Cleaning deep into facilities is often a one-time job or a regular task that happens periodically either on a set schedule or as-needed.
Cleaning school buildings and offices usually involves deep-cleaning of the floors and/or the carpets, and during the summer or during the holiday season, when work traffic is light. Deep cleaning may mean things like upholstery cleaning or washing walls. In offices, that means doing carpet or window cleaning. In industries and manufacturing plants, deep cleaning could involve cleaning machines, floors, or even a dust collection system.
Setting up your project for success includes many steps that you should take to ensure that the work will be successful.
Whatever kind of deep-cleaning job you’re planning to do, follow the five keys to achieving success.
Plan carefully and make sure you know what needs to be done and who is going to do it. Identify what materials, labor, and equipment you will need. Have a backup plan in case everything doesn’t go as planned. Allow a little extra time to do all the necessary work before you start the project. If it takes longer than expected, you will be the one who knows what will happen next.
Plan ahead for problems that might occur. Coordinate with other departments, contractors, and suppliers. Know when to contact key contacts in the event that there are problems or when someone needs additional support.
Staffing: You can easily overstaff a project by 20–5 percent. There will be some employees who don’t show up to work or who are forced to leave early. If no one is ready to start the job immediately, have a list of extra work to do that will allow you to divert additional people. You can always cut back or ask staff members to come in later if you don’t need them, but hiring people on short notice will slow down the process.
Budgeting: Estimate the cost of the work you plan to do. Before you start the job, make a list of what you will need and what you will spend on labor, supplies, and equipment. It will help you to avoid cost overruns due to unexpected costs and overtime.
Set the cost before you start the job.
This will save you money in the long run. Use the basic budgeting techniques to set the price for each of your jobs.
Add a service charge for your time and materials. This usually runs between 4–8 percent of the total cost, but could be as high as 25–35 percent, depending on what you are doing. Do not forget to include profit and overhead in your project estimate. Put those costs in your estimate of the time needed to complete the project.
Add up the cost of labor and supplies, plus add a fixed rate for that job. Add the cost of your employees, materials, and equipment, plus profit and overhead, and you should have the number you need to bid the job. Labor costs usually amount to 55–80 percent of the overall cost of a job, depending on what you’re doing or the services you provide. Cost of supplies range from 4 to 12 percent, and the average cost of equipment should be from 2 to 5 percent. If there isn’t enough room to include profit and overhead, you will have to add those items to your cost estimates. If the customer wants to buy only square footage, take the total cost of the job and divide it by the square footage that will be purchased.
Now, you need to come up with a rate that burdens you for each hour that you work. That price should include everything you need, including the profit you would receive if you won the job. You can do this by taking your actual labor costs and doubling or tripling them. When bidding on a small job, you could use a general approach in which you say what you will cost each employee and supply them with all the cost of their labor and supplies. When bidding on larger jobs, you will need to be more specific. When you are bidding on an hourly basis, have a minimum charge for a worker and a vehicle that covers your costs of mobilizing the workers and materials needed.
It’s important that you give good advice to your clients before you end your business.
If you don’t know your costs, don’t even start bidding on a job. When you start your bidding process, have all of your ducks in a row to ensure that you can bid on a project successfully.
