People's hope for a secure future is diminishing at an alarming rate. Their faith in big business is lessening. People's lives are in serious jeopardy when they discover that their jobs are threatened. Many are now becoming more aware that they cannot count on anyone but themselves. This book was designed to reroute your thinking and to get you started on another path, one that will lead you to a more fulfilling life. We do not want to lessen our faith in humanity. I have written this book to show you how you can own your own business and be successful at it. Please take a look and enjoy the ride that may never end; a ride that will lead you to success and a new beginning in your venture for secure employment by being your own boss. Bruce W. Petersen
JANITOR'S GUIDE
A STEP BY STEP GUIDE TO STARTING AND OPERATING YOUR OWN JANITORIAL BUSINESS, QUICK AND EASY, IN SIX STEPS.By Bruce W. PetersenAuthorHouse
Copyright © 2011 Bruce W. Petersen
All right reserved.ISBN: 978-1-4670-3831-7 Contents
1. Owning a Business..................................................12. Why Self-Employment?...............................................53. Myths and Fears....................................................94. The Decision to Self-Employ........................................155. Where Do I Look for Business?......................................276. How Much Do I Charge?..............................................377. How Can I Keep My Customers?.......................................538. What to Do When ...?...............................................659. Conclusion.........................................................7910. Appendix..........................................................85Supplement: Let's Get Started.........................................93The Cleaning Industry: Is Franchising the Answer?.....................101
Chapter One
Owning a Business
"There are two times in a man's life when he should not speculate: when he can't afford it, and when he can." —Mark Twain
In conversation, the topic of owning your own business often throws up a red flag. You might think: corporation, big, overhead, employees, money. Undertaking a task like that is monumental. I am not talking about a big corporate business; I am speaking about a small, home-based janitorial service.
This is something that everyone has thought about at one time or another. The American dream, which many people attain, is owning a home, but the ultimate would be to own your own business. Owning a business can be a very challenging and rewarding adventure, but for many, this may seem way out of reach. People fear not being able to accomplish this major feat and falling short of expectations. Napoleon Bonaparte said, "He who fears being conquered is sure of defeat."
Yes, it is a dream that many feel is unattainable. But with the right drive, one can overcome this unrealistic idea or notion that owning a business is only for the rich and famous. Anyone can own a business, particularly one in the janitorial field. It does not require a lot of money up front, and you can profit nicely. Even if you need this to supplement your present income, it can be very easy to start.
There are many books written on how to start your own business, but none was written for this type of service with such detailed answers and methods of approach. I chose the janitorial field because I have been a janitor for over twenty years. I have experience and knowledge to help you along the way. I also have owned my own service for ten years. I will show you the ins and outs, and you will make the best choices with my help along the way. It is easy to do with the correct approach. You will experience low overhead costs, thus enlarging your potential for increased earnings.
The janitorial field is becoming more demanding in the twenty-first century. I highly recommend this to janitors who are finding it difficult to make a living, many of them only getting paid minimum wage. There should be no reason for you to let this opportunity pass you by. This is the opportunity of a lifetime, one that many have avoided. Take this opportunity by closely following the steps in this book, and you will be on your way to a new and even brighter future. Just think of the answer you can give when asked what you do for a living. You can respond, "I own my own business." How impressive!
This book will not only help you examine the positive side of owning your own business, but it will take you through a step-by-step detailed process of what you will need to do. Many businesses fail, but I think that by the time you read and follow my instructions, you will win.
If the interest is there, turn the interest into a desire, and then turn the desire into action. Now, let's get started on the road to a successful venture and explore the avenue of self-employment.
Chapter Two
Why Self-Employment?
"No one can build his security upon the nobleness of another." —Willa Cather
"I would rather sit on a pumpkin and have it all to myself than be on a crowded velvet cushion." —Henry David Thoreau
"[I am] lord of myself, accountable to no one." —Benjamin Franklin
While a job in some industrial fields may offer greater financial security and attractive fringe benefits, it can also be routine, monotonous, and lacking in opportunities to use initiative. In many countries, however, even such industrial jobs are scarce, and the inexperienced or untrained cannot readily find employment.
Among the advantages gained by the self-employed are a flexible work schedule, a more active interest in the business with increased productivity, plus the satisfaction of worthwhile accomplishment. The self-employed can also choose their work companions, perhaps giving on-the-job training to sons and daughters and, thereby, equipping them with a useful trade.
This form of business has become very popular when it comes to supplementing your already-existing income. This era has brought so many changes to the business industry that it is causing many to look elsewhere for a career change, and one current avenue is the home-based business. This is what you call a sole proprietorship, which is very quick and easy to achieve. It is so easy that over 20 million individuals are seeking self-employment, and it is on the rise. Take advantage now. A very low-cost enterprise is the janitorial field.
If you are going to consider self-employment, there are some questions that you can ask yourself that will help you to see if this deserves your consideration:
Are you organized?
Are you a self-starter?
Are you willing to work hard?
Are you able to make decisions?
Do you take pride in your work?
Do you welcome responsibility?
Do you get along well with others?
Do you have good communication skills?
Are you friendly?
When considering these questions for yourself and answering yes to all of them, it shows you to be a good prospect for self-employment.
With an affirmative to all of the previous questions, let's move to another area of self-employment that I have found to be successful and more enjoyable, and that is the idea of KISS. Have you not heard this expression before? It means "keep it simple, stupid." I have been doing this for ten years now, and it really works. I have time for my family, relaxation, and whatever else. I keep it low-key, just enough to keep my family comfortable. It is easy, and of course, it must be fun to succeed. Let's continue talking about self-employment, but we will explore some of the myths and fears that people have.
Chapter Three
Myths and Fears
"All is mystery, but he is a slave who will not struggle to penetrate the dark veil." —Benjamin Disraeli
"It is the dim haze of mystery that adds enchantment to pursuit." —Antoine Rivarol
"If a man harbors any sort of fear, it percolates through all his thinking, damages his personality, makes him landlord to a ghost." —Lloyd Douglas
I had often thought about owning my own business. I havehad many friends who worked for themselves. Many did quite well, always seeming to have time on their hands. I had always wondered how they went about doing it. How or where did they get the money? I wished I could. At one time, this seemed impossible for me to accomplish. I never imagined that I could be my own boss. Not me!
People have an image of someone in that position and do not realize that you can have the same opportunities. It is just a matter of taking the bull by the horns and holding on. It can be within your reach if you just grab on and hold on. Many people doubt, do not try, and lose out. It can be done.
Many people allow their fears to overtake their desire to do something with themselves, to exceed or surpass their station in life. A person's fears are usually a fear of oneself, a fear of not being able to handle whatever situation may come upon him. It is not a fear that the business with fail, but that you, yourself, will fail. That's negative thinking. Eliminate the fear by feeling good about yourself. This will always produce good results. Tell yourself that you cannot own your own business, and it will always be true. Tell yourself that this fear cannot deny you of what you deserve, and you will succeed. That's positive thinking. You have the right to succeed like everybody else. You are special! God created us equally. We all have the capacity to think. Forget those fears of being rejected. You will not be. It is a myth that you cannot own your own business.
Remember those famous quotes at the beginning of this chapter? Our fears, if we allow them, will eat us up. We do not realize that those fears are figments of our imagination. You have heard that before. Well, it is true. Eliminate your fears by being positive. Learn to ask yourself positive questions, such as "How can I make this work and enjoy it?" Do not ask negative questions, such as "What if ...?" These will only defeat your quest to succeed.
You do not have to be an expert in business administration; you just have to be willing to learn. We are not going to lose our shirts because we are going to do this the right way. Many people go at this thinking that they will become independently wealthy right away, and so their hopes become stifled. Their fears escalate. But we will do this correctly and boost your hopes and expectations slowly. Nobody becomes rich overnight unless they win the lottery, and the odds are against you. Let's be reasonable.
What we need to do at this point in our life, when we want something and do not feel that it is reachable, is to change our thinking. Acknowledge your desire, and go for it. It is not going to come to you; you must take the opportunity. Now! There is no myth or deception about owning your own business. You do what you want. When you pass up the opportunity, you are allowing your fears to smother any chances you might have.
I was told most of my childhood that I would never amount to anything. That thinking molded most of my life. Although I was a very hard worker, it still plagued me that I might not succeed in life. I had visions of failure when given the chance to go into business for myself, but this was something that I really wanted and would not allow anything to get in my way. I contemplated positive ideas. I imagined myself successful. I knew that I would succeed, but how would I ever know if I did not pursue my ambitions? I did not focus on the problems. I focused on solutions. What would I need to get where I was going? The obstacles would always be there, so I had to change my thinking. I had to ignore my fears. It was not rational to think that I could not accomplish what I had set out to do.
A myth is only an imaginary story. Let's take another step forward and talk about the decision we need to make.
Chapter Four
The Decision to Self-Employ
"All our final decisions are made in a state of mind that is not going to last." —Marcel Proust
"Positive anything is better than negative thinking." —Elbert Hubbard
Decisions, decisions! We all make decisions all day long, decisions that have to do with our lives. What are we going to eat? What are we going to wear? Are we going to go to work today? Each day requires motivation to get things done. When you think about it, we are all self-motivators. This is what you must be when you are self-employed, a person who can motivate himself. Those who are workers know what it takes to earn a living and what they must do. There is nothing complicated about working for yourself.
We know how time moves: forward. It is one-directional. The past is gone, never to be repeated. Our mistakes have left their imprint in the sands in time, as have our deeds. We always live in the present and progress to the future, but we can never go backward and undo our mistakes—hence, the value of our making good decisions in the present so that we can enjoy a better future rather than a regretful one.
Making the decision to become self-employed is one that will affect the entire family. It is a decision that should be agreed upon by your mate, unless you are single. At any rate, this is a major decision and adjustment that will involve restructuring your life and your income. Your only security will be you.
I was very distraught over the working force. Often I was expected to do the work of two or three people but only received the wages for one person, and in many instances, the income was not enough to pay my bills. In many states, the pay scale for a janitor ranges between eight and ten dollars an hour. As a self-employed janitor, you can charge anywhere from seventeen to fifty dollars an hour depending on the service that is performed. Your earnings, as the owner of a business, are not limited.
Job security today is becoming very shaky. There is no job where you feel so secure that a layoff is unforeseen. Layoffs are very common and are on the rise. The economy is so unstable, you never know what will happen next. At least by being your own boss, you will be able to regulate your income.
If you are currently employed and are seriously considering starting your own janitorial business, my expert opinion would be to take it slowly. Take the important steps to licensing your business, and just take on one or two accounts in addition to your current job. This will mean one step at a time and will allow you to form an idea of what it will be like. In the next chapter, I will give you some pointers on where to look for business. You should be spending no more than two to three hours a day on these two accounts. If you are one who has lost his or her job and are in between work, then by all means, go for it.
Let's now talk about the procedure for legalizing your business. There are definite steps you will need to follow, and in sequence, we will go through them one by one:
1. Choosing a name: This can be a lot of fun. You need to pick an appropriate name for your business to put on your license. You should give this a lot of thought and make sure it will suit what your business entails. A properly chosen business name can require a little bit of advertising. For example, Gold Star Janitorial would indicate that this business has class. You might check the janitor section in the Yellow Pages to see what names are listed in the state you live. In any case, think of something unusual to catch one's eye. Once you have chosen a name, you are ready to move on to step number two.
2. The home occupation permit: Unless you have money to rent an office, you might need to use your home for your business. This is called a home-based business. There are city and county ordinances that will allow only certain things to take place at your residence when you apply for this permit. These will be addressed when the permit is given. The fee will cost about forty-five dollars depending on the city in which you live. You can obtain this at the Planning and Development Department. Look in the White Pages under "City and Government Offices." Now you can move on to step number three.
3. The business license: Hopefully, you live in the city limits. If not, you will have to go to the county. If you are unsure, you can call the City Planning Department and ask. They will let you know. If you live in the city limits, your license will cost about thirty dollars. When applying, you will be asked about your approximate earnings for the year. You need to reply that you are unsure. The city has a base limit of usually ten thousand dollars or less. Take that and you will be required to pay only the base tax, which is what I already mentioned (thirty dollars). The following year, if you gross more than ten thousand dollars, you will be paying an additional four dollars for each ten thousand dollars over the base.
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Excerpted from JANITOR'S GUIDEby Bruce W. Petersen Copyright © 2011 by Bruce W. Petersen. Excerpted by permission of AuthorHouse. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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