That old saying, "What goes up, must come down" is not true about everything, especially when it comes to gas prices. No matter if you have buildings you clean that are miles apart or you're just making a trip to buy supplies, the more miles you get per gallon of gas means more profit for your cleaning business. Most gas stations charge about the same for gas, so comparison shopping for the "best deal" is not necessarily a good option. However, there are some practical tips you can use to get better gas mileage for your cleaning company's vehicles.
1. Keep your car tuned up, tires properly inflated and the wheels aligned. You can save at least one mile per gallon by keeping your car in top shape.
2. According to studies done by U.S. Department of Energy, nearly four million gallons of gasoline could be saved nationwide each day for every one pound per square inch (psi) of tire under-inflation, compared to the mileage if ALL vehicle tires were kept inflated to the manufacturer's recommended pressure.
3. Remove excess weight. An extra 100 pounds in your vehicle can reduce your miles per gallon (MPG) by up to 2%. Make sure you remove any unnecessary items and store them at your office.
4. Avoid excessive idling. Idling gets 0 miles per gallon. Cars with larger engines typically waste more gas at idle than do cars with smaller engines. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates approximately four million gallons of gasoline are wasting each day by the 145 million passenger vehicles that are sitting there idling five minutes. Even in cold weather, modern engines do not need excessive warm-up times. Save gas by avoiding excessive warm-up time.
5. Drive sensibly. This means slowing down and avoiding quick speed ups and slow downs. Driving 55 mph as opposed to driving 65 to 70 mph can get you up to 20% better gas mileage. A general rule of thumb to remember is that for every mph you drive over 60 mph you are paying an 20 to 25 cents per gallon for gas.
6. Plan trips wisely. If you have several buildings to clean make sure that your route does not include backtracking. If you are doing several errands, picking up supplies or meeting potential clients, make plans so you can combine all of your driving into one outing.
7. When driving on the highway keep your windows closed. This elimates air drag. You can reduce your mileage by up to 10% if your windows are open when driving at high speeds on the highway.
8. Air conditioning is a big fuel consumer. It can reduce your fuel efficiency by 10 to 20%! Think twice before turning on your vehicle's air conditioner.
9. If it all possible, avoid driving during rush hours. The added starts and stops of rush hour traffic will cut into your gas mileage.
10. Anticipate merging traffic and stoplights and decelerate and accelerate smoothly and slowly. Also, when approaching hills, start accelerating before you get to the hill rather than waiting until you are actually driving on the hill.
11. Turn off your engine without revving it. There is no added benefit and it revving your engine wastes gas.
There is little you can do about the rising price of gasoline. But you can help your cleaning company cut its mileage expenses by following the above tips. Don't throw your profits into your gas tank!
Winning those first few sales is one of the toughest challenges you'll face when getting your new cleaning business off the ground. Some prospects may be uncomfortable working with a new business owner. They may be interested in your services, but feel you don't have the experience they're looking for. Part of their insecurity may be a trust issue -- they may feel more comfortable working with a cleaning company who has a proven track record. So how do you gain the trust of new customers?
First you might ask them what it would take to make them comfortable, and then work with them to accommodate their request. Perhaps they're looking for testimonials from other satisfied customers. If you don't yet have any customer testimonials, then think about whom you could ask for a reference. If you've worked in the cleaning industry, then a previous supervisor might be happy to give a reference and testify to your work ethic. Are there people in the buildings or homes you cleaned that commented on what a good job you did? Contact them to ask for a testimonial.
Next you want to build a relationship with the prospect. Don't look at them as simply sales prospects. It usually takes more than one "touch" with the prospect to build a relationship and gain the sale. It all starts with the first contact in the company, which may be the gatekeeper. Find out her name, call her by name, and see if you can get her to open up about how she feels about the current cleaning service. You might be surprised at how much she'll reveal. Once you've opened up that line of communication, she just might become your advocate, especially if she's not happy with the current service.
Avoid making common closing mistakes. Just because the gatekeeper seems excited about getting a new cleaning service, don't assume it's a sign that you'll actually get the account. You still need to close the sale with the decision-maker. By asking the right questions, you should be able to close the sale with ease. Consider the following before trying to close the sale:
* Find out if they have a budget. You want to have this information early on so you don't waste time with a prospect that is interested but doesn't have the budget to hire you. Otherwise you could get to the point of closing the sale only to find out they don't have enough money in the budget to pay your price. If you do find yourself in this situation, you may be able to salvage the deal by reducing some services to get the price down.
* Ask lots of questions and answer in a way that shows the value they'll receive if they hire your cleaning company. For example, ask what concerns they currently have about the cleaning in their office or home. Note: do NOT ask specifically what they dislike about the currently cleaning company -- let them offer that information to you. When they share their concerns, let them know how easily your company handles that situation. Also let them know what you do to go above and beyond their expectations. Perhaps you keep a communications log at the reception desk so you can communicate daily with the client.
* Address their objections to their satisfaction and if possible, address these objections before they have a chance to bring them up. Some people may like everything about your company, but if there's one objection that you didn't address, it could cost you the sale. If you find out that their only objection is that they feel your company is too new, then you might be able to convince them that they'll have the honor of being one of your first customers. As a new business, you have a vested interest in making sure they're happy with your service, so be sure they understand that you'll always under promise and over deliver.
Once you get those first few sales under your belt, your confidence will soar and before you know it you'll have prospects who are seeking your services because of the reputation you've built.
Steve Hanson has sinced written about articles on various topics from Cleaning Business, Business Plan and Home Appliances. Steve Hanson is co-founder of TheJanitorialStore.com, an online community for owners of cleaning companies. Sign up for Trash Talk:Tip of the Week at