Are you the type of person that makes New Year’s resolutions? A few years back, I decided to take up this practice. Choosing to buck the trend of creating a laundry list out of the exercise, I picked one thing I wanted to work on in the coming twelve months. At the time, I was watching far too much TV — a low-quality form of relaxation, as I had earlier determined — and wanted to spend more time reading. My resolution, therefore, was to set an alarm on my phone for 9:15 PM each evening. When the timer went off, so did the TV. With my evenings now suddenly free, I picked up a book and read a chapter or two.
Five or so years later, my low bar resolution has created high quality improvement in my intellectual and mental health. In the past year, I read more than 40 books! All because of that small shift years ago.
Whether or not you choose to make personal resolutions, it is essential that in order to improve your business in 2023, now is the time to map out your intentions for the new year. Every business is prone to stagnation without intentional attention to detail. In his book Atomic Habits, author James Clear points out that the smallest shifts often lead to the most impactful results (if you’re looking to build your own reading list in the new year, this was one of my recent favorites, offering both personal and professional applications).
As you think about one small shift that would exponentially improve your organization over time, here are a few questions to catalyze your thinking:
- What reputation does my organization have in the community?
- How is my organization thought of by others in our sector? (Again, what is our professional reputation?)
- What three words come to mind when I pull into our parking lot?
- What sights, sounds, and smells greet me when I enter the facilities?
- Do I notice visible dirt or dust anywhere in the building? (Pay special attention to often-overlooked areas such as along baseboards, in corners, and on desks.)
- How often do visitors comment on the appearance of our facilities?
- Do I feel comfortable in this space?
- Are trash cans less than ¾ full or are they reaching (or exceeding) capacity?
- What long-term maintenance projects — such as hard floor refinishing, VCT stripping & waxing, or carpet cleaning — have been pushed to the bottom of the to-do list?
- What first impression would I form of this organization if this were my first time entering this facility?
It doesn’t take long to realize that first impressions count! That’s our motto at Sonlight Cleaning Services. We are here to help businesses in the Dallas Fort Worth metroplex with their daily janitorial cleaning needs as well as specialty care projects such as power washing, window washing (up to 3 stories), and floor care. Give our specialists a call today to begin building your custom quote and see what kind of exponential improvement this one resolution can do for your business in 2023!
By Laura Pulliam
