Business please HELP!

[No Mess With Jess]

Hi All, 

Its been a while since I was on here as work has been manic- but I need some advise from the people who have been running their business for a few years plus!

I have 1 star employee, who may be considering leaving - he has said the workload is a little too much and he is worried about the hours dropping in the winter (due to rain/snow). I will make every effort to make his job easier and more manageable as he is a star employee. 

Does anyone else run there business with employees on the ground working? Do you just have 1 staff member? I find that with just 1 staff member, my whole business relies on him and that he doesn't quit, when he does - I have to find someone new and re-train and re teach the round. its too much hard work!

Do you think it would be better to have two staff members at one time - maybe go in the van together and split the hose (1 does front, one does back)??

I would really love any suggestions on this matter - how to help current employees, how to recruit new ones, how many to recruit, how do you run your business regards to staffing?

My business is growing rapidly, I also off gutter services and house cleaning - and my phone doesn't stop! which is amazing - but I need someone to do the work on the ground as I have a 4 month old baby. 

 

[Part Timer]

Can you explain the second paragraph, specifically the worried about the workload and the drop in hours. This reads, to me, that he is on some bonus scheme. 

 

[No Mess With Jess]

Hi. Sorry I meant to say that because the buisness is getting so busy, the workload is getting too much for him. He has about 14 jobs a day at the moment. And he struggles with it. 

He is worried that the hours will drop in winter as when it rains and snows, he cannot work. So will be less hours and less wages for him. 

Hope that makes sense. 

He is on a reward scheme, but that it just something I do as an employer. 

 

[Paramount Cleaning Service]

Depending on the winter we have his workload shouldn't drop to much the problem i am seeing and don't mean to sound disrespectful is your business is relying on 1 member of staff and with what you've said it sounds like he wants he has to get or he will leave it's your business and you need  and up to you how you run it maybe a second employee would help even part time . I would be looking at how to change the hold he has on your business

 

[Nudel]

If you value him that much, pay him even though the weather is bad and he can't clean. That should keep him around.

If you find it troublesome to work that much, turn the growing down. Have your guy start his own company and rent him instead. One guy on here built his business around renting out cleaning vans, and suppling some work instead of hiring staff.

Stop doing extras, get rid of the worst paying customers, up you prices and make yourself a top of the line window cleaning round you can easily do in 3-4 days a week on your own.

Way, way less headache, pretty much the same money.

 

[Iron Giant]

I think he might be scared of the cold and wet, as the weather can be no worse throughout the winter, days are shorter and that's the real impact on an achievable target not so much the weather. I have just started finishing before 4 pm this week in prep for the reduced daylight ahead due to taking on a lot of work this year.

I am sure you know what is achievable with your jobs and if you have been a good employer as you have mentioned then I am sure something can be sorted 

 

[No Mess With Jess]

Thank you all. So good advice in there. 

I can't do the work myself at the moment as I'm on maternity leave. I have over 250 customers and its growing quick, so I may need to get another staff member in anyway. I think I'll hire two, then I'm never dependant on one person like people have said. 

The idea of a rain/snow wage is interesting. Maybe a set lower pay could work..... Something I'll have to think about and see if its worth it, or just finding someone new. Thanks for that suggestion. 

Has anyone ever done a split hose before where two people can work at the same time. Else I would have to invest in a new van which I can't afford at the moment. 

 

[Nudel]

Has anyone ever done a split hose before where two people can work at the same time. Else I would have to invest in a new van which I can't afford at the moment. 

Tried it, but you don't get very good pressure. Better off to buy a second pump, controller and reel which shouldn't be too expensive.

Or you could buy a backpack and do a simple trolley system.

 

[Paramount Cleaning Service]

alot of guys run a split hose round our way 1 guy has 3 so you should be ok depending on your set up

 

[scottish cleaning service]

Expect your house cleaning business to become even busier, growing industry.

 

[No Mess With Jess]

Yes the house cleaning service will get busy quick I suspect, we are eco friebdky also and make our own 100% natural products also. 

 

[scottish cleaning service]

Yes the house cleaning service will get busy quick I suspect, we are eco friebdky also and make our own 100% natural products also. 

I heard the house cleaners in Fort William are charging £35 an hour to do the Airbnb flats. Very hard work cleaning the inside of houses, I don't thing I could do it for less than £30 an hour.

 

[Skxawng]

I heard the house cleaners in Fort William are charging £35 an hour to do the Airbnb flats. Very hard work cleaning the inside of houses, I don't thing I could do it for less than £30 an hour.

Wow, across the country house cleaners earn an average of £7.27 pH!

The good cleaners around here are earning £10ph. Didn't realize it was possible for cleaners to earn that much. Where have you heard that?

My mrs will be interested as she's a domestic cleaner (does a good job but she's fast and efficient) and we're considering a move to the west Highlands.

 

[Skxawng]

Do you think it would be better to have two staff members at one time - maybe go in the van together and split the hose (1 does front, one does back)??

Two people working together generally aren't as efficient as one. Depending on how compact the work is.

The cleaning time at best will be halved but the travel time will now be wasting 2 persons time. It's not too bad if there's a decent chunk of work and you start at opposite ends of the street and work towards each other (avoiding tangling hoses).

It does have benefits though, as only one van and tank are needed.

Two working off a split hose is horrible! Did it for about 2 - 3 months until I could get a second pump and reel set up.

When one raises the pole the pressure drops and the other gets more.

When one turns off the water, the other gets double, usually as you're just being careful around a vent!

You're tied to each other and always getting in the way of each other and holding each other up.

It's very inefficient.

Better by far to have a seperate pump and reel.

Even one working out of the van and another with a backpack would be better with less outlay.

 

[PureShine]

Have you thought about 1 bursting full time round being split into 2 part-time, then push each part time round to 2/3 of a full round, put them on those hours to reflect being 2/3 full, but then you have them covering each other. So basically 30hrs a weeks instead of 40hrs. Only you can do your maths to see if this will work for you financially.

I dont think itd work either way with your current guy as hes already said worried about less hours through the winter. If he leaves and you end up taking someone on again it may be worth it. Bonus system for going over their contracted 30hrs, so youre liable for paying less hours each week but still can get them to cover each other and they get the bonus, make sure its a good bonus otherwise they wont want to do it.

Iv never employed, but rather than full time rounds this is how id like to do it when i do

 

[Iron Giant]

Wow, across the country house cleaners earn an average of £7.27 pH!

The good cleaners around here are earning £10ph. Didn't realize it was possible for cleaners to earn that much. Where have you heard that?

My mrs will be interested as she's a domestic cleaner (does a good job but she's fast and efficient) and we're considering a move to the west Highlands.

£10ph around my way as well mate, as with us no doubt certain jobs will have to be priced higher as a deeper clean may be required and the Air BnB might be a one size fits all as there are some scruffy people about of all classes who expect to leave holiday lets a mess  

Stick to Yorkshire mate there are some funny ones over the border ?

 

[Iron Giant]

Yes the house cleaning service will get busy quick I suspect, we are eco friebdky also and make our own 100% natural products also. 

Do you mean you are using plant-based cleaning products ? , My wife and I switched to plant-based cleaners a good while ago for around our home bewilder's me how people can use the big name brands as they knock me sick I can't stand chemicals at all as a rule. 

 

[No Mess With Jess]

Hi. No I mean that I make our products at home using essential oils, white vinegar, bi-Carb etc etc..... So it's all natural and good for the environment. Plus it's much better that using toxic products like bleach.

 

[Iron Giant]

Hi. No I mean that I make our products at home using essential oils, white vinegar, bi-Carb etc etc..... So it's all natural and good for the environment. Plus it's much better that using toxic products like bleach.

Ahh I see my wife has made her own up over the years as she has used oils for almost 18 years for various things, We now use eco egg concentrated for a general purpose spray 

 

[Part Timer]

Hi. Sorry I meant to say that because the buisness is getting so busy, the workload is getting too much for him. He has about 14 jobs a day at the moment. And he struggles with it. 

He is worried that the hours will drop in winter as when it rains and snows, he cannot work. So will be less hours and less wages for him. 

Hope that makes sense. 

He is on a reward scheme, but that it just something I do as an employer. 

If the weather is bad and he can't work in it then, I think, you still have to pay him so he shouldn't be financially disadvantaged. Unless the jobs are widespread and the houses very large, 14 jobs a day doesn't sound excessive to me. I think @Teaboycould give us a better insight on this topic as I know he enjoys sorting out winter issues with his staff. 

 

[Teaboy]

Your relying far too much on him which is what the actual problem is..,

How you sort it depends on his contract with you

All my staff as a rule of thumb work as a 2 man team 5 days a week.

At a rough average of £14 a house that would be about right for 1 man but If he’s the only person that works your window customers what do you do and more importantly why does he need you???

All my staff need me as much as I need them we are much greater as a team than as a individual.


Sorry if that doesn’t help I’ve been awake 2 days so ask any specific questions and I’ll try to answer best as I can


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If the weather is bad and he can't work in it then, I think, you still have to pay him so he shouldn't be financially disadvantaged. Unless the jobs are widespread and the houses very large, 14 jobs a day doesn't sound excessive to me. I think [mention=2396]Teaboy[/mention]could give us a better insight on this topic as I know he enjoys sorting out winter issues with his staff. 

Purely depends on contracts our staff work always something to do with fee paying or just sorting admin etc in all the times we have run staff have had 1 day off in week because we had nowt


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