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Core Value #3 - Communicate Early and Often
Core Value #3 - Communicate Early and Often
Our 3rd Core Value is unapologetically my favorite of all 6 of our Core Values at GGH!
Communicate Early & Often.
Four small words that I think makes Going GreenHouse shine above the rest. I personally have always been known as an OVER communicator and it’s seeped into my business style…. which I’m ok with if it means we avoid disappointment or miscommunications. The key is to communicate EARLY. Messes tend to be easier to clean up in the early stages Pun intended.
Communication with our clients starts with setting expectations. Prior to any service, we clearly communicate our intended services to our clients so there are no surprises about what we DO or DON’T DO. The beauty of it is that we’re capable of helping with most household chores – all that you need to do is let us know so that we can communicate to our team what the new service entails.
Communicating amongst our team is done in person and through text. We believe in sharing feedback as it comes in. Positive and constructive alike. If you work here, it’s important to be able to accept feedback and make changes to improve based off it. Our team strives to transform homes and lives with each service and when someone tells us so, we celebrate it!
We follow up after every single service and we make communication with us very easy by having a text option to get in touch with us anytime!
Going GreenHouse will NEVER not come when promised. If we’re running early or late, we’ll communicate with you to let you know. We are in the business of providing RELIABLE, 5-star non-toxic house cleaning services.
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As Always, Breathe Easy with Going GreenHouse
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Core Value #2 - The Devil Is In The Details
Core Value #2 - The Devil Is In The Details
What should I look for in a house cleaning company?
At Going GreenHouse, we have 6 Core Values and Numero dos is “The Devil is in the Details”.
When it comes to non-toxic cleaning, our philosophy is that if you nail the details, everything else will fall into place. We focus on small things that make a big difference:
Polishing chrome to a shine
Inspecting countertops at eye level to ensure no crumb is left behind
Double-checking and signing-off on a detailed checklist before we leave your home
And So. Much. More!
What you may not correlate with being detail-oriented in a house cleaning company is the organization it takes to coordinate a team of 12 people cleaning 200 homes each month (and growing)! All the while, achieving 5-star reviews! We use technology in our scheduling as well as in our communications with clients and crew to achieve seamless organization when it comes to making sure our team knows exactly where to be, at what time, and what is expected at each and every home we visit.
Using the right tools to achieve the desired result is a HUGE part of what puts the devil into the details for us. This could be utilizing cutting-edge cleaning tools or software alike. We pride ourselves on constantly growing and improving so that we can continue to bring the superior service that we are known for!
As Always, Breathe Easy with Going GreenHouse
Will I Get The Same Crew Every Time? | FAQ - Lead By Example
Will I Get The Same Crew Every Time? | FAQ - Lead By Example
Will I Get The Same Crew Every Time? | FAQ - Lead By Example
Core Value #1 - Lead By Example
Core Value #1 - Lead By Example
At Going GreenHouse we have 6 Core Values. These values are posted on the wall for all to see, we discuss them at every meeting and we make sure everyone knows just how important it is to live by everyone as long as you’re on Team Going GreenHouse.
Our Core Value #1 is to Lead By Example. This core value encompasses so many things that we pride ourselves on here. It means being professional and doing the right thing… even when nobody is watching.
Leading by example starts with me, as the owner, and trickles all the way down to our newest trainee. It means having a good attitude. Sharing tips and tricks with other team members. It means being reliable and being proud of our work. It means anticipating the needs of others. Most importantly, it means taking responsibility when things go wrong and making it right. And when everything is going right, sharing the accolades with the whole team.
We write praise for each other to recognize a job well done. We share kudos from clients and focus on WINS as a team! If we have constructive feedback for anyone, it is done in private and isn’t seen as a negative but an opportunity to improve. When our crews have feedback for our leadership team, we listen and make adjustments based on their suggestions of how we can make Going GreenHouse an even better place to work.
We foster openness and non-judgmental behavior so that nobody ever feels ashamed to share their story. Because leading by example also means we help each other out when someone is in need.
One of the best things about my position as a small business owner is being proud of the team that I employ of people that want to make a difference in others’ lives. Our team is special. They truly care and that is a direct result of our #1 Core Value.
As Always, Breathe Easy with Going GreenHouse
How Should I Prepare My Home For The Cleaners? | FAQ - Lead By Example
How Should I Prepare My Home For The Cleaners? | FAQ - Lead By Example
How Should I Prepare My Home For The Cleaners? | FAQ - Lead By Example
Do Non-Toxic Cleaning Products Work As Well As Other Products?
Do Non-Toxic Cleaning Products Work As Well As Other Products?
Short answer? Absolutely! On top of having a sparkling clean home, you’ll have the benefit of knowing that your home isn’t teeming with toxic fumes! At Going GreenHouse, we have been in the non-toxic cleaning business for over 10 years. We have procured a green cleaning kit that we arm all of our team members with that allows them to clean any surface thoroughly, without harm to the surface or the indoor environment AND leaves it fresher and cleaner than before.
One objection that I hear from people is that they just can’t understand a clean home without it smelling “clean”. Some say that it’s not clean unless you are blasted with the scent of pine trees and bleach upon entering the home! The smell of clean has evolved and if it smells strong, that’s a good indication that it is also toxic to your environment. Not just in the air that you, your children, pets, and guests breathe but also waiting on those countertops and floors to absorb into your skin when you touch it.
If you are one of those that grew up with this philosophy but want to give non-toxic products a shot, we have a couple of tricks up our sleeve. We use peppermint Castile Soap to clean the shower as well as mop the floor. It leaves a lovely, gentle mint essence that can only be described as a clean scent.
One product that took us a while to perfect was our stainless-steel cleaner. You can’t really skimp or substitute here and if you do, the streaks left behind on your fridge door will tell that the product is just not right. A lot of stainless-steel cleaning products are wipes, which we find wasteful, or aerosol cans, which were only acceptable back in the 80’s AquaNet hairspray days. We finally found a soy-based cleaner made by the good people at Ecos that cleans and shines stainless-steel surfaces like brand new! In a pinch, olive oil can be used to clean stainless steel surfaces, but keep in mind a little goes a long way!
Finally, our secret weapon. We use a pumice stone for a couple of different things when we deep clean. That funky ring in your toilet that you can’t seem to get rid of? Pumice stone, baby! We like the one with the handle for this purpose especially.
Our other favorite use for a pumice stone? To remove all of those baked-on food remnants from the interior of your oven. No more need for abrasive aerosol spray oven cleaner! Just pre-soak the door and floor of your oven with your favorite all-purpose spray, moisten the pumice stone and go to town!
At Going GreenHouse, we are passionate about making the world a greener place, one step at a time. If you have any questions about the products you are using or would like suggestions on alternatives, please feel free to reach out to me, the Founder and CEO at april@goinggreenhouse.com and I would be happy to help.
As Always, Breathe Easy with Going GreenHouse
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What Should I Pay to Get My House Cleaned?
What Should I Pay to Get My House Cleaned?
This is a subject near and dear to my heart as a common objection that I hear when proposing our services is “my old cleaner did it for half”, “my neighbor pays $25 an hour for hers”, or “where I moved from, it’s a lot less expensive”…
Trust me. I know we are not the least expensive cleaning service in town, and frankly, I don’t want to be. We take great care of our employees here at Going GreenHouse and in order to retain an awesome team, there are costs involved in making our company an attractive place to work. And I mean WORK because housecleaning is not easy!
We charge roughly $48 per labor hour, which is competitive in our market for a non-toxic house cleaning business, considering our 5-star reviews and proven 10-year track record. Let’s take a standard 2200 Square foot home for example. On average, it takes a crew of 2 people 2 hours to clean this size home to our standard and we charge $192 for this service.
What goes into this $48 per labor hour, you ask? Most notably, we provide healthcare, competitive wages, paid time off, paid holidays, paid sick time, and food and beverage for our team. This makes for happy team members and, in turn, happy clients! We also utilize industry-specific technology to quote and schedule clients, communicate with crew and clients, and grow our business.
Someone charging significantly less may be a solo cleaner. There is nothing wrong with this, however, if this is the route you take, it would be prudent to ask for a background check, proof of workers compensation, general liability, and bonding to protect yourself and your home from damage, theft, or someone hurting themselves on your property. I have clients that have learned the hard way that someone that seems soooo nice in the beginning is more than happy to sue for 10’s of thousands of dollars if they get the opportunity. It’s quite the scheme.
If there is a business charging significantly less than we are, there is something fishy going on. Their employees could be 1099 (contractor) employees (hopefully carrying all of the protections above) or their employees are not being paid close to a living wage and potentially not even minimum wage because the owner can get away with paying by the job unit instead of by the hour. Yikes.
All in all, a clean home is a clean home. I know people that go the solo cleaner route and sometimes you can find a really good and reliable one! However, if you are not interested in shouldering the additional liability that this presents, I highly recommend contacting a long-standing, reliable cleaning service like ours to take care of your home.
As Always, Breathe Easy with Going GreenHouse
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How Did I Get Into Housecleaning?
How Did I Get Into Housecleaning?
People ask me all the time, how I got into housecleaning… Do I just love to clean?
I don’t necessarily LOVE to clean, but I do love the results of the house cleaning and what it does for my psyche and in turn, my quality of life. I am a Taurus and I feel that I am at my best when I am surrounded by an aesthetically pleasing environment. I understand the value of a clean and organized space when it comes to productivity and efficiency which are also important to me.
I KNOW I’m not the only one. I’m pretty tidy but you won’t catch me cleaning on the weekends, that’s why I get my home cleaned once a week. I can’t even tell you how relieving it is to know that when things get busy and I have a hard time catching up on even the most basic of tasks… you know… food, water, shelter… that the cleaning is taken care of. If my space is cluttered, dirty, or disorganized it makes my brain feel the same. I just can’t focus until my space is right.
THIS is why I got into housecleaning and we use non-toxic products because my allergy-induced asthma requires me to. I just knew that there were lots of other people out there that needed a reliable, top-notch service that would help them have the best quality of life and peace of mind. Cheers to over 10 years of transforming homes and lives with something as simple as non-toxic house cleaning services!
As Always, Breathe Easy with Going GreenHouse
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We KNOW We Aren’t The Cheapest Option For A House Cleaning Service. And Frankly, We Don’t Want To Be.
We KNOW We Aren’t The Cheapest Option For A House Cleaning Service. And Frankly, We Don’t Want To Be.
We are confident in the value that we bring in our services on a daily basis.
It’s in our blood, we just LOVE to be of service. We LOVE to marvel our clients with our tips and tricks on how to get things clean (WITH NON-TOXIC PRODUCTS!) that you never thought would sparkle again!
We pride ourselves on delivering a thorough, detail-oriented house cleaning service with a team that you can trust in your home. BUT if you didn’t know us already and follow this slowly (but surely) growing fan page would you know that…or even CARE??
We have been lucky enough to avoid doing a ton of marketing for the last 10 years that we have been in business. We have steadily grown year over year by JUST word of mouth referrals. We have built a network with many well-known networkers and business owners in the Valley and NOW we have a brand-spankin' new website that we will be using to entice new clients that don’t already know us and love us. https://www.goinggreenhouse.com
It’s still a work in progress, we still have an FAQ page to add, among other things…but we would love for you to pop on and check it out and let us know what you really think. You KNOW us and we want to make sure that we are sending the message that proclaims “FIVE-STAR SERVICE” for those that are looking to hire a partner.
Please comment below any feedback you have or please email me directly at April@goinggreenhouse.com if you prefer. We appreciate all of you that have used us, referred us, or just plain liked/shared/commented on our posts. We are
here because of you and we’re looking to make a bigger impact with your help.
As Always, Breathe Easy with Going GreenHouse
Bringing In 2021
As cliché as it is, we all do it. We all start the year with some sort of intention or goal of...
April Prothero
on Jan 1, 2021 at 8:00am
Bringing In 2021
As cliché as it is, we all do it. We all start the year with some sort of intention or goal of making this year better or different than the last.
One year ago, before the pandemic took hold of everyday life, I set my intention for 2020 to be a year of #process. For me personally, this meant creating and stick to a daily routine. For Going GreenHouse, it meant to painstakingly write out each step of our training process, hiring process, sales flow, etc so that we could see where there were bottlenecks and correct them.
If you know me, you know I was NOT a “process gal”. I would rather clean 1,000 toilets than spend time documenting processes… I mean some people dig that stuff... I did NOT. However, I learned over the last year that it makes a lot of sense to take the time and apply the patience it takes to see the value of each activity.
The insight that we were able to gain by learning each process from start to end is going to allow us to 10X our business!! We were able to identify gaps in our systems that will continue to allow us to grow and provide the 5-star service we are known for.
The unintended benefit of documenting these activities was that I was able to lead my team by example by showing them the patience and dedication it takes to move forward on our biggest, hairiest, most audacious goals. When we were in the thick of it this year, it was slow-going and thankless, but now it’s #SOWORTHIT when we look back at what we’ve accomplished over the last 12 months.
I could not do this all by myself. I am so proud of my team for being completely open-minded and coachable as we navigated this unpredictable year together. We have achieved so much together and grown to be a rock-solid team during this crazy year we call 2020 and we’re looking forward to an upswing and a year filled with #productivity, which is my word for 2021.
Enough talking, #letsdothis2021
Do you have a word for 2021? Drop it below, what does it mean to you?
As Always, Breathe Easy with Going GreenHouse
April Prothero
on Jan 1, 2021 at 8:00am