When writing the business plan, you may forget to include how to keep your business premises clean. But after you open your doors for business, how to clean the premises becomes an issue.
Even when you realize the need to keep your commercial premises clean, the tendency is to look for the most affordable way to do it. Most businesses will make improvised arrangements because they don’t view cleanliness as a vital part of their overall strategy.
Why cleanliness matters to your business
The appearance of your business premises – in terms of how clean it is – can help or hurt your business. The cleanliness of your business space is an enormous part of what creates customers’ and visitors’ first impressions of the company.
Every speck of dust in the office should be considered a threat to the wellbeing of your business.
After working hard to attract customers with your advertising, your office confirms the credibility of your marketing message to those customers.
If the space does not look like the image you portrayed in your message, customers may come, but they will not stay with you. Your business premises is a massive part of your brand identity.
P&G Professional™, in their 2017 Consumer Cleaning Insights Survey, showed that 90% of consumers have a negative opinion of a business if the public places – lobbies, lounges, and restrooms – are not clean.
The report also says that cleanliness is more important to 92% of consumers than the quality of your service or employees.
That is why you cannot afford to put this issue on the back burner. The cleanliness of your office is as valuable as other things that are vital to the enterprise’s success.
You should bring the same level of care and attention you give to hiring employees to the process of hiring a cleaning service.
The cleaning service you use should be a brand that you can identify positively. Customers should view the presence of that cleaning service in your building as a mark of business excellence. Their operation should be such that it does not interfere with but aids customers in using the premises.
If you are looking to improve the overall cleanliness of your business premises, you should look for a professional cleaning service. Here is why that is a great option:
Six reasons your business needs a professional cleaning service
1. Improve your business image
Visitors to your office use cleanliness as a yardstick to judge your managerial abilities. A well-kept business place inspires confidence. If the office is unkempt, visitors will question the competence of the management. If managers cannot do something as basic as keeping an office clean, can they be trusted to handle massive issues?
2. Boost employee morale
The working environment of your staff affects their mood. Dirty and cluttered office spaces interfere with people’s ability to think clearly and collaborate with ease. A clean and tidy office, on the other hand, creates positive feelings that result in all-around better employee performance.
3. Fewer sick days
A professional cleaning service will clean and disinfect the surfaces in your office. High-touch surfaces like stair railings, lobby desks, and restroom faucets facilitate the spread of pathogens. The cleaning company keeps those surfaces clean and sanitized all day long, reducing the risk of your employees falling ill.
4. Reduce exposure to legal liability
A professional cleaning company reduces the risk of accidents happening in your office. The cleaner will remove clutter that increases the risk of slips and falls. They also clean spillages as soon as they happen. There is a lower risk of lawsuits when you use a professional cleaning service.
5. You can focus on what you do best
By hiring a professional cleaning service, you can invest time and money in what matters to your business. You won’t have to invest in expensive cleaning equipment or oversee the work of cleaners. The professional cleaner has adequate training to do the job without any need for supervision.
6. Reduced wear and tear
Dust and debris will wear out your office equipment and furniture. By removing the dirt embedded in the fabric and corners of your office furniture, a cleaning company helps them last longer. Your equipment will be less likely to break down with proper and regular cleaning.
Before you hire a professional cleaning service
Two things to keep in mind when hiring a professional cleaning company are:
- The cleaning company must have enough experience to adapt to the unique needs of your business.
- They must be able to operate in a way that doesn’t interfere with the operations of your business.
Lastly, avoid hiring a company because they are cheap. Choose your cleaning service based on how much training they have, the quality of their equipment, and their experience.