I recently heard from someone that was new to the cleaning industry and was struggling with bidding. Add to that, the property they were bidding on had some flooring issues that needed to be addressed.

As we discussed in a prior article, the floors have not been maintained properly and you will need to get the prospect to decide whether they can live with it or are willing to pay for an initial clean up that would include stripping/remove as much of the old finish/seal/wax build up so that the surfaces can have a true clean appearance. I encourage you to educate the prospect on the fact that shiny is not always best and that some of the floor surfaces are not designed for traditional water based floor finishes. Using the wrong product can not only create future expenses but also create slip/fall hazards and certainly an unclean appearance.

As to how to bid this opportunity, I have two suggestions. First, simply ask the prospect what he is current paying for the services being rendered and offer to maintain the facility for 30-90 days with a scheduled review meeting to discuss altering the specs or charges once you get a handle on the actual hour’s necessary for this contract.

The second idea is to determine how many direct labor hours will be necessary for all the tasks involved. I have several past articles on this topic and suggest you check them out as well as other information on this site. Even though you may be performing the work you should develop a BLR (burdened labor rate which includes wages, benefits, insurance, overhead, etc.) that you would have to expend if you paid someone else to do the work. Remember to factor in equipment, chemicals and other supplies. If possible, get the prospect to cover consumable supplies such as toilet tissue, paper towels, hand soap, etc. even if you deliver it.

Your comments and questions are important. I hope to hear from you soon. Until then, keep it clean...

Mickey Crowe has been involved in the industry for over 35 years. He is a trainer, speaker and consultant. You can reach Mickey at 678-314-2171 or CTCG50@comcast.net


posted on 2/19/2016