Day cleaning has become very popular in recent years, and the stereotypical image of the solitary janitor mopping down a long, dark hallway may soon be a thing of the past. Making the switch from a nightly cleaning service has many potential benefits, but as with any major change, there will be some bumps in the road that you should prepare for.

Experienced building service contractors (BSCs) are well aware of all the changes that have occurred when it comes to selecting professional cleaning products, tools, and equipment. At one time, the only option for buying professional cleaning chemicals, commercial vacuum cleaners, and other tools and equipment was to shop at a local facility maintenance (FM) distributorship.

In our industry today, we hear a lot about benchmarking. I have attended several conferences, where people asked me questions like, “Who are you benchmarking with?” and “What are you benchmarking?” My company performed benchmarking and learned a great deal from it.

A few years back, I heard an interesting quote related to my line of work as a merger and acquisition advisor, and it has stuck with me, perhaps more than any other. First, some context: I was in a closing involving the sale of a client’s business. The client, by all accounts, was a very successful businessperson that had started, built, and sold numerous businesses.