Summary

Ray and Joel discuss networking with both larger and smaller businesses in the cleaning industry.
Joel advises not to shy away from talking to competitors at networking events.
By engaging with competitors, businesses can find opportunities to refer work that doesn't fit their scope.
Joel shares an example of a company specializing in dialysis units that refers unrelated work to others.
Joel's company benefits from referrals by being a mid-sized company in Rochester, able to handle work others can't.
They discuss the importance of networking even with smaller businesses as they can refer work to each other.
Networking is described as "co-operative," where businesses run parallel without direct competition.
Joel highlights the importance of knowing who's in your industry and geography for mutual referrals.
The conversation includes an example of a company specializing in restorative work that complements janitorial services.
Listeners are encouraged to contact Joel for further advice via comments, his website, or the office phone number.

Networking with Companies Bigger & Smaller

Episode 81

Networking is an indispensable tool for businesses of all sizes, including cleaning companies. Whether you’re a small startup working out of your garage or a well-established mid-sized company with a dedicated office space, the power of networking cannot be overstated.

The dynamics of networking with commercial cleaning companies both larger and smaller may not seem obvious at first. But let me ask you to consider something. Do you believe cleaning company owners bigger than you have fewer concerns? It might surprise you that the bigger your company gets, the more it requires management. AND with that size and scope the more valuable good business networking becomes to the owners & managers!

Counterintuitive Networking

In my humble opinion, the importance of engaging with your competitors cannot be overstated. At first glance, this might seem counterintuitive. Why talk to your competition? Won’t they pump you for information? Won’t they think you’re doing the same thing? In some cases, yes. So YES, be careful. I also think that developing a relationship with those companies is vitally important for YOUR growth!

The most compelling reason? Mutual benefit.
By understanding what other companies specialize in, you can create a referral network that serves both parties.

For instance, if a company specializes in medical cleaning, they’re likely to decline work outside this niche. That means, without having an avenue for helping that prospect, they’ll simply say “no”. But if they know and trust you, a call to them can become an opportunity for YOU. Once you’ve developed a platform of trust, hey can refer clients to you for jobs that fall within your scope. Conversely, you can send specialized work their way, which I would encourage you to do! Each of these steps works to ensure both businesses thrive by focusing on what they do best.

Networker, Consultant, Business Owner

As a cleaning consultant, I’ve had the great pleasure to help owners across the United States and some abroad. As a mid-sized commercial cleaning company owner in Rochester, New York, I collaborate with both larger and smaller companies. Larger companies, or the “big boys,” often have specific criteria for the jobs they take on. While these guidelines ensure they stay om their sweet-spot, they also filter out work that doesn’t fit for them. By knowing their parameters and the people guiding them, I can act as a funnel for BOTH of our companies. That’s not betraying either company. Rather, this type of highly focused networking allows me to collect, direct and refer with confidence. This type of applied networking knowledge elevates the value of my company and my professional relationships. And it can work for you, too. Understanding the criteria that fit for companies bigger and smaller in your region is incredibly valuable. But that knowledge means nothing if you lack the people-skills and connections. If you want to know more about developing those skills, contact me here. As a cleaning consultant, I’ve had the great pleasure to help owners across the United States and some abroad. As a mid-sized commercial cleaning company owner in Rochester.

Real Networks Demand Cooperation

With much thanks to the First Robotics organization, “cooperatition” emphasizes the concept of competition and cooperation. This approach encourages businesses to view their peers as potential partners rather than simply rivals. By understanding who else operates in your industry and geography, you can build a robust network that supports mutual growth. This is especially relevant in niches like restoration work or window cleaning. These types of cleaning companies are perfect examples of that that can share clients without overlapping services.

For those new to networking or feeling hesitant, I suggest starting small. Engaging with peers in industry mixers or chamber of commerce events can open doors to fruitful partnerships. The benefits of networking extend beyond immediate business gains; they foster a community of support, knowledge sharing, and shared success.

Finally, networking within the cleaning industry is about building bridges rather than walls. Whether you’re a small player or a mid-sized company, there are opportunities to connect, collaborate, and grow. By embracing this expansive mindset, you can enhance your business’s reach and resilience, ensuring a cleaner, more connected future. Looking for more? Contact me here, or better yet, subscribe, comment and share our podcast!

 

This Week’s Podcast transcript can be found below.

 

00:08 Ray
Joel.

00:09 Joel
Yes Ray

00:11 Ray
We are back together today, and we are talking about networking with businesses that are both bigger and smaller than you.

00:14 Joel
We got the big and we got the little.

00: 19 Ray
We’re talking to cleaning company owners. Where do you point them? I mean, some of these folks are not natural networkers to begin with.

00:26 Joel
When they go out and start networking, say they go to a chamber event where you can have an array of different companies and multiples of companies. And you go there and you realize that, Hey, there’s five other cleaning companies there. Instead of running away from them, talk to them because…

00:43 Ray
Wait, wait, wait, wait. Talk to your competition.

00:45 Joel
Talk to your competition.

00:46 Ray
Why?

00:46 Joel
Why? I’m glad you asked.

00:49 Ray
I’m so glad I asked, too.

00:50 Joel
When I can talk to my competitors, I find out a lot about them. In all the years that I’ve been working in this industry, there was one company years ago when I worked for a very large company. All they did was specialize in dialysis companies. So, they would just clean dialysis units, and that was it. Because it’s a very specialized cleaning because of what they’re dealing with, the salts and things like that. So, whenever they would get a call outside of that scope, they wouldn’t do it. And they would just tell a potential customer, “Oh, we don’t do that. They would ask, Well, who do you know? And um, nobody.” And they’d hang up the phone on them. So why would I not want to work with a company that’s doing dialysis? I don’t particularly like doing those types of jobs. So, if someone were to call me about those, I could refer that work back to them. Because they’re going to give me the type of work that I want. Sure. Now, in the Rochester area that I’m in, I’m not one of the big boys. I’m also not one of the little boys.

01:42 Joel
I’m a mid-range company here in Rochester. So, I actually have a company that I work. Anything that falls outside of their realm, if it’s not five, six or seven days a week, they do not clean it. They will not even entertain it. And any one-offs, meaning, hey, a floor care, a carpet care, a construction cleanup, if they’re not a current client, they’re not going to do the work.

02:01 Ray
So, can I come back on that one? Yes, sir. I’m going to make sure that we framed it. Individual projects, a floor cleaning, a floor burnishing, a construction cleanup. I realize that’s a longer piece, but it’s still a one-off piece. Yes. Or cleaning two days a week.

02:15 Joel
They won’t do it. I had worked with their sales manager years ago at another company. So, he naturally trusts me, believes in me, so he refers that work to me. Anything that’s outside of their realm of work, he will give that client my name and phone number and email, as well as me a text message and say, expect a call from John Doe from ABC Company. And this is the number they’ll be calling from.

02:37 Ray
Okay, so to put a tag on that company. That’s probably one of the big boys. They do some really big projects. It’s five days a week or nothing. We don’t do one-off. This is our formula.

02:47 Joel
Correct. They do a lot of marketing to draw stuff in. Anything that doesn’t fit in what they do, they will reach out to me. I’m sure he reaches out to other people. But hey, I know he reaches out to me.

02:57 Ray
Okay, now back to the cleaning company owner. Mid-sized in their city, shy marketer. They’ve entered the chamber of commerce mixer. They’re already out of their element. And you’re urging them to go talk to their competitors or the folks that are in their industry. We’ve already talked about the big boys. Why should they go talk to them? They have some great opportunities there. Others that are either like them or smaller than them. What do you tell that owner now?

03:24 Joel
Well, even the small ones. So I’m a mid-size company. I’ll talk to the little people. I was one of those little people. They’re working out of their homes. They’re working out of their cars. I have clients or people that call me that are looking for that type of company. Because I have overhead and I have a building and I provide benefits for my staff and I pay a living wage and all that. I am out of the realm for a lot of companies that will call me. So, now I have someone I can refer to them. Also, they sometimes will get calls and look at a job and say, There is no way I can do this job. Well, if I’m funneling them work, guess who they’re going to look at when they know that it’s outside their realm? They call me. So, I’m getting referrals from both ends into the middle.

04:01 Ray
There’s a phrase that occurs to me. This came along when my sons were involved in robotics. They called it “cooperatition”. (There you go.) You have these folks who are running parallel to you/ Not necessarily in competition. (Correct.) Having a grasp on who’s working in your industry within your geography, is tremendously important.

04:20 Joel
Exactly. We even interviewed a few episodes ago, Valerie Mederski (now Valerie Simeone) from Refined Restoration. (She was a ball.) She was a ball. All she does is restorative work. If there’s a fire, a flood, mold, mildew, lead abatement, those types of things. But she doesn’t do janitorial work. So again, like type companies, I work with window cleaning companies. They don’t do janitorial work, but they’ll do windows. We often share the same or similar clients. So again, building your network through the use of other companies who have contacts to help grow your business.

04:51 Ray
So, for our owners who are listening and they still need some encouragement, maybe they need some structure. How should they contact you?

04:57 Joel
Oh, they can contact me by leaving a comment on this podcast, or they can go to my website, docsfs.com. There’s also my phone number is up there for the office 585-413-0574. They can reach out to me that way.

05:09 Ray
Fantastic, Joel. Thank you.

04:59 Joel
You’re welcome.