commercial Cleaning

Another awesome business book from Troy Hopkins, this transparently shares insight from his expertise in investing in the profitability of your cleaning company. In addition to an overview of the industry and the results of his nationwide survey of commercial cleaning owners, he dives into solving the top challenges faced by the janitorial industry today:

  • The industry
  • Increasing employee retention
  • Cultivating consistent sales growth
  • Developing a leadership team
  • Improving cash flow
  • Increasing customer retention
  • Avoiding looking like a small fish in a big ocean
  • Seeing from the customer’s perspective

Learn More About How to Grow Your Cleaning Company

Want to learn about how cleaning business software with online booking can help you manage and grow your cleaning company? Book a free, private demo of Vonigo.