The December 13, 1999 CPI Free Weekly Online Newsletter set us out on a business journey that brought us to a fork in the road.  At the fork in the road we were forced to make a decision: to go one way to the Land of Status Quo, or the other way to the Land of Mission Fulfilled.

          The road to Status Quo was easier and required little or no effort.  Everyone could comfortably and conveniently keep doing what he or she had always done with no requirement for improvement.  After all, change means stepping outside our comfort zone.  It means going into strange and uncharted territory.  It means putting forth extra effort.  And really, who wants to do all of that?

          The sad consequence of taking the easy road to Status Quo is finding a barren wasteland at the end--a place of unfulfilled expectations and forgotten dreams.  Status Quo is a place no business owner wants to be, but sadly it has become the final resting place--the graveyard, so to speak--of many, if not most businesses.  It’s the place where businesses that fail to plan end their journey. 

          In our December 27, 1999 newsletter we experienced one of the challenges of taking the road to the Land of Mission Fulfilled, our destination of choice.  We discussed how we can keep our customers happy with process improvement,  the secret of doing things better, faster, and cheaper. 

          Process improvement requires making decided changes in the way we conduct our businesses.  It focuses on customer needs rather than on our own desire to do what is easy.  Process improvement requires continuous change—always looking for better, faster, and less costly ways to serve the customer. 

          In our January 4, 2000 newsletter we got out “The Roadmap for Business Success” and discussed in greater depth how companies achieve competitive advantage through customer focus and process improvement.  We saw how, in order to achieve world-class levels of customer satisfaction, businesses must move away from the traditional management style toward the desired state.  We then enumerated six transitional stages for arriving at a culture in which a service and quality improvement mentality can be adopted company-wide.

          In our January 11, 2000 newsletter we discussed the importance of developing leadership competencies to arrive safely at our destination.  Passion and humor, two of the nine main leadership competencies, were considered.   Those qualities along with seven other competencies are taught in the CPI Business Development Program that will be discussed at length in this newsletter. 

My Special Offer to You

          At this leg of the journey I am going to make a special offer to those of you who are serious about improving your businesses and who sincerely want to arrive in the Land of Mission Fulfilled where your businesses will become everything you want them to be.  Right now many of you are slaves to your businesses.  Isn't it time your businesses become slaves to you? 

           To help you safely arrive at your destination within the next one to three years, I am going to make you a special offer.  For those of you who are sincerely interested in improving the profitability, productivity, and managability of your businesses, I am offering to work closely with you for as long as you need help.  This is a limited offer, because I can spread myself only so thin. 

          I will work with only three businesses in each market area.  The three businesses will be different sizes.  One will be a start-up or small company with up to $400,000 in annual revenue.  The second will be somewhat larger—we’ll call it a medium-size business—with annual revenue from $400,000 to $2,000,000.  And the third will be a larger business with annual revenue from $2,000,000 to $5,000,000.  We’ll call it a large business. 

          If a large company wants an exclusive consulting and business development arrangement for a market region, that can be arranged, as long as a smaller company has not already requested help in the same market area.  I’ll explain shortly how it works.

A market region will be whatever the three businesses in a specific region determine is their market.  It can be an area with a population of 1,000,000 people, or perhaps 2,000,000 or 3,000,000.  In any event, a market region won’t exceed a population of more than 3,000,000 people.

          This business development program is designed to help your business become highly profitable, organized, and successful.  The program is effective, affordable, and guaranteed.  You may start or stop the program at any time.  If one of the three market areas is available, all you need to do is fill out a request for consultation form along with a needs analysis form  and send them both by fax, e-mail, or regular mail to: Clean-Pro Industries, Inc., PO Box 6350, Portland, OR 97228-6350. 
 

What the program includes and what it costs:

What the business development program includes.
What the program costs.

If, for some reason, you do not want to commit to this exclusive business development program with personal assistance from me, or you feel you don't need the entire program, but need help in certain areas of your business, you may purchase course materials and study on your own at your own pace.  To purchase course materials only without my personal assistance go to: http://www.users.uswest.net/~cleanpro/index13copy.html

Here's what you will learn in the Exclusive Business Development Program:

Module 1
Takes six weeks to complete
Organizational Strategy (Part 1): Getting Your House in Order
Organize yourself and your workspace in preparation to organizing your business—and then stay organized.  Learn how to use time wisely and how to change old habits with a clear understanding of time management principles. 

Module 2
Takes eight weeks to complete
Your Primary Aim: Visionary Leadership
Develop nine basic leadership qualities and learn the actions that competent leaders take.  Bring into focus a clear picture of the business you want to create by clarifying your values, scanning your current situation, defining your mission, creating a vision of the future, and communicating that vision to everyone in the company.

Module 3
Takes eight weeks to complete
Strategic Objective: Charting Your Course
Understand systems thinking and strategic planning.  Plan new direction and growth for your business by concentrating on “top line” improvement.  Build a competitive advantage in the marketplace by developing and implementing strategies that build the business.  Develop a strategic plan document and a plan to implement change in your business.  Learn the purpose of goal setting and opportunities for setting goals.  Understand the relationship between a mission, a goal, and an objective.  Learn how to set goals and how management can negotiate with employees in setting goals.

Module 4
Takes eight weeks to complete
Marketing Strategy (Part 1): Focusing on Customer Satisfaction
Evaluate and improve your current processes to create products or services that are vastly superior to your competition. This advantage allows you to create a large and loyal group of customers who will stay with you for many years.  Learn the secrets of quality customer service.  Identify what your customers really want, not what you think they want.  Establish systems and procedures to deliver consistent high quality products and services.  Develop attitudes, behaviors, and verbal skills in your service personnel to interact successfully with customers and keep them happy.

Module 5
Takes six weeks to complete
People Strategy (Part 1): High Performance Hiring
Develop strategies for effective recruiting, quality interviewing, high performance hiring, compensation plans, and testing methods.  Understand how to manage and establish goals for performance by creating performance contracts.  Write a human resources manual designed especially for your business.

Module 6
Takes eight weeks to complete
Management Strategy (Part 1): Money Management Fundamentals
Develop financial policies and systems to measure your progress, efficiency, and profitability.  Manage your assets and plan for business growth and market expansion.  Learn how to analyze and use a balance sheet and income statement to control your business.

Module 7
Takes eight weeks to complete
Marketing Strategy (Part 2): Attracting a Multitude of Loyal Clients
Master the fine art and science of consultative selling.  Learn the seven emotional needs of your customers, and how to turn objections into sales through a six-step process.  Learn why prospecting is vital to every business and how networking can help you to find new prospects for your business.  Learn the secret of becoming an instant expert and how it can increase your sales.
 
 

Module 8
Takes eight weeks to complete
Organizational Strategy (Part 2): Advanced Business Leadership Skills
Complete a diagnosis of your business to make a planned system-wide change using behavioral science and humanistic values, principles, and practices to achieve greater organizational performance and effectiveness.  Build a team of willing and trained individuals who are united around a challenging common goal and who are empowered to implement consensus decisions.

Module 9
Takes eight weeks to complete
Marketing Strategy (Part 3): Preparing for Accelerated Growth
Market your business cost-effectively; get publicity, public relations and sales results; use advertising approaches that will work best for you; use direct marketing methods to get customers to buy; and to compete successfully in today’s market.

Module 10
Takes six weeks to complete
Management Strategy (Part 2): Management Excellence
Succeed as a leader by effectively communicating, persuading, and influencing people.  Learn how to bring out the best in people.  Develop a marketing management system for recruiting, hiring, training, evaluating, and motivating a winning sales team. 

Module 11
Takes eight weeks to complete
People Strategy (Part 2): Gearing Up Your Systems
Power up your facilitation skills and see an increase in productivity and a decrease in stalemates. Deal effectively with everyone from a shy team member to a difficult participant. Empower employees to do the work and give their best, and then recognize them in meaningful ways.  Apply creative problem solving to change things.

Module 12
Takes six weeks to complete
Marketing Strategy (Part 4): Quality Client Fulfillment
Establish and manage a quality service operation. Determine customer needs, effectively and efficiently meet those needs, and continually measure your service level. Improve your process by looking for a better way and by setting quality objectives.

Module 13
Takes eight weeks to complete
Marketing Strategy (Part 5): High Performance Selling
Apply the secrets of what make top salespeople successful. Learn how to qualify your prospects, and learn the 10 common benefits that will sell your product or service. Know what to say and not to say in a face-to-face sales meeting. Understand the sales process: how to conduct the interview and get the sale, how to respond positively to objections, and how to prioritize your prospects and clients. Close the sale by cultivating trust and building rapport with your sales prospects. Create a favorable atmosphere for sales presentations. Ask stimulating questions to determine your prospects needs. Use a consultative, six-step sales process with closing as its conclusion.

Module 14
Takes eight weeks to complete
Marketing Strategy (Part 6): The Right Message for the Right Market
Develop proven techniques for more confident, enthusiastic, and persuasive presentations. Learn how to reduce anxiety when giving presentations and how to analyze your audience. Build your business using direct mail and direct response marketing. Reach more customers than you ever thought possible. Create irresistible offers your customers can’t refuse. Keep customers coming back and buying more. 
 
 

Module 15
Takes eight weeks to complete
Organizational Strategy (Part 3): Leadership by Letting Go of the Reins
Improve employee morale, lessen the effects of reengineering and downsizing, and create a diverse talent pool within your organization by building leadership from within. Set up a program for systematic succession planning along with benchmarking procedures for ensuring the ongoing success of your plan.  Design a comfortable planning schedule for retirement; live with more style before retirement; make a smoother, more successful transition when retirement arrives; and recognize and adjust to the myths and misconceptions about retirement.

Module 16
Takes eight weeks to complete
Marketing Strategy (Part 7): Refining Your Marketing Strategy
A comprehensive marketing plan is your roadmap to success. You will develop it through market analysis that includes market research techniques. You will carefully and thoroughly analyze your own business, the business of competitors, and the characteristics and needs of prospective customers. Market analysis determines the critical path your small business will follow to identify and secure customers, distribute its programs and services, advertise and promote your business, and allocate personnel and other resources to specific operational and marketing tasks.

Module 17
Takes eight weeks to complete
Management Strategy (Part 3): Increasing the Value of Your Business
Increase the value of your business by involving your employees in building a more productive enterprise. Teach people in your company how money gets made—and lost—and what they can do about it. Encourage employees at all levels to look for ways to make and save money for the company.  Use delegation as a tool for managing organizational change. Develop your employees’ potential while getting the work done. 

Module 18
Takes six weeks to complete
Marketing Strategy (Part 8): Building a Total Quality Structure
Ensure positive bottom-line results by establishing a strong system of values and by implementing the concept of Total Quality Management. Build a Total Quality Culture by promoting ethics and empowered decision making and leadership in the workplace. 

Module 19
Takes eight weeks to complete
People Strategy (Part 3): Increasing Employee Performance
Improve product and service quality at lower costs by helping employees become more productive. Assure their productivity by teaching them how to identify, develop, and implement creative solutions to problems. Learn how to handle 29 specific problem behaviors. Discover why your employees work and how to encourage good performance. 

Module 20
Takes six weeks to complete
Marketing Strategy (Part 9): A Steady Flow of New and Repeat Customers
Win and build good relationships with customers and generate more business ideas to enhance your organization’s image and improve sales.  Learn how to get free publicity and avoid bad publicity. Design an effective, low-cost, high-yield public relation campaign. 

Module 21
Takes eight weeks to complete
Marketing Strategy (Part 10): Peerless in the Eyes of Your Market
Quickly improve customer service skills inside your organization—and see a significant impact at consumer level. Give employees the people skills they need to handle any situation, avoid complaints, prevent burnout, and enhance communications. Know how customers feel about the service they receive.  Evaluate customer satisfaction and make any needed improvements in your service.

What the program costs:

All of the module materials and consultation by telephone are included in the monthly fee.

Small businesses (start-up to $400,000 annual revenue): Monthly fee is $99.
Includes one hour of consultation per month.  If you want the program materials without consultation, the monthly fee is $49.  Modules are sent every six to eight weeks.

Medium-size businesses ($400,001 to $2,000,000 annual revenue).  Monthly fee is $299.  Includes two to four hours of consultation per month.

Large businesses (over $2,000,000 annual revenue).  Monthly fee is $599.  Includes six to eight hours of consultation per month.

Exclusive arrangement for your market area: no other contractor in your market will be accepted into the program.  Monthly fee is $990.  Includes eight to twelve hours of consultation per month.

Enroll in the Exclusive Business Development Program
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Question:
"What do you think about janitorial brokers?  Do they exist?" (From Canada)

Yes, janitorial brokers do exist.  Each broker has his or her own unique way of doing business.  They operate in various ways and have different fee structures.  They tend to be professional sales people who have found a ready market in the janitorial industry.  Some have little or no experience in the actual cleaning of buildings, but are skilled sales people.  Some operate individually, others operate as larger companies that hire professional sales people to find accounts for their clients. 

They charge fees for finding and signing up new customers.  Fees can range from one to four times the monthly billing, depending upon the size of the account.  Mega-size accounts require a special fee schedule.  Some charge a monthly administration fee.  For example, a broker may charge a one-time fee of one to four times the monthly billing.  The fee for a $1000 per month account would be somewhere between $1000 and $4000.  The monthly administration fee of 10% to 20% of the monthly billing would be $100 to $200.  What's left over for the contractor is 80% to 90% of the gross monthly billing, from which all expenses, labor, and profit must come. 

As you can see, a janitorial broker can be a valuable asset when trying to get your business started, or when injecting new life into your business at a time when sales are slow.  But as a steady diet, it would be better to hire your own in-house sales person, or learn how to do the selling yourself.  The best sales person for your company is you, the owner.  It means a lot to a prosepective client to see the owner face-to-face.  With your own sales person you don't have the 10% to 20% monthly administration fee--if charged by the broker-- which essentially eliminates any profit for your company.

Before getting involved with a janitorial broker, it would be prudent to check out the broker thoroughly, provide specific guidelines for selling, and be sure the customer understands who really is the janitorial contractor.  Be sure all contracts with customers are approved by you and your attorney ahead of time and are in the name of your company, not the name of the broker.  If the contracts are not in your company's name, you are simply renting the contracts.  That means you have no equity in the contracts.  You cannot add them to your balance sheet as a capital asset, and you may not be able to use them for helping you get a bank loan.  Talk to your accountant for specific answers to these issues.

For more information on janitorial sales, sales management, and law tips when purchasing janitorial accounts, purchase a copy of Building Service Contracting: How to Start, Promote, and Manage a Cleaning Maintenance Janitorial Service Business.  Go to our book page at www.JanitorialBooks.Com.

For an in-depth discussion on how to avoid legal problems when buying and selling janitorial accounts and other legal  issues related to your business, read Law Tips for Janitorial Services written by attorney Ronald Allen Johnston.  You may go there by clicking on either of the two links in the previous paragraph.

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A number of new readers asked how to get started in construction cleanup. 

They were directed to the February 15, 2000 newsletter.

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Come back to this newsletter later in the week for additions and updates.

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