As society moves into the era of the internet of Things, with a heightened awareness of once ambiguous processes, there has been a recent explosion of connectivity at work, and more is certain to come. The commercial cleaning sector is not exempt from this transformation, and in fact, some Building Service Contractors (BSCs) are effectively pulling their customers into this integration process.
In many cases across the professional cleaning industry, distributors sell and cleaning contractors buy what can be termed “commodity” products. Commodity products, in this case, are essentially similar products that cost and perform about the same no matter which manufacturer makes them. This can apply to paper products, chemicals, many cleaning tools, and equipment.
According to a 2012 study by the Freedonia Group, a market research group based in Cleveland, Ohio, revenues for commercial and residential contract cleaning companies are expected to rise nearly five percent annually and reach more than $68 billion by 2016. One big reason for this projected growth, specifically in the commercial side of the industry, is an improving economy.
If the walkthrough involves several cleaning contractors, get there early. This may give you an opportunity to get to know the client and for them to get to know you. Be careful asking “personal” questions. For instance, it is really not your business who is currently cleaning the facility now, so don’t ask. Also, unless they volunteer their cleaning budget, most clients would prefer you do not ask them how much they have budgeted for cleaning.
