Contributed by Office Pride
Staffing shortages, specialized training and supply chain issues are just a few of the reasons Jose Bravo has heard behind a recent trend toward more companies outsourcing commercial cleaning services.
It’s led to new business for the Office Pride Commercial Cleaning Services owner in Indianapolis. In recent months, Bravo has inked commercial cleaning deals with a local Coca-Cola bottling plant and the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, to name a couple, and he sees more business ahead as the trend increases.
Those are clients that would typically have their own cleaning staffs, he said. But economic changes in a post-pandemic world have companies seeking outsourced cleaning services.
“They want to increase productivity in the organization,” he says. “That’s their business. Cleaning is ours. With Office Pride, they don’t need to put their time, energy and worry into keeping a clean and safe environment. By hiring us, they have access to the latest information and resources in everything related to janitorial services.”
The growth of the business isn’t unexpected. The market for cleaning services has been growing at a steady rate and isn’t expected to slow down anytime soon.
The contract cleaning services industry is expected to grow from $251.3 billion in 2020 to $329.4 billion by 2026 and have a compound annual growth rate of 4.8 percent, according to the market research report from ResearchAndMarkets.com.
“Businesses worldwide are increasing their focus on making work environments healthier for their employees because a healthy workplace holds significant potential to enhance productivity,” according to the report. “Outsourcing of such space cleaning services also frees a lot of time for organizations, which they can use for strengthening their core business. The two main benefits with outsourcing cleaning services to providers of dedicated services are ease-of-management and cost effectiveness.”
Before coming to the U.S., Bravo ran businesses in Venezuela dedicated to the implementation of telecommunication systems, specialized commercial equipment and the importation of construction materials. The positive market outlook was one of the many reasons Bravo opened Office Pride of Indianapolis-Carmel, which also provides janitorial, cleaning and disinfection services to offices, schools, churches, banks and other facilities.
Outsourcing commercial cleaning for companies is a cost-effective method for companies since they don’t have to invest in equipment, cleaning supplies and personnel, which can be expensive. Instead, they pay the cleaning company a fixed amount that includes all costs associated with cleaning.
“They don’t want to deal with the cleaning because there are several factors involved, like employee turnover, retraining of cleaners, scheduling and things like that,” Bravo said. “That’s the reason they prefer to focus on what they do and partner with a commercial cleaning company.”
At the Coca-Cola plant, Bravo and his team are responsible for keeping the entire facility, including the production floor, bathrooms, offices and floors, clean. The museum job is more demanding, as Office Pride cleans the retail, exhibit and restaurant spaces, along with bathrooms and offices.
“With Coca-Cola, we are the only cleaning crew seven days a week, split in two shifts,” says Bravo. “With the children’s museum, they had a custodial department to cover during business hours, however we help them with staff on the weekends during regular hours. After the museum closes, we have a team of about 20 people who clean the museum overnight so it’s ready for families the next day.”
Professional cleaning companies like Office Pride have significant experience and professional training in cleaning techniques and how to handle equipment and chemicals that are a benefit to companies. They also use advanced cleaning methods and techniques that can ensure a clean and hygienic workspace.
The ability to customize a cleaning schedule that meets a particular company’s needs is also helping to fuel the demand for commercial cleaning services. Some clients select disinfection services by the week, month, season or on an as-needed schedule. That can be based on the demand from employees or customers and can play a significant impact on a company’s success.
Not only will it allow employees to focus more on their core responsibilities for the company, but it will also keep a company’s workforce healthy, increase productivity and improve a business’s public image.