To Clean or Not to Clean!

Change can be painfully slow.

It has been for me and, perhaps it has been for you as well. It might be another reason why you're reading this.

I've wanted to move on from my cleaning business for some time. It seems, the harder I try, the harder it gets.

There are a few roadblocks that I'm encountering in my efforts.

For starters, I've never had a customer sign a contract for any given term of engagement. I've always operated on the belief that if my team and I do a good job, we will have a customer for a long time. This is true and demonstrable in that, we have retained some of our regular office cleaning customers for 20 years. All without a written contract!

I hear those with commercial cleaning businesses saying, you need a signed contract. Why? Because, contracts give your business value beyond goodwill.

The arguments for the signed contract scenario are;

* Value beyond goodwill

* Increased sale value of business

* Better chance for obtaining business finance when needed

* Security

I guess I've learned something from all of this, having ignored contracts as a part of the quoting and onboarding process for new customers has effectively left me with an almost unsellable business. Or, at best, a business which will possibly sell at a much reduced, "goodwill" dollar value only, plus plant and equipment and an old Mercedes Benz Vito van!

So what to do next? I've often stated in my written quotes that we have "no lock in contracts". A good reason why, given the reduced risk for the customer, though, long term, not good for me or future transitions or, as is the topic of this blog post, the Sea Change transition.

My wife and I often discuss how we can remedy this situation. Perhaps we can sell rounds? Perhaps we can just sell the business for less? Maybe we should just employ more staff and hire someone to run the business while I play my new game? Then, being the softy that I am, I don't want to upset or offend my established customer base. Would it upset them though?

Would I be upsetting them if I asked for contracts (even basic) after all this time? Do I say it's for finance application purposes to add security and certainty from the viewpoint of a potential lender? ... and then, a year later, sell the business for what it's worth? Some would say, that's business! personally, I can't help but feel that if I did, it would somehow be dishonest or with motive unexpressed.

Hmmm! Perhaps I need to change my whole way of thinking when it comes to "Business".

What's interesting though, is that I recently removed vacate cleaning from my scope of work, essentially to buy a little more time to create blogs, work on writing projects and take a breath! Working physically virtually seven days a week had begun to feel like a prison sentence!

The first week after making the decision to retire from vacate cleaning, I found myself pacing around, wondering what to do with my new found time. That was merely a short-lived phenomenon. The figurative vacuum left was quickly filled with more commercial cleaning customers, quotes and a brief trip away!

I must admit, I'm sleeping a little more and getting over the guilt of no longer serving the domestic real estate industry with much in demand, vacate cleaning services.

My next challenge is setting aside enough time to blog and write each week. Who wants to hold me accountable to a weekly blog post?

Further to the above, I have oodles to learn about my new found craft. Actually, no, I just have to do it and improve though doing. Simple!

Have you go your own story to tell?

Would you like to comment on my post?

Perhaps you can throw some light on my situation with reference to the cleaning business and my transition away from that industry and into writing, blogging and You Tube?

I'm going home now to have a beer and salute all of you Sea Changers out there!

The wagon full of cleaning gear.

(I left the Vito at home)