Trusting others to take responsibilities off your plate is vital to growing your cleaning business and taking it to the next level.
In the early days of owning a business, you may feel perfectly capable of running the show on your own. This can remain true for several years, even as your business grows.
However, your time is finite. And there will come a moment when you reach your capacity.
You may decide to pivot your focus to stability rather than further growth once you reach this stage. Or you may have goals that extend far beyond your own capacity.
This can be a big sticking point for entrepreneurs. If you’ve grown accustomed to doing everything yourself, the idea of trusting someone else with your business can be unappealing. But your time is finite. If your business’s growth is limited to what you can achieve with your available time, you will hit a ceiling. You will simply run out of time to pursue high-level strategies for growth.
Delegation is the secret to expanding your capacity and growing your cleaning business. Assistants, office managers, and other support staff can take administrative tasks off your plate. With that extra time, you can focus on strategic moves that will take your company to the next level.
Here are three ways that cleaning company owners can successfully delegate:
Hire an office manager or visual assistant.
For many Launch27 users, this is the first step they recommend for their fellow cleaning company owners who are feeling overwhelmed. An office manager or virtual assistant (VA) can handle administrative tasks and other responsibilities on your behalf. This might include:
- Bookkeeping.
- Contacting customers to collect payment.
- Following up with customers to ask for feedback or testimonials.
- Ordering cleaning supplies.
This person’s workload and responsibilities are highly customizable based on what you do and don’t want to delegate. You may truly enjoy a certain task that another cleaning company owner is dying to outsource. Keep a list of which specific tasks you want to hand off to your new hire.
As a cleaning company owner, you may be wondering, “Should I hire an in-house person or a VA?” That’s up to you. A VA is often less expensive, since you’re not paying for office space. Plus, many Launch27 users hire VAs from overseas, where wages are more competitive. But there’s something to be said for the convenience of having an assistant in your office with you.
If you’re really not sure, check out the Launch27 Facebook group. Group members are happy to share their experiences and will usually answer questions. Plus, many experienced Launch27 VAs are members of the group. If you want to hire a VA, that’s a great place to start.
Consider giving extra responsibility to one of your employees.
You may have someone on staff already who can help lighten your load. Think about your current employees, especially any special or unique skills they may have. This might include:
- Graphic design.
- Writing.
- Data management or bookkeeping.
- Organization.
You may not want to ask all your employees about taking on some additional responsibilities. But you might consider approaching a few of them, especially if they’re reliable and have a good work ethic. Someone may be excited by the possibility of flexing a different muscle and contributing more to the business.
Giving someone extra duties doesn’t mean taking them off a cleaning crew, either. You might cut back their hours slightly to make room for other tasks. Or you might pay them more for the additional work. Either way, make sure your new arrangement works for both of you. And establish clear expectations from the beginning regarding performance and timelines. You don’t want someone’s cleaning to suffer because you gave them too much additional work!
Document and store every cleaning and administrative procedure
Think about all the aspects of your cleaning business that only you understand. Your brain may be the sole storage container for a whole slate of tasks and procedures. If you’re planning to delegate any of those things to someone else, you need to write them down.
Thankfully, this doesn’t need to be an overnight project. Start making notes as you carry out the various tasks you want to outsource. Write down every step and all the necessary details or quirks someone will need in order to be successful. Over time, you can turn those notes into brief how-to guides and organize them for someone else to use.
This may seem cumbersome, but it can save you a lot of time in the long run. The best office manager or assistant in the world can’t read your mind. They may have a lot of questions for you in the early days of taking on your work. With a little foresight, you can include most of the answers in your guides. This will save you from constant interruptions, especially in the beginning.
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The moment you embrace the possibilities of delegation can serve as a real turning point for your cleaning business. By trusting others with just a handful of tasks, you can free up your time for higher-level strategy.