Following various social media posts, I notice that one of the most discussed topics in our industry centers around finding reliable employees and getting them to stay. Members of the various groups mention how they use the different recruiting websites or how they target certain age groups, such as over 55 or college students, etc. Most BSC’s report that despite today’s uncertain business climate, with unemployment still widespread, they still struggle to secure reliable employees.

The story of Charles Young Elementary School in Washington, D.C., goes down in cleaning history as one of the most important experiments on how a rundown educational facility can be cleaned and revitalized with several positive results.

Many, many years ago, selling a business was much like selling a home. You struck an economic agreement, the buyer did some due diligence review work to make sure that the numbers were as represented, a final agreement was signed, and then keys and cash were exchanged. The seller...

BSCs play a vital role in protecting the health of our indoor environments. As the primary stewards of a building’s cleanliness and safety, custodial workers are on the frontlines when it comes to battling the spread of infections. While in the past infection control was largely relegated to healthcare facilities, the much-publicized threat of illnesses, such as bird flu, swine flu, and MRSA, has caused an increased demand for more stringent cleaning practices.

If someone handed you a product made with soybeans and cinnamon oil, you’d probably think it was some type of new salad dressing or marinade. You’d likely never guess the product is actually a highly effective pesticide for preventing bed bug infestations.

Heightened awareness, consumer demand and changing regulations are motivating product manufacturers, suppliers, brands, retailers, building owners, and facility managers to eliminate hazardous chemicals and other products that pollute the environment from their buildings and supply chains. This is paving the way for more transparency to encourage businesses to use products and processes that increase safety in the built indoor environments.

In the first installment of this series, we discussed how BSCs can easily set up an employee training area. Before reading that article, some of you probably thought you didn’t have room for a training area, but we showed how one can be set up in a location as small as 100 square feet.