Do You Know your SOWs, RFPs, and the RFIs?

When a new management company took over the controls of a mini high-rise condominium building in Chicago, one of the first things the new manager did was review the current agreements the building had with its different vendors. What they discovered was the following: Most all of the same vendors had been servicing the building …

TESLA Awards Client BGM New Three Year Contract

Contract Maintains Janitorial Services for Automaker, While Supporting BGM’s Local Workforce San Jose, CA (March 19, 2018) – Tesla has awarded a new three-year contract to Brilliant General Maintenance (BGM) for continued janitorial services across the company’s Bay Area offices and facilities. BGM, an SEIU-affiliated janitorial company, has been a supplier for the Silicon Valley-based electric vehicle and sustainable …

Avoiding “Lamp Post Errors” When Submitting Bids

San Mateo, CA – One of the best ways to understand why a cleaning proposal was rejected is to simply ask the customer. But very often, if the bid was submitted as a result of a request for proposal (RFP), customers will not or cannot share this information. So, in an attempt to figure out …

The Best and Worst Times to Cold Call

San Mateo, CA – Marketing has changed. Many jansan professionals market their services by finding ways for the customer to come to them.  This is referred to as reverse marketing. However, Ron Segura, president of Segura & Associates, who helps cleaning contractors and other jansan industry professionals build their businesses, says, “we must remember that …

What Not to Say to a Customer

The following was published in Cleaning Business Today When marketing cleaning services or working with a current client, there are some words and phrases used that are just no longer appropriate. What happens is they can cause a conversation to make a wrong turn, and that is something we want to avoid. “Fortunately, many of these words and …

Cleaning for Time vs. Cleaning for Health

This article was first published by the Cleaning and Maintenance Institute Cleaning professionals are under more and more pressure to perform their duties as quickly as possible. This is happening in a variety of settings, from the cleaning of commercial office space to schools to hospitals and hotels. And, during a time when our industry …

The Next Turing Point in Professional Cleaning

The following article was first published in ISSA in May 2016 For most custodial workers, the use of green or environmentally preferable cleaning products is now a daily fact of life. The turning point for green cleaning occurred a good decade ago, in the mid- to-late 2000s. So if green cleaning has become old hat, …

Proof of Performance in the Retail Setting

If you, a contract cleaner, were asked what is the most essential tool you need to clean a retail facility – a store or even a mall – what would you say? Might your answer be, an automatic scrubber? Plenty of mops and buckets on hand? Maybe lots of warning signs, allowing you to block …

Ways to Reduce “Anniversary” Job Injuries

San Mateo, CA – Many studies indicate that during the first three months on the job, new workers have an increased chance of having a job-related injury. This applies to workers in most all types of workplaces, including custodial workers. However, according to Ron Segura, President of Segura & Associates, which helps contract cleaning companies …