“Where are all the good employees?”
Sooner or later most of you will hire an employee(s). Much of the time your new hire will be an unmitigated disaster! SFS member John Mapes shares a great hiring tip…
employees
Leadership: Hard to pin down?
What can you learn from a 100 year old race to the South Pole or more recently on Everest? How can the leadership styles displayed there affect your business? Read on…
Avoiding the “Mirror Test” in hiring employees
Too many of us hire with this criteria: 1) Blow on this mirror. 2) Is the mirror fogged? 3) Yes? Great- you are hired! Steve analyses the moral, ethical and financial implications of hiring the wrong person.
Skills to be a better business owner (Part III)
Chuck’s wrap-up on being a better business owner. By mastering the executive skill-set you will give yourself a big advantage in leading your company to success.
Frustrated with the “new” generation of employees?
It may be the most common lament from SFS members- “These young people don’t want to work like I did when I was young!” True … AND False. Big Billy shares two expert views of the “Millenials” entering the workplace…
“Breaking bread” brings your team together
People hire on with you for you for a pay check. (Duh!) BUT they stay long term because they “buy in” emotionally to the family atmosphere and shared vision you have created. Read on for how to do it …
Donley Services “cleans up” in St. Louis!
A savvy St. Louis entrepreneur checks in with a progress report for the SFS team and shares some resources with all of us …
The advantages of an “on-site” VAST seminar
SFS graduates are eager to turn their companies into fine-tuned Cheerleader making machines! BUT how can you get the average tech to “buy in” to your new vision? Jeff Cutshall has the answer …
American Airlines files Chapter 11- so what?
American Airlines was once the largest airline in the world and it now is struggling to survive. Anyone that has flown them over the past year could see the signs- in the AA employees! So can you learn an important lesson from AA’s sad example?
One tech or two on carpet cleaning trucks?
Nothing (with the exception of how to price your work) will get carpet cleaners more agitated than the eternal question of one person versus two person crews. Steve explains why he came down somewhere in the middle …
“How can I get my techs to maintain their service vehicles?”
Growth brings its own set of challenges. At the top of the list is teaching your techs to restock service vehicle. What options does a small operator have?
Great managers keep great employees
A departing employee will tell you, “I’m leaving for more money”. But normally salary is just the excuse. So HOW can you keep your employees long term?
Will a partnership help me grow my carpet cleaning business?
An Idaho cleaner is in between hiring his first employee or forming a partnership. Uh-oh! Time for another one of “Steve’s rants”!
The power of your “Positive Reflection”
Make it easy for your workforce to enchant the home owner. And yes, appearances DO matter! With this simple technique you can remind your people to see themselves through the eyes of their customer.
“The surprising truth about what motivates us”
Most cleaning business owners believe that their workforce would perform better if only they could pay their people more. In other words, better monetary rewards = motivated employees. Motivation guru Dan Pink reveals why this is a flawed assumption.