Every cleaning business owner eventually faces the dreaded moment when they must decide whether to keep struggling with a difficult employee or let them go.

This raw, candid conversation dives deep into the realities of employee termination, offering practical wisdom for those agonizing over toxic workplace situations. We have all worked in a toxic environment at one point in our working careers.

We also share the precise warning signs that indicate it's time to part ways with staff members – from the employee who consistently gives "underpaid vibes" complaints to those who damage client relationships through poor communication. The unmistakable red flag?

There is also a reference to Dan Kennedy, ad copy guru, he has a famous saying for when it's time to part ways with a client's that mis behave.

"When you find yourself waking up three mornings in a row thinking about an employee problem. As the saying goes, if they're consuming that much mental space and you're not sleeping together, it's time for them to go."

The cornerstone of successful termination is proper documentation. We walk through exactly what this means: starting with verbal warnings (which you must document in your calendar), followed by written documentation, and finally termination if behaviors don't improve. Without this crucial paper trail, you're vulnerable to unemployment claims that can significantly increase your tax burden.

Beyond the legal considerations, we explore the human elements of termination – conducting the conversation in a public place rather than your home office, ensuring you have a witness present, providing final payment properly documented as "last and final pay," and maintaining the employee's dignity throughout the process. Your approach during these difficult moments not only protects your business legally but preserves your reputation in the community.

Listen for crucial distinctions between handling W-2 employees versus 1099 contractors, state-specific employment laws you must know, and strategies for preventing problem employees from contaminating your entire team culture. Managing staff effectively isn't just about finding great cleaners – it's about creating systems that protect your business when relationships don't work out.

This is not the book that mentions the Dan S Kennedy quote, but it is an interesting topic: https://amzn.to/4ld7Owg or here: https://amzn.to/4iKZp1c

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It can be crowed when trying to figure out who you are going to learn from

Erica Paynter is the brains behind My Virtual Bookkeeper, a bookkeeping firm for cleaning companies, and the creator of Clean Co. Cash Flow Academy and the Clean Co. Collective. She’s on a mission to help cleaning business owners make sense of their numbers without boring them to tears! Erica’s all about turning messy books into profit-packed powerhouses.

support@myvbk.com

Up your cleaning game, join over 6000 Cleaning Business Owners most of whom are located here in the United States.

Support the show

Questions? Feel free to reach out!

Shannon Miller: cleaningbusinesslife@gmail.com

Join my FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1583362158497744
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIjMz_-9YyiFvNVIgb61iYg

See Shannon's latest courses: www.KleanFreaksUnversity.com

Why Every Cleaning Business Owner Needs a Virtual Assistant (feat. Sidekick Sarah Baker)

Feeling overwhelmed by your endless to-do list? You’re not alone. In this episode of Cleaning Business Life, we sit down with Sarah "Sidekick Sarah" Baker, a virtual assistant who specializes in helping cleaning business owners reclaim their time and scale their operations.

Sarah pulls back the curtain on what a VA actually does—from handling social media, email marketing, and website updates to tackling administrative tasks that drain your time. She explains why outsourcing non-Income Producing Activities (non-IPAs) is the key to unlocking growth in your business.

Why hire a stateside VA like Sarah? Unlike offshore assistants working opposite hours, Sarah prioritizes real-time communication, cultural understanding, and rock-solid organization. She shares her proven systems—from trusty paper planners to digital workflows—to ensure nothing falls through the cracks.

Wondering what to delegate first? Sarah suggests starting with tasks that always get pushed to the bottom of your list. Many of her clients began with social media management and were amazed at how much more she could take off their plates.

“Hiring a VA isn’t just an expense—it’s an investment in your business growth and mental health.” If you’re ready to stop drowning in admin work and start focusing on revenue-generating activities, this episode is for you!

📌 Connect with Sidekick Sarah:
🔗 Website: https://www.sidekicksarah.com/
🔗 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sarah.ganderbaker

🔖 Tags: #CleaningBusiness #VirtualAssistant #SmallBusinessGrowth #Outsourcing #Delegation #CleaningCompanySuccess #WorkSmarterNotHarder #CleaningBusinessLife #SideKickSarah

Send us a text

It can be crowed when trying to figure out who you are going to learn from

Erica Paynter is the brains behind My Virtual Bookkeeper, a bookkeeping firm for cleaning companies, and the creator of Clean Co. Cash Flow Academy and the Clean Co. Collective. She’s on a mission to help cleaning business owners make sense of their numbers without boring them to tears! Erica’s all about turning messy books into profit-packed powerhouses.

support@myvbk.com

Up your cleaning game, join over 6000 Cleaning Business Owners most of whom are located here in the United States.

Support the show

Questions? Feel free to reach out!

Shannon Miller: cleaningbusinesslife@gmail.com

Join my FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1583362158497744
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIjMz_-9YyiFvNVIgb61iYg

See Shannon's latest courses: www.KleanFreaksUnversity.com

🎙 Episode: When Your Cleaning Guarantee Gets Tested—How to Handle Re-cleans Like a Pro

Your cleaning guarantee just got called out—now what?

In this no-nonsense episode of Cleaning Business Life, we dive deep into one of the trickiest situations every cleaning business owner eventually faces: a client invoking your 24 or 48-hour re-clean guarantee.

When your part-time team isn't available to fix the issue quickly, what’s your next move?

We’re pulling back the curtain on the uncomfortable but crucial truth—you’re ultimately responsible for making it right, even if that means grabbing your supplies and handling the re-clean yourself.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• The exact protocol for navigating client complaints and quality concerns.
• How to communicate effectively with both your clients and your cleaning technicians during a service failure.
• Why personally showing up can turn a negative review risk into a customer loyalty win.
• The right way to document and address performance issues with your team—without damaging morale.
• How recleans reveal hidden cracks in your operations and how to use these situations to strengthen your business.

Think it’s too costly to handle recleans personally? We’ll prove why the price of fixing it now is far less than the cost of losing a valued client.

If you’re ready to take ownership, protect your reputation, and build stronger client relationships, this episode is a must-listen.

🎧 Tune in now and learn how your response to problems defines your business more than your service ever will.

#shannonmiller

#jamierunco

#kleanfreaksuniversity

#24hourguarantee

#recleans

Send us a text

It can be crowed when trying to figure out who you are going to learn from

Up your cleaning game, join over 6000 Cleaning Business Owners most of whom are located here in the United States.

Support the show

Questions? Feel free to reach out!

Shannon Miller: cleaningbusinesslife@gmail.com

Join my FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1583362158497744
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIjMz_-9YyiFvNVIgb61iYg

See Shannon's latest courses: www.KleanFreaksUnversity.com