The biggest risk in a contractor-based business isn’t bad work but getting held hostage.
In the early days of our cleaning business we only worked with a few contractors. It made sense when we were small. But as the business grew, we kept the same agile team.
But that's when the issues popped up.
They requested more pay for the same work, they pushed back on tasks, they made demands that put us in a tough spot.
Decreased margins, cancelled cleans, etc. It was kind of ugly.
Our cleaners were advocating for themselves. Good for them, bad for the business. Our operation was pretty much held hostage by the people we relied on the most.
Today we have 35 fully vetted and trusted cleaners. Do we need 35? Probably not. 15–20 could probably cover everything.
But I never want to be in that position again.
The lesson: if you work with contractors, never stop interviewing. Never stop building your bench. Don't let your business be fully dependent on a small number of people.
I put together a 5-part series on how to find, interview, and hire the best cleaners for your business. You can get the link for the videos here!
Until next time!
Logan
