What It Takes To Be A Cleaning Consultant

This is continuation of an article regarding the possibility of becoming a consultant/trainer in the custodial field. The principles apply to other subjects but we can personalize it a bit by focusing on the BSC (Building Service Contracting) industry. Following are a few questions and suggestions to consider:

1. Have you conducted any market research to determine the need/interest for the subject matter you want to cover? Simply announcing that you are going to train on a specific subject may not work is there is not a real market for it in your area.

2. Have you identified the profile of persons interested in this subject? For instance, someone who wants to learn how to strip/recoat/maintain a hard floor may be totally different from a veteran floor care expert who wants to learn how to market his/her skills.

3. Have you written a manual/pamphlet on the subject that covers the basic steps you want to cover in your training? This is important since it will force you to focus on key topics, consider total area to cover and clarify what your end goals are for this subject.

4. Do you have access to a meeting/training room that can accommodate the population that may attend? Oftentimes you can partner with a local distributor/vendor who may have access to such space as well as sample tools and equipment that they can use for demonstrations. Example: the difference between a swing machine (175 RPM) and a battery power autoscrub unit.

5. Have you considered how to market your workshop to those interested? In fact, you may need to consider the impact of YouTube, FaceBook and the many other social media available today for promoting yourself. 

6. Have you counted the true cost in time and resources to make this venture successful?

If you feel that you have something to contribute to the industry, then by all means proceed. Good luck and keep me posted on your progress. 

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.