It reminds me of the old story about Henny Penny. In that childhood story, a chicken is eating lunch one day and an acorn drops onto her head. She concludes that the sky is falling, so she sets off to tell every animal she encounters the dire news - "the sky is falling". The animals are taken in by her alarming report. And in the end the gullible animals get eaten by a fox. Not a happy ending.
The question I keep wondering is, are we being duped like the animals in the Henny Penny tale? You see, everywhere I go, I keep seeing people acting pretty much like normal. They're out there driving around town, shopping at the same stores, and packing out the same restaurants, just like they always have. So where is this "deep recession" we keep hearing so much about? Is it possible that the public is being led to the mouth of the fox at the urging of a confused chicken?
Undoubtedly, some sectors of the economy have been affected by the economic downturn. Basically anything relating to housing is down. The auto industry is down. Some of the financial industries have taken a hit too. But is the sky falling? I am inclined to say no.
By the way, I started my first cleaning business back in March 1982, right at the end of a recession that lasted from 1980-1982. Start a business in a recession? Yes I did. And I had no trouble doing it either. And when an economic slump occurred in the late 80's, again in the 90's, and yet again in the early 2000's - it was business as usual for us. The point I'm making is this; the cleaning industry can hum along just fine, in spite of the occasional downturns in the economy.
So, what are we to do when the economy heads south? Should we fold up our tent and cry in the corner with the rest of the "Henny Pennys"? That doesn't make a bit of sense to me. On the contrary, now's the time to hit it harder than ever. Now's the time to dig in and get resourceful. Marketing should be given diligent attention. Increase the time spent making cold calls. Implement new strategies to make your work more efficient and more profitable.
Now is the time to put a good marketing system into action. If you're not able to produce sharp looking marketing material, our CMS program can be a very useful tool. Use your marketing pieces to persistently go after commercial accounts.
Get out there in the trenches in front of the decision makers. Provide carpet inspections, and demos. Stay in front of your prospects, making frequent return visits on them. In the end, your persistence will pay off as you'll see these prospects warm up and become your new clients.
The sky is not falling! People are still spending. And the cleaning business is historically fairly recession proof. There are still plenty of good opportunities for resourceful cleaners to grow their businesses. Go for it! And if I can assist you in any way, shoot me an e-mail or give me a call. I'm always happy to help.
Encap It!
Rick Gelinas - The Encapman
Posts
