Restaurant Cleaning: Hidden Profits or Guaranteed Headaches?

Your hosts Mark Anderson, Sharon Cowan CBSE, and Ed Selkow tackle one of the most controversial topics in commercial cleaning: Should you take on restaurant cleaning contracts?

In this episode of Polishing Profits, the team shares real stories and hard lessons from decades cleaning everything from greasy spoons to 5-star hotel kitchens.

You’ll discover:

• ✅ Why restaurants are the easiest accounts to land—and the hardest to keep profitable
• ✅ The dirty secrets behind restaurant cleaning margins
• ✅ How to avoid the common traps that drain time, cash, and sanity
• ✅ When restaurants make sense for a new cleaning business
• ✅ What to consider before you sign your first restaurant contract

Whether you’re a startup janitorial company or a seasoned operator, this episode will help you decide if chasing restaurant dollars is worth the grind.

🎙️ What You’ll Learn:

• Why restaurant cleaning is high-risk/high-reward
• How to calculate if the cash flow is worth the chaos
• The hidden costs (late payments, tough schedules, sanitation headaches)
• Alternatives to restaurant cleaning if you’re scaling up

🕒 Episode Breakdown:
00:00 – Welcome & why we’re talking restaurants
01:27 – The pros and cons of restaurant accounts
03:49 – Real stories: from bar bathrooms to 5-star kitchens
06:09 – Why expectations are so high (and budgets so low)
08:32 – How cleaning restaurants shapes your business mindset
16:53 – Final advice: is it worth it?

📌 This Episode is For:

• New cleaning business owners looking for their first contracts
• Operators wondering if restaurants are worth the hassle
• Anyone growing a janitorial company who wants to avoid costly mistakes

🧠 Resources:

• ➡️ Catch up on previous episodes of Polishing Profits here: The Profitable Cleaner Network

🔗 Where to Find Your Hosts

• Sharon Cowan, CBSE – LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram
• Mark Anderson – LinkedIn
• Ed Selkow – Facebook

About Polishing Profits

Polishing Profits is hosted by three of the most respected leaders in the janitorial industry—Mark Anderson, Sharon Cowan, and Ed Selkow. With over 140 years of combined experience, they’ve built and scaled cleaning companies, coached hundreds of owners, and helped countless teams grow stronger.

Every episode delivers real stories, actionable strategies, and tools to build a cleaning business that thrives.

Produced by The Profitable Cleaner Network.

Text Our Community JOIN today

Support the show

This week, we’re flipping the script.

In this unique episode of The Profitable Cleaner Podcast, James Harper isn’t hosting—he’s the guest. Originally recorded on Dan and Lexi Schindler’s show, The Cleaning Hustle Podcast, we’re bringing you this candid conversation because it’s packed with lessons you need to hear.

From the truth about “cheap labor” VAs to how to create a culture of loyalty, performance, and trust across borders—this conversation is a masterclass in building virtual teams the right way.

🎙 In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• ✅ Why hiring a $3/hour VA is usually a huge mistake
• ✅ How to build a remote culture that actually sticks
• ✅ The real difference between hiring freelancers vs. a fully supported agency
• ✅ What every cleaning company (and every business) should know about virtual staffing
• ✅ How Power Placing grew from an experiment into a proven model
• ✅ Why treating virtual talent like real team members is the ultimate competitive advantage

👋 About This Episode:
This conversation was first released by The Cleaning Hustle Podcast (hosted by Dan & Lexi Schindler). James sits down with them to talk openly about entrepreneurship, remote work, and building a business with purpose.

🔗 Explore More:
• Learn more about Power Placing & Browse vetted VA profiles → www.powerplacing.com
• Connect with Dan & Lexi → The Cleaning Hustle

👇 Watch or listen now to discover how to rethink virtual hiring and unlock new capacity for your business.

💼 Our Trusted Partners:

• ✅ uSource: All-in-one hub for the facility maintenance industry – Start Free Trial
• ✅ Team Engine: Hire, communicate, and manage your workforce – Learn More
• ✅ Swept: Janitorial software that scales with you – Check It Out

🙌🏼 Join Our Community:

• 🚀 Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/profitablecleaner/
• 📈 Join to be a member to our Profit Advisory Board (Business Growth Community): https://advisoryboard.profitablecleaner.com/

📲 Follow Us:

• 📸 Instagram → @profitablecleaner - https://www.instagram.com/profitablecleaner/
• 💼 LinkedIn → The Profitable Cleaner- https://www.linkedin.com/company/profitablecleaner/
• 📘 Facebook → The Profitable Cleaner - https://www.facebook.com/theprofitablecleaner

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Your hosts Mark Anderson, Sharon Cowan CBSE, and Ed Selkow dive into operational efficiency and process improvement in this episode of Polishing Profits.

If you think standard operating procedures (SOPs) are only for big companies, think again. Whether you’re a solo operator or managing 100 people, clear, documented workflows are the backbone of quality, consistency, and growth.

From onboarding and training to inspections and customer follow-ups, SOPs are what keep your company out of the horror stories - and off the client chopping block.

🧠 What You’ll Learn:

• ✅ Why “winging it” costs you time, money, and reputation
• ✅ How to start building SOPs (without feeling overwhelmed)
• ✅ The 3-legged stool of operations, finance, and HR—and how to keep it balanced
• ✅ Why documented processes create predictable outcomes
• ✅ The magic question never to ask your customers
• ✅ How to create checklists, scorecards, and accountability loops

📌 This Episode Is For:

• ✔️ Cleaning company owners tired of constant chaos
• ✔️ Operators struggling to scale and delegate effectively
• ✔️ Managers ready to improve training and accountability
• ✔️ Anyone who wants to build a business that works without them

🕒 Episode Breakdown:
00:00 – Why small companies need processes too
02:35 – The domino effect of poor workflows
04:23 – The 3-legged stool of sustainable growth
06:09 – Defining quality and standard operating procedures
08:04 – The right (and wrong) ways to talk to clients
10:10 – Final thoughts and next steps

📌 Resources:
➡️ Catch up on previous episodes of Polishing Profits here:
The Profitable Cleaner Network

🔗 Where to Find Your Hosts

• Sharon Cowan, CBSE – LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram
• Mark Anderson – LinkedIn
• Ed Selkow – Facebook

About Polishing Profits

Polishing Profits is hosted by three of the most respected leaders in the janitorial industry—Mark Anderson, Sharon Cowan, and Ed Selkow. With over 140 years of combined experience, they’ve built and scaled cleaning companies, coached hundreds of owners, and helped countless teams grow stronger.

Every episode delivers real stories, actionable strategies, and tools to build a cleaning business that thrives.

Produced by The Profitable Cleaner Network

Text Our Community JOIN today

Support the show