Everyone's career has to start someplace.  Some are born into their life-long work, others are influenced by teachers, friends, or acquaintances to take up a vocation.  Why would anyone choose to spend the next three decades cleaning up after other people?  That's really what cleaning maintenance is all about.  Why would anyone want to do that for the rest of their working life?

What aroused my interest in the cleaning maintenance industry was watching friends and relatives start small janitorial businesses with relative ease.  What they usually lacked was business experience and sales expertise; nevertheless, they were able to start small thriving businesses.  With my own background in sales and trade journal publishing, and some past experience working part-time for two janitorial companies, I decided it was time to start my own business.

After an attempt at starting a carpet cleaning business, I quickly realized it would be much better to obtain steady monthly janitorial accounts rather than rely on carpet cleaning customers who used my services only once every six months or so.

First Business

In 1968 I started my own company, Farmer's Cleaning Service, and within a few days landed my first janitorial customer, then my second, third, fourth, and so on.  Within a few months I had a dozen accounts, almost entirely from word of mouth--from references and referrals.  My customers were recommending my service to other companies, and my friends were referring names of potential customers.  I also tried direct sales, mainly telephone sales and walk-in sales as I drove through business districts looking for companies that would need my services.

There was an abundance of potential business, but very little industry information to help promote, operate, and manage a business.  I decided to develop my own systems for business growth and success.  Soon others were suggesting that I publish my ideas in book form to share with other aspiring entrepreneurs.  In 1976 I began Clean-Pro Industries as a side business to help business opportunity seekers and other janitorial companies improve their operations, sales, and management systems.

That's how it all began.

As mentioned, my cleaning maintenance experience dates back to the 1960s.  These past thirty-three years have given me the opportunity to learn every aspect of building service contracting.  I have been owner of my own fast-growing successful janitorial service business, taught sales and sales management to other contractors, developed employee training programs, conducted numerous janitorial business seminars, published books and manuals, and published two newsletters including an online newsletter.  My cleaning maintenance and janitorial service resource center is located on the internet at  http://www.cleanproindustries.com.

Consulting, Publishing, and Sales Experience

I Have Had the Opportunity To:

1.    Develop strategies for subcontracting and develop formulas for determining the market value of janitorial businesses that are for sale or being considered for acquisition

2.    Promote janitorial business opportunities

3.    Teach new business start-up strategies

4.    Develop  workloading, estimating, and bidding formulas

5.    Prepare individual proposals with annual revenues of more than two million dollars

6.    Negotiate single contracts with annual revenues from a few thousand dollars per year up to a million dollars per year

7.    Help contractors grow and expand their business operations

8.    Completely organize clients' work space and record systems

9.    Prepare business plans

10.  Provide consulting, assistance, training, manuals, and business books for approximately two thousand business owners in North American and a number of foreign countries

11.  Help a number of contractors, through various stages of business development, to grow from small home-based businesses with one or more small accounts to become multi-million dollar companies with hundreds of employees.  Some of my clients have become the largest, fastest growing, and most successful building maintenance contractors in their regions.

A Word to New and Established Cleaning Contractors

Clean-Pro Industries, Inc. offers a six-module fast track self-directed business learning program. The modules include: (1) Organizational Development, (2) Sales and Marketing Management, (3) Administration and Financial Management, (4) Human Resources Management, (5) Customer Service and Quality Management, and (6) Team Building and Supervision.

Now is the time to take advantage of the resources available through Clean-Pro Industries, Inc. All products and services are Effective, Affordable, and Guaranteed.  You have nothing to lose by at least giving them a try.  A good place to start is with Clean-Pro Industries' number-one selling manual Building Service Contracting, or with one of our Business Development Courses.

If you are interested in building a large successful business in a relatively short time, I strongly recommend that you become a CPI Business Development Member and receive a web page, listing of your business in our national/ state/ city directory of cleaning maintenance contractors, free consulting, assistance preparing bids, discounts on additional products and services, and much more. Membership is the fast track to success.

Janitorial and cleaning service business books are available on the Book Page.  Software is available on the Software Page. Videos are available on our Video Page.

How to Find a Cleaning Contractor In Your Area

To find a cleaning maintenance contractor in your area, please go to our Members' Directory Page.

Thank you for taking a few moments to read our story, and I wish you good success in your own business!

Forrest L. Farmer
Publisher and President

Building Service Contracting Experience Since 1968
The Original Clean-Pro

Clean-Pro Industries, Inc.
PO Box 6350
Portland, OR   97228-6350

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