[angela stone]

hi,

Currently I have 10 members of staff all working part time across various sites - a mix of doms and commercial.

Up to now, I have covered sickness and holidays if need be.

I have also been checking jobs for quality and dealing with every aspect of running the business.

I will be having my first child at the end of december so things are going to be changing dramatically.

I am after some advice on the following if anyone can help:

1) if you have had to take maternity leave, what provisions have you put in place to keep the business running without you?

2)  If you have supervisors - how have you got this set up?  Are they on a salary or hourly rate.  Do you have them cleaning or just checking etc etc.

Any advice you can give to help me go forward with this would be greatly appreciated.

cheers

Ange
 

[gordonswindows]

Hi Ange

First congrats to you and yours on the start of your new family we too have a December child good luck and best wishes

We had a manager and she was on a salary,but it doesn't end there, they need a phone and a computer and a vehicle oh and a uniform we supplied a business suit and a works uniform.
She hired trained and monitored the staff,she was the face of our business to the clients and she also filled in for staff sickness etc

She was excellent at her job and a real asset to our business

Then she had to give it up through I'll health (an old spinal injury ) and we missed her,badly but now? Would I do it again would I have an expensive non earner no way.

What we had to learn to do was get organized and build in systems to support each job each staff member and every client, you must find a way to have your business run day to day without you.

Treat each job separately allocate a workforce to that job a materials supply chain to that job an exact detailed cleaning schedule to that job and a reporting system for both the staff to follow and for the client to follow.

Having done this you will find an overall system appearing and this is how you build in any and all contingency plans. What happens if someone is off sick what happens if the client wants extras what to do if someone leaves how do you invoice ,get paid etc.

It is know good waiting to see what happens you have to plan for will happen by posting your question it's obvious you understand this.

You must make a written note of your system and then compile a procedures manual. Yes it's a bit hard work yes it is a bit boring and yes it can all be a bit obvious but obvious to you maybe but not your staff your clients or your supply partners.

Lets start with sickness

What is your staff procedure for sickness?
How do you know someone is off sick
What does the sick person have to do
What affect will this have on your client
Does it make a difference which member is sick
How do you cover the absence
Must you cover the absence
Do you have to do it yourself
How do you monitor any sickness
What happens upon the staffs return
Do they get paid
Does the client pay
Can you claim ssp


All this and much more just for a days sickness

I used to cover any sickness and always bragged about how I don't mind doing the cleaning but guess what while I was cleaning nobody was doing my work.
If I can't do my job ie run the business the business will run out of money or clients or materials etc and when you add up the cost of that compared with covering a three hour cleaning shift well it's something to consider.

A procedure manual is merely writing down what you already do and it constantly changes through additions or amendments it becomes your supervisor.

How can a manual replace a physical check of somebodys work? It can but I don't want to give away all our little clever bits.

Here is a little exercise I was shown by a clever friend of mine

Write down how to make a cup of tea.

Ange email me the instructions and I will tell you how I would do it by return

There are one or two others on here that understand and are better than me at doing this and I will share their names with you but to spare their blushes I will email u

Gordon


 

[martin19842]

Hi there

whilst i agree with Gordon, there is always another way to look at this situation, this could be viewed as an opportunity to consloidate and then expand,

the consolidation is done by the receuiting of ths extra member of staff, who are then trained up to assume the overwatch role, once you then return to work in whatever capacity ( ie number of hours) you can then drive the business forward with client numbers, whilst the overwatch position remains in place to continue , operations, supervisory, suply chain role.

yes by doing the above the margins will be dented, as the economy of scale is knockedout by this increased cost, however as client revenues increase the economies of scale are brought back into balance.

at the same time the proceudures etc that are detaied by Gordon are a  very good idea, especially if you wish to attain any accreditation in the future.

good luck regards

Martin