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.
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.
The late 1970s and early 1980s saw the birth of what soon became a phenomenon in the professional cleaning industry: the janitorial broker. A janitorial broker is someone who bids on the cleaning needs of all kinds of properties, from restaurants and schools to commercial office buildings, with the goal of securing the contract for cleaning these facilities.