WHAT I LEARNED IN ORLANDO

Well, another ISSA trade show and BSCAI convention has come and gone, this year in Orlando. Next year both events visit Las Vegas.

Lots of new stuff was on display including new robotic cleaning equipment and countless new technology advancements in managing a BSC business. Each year it gets better and better and each year I realize how much I don't know about the technology that is available to help us manage more effectively. 

What I really learned in Orlando was some things never change. In attending the round tables I found people are still wanting to know,

How to I find people that will stay with me? 

Where are the people that I need?

How do I train the people once I have them on board?

What kind of training do I need to do and who should do it?

What can I do to cut down on the high turnover?

Where do I find someone who can sell more business for me?

How do I manage a sales person(s)?

What should I pay a sales person--salary, commission, salary +?

I can't do it all, how do I organize my company?

And the list went on and on. Sound like anything that is happening in your company?

My advice is to tackle one thing at a time. Our last blog discussed what needs to be done as you enter the new year but it is important to remind everyone to address issues that you can solve and get help with those that hold back your progress. 

Whenever I meet with clients for the first time, I start by dividing our sessions into four distinct parts which are, and in the order I have them here. 

Sales--Remember the old saying--"Nothing happens until somebody sells something". It's true isn't it? Without some sales you don't have a company. So how are you going about it? It is critical that you have an organized system for bringing in business that doesn't require the owners time every minute of the day.  Some of you may recall I wrote a book on this subject and will be doing 2 workshops in 2015 addressing selling in our industry. (Commercial: you can register on our home page for one of these workshops--www.consultantsincleaning.com.

Human Resources--Once the sales are brought in the door, HR has to  recruit and hire the people to perform the work. This area most often seems the most neglected and really should be considered one of the most important pieces to the puzzle. Some of you may recall I wrote a book on this as well on how to find, train, and keep GREAT employees. The old methods still work.

Operations--This is where the work has to be done that was sold WITHIN BUDGET. Most operations people tell me that's impossible. Not if everyone is working together in compiling the proposal (not bid). Here is the area that creates the turnover if it isn't organized and systematized. The management part of operations is where we have focused our DVD production as we feel that the distributor and manufacturer have the capabilities to provide the function of teaching the technical part of how to clean. 

ADMINISTRATION--This group has the responsibility to provide the support to payroll, financial statements, workers compensation claims, insurance purchases etc. Obviously, there is much more than I have listed but there are several accounting packages on the BSC market that can help in this arena.

So there we have it. Four distinct departments of a Building Service Contracting firm. Yes some items overlap, especially in the early days but the earlier you begin establishing the different departments properly the easier it will be as you continue your growth. Believe me, it is much easier to do when your company is smaller. 


Orlando was a great convention but I also heard people lamenting over problems that the old timers had 50+ years ago. Technology places a tremendous role in our business today but the job is still done by PEOPLE and how are you working and communicating will you biggest asset. All the technology in the world won't help if you don't have good help and if you don't understand how each generation functions and how you need to communicate with them.

I hope you will start planning to attend next year's event in Las Vegas in October. In the meantime, focus on the four areas above. If you need help just click on the icon "ask Dick Ollek". Maybe we can help. 

Till next time.