Before I became a successful business owner, I took a lot of different low wage jobs. I left home when I was 15. I dug ditches for two water districts, by hand and shovel, in water and mud up to my knees. I was a busboy, a store clerk, and a salesman a dozen different times. But the job I enjoyed the most in those early days, before turning 21, was when I was hired as the janitor for the second floor of the Santa Barbara General Hospital. Being a janitor changed my life.
My supervisor was a World War II, African-American, former Army Sergeant. He was the best boss I ever had. He taught me how to be an outstanding janitor. In a few weeks, I could keep my floors just as brightly polished as his. I took pride in my duties. Doing an outstanding job made me feel like my life had worth. I was a high school drop-out, and poor; but, I was good at my job. Knowing that, meant a lot to me back then. It still does.
I loved the work; but, I was still struggling every month. By then, I was married and had a daughter. We still needed food stamps to feed ourselves, even though I always had a job. I was walking down a dead-end road, so I started my own janitorial business. – I kept a job. But after work, I would go out and look for cleaning accounts. My first clients were a Good Earth restaurant, and my town’s community center. They each took me an hour a night to clean. And they paid twice as much as my 8 hour a day minimum wage job. – I was hooked!
Here is the KEY to why I became a very successful janitorial business owner: I always had the mindset that I provided an integral and essential service to my clients that was critical to their success. My clients paid me well. I felt a responsibility to provide services that greatly exceeded any service they had hired before. I did many things that were noticed and for which I received praise; and, I did things that no one would know about or notice. I made sure that my cleaning products were Green. I took week-end courses to further my ability to be a better janitor.
In order for employees to maximize their work hours and focus their talents on the work for which they are being paid, they need a clean and safe work environment. It was my duty to provide it.
In order for a business to be seen as professional by clients and potential clients, they must have a professionally clean and tidy office environment. This is essential to their sales and growth. I knew that my services were critical to my clients’ business growth. It was a significant responsibility. — This is the Key to being a successful and “professional” service provider for any business owner. It is the backbone of our successful US Military Maintenance businesses.
If you are a US veteran and would like to become a US Military Maintenance business owner; and if you have a true passion for employing and working alongside other US veterans, then read some of my other posts about this non-profit program HERE. – You can also call USMM owners by clicking: http://usmilitarymaintenance.com/.
If you decide that it sounds like what you have been looking for, and you want to know more, then contact me:
Mark Baird/ [email protected]/ 760-730-3734
