Body language is considered an “unspoken language” and most people are surprised to realize that the majority of communication is through body language. As a business owner who is trying to sell cleaning services, it’s important to be able to read the body language of your prospective customer. If you notice that your customer has his arms crossed and isn’t maintaining eye contact, then you know you’ve got a problem.

Here are some basic body language characteristics:

Positive:

• head is up or tilted
• shoulders square
• erect posture
• firm handshake
• smiling
• eye contact
• open arms
• feet flat on floor
• hands in lap or at side

Negative:

• head down
• shoulders dropped
• slouching posture
• weak handshake
• no expression
• no eye contact, shifty eyes, rubs eyes, eye roll
• crossed arms
• hands in pockets or fidgeting

If you’re talking with your prospect and she suddenly folds her arms across her chest and starts shaking his head "no," you’d better make a move fast. You might want to try going back and picking up where the conversation took a turn for the negative and see what you can do to change things back to a positive direction.

What have YOU learned about reading body language? Post your thoughts by clicking on the Comments link below.

Cozgroovy Green Cleaning Services, LLC is an exciting company servicing the Madison, Fitchburg, and Verona communities. Cozgroovy prides itself on providing clients with a spotless, sparkling home without harming the environment with toxic chemicals and cleaners.

We use only environmentally friendly products that are safe for your home, your family, your pets, and the Earth.

FREE in-home estimates
(608) 206-6059
cozgroovy@yahoo.com
References Available
Insured and Bonded

Our service is 100% guaranteed. We are not satisfied until you are.

It’s our pleasure to be of service to you.

Cozgroovy Green Cleaning Services, LLC is an exciting company servicing the Madison, Fitchburg, and Verona communities. Cozgroovy prides itself on providing clients with a spotless, sparkling home without harming the environment with toxic chemicals and cleaners.

We use only environmentally friendly products that are safe for your home, your family, your pets, and the Earth.

FREE in-home estimates
(608) 206-6059
cozgroovy@yahoo.com
References Available
Insured and Bonded

Our service is 100% guaranteed. We are not satisfied until you are.

It’s our pleasure to be of service to you.

Many cleaning business owners have intentions of running a commercial cleaning business but struggle with getting started. They find it easier to get residential cleaning clients, so in order to get some cash coming in quickly, they start out doing residential and slowly move into commercial cleaning.

If you have a cleaning business that does both commercial and residential cleaning, you've no doubt struggled with running both at the same time. After all, residential cleaning is done during the day and commercial cleaning is primarily done at night. Plus, residential cleaning is business-to-consumer, whereas commercial cleaning is business-to-business, which means your marketing efforts will not be the same, nor will your customer service issues. Not to mention you’ll have two different cleaning crews to train.

The way you receive your income is different too. One reason people like residential cleaning is because they are paid immediately, which means good cash flow for the business. Commercial cleaners must invoice their customers for a month’s worth of cleaning. The trend for invoicing has changed however, as more companies are invoicing at the beginning of the month rather than at the end. It helps the cash flow considerably, but they do not receive immediate payment the way residential cleaners do.

Residential cleaning can be somewhat more stressful in that you are dealing with homeowners, not business people, and you are cleaning where they live – their personal space. They can be much more critical of the cleaning that takes place in their home – perhaps letting you know that something is slightly out of place, or the pillows weren’t arranged properly on the couch.

The cleaning itself tends to be more detailed and your cleaning staff will be dealing with antiques and valuables that they won't typically find in commercial buildings. They can also have major obstacles like grease filled kitchens, rust stained bathroom fixtures, and pets. In addition, schedules change often without notice, lockouts occur, dogs left loose, etc.

Productivity is slower in a home than in an office, so if you cross-train employees for both jobs you may run into problems. That is because residential cleaners want to clean everything they see, whereas in commercial cleaning, some things are cleaned on a less-frequent basis.

Adding residential accounts to your commercial cleaning business (or visa-versa) can provide your company with another income stream, but it is challenging to run both at the same time. Begin by entering the market slowly and hire a separate cleaning crew for each segment. You’ll also need separate training programs and supervisors for each segment. It may not be easy, but it is possible. The key is to put good systems into place and hire the right people to help you succeed.

Do YOU do both residential and commercial cleaning? How does it work for you and what are your challenges. Post your comments by clicking on the Comments link below.

The recession has his business hard and cut-backs have been inevitable. The logical start to cutting out unnecessary costs may seem like cutting out office cleaning and indeed that has been the case for many UK businesses. A recent survey of 1,000 workers by support service firm resource showed that 2 in 5 firms have cut back on office cleaning and other maintaining services since late 2008 when the economy began its biggest downturn.

However this shouldn’t be the case, not least because of your personal welfare, as research figures indicate that an increase in sickness absence correlates with businesses that have cut back on cleaning their offices. Which shouldn’t come as a surprise, since a lack of general cleanliness invariably leads to a spread of germs that cause illness.

Esther Wassmann, managing director of Resource GB, said: “Understandably, businesses are looking to reduce overheads, however neglecting proper cleaning and maintenance will only add to the cost of sickness absence during the recession.” And went on to stress the responsibilities managers have to protect employee wellbeing.

While the spread of germs is entirely invisible to the human eye, general clutter and mess isn’t. Half the participants’ polls said they had become conscious of what clients would think of their offices as the result of cleaning and maintenance cuts.

Wassmann also asserted that: ”Legally, employers have a duty of care to provide employees with a safe working place, so the fact that so many people consider their workplace unsafe and their colleagues dangerous is very worrying.”

The studies go to show what some businesses take for granted: a clean and tidy office. Because without it, businesses can suffer in terms of staff health and a loss of credibility from potential and current clients – which are in many ways, absolutely priceless.

Another point that should be highlighted from this study is that despite economic downturns certain services can not be avoid or reduced. Take office cleaning for instance, what would new prospects think if they walk into a messy office with papers all over the place, desks cluttered with dust and all sorts of things. What would you think if you were to hire a service from someone that is not capable of organizing its on work place? Exactly, you wouldn’t right?

Use this article as an reference next time you are thinking in cutting down costs and avoid make the mistakes many make. Some services are essential for the well being of your company and its work place.

One of the most frequent questions we get from new cleaning business owners is, "How do I market my cleaning business?" Many say they've sent postcards, dropped off flyers and put an ad in the paper but nothing is working!

The problem is, none of these methods of marketing are really targeting anyone, and doing something once does not get anyone's attention unless you happen to catch them right at the moment they need to find a cleaning company.

Who is it you want to work with? What gets you excited as you drive around town looking at buildings (or homes if you do residential cleaning). Do you want to clean every dentist office in town? Do you want to clean for all the million dollar homes in a particular subdivision? This is where to start with your marketing plan.

First decide who you want to work with, and then start making your Wish List of at least 25 prospects who fit the profile. Let's use the dentist offices as an example. Start doing your research on all the dentists in town, and get the names of the decision makers. Now make a plan for marketing to them and make it happen. If you call on the phone and get turned down, don't give up. If you send one postcard, don't stop there. Make a plan for multiple "touches" to reach your prospects and don't give up at the first "No". "No" either means not yet, or you haven't given them what they need to say yes!

Creating Wish Lists of potential customers gives you the opportunity to create a plan for marketing to the clients you most want to work with. If you continue on the path of "hit and miss" marketing, chances are you won't move your business forward any time soon.

Have you started YOUR Wish List yet?

Could dirty office carpets be costing you money? If your cleaning service skimps on carpet care, they might be. While it may seem far-fetched, studies show that improperly maintained office carpets can contribute to absenteeism and decreased employee productivity.

Just like they do in your home, carpets in the workplace contribute to the overall quality of your indoor air. Why does indoor air quality matter? Poor indoor air quality can be responsible for some very serious health effects including dizziness, nausea, headaches, fatigue, respiratory illnesses and inability to concentrate – not exactly a recipe for maximum productivity.

Individuals with weakened immune systems, allergies, asthma or other underlying respiratory conditions are particularly at risk, but anyone can be negatively affected by poor air quality. And not only can office air quality impact your employees’ productivity; it can also have a cumulative effect, contributing to more serious illnesses that could cause your employees to miss work.

While most commercial cleaning services focus on visible surface dirt, many ignore the dust, mold spores, bacteria and allergens that can be harbored deep within the carpet’s fiber. Each time someone walks across the carpet, those irritants are re-dispersed into the air. Following are just a few of the most common contributors to poor indoor air quality and their associated health effects.

Office Mold

Mold spores can be present in your office carpet even when no mold is visible. For some people, even a small amount of mold can cause health problems. Mold spores in the air can contribute to inflammation, allergic reactions or even infections – some of the most common symptoms associated with mold exposure are cough, nose and throat irritation, eye irritation and headaches.

Dust Mites

Although most people are aware of the potential health effects of dust mites in the home, most of us never consider the potential for dust mites in the office. Whether in your home or in your workplace, just one square yard of carpet can be home to over 100,000 dust mites. And unfortunately, vacuuming alone is not sufficient to remove them. Dust mites can cause allergic reactions such as eye irritation, runny nose, sneezing, coughing and skin problems. In some people, such as those with asthma, more severe symptoms can occur.

Other Allergens

Try as we might, we can never completely avoid bringing allergens from our homes or the outdoors into our places of business. While it’s not uncommon to remove one’s shoes when entering a home, not many offices take kindly to sock-footed employees. Allergens – like pollen and pet dander – are tracked inside on your employees’ shoes and worked deeper and deeper into your office carpet as your employees walk around. Continued exposure to these allergens can contribute to the development of chronic conditions such as asthma, bronchitis and sinusitis.

So what can be done to improve the air quality at your office? While regular removal of surface dust and allergens is important, deep cleaning your office carpets is also a necessity. If your office is on the ground floor, most experts recommend a professional cleaning every three to six months (more often in high dust conditions). If your office is on an upper floor, your carpets should be cleaned every six to 12 months.

As the environmental movement gains steam and green ideas are becoming more and more mainstream, natural and renewable materials are gaining popularity with builders and home buyers alike.

Many popular flooring types raise serious environmental concerns. Most carpet is made from nylon – a petroleum-based product – and its manufacture requires the excessive use of fossil fuels. Vinyl, another widely-used flooring material, is also petroleum-based. Furthermore, neither carpet nor vinyl is biodegradable, making landfills the only option for their disposal.

But the trend toward natural, renewable building materials goes beyond environmental responsibility. Many consumers are becoming aware of the potential health benefits of natural materials. There is growing concern that some types of standard flooring – including popular nylon carpets – may create a health hazard for home and office inhabitants thanks to chemicals used in their production and the methods used to install them.

While many longtime homeowners may assume that upgrading to green materials is cost-prohibitive, renewable flooring options are becoming more affordable and more widely available. And because of their popularity with home buyers, particularly young families, green floors can actually add value to your home and help to distinguish it in a crowded real estate market. Following are just a few of the most popular renewable flooring options.

Environmentally Friendly Flooring Types

Bamboo

Both eco-friendly and attractive, bamboo has become a popular alternative to hardwoods. Because bamboo grows quickly and is easy to replenish, it eliminates the deforestation concerns associated with wood floors. Bamboo also has several other benefits. First, it’s extremely strong and durable, making it a long-lasting option for even very highly trafficked areas. Second, it’s versatile – there are a wide variety of colors and finishes to choose from. Last, bamboo flooring is exceptionally cost-effective thanks to its wide availability and ease of installation. For these reasons, bamboo is quickly becoming the hottest trend in hard floors.

Wool Carpet

Although the vast majority of carpets manufactured in the U.S. are synthetic, there is a high-quality natural alternative. While sometimes hard to find, wool carpet is a safe, renewable alternative to petroleum-based nylon. And although wool can be a bit costly, it offers a soft, natural feel and loads of aesthetic appeal. Wool is also naturally soil and stain resistant, making it relatively easy to care for and particularly resilient.

Recycled Carpet

A recent and rather surprising addition to your eco-friendly flooring options is recycled carpet. Inexpensive , colorfast and, according to several manufacturers, more durable than virgin fiber carpet, recycled carpet is a win-win for the environment. Usually made from recycled plastic soda bottles, recycled carpet helps to keep non-biodegradable materials out of landfills while providing a flooring material with great looks and resiliency. Recycled carpet requires less energy than nylon to manufacture, and no special installation is required. While recycled carpet is not as widely available as nylon, expect it to become more popular in the coming years.

Yes, Cozgroovy Green Cleaning Services is still in business!!! I can’t believe it’s been just over a year since my last entry. My, how time flies!!! I must apologize for not keeping up with it.

I’ve been too busy cleaning which leaves me no time for blogging

Update coming soon…

Here’s what current Cozgroovy Green Cleaning clients are saying about our services:

“Your strength, stamina, and patience will be legendary! We have not stopped marveling at how good the house feels… and realize that it has never been THIS clean. It certainly wasn’t this clean when we moved in…. We are all feeling the peaceful happy feeling of a good green clean!”

- Anne E.

“(Cozgroovy Green Cleaning) is professional and trustworthy.

- Shannon D.

“Cozgroovy is so much better (than other cleaning services)… no comparison! You do such a fabulous job! I love my house after you’ve been there. It even smells great.”

- Cathy C.

“Cozgroovy cleans better, way better… (with an) overall thoroughness of cleaning…. Jessica does a great job.”

- Angel M.

“Jessica delivers on all the things the contract states will be done…. I always know what I’m going to get – a clean, fresh, sanitized home…. and think it’s the best money we spend all month!”
- Katie G.

“I appreciate the email reminders.”

- Stephani H.

Is there anything more frustrating than wrestling with a clamshell package? The more you wrestle with the plastic the more you want what’s inside. You begin to despair of ever actually holding the item in your own two hands. But there is an easy way to open these monsters. So put down the scissors and don’t play with knives, there is a better way.

First, grab an old fashioned rotary can opener — you know, the kind you don’t plug in :>) Now turn the package over so you’re looking at the back. Clamp the can opener on the edge of the package and work it all the way around the package. If the can opener doesn’t cut through the plastic, run it through a couple of layers of aluminum foil until it’s sharp.

That’s all there is to it. You won’t believe how easy this is. And I guarantee you will dazzle friends and family when you demonstrate this technique.

Posted in housecleaning tips, How To Tagged: clamshell package, plastic

So you’ve done all the really hard and nasty work of removing all those growing, spreading things in your shower: the soap scum (ugh!) and the mildew (double ugh!!), and frankly, you’d be perfectly happy not to ever do it again. Right? Well, it’s not only possible to banish those enemies forever, but it’s actually easy to prevent mildew and soap scum from every coming back.

The easiest method is, of course, to hire a housekeeper–that would surely be our suggestion–but there are DIY methods that are almost as easy. Read on.

Preventing Mildew

Mildew is a pink, brown or black mold that grows in any dark, warm, moist environment. So how do we prevent it? By making our bathroom a light, cool, dry environment!

• Leave your bathroom lights on before, during and after you take a shower or bath.
• Turn on the fan, open a window so the air circulates.
• Keep the bathroom as dry as possible.
• Do a wipe down of the tile with a squeegee, chamois or microfiber cloth.
• Open the shower door or spread the shower curtain out over the shower rod. (If you have a shower curtain that is already stained with mildew, replace it with a mildew resistant one. They really do work!)
• Spread towels out to dry; pick up any clothing from the floor.

Preventing Soap Scum

The easiest way to prevent soap scum is to stop using soap!

Preventing the Ring Around the Tub

• If your water is fairly soft, all you may need to do is run a scrubby pad around the ring area as the water is draining. Kids love to do this.
• For harder water, sprinkle a little Epsom salts (available at your pharmacy) or Calgon Water Softener. Many bubble baths also eliminate bath tub ring.
• And as above, you can change your brand of bar soap or use a liquid body wash.

There are plenty of other ways to prevent mildew and soap scum from coming back. What’s worked for you? What comments and or questions do you have. Please share.

Posted in housecleaning tips, How To, speed cleaning Tagged: automatic shower cleaner, bath tub ring, daily shower cleaning sprays, DIY, Dove soap, epsom salts, liquid body wash, preventing mildew, preventing soap scum, shower gel

Wilton Manors is a great city and has some rich history. Here is some information on Wilton Manors from Wikepedia!

Wilton Manors, the “Island City”, was incorporated in 1947. It is bordered on the north by the North Fork of the Middle River and the City of Oakland Park; to the south, the boundaries include the South Fork of the Middle River and the City of Fort Lauderdale; the eastern terminus of the city limits extend to near Federal Highway (US 1); and the western most boundary reaches Interstate 95.

Over recent years, Wilton Manors has experienced tremendous economic revitalization. Both commercial and residential property values continue to increase giving proof to the Island City’s economic rejuvenation. Along Wilton Drive, the City’s “Arts and Entertainment” District features an array of shops, restaurants and entertainment venues situated along a pedestrian-friendly corridor.

Wilton Manors is home to several recreational facilities, including Colohatchee Nature Park, a 9.3 acres (38,000 m²) recreational facility complete with a boardwalk for nature observation, a dog park, and a boat ramp for watercraft entry.

Areas throughout the City continue to gentrify and revitalize, making Wilton Manors one of South Florida’s most attractive communities in which to live and work.

Many houses to clean in Wilton Manors and it is a great place for house cleaning

The Super Bowl is here and you still have time to get that house clean! All you have to do is call a local house cleaning service and they can get a team over there. They also can help you clean up after the party is over. What a deal right! Now all you have to do is enjoy the game.

We hope you have an amazing Super Bowl weekend and a clean one!

Enjoy,

House Cleaning Blog

Go to our main page right now at www.CarpetCareTips.com and register for our email newsletter.  You’ll get a gift certificate good for $25 off in home cleaning you have done with Premium Carpet Care.  This certificate is good for the next 60 days.

Did you know carpet cleaning can actually imporve teh health of your home?  That’s right.  It can.  Of course, you have to clean your carpet correctly.

If a carpet is cleaned with water over 150 degrees, some health benefits includes killing dust mites and bacteria. 

If the machine being used has a powerful vacuum from a truck mounted extractor, the dirty water is extracted outside of the home so nothing gets airborne inside your home.

If the cleaning agents are all natural, there’s no risk of chemical exposure.

Premium Carpet Care is very pleased to meet all these requirements.

Call 474-1133 or click the banner to the right for an easy estimate.

Anyone who has ever visited a company’s head office to find their office looking like it’s been annihilated by adverse weather conditions, will probably admit that their opinion of the company went down as a result.

In the same way that you can’t help but judge the author of an email littered with spelling and grammatical errors, you invariably judge a company whose employees’ work at desks piled with seemingly random papers.

It all comes back to that age old rule: your first impression counts – mess that up, and you’re facing an uphill battle that could’ve been easily avoidable. Whether we like to acknowledge it, a cluttered, untidy and – worst of all – unhygienic office is likely to scare off new clients. In fact, never mind about new clients, you want your current partners to hold you with high esteem, right? If so, undoubtedly the best way for that to happen is creating a clean, organised environment and sometimes the best way to do that is by hiring a professional office cleaning company.

As a business manager, the key is to shift the company’s attitude to creating clutter. This is significant for two reasons.

First is because the overall efficiency and productivity of a business can increase when employers spend just a minute a day less searching for documents etc. By itself a minute doesn’t sound like much of course, but accumulatively – over the space of weeks, months and years – it can make profound difference to your business’ growth.

Secondly, cleaning gets harder the worse mess becomes. It’s human nature to put off chores like cleaning until tomorrow. Problem is; tomorrow comes and the mess is worse, making tidying up even more of a chore. It’s a vicious (and ultimately messy) cycle!

So how can you sort this? In today’s office cleaning tips we will bring you a wise and environmentally friendly  idea to help you reduce paper clutter in your office. The tidiest offices are generally those that simply have less material clutter to begin with. And how do they manage this? By bringing in a digital filing system…

It’s likely your business already has a network, and that’s a great starting point. Next comes a complete overhaul of the network’s file structure. This will take some time and careful consideration. A general rule-of-thumb is that an effective digital file system – when compartmentalized – reflects exactly how the business is organised and leaves room for future amendment and likely change.

Of course, there will always be a need for hard copies. However, to discourage printing unnecessary hard copies, some organisations have avoided giving each employee their own filing cabinets, and instead, opt for a communal filing station that of course means getting up, walking over and finding the appropriate file.

Although simple, making this change and gathering your troops for a inspiring talk about the reasons behind, is a sure fire way to instal greater productivity and the priceless benefit of your employees and clients enjoying spending time at the office – the value of which barely needs our endorsement!

Eco-friendly is the big buzzword right now in the cleaning industry and manufacturers of cleaning and maintenance products have caught on to this trend, introducing eco friendly cleaning solutions to their products lines.

The main criticism with eco-friendly cleaning services and producs is that it’s a higher expense for something that has the same outcome as traditional cleaning solutions. Overall, it’s easy to wonder if you’re getting bang for that extra buck.

Now, you will see a lot of terms thrown around such as “green” “eco friendly” and “biodegradable” when looking at cleaning products or services. The truth is that companies will grossly exaggerate their green credentials in order to convince you that their products are non-toxic, non-corrosive and non-carcinogenic.

If this is the case, then how do you tell apart the real from the fabricated?

Well, for a start, the Environmental Protection Agency offers an eco-friendly certification called Design for the Environment – which essentially validates any claims to being eco-friendly.

Another way is to look for “Green Seal” certification which, again, will appear on a product’s packaging and identifies the product as fulfilling eco-friendly standards. That said, such certifications are voluntary, meaning that not all products without these certifications are not eco-friendly.

In our experience, super-slick branding and packaging for products that profess to being eco-friendly often turn out to contain ingredients that are chemical-based as opposed to citrus-based solvents, vinegar, natural abrasives and essential oils.

This is mainly down to its parent company responding to the demand without wanting to invest in new product development. We’d suggest that, when all else fails, look for minimal packaging or cleaners that can be refilled from concentrate to cut down on packaging waste – as they often turn out to be the most effective and genuinely eco friendly cleaning solutions.

Now for cleaning companies a way to certify that their cleaning services are eco-friendly is to ask for their green accreditations and for their environmental cleaning policy.

The Green Earth Expo on February 26th-28th in Baltimore will feature Greensafeclean LLC representing Wowgreen International LLC. Anyone who is planning on attending the event be sure to find the Greensafeclean display to see and learn about wowgreen products. The green movement has only just begun and wowgreen International is light years ahead of themselves. We have all heard about green, only now do we have the opportunity to to purchase non-toxic cleaning products and truly go green. Greensafeclean LLC will also be performing demonstrations with the wowgreen products. You will also be able to learn about the products and ingredients and see for yourself how well they work. Wowgreen International is still less than one year old and has superior products green our homes, businesses, and our environment. All the wowgreen cleaning products perform just like the traditional products without the chemicals and are very competitively priced. The key difference between the wowgreen cleaning products and the conventional products are: traditional products contain chemicals and wowgreen products contain none. With conventional products you have to go to the store to purchase them and the wowgreen products are delivered right to your front door. You simply transfer your spending habits and purchase wowgreen products at Greensafeclean.net allowing you to clean green.

We will be offering the first 50 people who become a preferred customer with Greensafeclean a free refill concentrate as a thank you gift for making the important choice to go green! Wowgreen International also offers a business opportunity to anyone interested in getting involved with the green movement and provides you the ability to earn green while going green. If you are interested in the wowgreen business opportunity and sign up at the show with Greensafeclean LLC, we will offer you a special discount. Please print this article and bring it to the show, we look forward to meeting you. Together we can improve our future; let’s go green.

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