Are you hiring for hands, or for long-term leadership?
Ever since we created a career ladder/org chart, we ask quarterly via survey how happy our team is. The majority of ours repeatedly state they wish to grow with the company and make it a career. However, our culture is extremely quiet. Thoughts?What is one task you finally delegated, and wish you did sooner?
Let's talk about getting help. How did your business evolve? When did you start delegating? Was it a great employee that could do more, or was it just burn out as an enterpreneur? I always want to learn and grow and what I love about this community that there are so many great responses. Let's learn from each other. How did you decide to delegate tasks, work and duties?How do you reduce employee turnover in a cleaning company?
For reference, we have a team of 20 technicians and our average employee lifecycle is just over 1 year. We offer PTO, ETO, and 401k with flexible hours for scheduling. We pay competitive wages and they’re solely through commission. Our culture is protected by the senior techs and leadership team and the feedback we receive is that former employees feel like it’s a big family. Thoughts?How do you keep your crew motivated and paid when work slows down?
Every year, that slow season creeps up on us. One minute the phones are blowing up, and the next it feels like the world goes quiet. When jobs slow down, keeping your crew busy and positive can be a real challenge. I’ve tried different things over the years. Training days, cleaning up the shop, and even team outings just to keep morale up. But the truth is, it’s hard when the pipeline dries up. How do you keep your team motivated and paid when things get slow? Do you cut hours, find smaller projects, focus on marketing, or use the time for business planning? I’d love to hear what has worked for you and how you turn downtime into momentum for the next busy wave.Why do home service businesses need SOPs, employee handbooks, and contracts?
Why Every Home Improvement Professional Needs SOPs, Handbooks, and Employee Contracts Running a successful home improvement business requires more than just delivering quality work; it demands a well-structured foundation that ensures consistency, clarity, and professionalism. Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), employee handbooks, and employee contracts play a critical role in achieving this. 1. SOPs: The Blueprint for Consistency Standard Operating Procedures outline step-by-step processes for every task in your business. From managing a job site to handling customer inquiries, SOPs help you: Ensure consistent quality across projects. Minimize misunderstandings by providing clear instructions. Train new employees more efficiently. For example, having a detailed SOP for preparing a job site can reduce mistakes, save time, and leave a professional impression on clients. 2. Employee Handbooks: Setting Expectations An employee handbook is a central resource for your team. It covers: Company policies (e.g., attendance, safety protocols). Employee rights and responsibilities. Workplace culture and values. With a clear handbook, your team knows what’s expected, reducing conflicts and fostering a professional, cohesive work environment. 3. Employee Contracts: Protecting Your Business Employee contracts are legal agreements that outline the terms of employment. They should include: Job roles and responsibilities. Compensation and benefits. Confidentiality agreements or non-compete clauses. Contracts protect both you and your employees, ensuring transparency and reducing the risk of disputes. Why These Documents Matter Having SOPs, handbooks, and contracts isn’t just about organization—it’s about building a scalable, professional business. They: Empower your team with clear guidelines. Protect your business from legal risks. Enhance your reputation as a trustworthy employer and contractor. Over time, these tools will turn your business into a well-oiled machine, primed for growth and long-term success. In our experience, involving our team in the process not only made it smoother but also turned it into a fun and collaborative effort that brought everyone closer together.How do you balance kindness and strict standards as a business owner?
My personal values are very important to me as a business owner. Being a person of faith I care deeply about people. For years I have struggled to find this balance between kindness and compassion and strict standards. For those of you that have hearts for people and want to be kind and compassionate...how do you help your team rise to the occasion without having to seem heartless and only care about the bottom line?When to hire a General Manager?
I am a painting company. Have any of you hired a general manager and stepped away from the day to day operations of your business? How did you go about it? Was there a revenue metric you aimed for? Break it down for me in detail? Did it help you grow and go to the next level? How did you find your general manager? What did you set as the pay/salary? Bonus structure?How did you know it was time to hire your first salesperson?
When did you realize you needed your first sales hire? And if you’ve already hired a rep, what’s one thing you’d do differently next time? 🎙️In this episode of Masters of Home Service, Doni Jones and Rich Camacho dig into: When it’s actually time to hire your first salesperson How to spot the right (and wrong) salesperson during interviews Onboarding plans, sales KPIs, and pay structures to motivate reps Never miss an episode of Masters of Home Service. Subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
