Once your small business grows from working out of your garage to a commercial space, you’ll need to hire a commercial or office cleaner. Most people may Google ‘local office cleaner’, but this option can lead to hassle, confusion and more work for you. You want to avoid any extra headaches when focusing on your business growth and success.
We’ve listed below five common mistakes business owners make when they are looking to hire a commercial cleaner like Cleanfocus.
Cheapest is not always best
Budgets are always lean and cash flow in a state of careful balance when running a small to medium business. It may be tempting to go for the cheapest option, but this can be damaging in several ways. Firstly, there is an ethical question. Are you paying minimum wage? Is your cleaner being exploited? Do they have the proper rights to work in Australia? Also, if you are paying little to your cleaner, you are likely to get a person who won’t do the best job for you.
Not conducting reference checks
Reference checks may not seem important, after all, it’s just for a cleaner, right? Wrong! Think about it. You are letting a person into your commercial premises, usually after hours when staff aren’t around so it’s important to trust your office cleaner. You’ve worked hard to start up and run a successful business, so it pays to remove any risk of damage to property, equipment or even in worst cases theft. Take twenty minutes out of your day to call and collect reliable references before you employ a cleaner to enter your business.
Check Hours Allocated
Make sure that you are getting a comprehensive cleaning service for the hours worked. For example; how do you know your cleaners are working for the full allocated time? Is there a checklist of items to complete daily, weekly, monthly? Do a spot check now and again to keep your cleaning team honest and build a relationship with them. An engaged and happy cleaner will always do a better job for you.
Where Is Your Waste?
When you walk into your business each morning and smell the fresh air and see the clean surfaces before you, do you think about where your garbage bags have gone? If not, you should! Some cleaners dump everything in the landfill and general waste, even your carefully sorted paper recycling! Ask your cleaner how they separate and dispose of waste and make sure they are sending it through the proper waste channels.
Green Cleaning Products
Some commercial cleaning products, particularly cheap ones, can be toxic, trigger lung conditions and be abrasive to the skin. As a business owner, you want to take care of your staff, the cleaner doing the work and the planet, so ask to see the cleaning chemicals used. Choose non-toxic and paraben-free chemicals to ensure a safe and healthy workplace and reduce the negative impact on the environment.
Avoiding these five common mistakes when hiring a commercial cleaner can save you time and money which is far better spent on your business!
