Smart Cleaning School

Let's start this Carfagno Cleaning solo business with a WIN! Last week, I got 5 referrals through my local network (listen to Play Powerball with your Business). The lead from my friend and carpet cleaner, James Hardy, converted to a new office cleaning client! Since this new client is a school, I had to jump through a few more hoops. First of all, I needed to go beyond adding them as a 'Certificate Holder' on my general liability policy. I needed to increase my insurance for this additional customer. This is called 'Additionally Insured'. My current policy provides $2 million of coverage per year at $500 in annual premium. This new client cost me an additional $50, which I count as an expense. I also had to coordinate a cleaning time with the school and their weekend janitor to let me into the building. The school is not in the habit of handing out keys to outside contractors. Spoiler alert: I prayed over this situation as I desire to have offices with the flexibility to clean anytime over the weekend. A few days later, the school made an exception for me and gave me a set of keys! Lastly, this new client is a school for autistic children. I know autism and realize that these students will be on the floor a lot, touching things, and likely touching their faces. Thus, disinfecting of the classrooms and floors was vital. They already had a food & skin safe disinfectant and asked me my opinion for the floors. I researched it and immediately determined it was a bad choice. Why? The title of this episode is "Art Trumps Science". Let's talk science first. The pH was slightly alkaline at 9. The floors are VCT (vinyl composition tile). VCT is commonly used in schools and supermarkets. They are also waxed & buffed on a regular basis to keep a beautiful finish and to protect the tile. My friend James Hardy did the job, so we conferred with him and he agreed. This ph 9 disinfectant had just enough alkalinity to eat away at the wax finish, which would dull it and cause James to come back sooner. Therefore, their disinfectant was a wonderful choice for the refrigerators, microwaves, table tops, door knobs, and light switches, but NOT the floors. I connected with my good friend Mark Lineberry at Universal Janitorial and he recommended the perfect solution. It's called MatPro. The school purchased it and now uses my recommendations for disinfecting and protecting their students and staff. This raised my expertise and trust with the school big time. See! Understanding science is vital. It sets you apart from the basic cleaning service!

 Another lead from last week was Mike Thompson of Envoy Mortgage from my MCBA group. Mike is a mortgage advisor. What is that? It means he focuses on what's best for his clients. He coaches and consults them, looking at their lending scenario from a holistic approach. Of course he sells mortgage products too. He's a Go-Giver and his clients ask  him to sell to them as a result of his giving approach. Anyway, Mike got back to my estimate and accepted a biweekly option. There's new client #2 for the week!


Read the rest of this article at the Smart Cleaning School website

In part 1 of this 2-hour interview, "Conspiracies in the Cleaning Industry with Ed Selkow", Ed shared an incredible 50-year career in our industry. He shares so many great stories and lessons that will help you in your business. Ed also shared some incredible criminal stories that I called "conspiracies" that are a must listen! In this episode, we dive into the second half our interview. 

Ed shares the past, present, and future of the cleaning industry. Do you want to grow with the industry? There are predictions and recommendations that Ed suggests. Here's a few notes from the interview.

• "You've got to be honing your skills, expanding on what you know how to do."
• "Where there are a whole bunch of companies that are missing, that's an opportunity for me."
• Why are so many new cleaning companies starting out post pandemic. "Desperation drives a lot of people to start cleaning businesses because it costs so little to start. It's possible to grow a cleaning company with no money, but it's also possible to walk from NYC to LA!"
• "Commercial real estate is the mother's milk of the industry." Ed explains that if no developmental growth is happening, cleaners are just trading accounts around as there is a finite amount of buildings to clean.
• Find the country economic people for networking to learn when and where new buildings are coming. Ed believes this is a huge opportunity and better than the Chamber of Commerce.
• The disinfection revenue explosion will normalize like previous fads.
• Ed gets into the intersection of "Big Data" and "The Internet of Things" (sensors),  for computer models of building traffic to determine how much cleaning has to happen. This could become cleaning-on-demand.
• The increase in technology will drive cleaning prices down over time. This is what happens with every industry that technology improves. Robotics are one of these advances. For example, there are robots that can empty deskside trash cans. Couple this with cleaning-on-demand technology, and cleaning revenues will likely go down. Ed is predicting this so we can get ahead of it.
• Winning cleaning companies will be the ones that combine of technology and open systems for cleaning.
• Ed highly recommends that we all understand Seth Godin's book, "Tribes". Those that understand this mindset will survive the future.
• Ed highly recommends that we, as building contractors, link up with the BSCAI (Building Services Contractors Association International) as our professional trade association. They are dedicated to the services versus the manufacturers (ISSA). They were also influential to getting the cleaning industry labeled as "essential" to get us back to work during the pandemic.

You can find Ed Selkow at Janitorial Growth Solutions and on multiple social media outlets.

Check out my interview with the CBF Founder, entitled "A Buffalo Charges the Storm with Debbie Sardone". Debbie is offering free consultations to listeners of this show through the Smart Cleaning School Resources Page to see if CBF could be the right solution for you. 

I sat down with cleaning industry legend Ed Selkow for a 2-hour interview. We covered so much ground that I had to break it into 2 parts. In this first part, you'll learn about Ed's 50 years in the cleaning industry which includes owning 4 janitorial companies and working as an employee for a few of the largest janitorial firms in the country. He weaves in great stories and lessons that make this episode well worth the listen.

Oh, and then you have the other stories... Ed also shares what I called "Conspiracies in the Cleaning Industry" ranging from subcontracting for NY street guy "Joey Floors" to stolen equipment and being on the payroll of a Russian dog in Chicago to how cleaners were partially responsible for Watergate and causing a U.S. President to resign! Do not miss these stories as we build up for part 2 of this interview on the cleaning industry, past, present, and future.

Check out my interview with the T-Bag Company Founder, entitled "Respectful, Reliable, Responsible with Damon Washington". You can purchase any of the T-Bag products at a 10% discount through the Smart Cleaning School Resources Page. 

 Before you listen to this article, please check out my Carfagno Cleaning article, "Home Trends that Intersect with Cleaning". I credit my friend Mary Ann Alig of Fox & Roach Berkshire Hathaway Realtors for the content that drove this article and this podcast episode. Mary Ann shared 8 home trends that realtors are seeing for this new decade. Trends like these tend to change every decade and currently include barn vs pocket doors, white interiors, shiplap, matching furniture, accent walls, rose gold, open concept, and multigenerational homes. In my article, I showed how these trends affect cleaning professionals. I also hint to all business owners how important it is to know your industry trends so you can stay ahead of them.

There is one trend that I'd like to dig into on this podcast. It's the rise of the multigenerational home. Fast Company in a 2019 article states, But for complex reasons that still puzzle researchers, multigenerational households are now on the rise once more. As many as 41% of Americans buying a home are considering accommodating an elderly parent or an adult child, according to a survey conducted by John Burns Real Estate Consulting. Living with your parents (or your adult children) has plenty of potential benefits–everyone tends to save money, it can potentially benefit health outcomes, and you get to spend more time together." Did you hear me? 41% of Americans are considering this in the 2020's. That's more than a trend. It's a paradigm shift. I want all cleaners out there, regardless of your business model to hear me. If you don't get in front of this shift and ensure your company is a leader in multigenerational house cleaning, you could be out of business in 10 years! It's crazy! Now, I'd like to talk to the solo cleaners that are actually doing the sales and cleaning.

How do you position yourself to acquire clients like this? It's simple really. When you clean for one generation like a millennial couple or retirees, you must earn their trust to stay there long term. When you clean for two generations like a family with kids, you need an even greater trust factor. And if you follow where I'm going here, you need even more trust to clean for 3 generations under the same roof. The answer is trust building. The better you are at trust building, the more completely you can serve 3 generations under the same roof. This leads to more money per client and referrals to others just like them. Imagine this. You have a client like I do. Andy is the dad. His adult children live with him and his father Don lives with him. I have invested time during cleaning visits to get to know all 3 generations. Don has even become a friend and mentor to me locally. I do a great job at their home and have earned a lot of trust. Do you think Andy will refer me? And by the way, he owns a local restaurant and knows a lot of people. Yes, he will. I am positioned nicely to reap a harvest with multigenerational homes because I clean them now with good reputation. I can share that on my website and with new prospective clients. I urge you to do the same.


Read the rest of this article at the Smart Cleaning School website 

I was in Dallas with my son for a podcasting conference in August. It was a blast, especially hanging out with my son. We stayed at the downtown Sheraton, which afforded us the ability to walk the city a bit. I also had the opportunity to connect in person with two former guests of the Smart Cleaning School. I went to lunch with Greg Shepard from "Sail Around the World". We had a blast walking around the city and enjoying a quality Mexican meal. Greg is a friend and definitely a mentor. He stretches me big time. The day after lunch with Greg, I had a personal tour and breakfast with Debbie Sardone from "A Buffalo Charges the Storm". Debbie is highly regarded coach in the residential cleaning industry as well as a friend and mentor. Back to my son and walking Dallas. I really, really wanted to visit Dealey Plaza. As a kid, I was enamored with the movie "JFK" starring Kevin Costner. The movie makes a compelling case for a second gunman on the grassy knoll. I have seen the Zapruder film so many times, that I already felt like I've been there. I was wrong. Being there was different. Kenny and I walked into Dealey Plaza. I was in awe. He knew more about the Lincoln assassination than Kennedy, so I described it as best I could. That's when I noticed a guy with a bike helmet and bike showing the Zapruder film and explaining the details of the assassination. Kenny and I walked over to listen. We stood on Elm Street in front of the old Texas State Book Depository as he pointed to the 6th floor corner window. The window is half open with boxes arranged exactly as they were in crime scene photographs. He paused the video on his phone and pointed to the first large "X" on Elm Street. This is where JFK was struck the first time in the neck. He played the Zapruder film. We could see Kennedy grab his neck. It was too surreal. He kept the film running as JFK was struck with the kill shot. He pointed to the second "X" on Elm Street. "On November 22nd, 1963, that's where an American President was assassinated." Chilling. We thanked him for his history lesson and walked the plaza. We stood on the "X" and took a picture. We stood on the grassy knoll and took a picture. We stood where Abraham Zapruder took the movie and yep, we took a picture. It was much, much different in real life. Dealey Plaza is virtually unchanged in 59 years. History is powerful, especially when we can be there in person.

There's a reason I shared this story. In the early 1960's, John F. Kennedy was beloved and respected. He was a member of the Democrat Party and generally regarded to have political views left of center. He considered himself a Liberal, yet he opposed Communism, supported the 2nd Amendment, and voted for tax cuts. Those were positions held by the Democrat Party then. Today, these same policy beliefs would be called Republican. Here's what I find interesting. If JFK were running for office right now, he would likely be a moderate Republican. This is not my opinion. You can search it online and read for yourself. That's not the point of this podcast. Here's the point. JFK didn't change. How could he. He's been dead for 59 years. What did change? Now we're asking the right question. It's called the Overton Window and I find it fascinating.


Read the rest of this article at the Smart Cleaning School website

I discussed the Presidential Election in the last episode and how important it is for us as cleaning service providers to focus on building trust with our clients right now. There is turmoil. There is fear. There is change happening. Let’s not add to it by changing our service, our schedule, or our prices.

This podcast just celebrated its 5th anniversary! It’s hard to believe that I’ve been a podcaster for that long. I hope this weekly information bite has been nourishing for you to grow your mind and business. As the 4th quarter begins and you are all evaluating end-of-year goals and 2025 plans, I felt this was a great time to introduce a 7-part series on the Cleaning Industry. This series has one goal; to get you thinking about the future.

Last week’s episode was the first of the series. This one focuses on the opportunity we all have in this industry. Then I’ll explain the Overton Window, the importance of keeping up with trends, and a lesson on supply and demand for solo cleaners. Plus, I’ll re-release a double podcast interview with industry legend Ed Selkow with his stories from the past, present, and outlook for the future. This will be a fun ride!
​
Here’s part two, “The Cleaning Industry is Exploding”.

This podcast episode was released just 4 weeks prior to the 2024 Presidential Election. You might be asking. “Why does that matter Ken?” I hope you do. I have been around this industry for nearly 20 years and have talked to many industry leaders. We need to be wise and discerning of the mindsets and emotional meters of our clientele. We need to recognize trends and historical data. Here is a simple truth. Each election cycle is getting more and more volatile. Each election cycle is more divisive, more fear-based, with more unknowns. This causes Americans to hold on to what they’ve got. This causes home owners and businesses to postpone making the that cleaning service hire. People are scared. People are less trusting.

This is not isolated to cleaning. I have a friend in construction equipment rentals and sales. He told me the same thing. “I’ve been doing this for over 2 decades and we always see a slow down right before a major election.” I find this fascinating and I shared it on a recent Solo Elite Membership Call. This short clip is my advice during election season. It is short and sweet.

Did this sway your strategy a little as we wrap up 2024? Are you going to invest into your customer base by building trust or will you make moves and changes anyway? I can’t urge you enough to choose the prior.

I had an opportunity to coach a young man last week. He is operating as a solo commercial cleaner and doing quite well. He's got a great attitude. He's growing. However, he is getting close to a full schedule. That is scary for most solo cleaners. Do you know why?

Once their schedule is full, they can't clean anymore. This is the point of panic for most. They think that they have to scale with a team to make any more income past a full schedule. The first thing I did was to ask him why he was growing his business and what his picture was. This is a reference to a metaphor I used in “What Hole Do You Need”. I use this to coach people toward a successful strategy. 
​
Here's the metaphor. You have a goal to hang a picture on your wall. You go to Lowe's to ask one of their experts how to hang it. They ask you several questions including the type of wall, the weight and dimensions of the picture frame, etc. Based on your answers, they will give you the correct hardware and strategy to hang the picture. I then ask this young man this question. What is your big picture? What do you want to hang? What is your big goal? I am the guy at Lowe's. 

After he told me what his picture was, I shared various strategies that could get him there. I know the different cleaning business models and what they look like and how much you can make. He was most intrigued with the personal model that I teach called the Optimized Solo Cleaner. This is where he could remain solo without employees, increase his income, decrease his schedule, and have a ton more freedom in his life.

This is what I said to him next. "Here's what I need you to do. You need to decide and then stop undeciding." That really hit the mark. He's like, "Man, I've done that too many times." I said. "Who hasn't? Once you decide, set your face like a flint and go after it. Go hang that picture! Then re-evaluate and see if you want to change the picture from there."

The message here is simple, but unfortunately, many will miss it. I’ll say it again in 3 steps.

1. Make a Decision – Many are trapped in indecision. This is one of the major failure diseases. It’s called Procrastination. I can speak to this one as I joined this Club too early and stayed for too long. 
2. Stop Undeciding – You made the decision. Now make the decision work. In other words, stop doubting yourself. You made a decision. Great job! Decide to stop undeciding. 
3. Do the Work – FOCUS… Follow One Path Until Success. Take action and get it done.

Will you do these 3 steps?

Are you struggling with earning enough as a solo cleaner and you don’t want to hire any time soon? There is a solution. You can become an Optimized Solo Cleaner?! This is a business owner that knows their numbers, runs their business ultra efficiently, and is constantly earning more while working less as a solo. They have peace and freedom in their life. I have achieved this in 2 solo cleaning companies in 2 different states. It’s how I help our industry. The Solo Elite Membership is the only system for you to become the Optimized Solo Cleaning Specialist and not deal with the drama of employees! Make sure to check out all 3 ways to access Solo Elite with prices ranging from $57 to $197/month at smartcleaningschool.com. 

It’s imperative to know your numbers and coordinates, so you always know where your business is on the map of your dreams. In a recent Solo Elite Membership Call, I explained a few vital signs that solo business owners need to track to ensure their business remains healthy and vibrant. Afterward, I dive into a topic which is infrequently discussed in our industry. What is your cancellation rate? How do you limit damage and lost income throughout your clientele?

Are you struggling with earning enough as a solo cleaner and you don’t want to hire any time soon? There is a solution. You can become an Optimized Solo Cleaner?! This is a business owner that knows their numbers, runs their business ultra efficiently, and is constantly earning more while working less as a solo. They have peace and freedom in their life. I have achieved this in 2 solo cleaning companies in 2 different states. It’s how I help our industry. The Solo Elite Membership is the only system for you to become the Optimized Solo Cleaning Specialist and not deal with the drama of employees! Make sure to check out all 3 ways to access Solo Elite with prices ranging from $57 to $197/month at smartcleaningschool.com. 

There is a prevailing mindset in the cleaning industry that the only way to be successful is to scale with a team. This is simply not true. Have you ever heard of the Optimized Solo Cleaner? I am the voice in the industry shouting out that scaling is amazing, but there is another way.

In a recent Solo Elite Membership Call, I encouraged the members that they are on the right path. They don’t have to listen to those other voices. They can set a goal to earn a solid full-time income while working part-time as a solo. Others can work all the time and earn well over six-figures.

​Are you struggling with earning enough as a solo cleaner and you don’t want to hire any time soon? There is a solution. You can become an Optimized Solo Cleaner?! This is a business owner that knows their numbers, runs their business ultra efficiently, and is constantly earning more while working less as a solo. They have peace and freedom in their life. I have achieved this in 2 solo cleaning companies in 2 different states. It’s how I help our industry. The Solo Elite Membership is the only system for you to become the Optimized Solo Cleaning Specialist and not deal with the drama of employees! Make sure to check out all 3 ways to access Solo Elite with prices ranging from $57 to $197/month at smartcleaningschool.com.