Don't Poach Customers or Employees

 I have a heart to help everyone who wants to start a cleaning business and optimize as a solo. I have found this to be a great strength and weakness. In two recent scenarios, I have learned that while helping one I'm hurting another. I'm going to teach the destructive mindset in each of my two recent scenarios.

 Scenario #1:

A lady found my podcast, loved it, and emailed me some questions. I answered her and started coaching her only to find out that she was currently working for another cleaning company and wanted to go on her own. I don't know her current boss. I advised her to be ethical and not poach any clients. She didn't want to hire, so poaching her coworkers wasn't a concern... now. I did not deter her from starting a business or from quitting her job. I had the mindset that there is plenty to go around and there is still more work than workers. I do believe this still. However, there is a major flaw to my advise. It hurt the current cleaning company she is working for. This company owner paid the price to start her own company. I know what it takes to win a cleaning company. I know how hard it is to find good people and to train them and keep them. This cleaner that contacted me had benefitted tremendously from the work and training that her boss provided. Like so many cleaning employees, they perceive that the boss isn't doing any of the cleaning, yet making so much more than the cleaner. It's not fair. It's entitlement and scarcity mindset. They don't yet know how hard it is. They think  erringly that being a good cleaner (which they only know because of their boss) will make them a good cleaning business owner. We know from the previous podcasts that this is not true. They don't yet have the 4 fundamentals of Financial, Mindset, Strategic, and People conquered. So many cleaners perceive the easy street it appears to change from employee to owner. They quit and then call on the houses or offices they were cleaning and steal them. And that's exactly what it is. Theft. Then they call their former co- workers and offer them a better deal.

What happens next? The cleaner turned owner doesn't know to get any insurance or to become legit and professional. They put themselves and their stolen customers at risk. They have very shallow roots and the new business is scorched by the hot sun and pressures of being in business for yourself and the business dies. The customers are hurt as they lose their cleaner. The original cleaning company is hurt as it lost customers and employees. The new cleaning business is done and begging for their old job back. The employees that jumped ship don't know what to do. This is destructive to all. If I would have helped this cleaner, I would have helped them succeed in their business for sure. But I would have helped the other cleaning company lose a good employee and potentially customers and employees. I would have helped one to hurt another. I will NOT do this! It's not ethical for me. Plus, if there is a non-compete in place, it's possible that I'd be complicit in helping a cleaning employee illegally break their binding contract. This is a potential legal liability for me. Again, I won't do this. And I didn't help this cleaner once I realized the potential destructive downstream path.

I don't want to be all doom and gloom. In limited cases, this works out. For example, there are cleaners that inform their bosses that they want to start their own company. These company owners are Dream Managers and mentors and actually help them do it. They ensure that there is win-win and more than enough to go around.


Read the rest of this article at the Smart Cleaning School website