The Profitable Cleaner
Welcome to The Profitable Cleaner Podcast, the #1 podcast in the Cleaning & Facility Maintenance Industry.
The mission of this podcast is simple; to impact Cleaning businesses of all kinds by bringing you captivating interviews, expert insights, and actionable strategies that will elevate your business to new heights.
Bringing you the discussions and knowledge you WANT and the stories and inspiration you need.
We talk about Sales, Technology, Marketing, Operations, Strategy, Leadership, Mindset, Health, GOD and so much more…..
All to unleash the best version of YOU & turn you into a Profitable Owner.
Now, are you ready to Profit?
The Profitable Cleaner
Start-Up Secrets to Profit Fast in Commercial Cleaning | Polishing Profits Ep. 13
Launching a new contract or starting your cleaning business? This episode is a MUST.
Your hosts Mark Anderson, Sharon Cowan CBSE, and Ed Selkow break down real-world startup systems that can either make you profitable fast—or bury you in losses. Whether you're bidding your first building or onboarding a 50,000 sq ft facility, the principles in this episode are universal.
From staffing and supply planning to the critical “first night checklist,” you'll hear the brutal lessons and genius strategies only 100+ years of industry experience can provide.
🔑 What You’ll Learn:
- ✅Why most cleaning startups lose money fast
- ✅How to plan labor routes to protect profits
- ✅The secret to impressing clients on day one
- ✅What to say (and not say) after a new start
- ✅How “five minutes” of wasted time kills margins
🧠 This Episode Is For:
- Cleaning company founders and operators
- Janitorial teams onboarding new accounts
- Franchise owners looking to improve startup playbooks
- Anyone who’s ever lost a client from a bad launch
🕒 Episode Highlights:
- 00:00 – Welcome + why this topic matters
- 02:00 – How Sharon blew labor on her first job (and what she fixed)
- 04:00 – Planning for no-shows and first-week chaos
- 06:00 – The 30-day pre-start plan that builds trust
- 10:00 – The power of route maps and cleaning runs
- 14:00 – Real stories of failed startups (and fixes that saved them)
- 18:00 – How to go from new account to profit in under 45 days
- 22:00 – Final tips: Don’t plan to fail
🧠 Resources:
- ➡️ Catch up on previous episodes of Polishing Profits here:
- The Profitable Cleaner Network - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKiuPQwwn4m9gWk0lBbzKVg5LwhwErhwn
🔗 Where to Find Your Hosts
About Polishing Profits
Polishing Profits is hosted by three of the most respected leaders in the janitorial industry—Mark Anderson, Sharon Cowan, and Ed Selkow. With over 140 years of combined experience, they’ve built and scaled cleaning companies, coached hundreds of owners, and helped countless teams grow stronger.
Every episode delivers real stories, actionable strategies, and tools to build a cleaning business that thrives.
Produced by The Profitable Cleaner Network.