Mingle, connect, grow — but do it with intention!

Building a fantastic network is one of the best ways to generate leads for your cleaning business — if you do it right.

Networking generally falls into two categories:

Unstructured Networking
You grab a ticket (or it’s free), show up, mingle, and see where the conversations take you. There’s no set agenda — just connections and possibilities.

Formal Networking
Groups like BNI have structure, KPIs, weekly meetings, and accountability. You’re expected to show up, refer others, and report results — but the rewards can be huge.

I personally joined BNI and stayed for four years. I held every role in the room, and it was game-changing. I learned how to be a better business owner, stay accountable, and “show up and glow up” every single week!

But before you dive in, let’s look at the pitfalls to avoid and the moves that actually work.

❌ Networking Pitfalls to Avoid

Networking won’t fix a broken business

If you’re struggling with...

If you’ve ever felt frustrated by the lack of quality applicants for your job ads, you’re not alone—and I get it. I see hundreds of cleaning job ads every single day. The truth is, most of them are vague, uninspiring, and missing key information. And that’s a big problem.

Here’s what you need to know: your job ad is not just a notice—it's marketing. It’s your first impression. And if it doesn’t spark interest or connect with the right people, it will get overlooked.

Let’s change that. Here are my top five tips for writing powerful, scroll-stopping job ads that attract the right team members.

1. Start with Your Mission, Vision, and Values

People want to work for businesses they believe in. If your job ad doesn’t include who you are, what you stand for, and why you do what you do, you’re missing the chance to connect.

Include a line or two that shares your mission, vision, and values—this builds trust and helps applicants feel aligned before they even apply.

“We’re passio...

In the fast-paced world of commercial and domestic cleaning, efficiency matters—but so does safety. One of the smartest ways to protect your team and reduce injury risk is by limiting vacuum use to 20–30 minutes at a time. While it might sound overly cautious to some, this approach is backed by occupational health best practices and industry research.

Here’s why this simple guideline can make a major difference in your cleaners’ wellbeing.

💡 Understanding Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) in Cleaning Roles

A Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) refers to damage to muscles, tendons, or nerves caused by repeated motion, awkward postures, vibration, or staying in one position too long. Cleaners are particularly vulnerable, especially during physically repetitive tasks like vacuuming.

Early RSI symptoms can include:

• Tingling or numbness

• Weakness in arms or hands

• Persistent pain or stiffness in the wrists, shoulders, or back

If left unmanaged, RSIs can progress to mor...

When it comes to running a professional cleaning business, few things are as overlooked — but as critical — as how you manage your cloths and equipment. Recently, a member asked a fantastic question in our community:

“Do your cleaners wash their own cloths at home, or do you provide a laundering service? Also, do you provide all staff with equipment, even if they don’t work full-time hours, or do you hold everything at a central point for them to collect at the beginning of their shift?”

This is a brilliant conversation starter—and one that every cleaning business owner will face as they grow. So let’s break it down and explore your options.

1. Cleaners Washing Their Own Cloths: Ownership vs. Consistency

👍🏻 Pros:

Having cleaners launder their own cloths encourages maximum ownership and responsibility. When your team is responsible for the day-to-day upkeep of their kits, they develop a stronger understanding of what’s involved in maintaining professional standards. Cleaner...

As your cleaning business grows, administrative tasks can become overwhelming. Hiring a VA can help manage these tasks efficiently, allowing you to focus on service delivery and business expansion.

💡 Why Consider a VA for Your Cleaning Business?

If you're drowning in admin, chasing leads, answering client inquiries at all hours, or struggling to stay consistent with quoting and rostering—you’re not alone. That's where a Virtual Assistant comes in. They're the behind-the-scenes magic-makers who help you buy back your time.

Whether it's handling emails, scheduling, invoice follow-ups, or even managing your socials or CRMs—a good VA can keep your business humming so you can focus on growth, team culture, and serving clients.

✅ Pros of Outsourcing to a VA Company

• Cost Efficiency: Outsourcing to countries like the Philippines can significantly reduce labor costs. For instance, WrkPod offers comprehensive VA services at approximately US$4.80 per hour, which is notabl...

What Are Allergies?

Allergies occur when the immune system reacts to a harmless substance as though it’s dangerous. This overreaction triggers symptoms ranging from mild to severe. These substances are called allergens.

Where Do They Come From?

• Genetics: If your parents have allergies, your chances increase.

• Environment: Exposure to allergens, pollution, and hygiene habits during early life influence the development of allergies.

• Immune System Dysregulation: Over-sanitization (the ‘hygiene hypothesis’) is one theory — it suggests a lack of microbial exposure can create a hypersensitive immune system.

• Irritants or Sensitizers: Repeated exposure to certain substances (e.g. harsh cleaning products) can cause sensitization over time.

Types of Allergies

🤧 Respiratory Allergies

Triggered by: Dust mites, pet dander, mould spores, pollen, VOC's from cleaning products.

Symptoms: Sneezing, coughing, wheezing, watery eyes, sinus issues.

Relevant Environme...

One of the biggest hidden costs in a cleaning business isn’t wages—it’s travel time and kilometers. I’ve watched many businesses struggle or fail because they underestimated the impact of excessive travel expenses. If you’re paying for travel time and kilometers, you need a clear strategy to keep it under control.

This travel optimization series will walk you through how to reduce travel costs, increase efficiency, and protect your business.

1. Roadside Assistance & Comprehensive Insurance: A Must-Have

If your business pays travel and kilometers, you must require staff to have:

✅ Comprehensive car insurance – To cover accidents that could leave them off the road.

✅ Roadside assistance – To prevent lost hours (and wages) due to breakdowns.

Why? Because I’ve lost thousands of dollars paying travel costs for staff members whose cars kept breaking down or who were off the road for months after an accident. If travel is part of your business, make vehicle reliability ...

It’s easy to say you “support small business,” but are you really walking the walk? Many cleaning businesses unknowingly pour money into big corporations that don’t reinvest in local economies. If you truly want to make a difference and build a stronger, more connected community, here are five ways to ensure your money is supporting real small businesses—not global giants.

1. Choose Small, Independent Cleaning Supply Companies

Big-name cleaning suppliers care more about their shareholders and influencer marketing than they do about you. Most of their products come from overseas, and their profits go right back into corporate expansion. Instead, source your supplies from independent businesses that actually understand the needs of cleaning business owners. Many local suppliers will go the extra mile with advice, bulk discounts, and better quality control. Plus, your money stays within the local economy instead of padding the pockets of multinational corporations.

🤔 Ask ...

In the cleaning industry, it’s common to feel pressure to be “the cheapest.” We hear it all the time:

“Can you price match this?”
“I found it cheaper on another site.”
“Why is this product more expensive here?”

And while we respect every business’s right to make their own decisions, at Start My Cleaning Biz, we need to be clear: we will never aim to be the cheapest.

Not because we can’t be.
But because we won’t be.

The Race to the Bottom 👇🏻

Let’s talk about what happens when we obsess over being the cheapest.

The cleaning industry has become a battleground — not of quality, service, or innovation — but of pricing wars. And what has it led to?
❌ Sham contracting.
❌ Unsafe work conditions.
❌ Underpaid staff.
❌ Disrespected professionals.
❌ Quality corners cut everywhere.

All in the name of saving a few dollars.

This “race to the bottom” hasn’t helped us rise as an industry. It’s helped tear us down.

10 Reasons Being the Cheapest is a Red Flag 🚩

1. It’s Unsustainable
C...

 Let me start by saying this – profit is NOT a dirty word 

💲

You’re not greedy

You are not overcharging

PROFIT is the key indicator of a business’s health

If you are not making money and paying taxes, you are not a business.....

Sole trader or overworked contractor?... probably. Profit is the ONLY place we can grow a business from. For many years I have seen it argued that being value for money and being competitive is important and we could argue all day long about value. It’s so subjective.

Also, do not go saying more cleaning customers means more cleaning profit because if you have lots of cleaning clients and aren’t profitable, it still wont work.

I remember when I realized we weren’t profitable. The staff were paid, weekly bills paid, suppliers mostly paid, we then paid ourselves and lived and spent money on cleaning stuff. Then the BAS came and there was no money, then the super bill and the problem snow balled.

If you have ever been unable to pay your bills...