I have a small cleaning business. I know how to bid on 1 commercial account, but I am now suppose to give a bid for a business that has a total of 7 buildings in one area. 5 of them 5 days a week and 2 of them 7 days a week. All different sizes the smallest 1300sqf, the largest 35,000sqf. I will have to hire around 7 employees. If I calculate as usual for each building the price is really high. I don't think they would go for it. Does any one know a better way to bid something like this?

Sounds like you will have to farm this out to other cleaning companies, taking a percentage of the fee. That seems to be the best way of handling a cleaning job as immense as that.

First your cost and overhead is just that, if you add the price together and it is "too" high, then your other prices would have to be too high also??

Is there some level of service you are going to do differrently, is there some cleaning you won't be doing.

You may look and see if you want to lower your profit percentage, and earn less money profit.
But your costs should be your costs. In fact depending on employees, your overhead may be higher since will you have to have a supervisor, in a crew making additional or higher money

Well the company wants one of my employees in the buildings 8 hours a day, but still wants me to bid by building. I'm thinking just to pay them + workman cop, unemployment comp and taxes its going to be a least $2300.00 a month. Have you heard of anyone paying this much plus more for profit.

I meant to say 23,000.00

8 hours a day give them 10 an hour is 80 a day x 7 is 560 x 4 2240 hx it by 3 and you will charge 6720 in proit minus taxes that should still be a good enough proit for the 35000 charge 2500 to 3000 a month for the 1300

i meant to say 23,000.00

Chuck is right, tale a good look at all your cost factors and your profit; volume dictates price/profit.

With this size project you can take less profit and still make good dollars... in jobs this large it is best to take into consideration the actual dollars that will be coming in monthly.

Don't be afraid of this size job, once you bid and if your are fortunate enough to get it then CONTROL of the project will be the primary factor. Plan for all potential problems and stay ahead of the curve with your client. I would suggest that you personally or another person high in your management structure, schedule regular customer service visits to each building on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. This establishes the rapport that is needed to maintain this project.

Doing the job the right way is only part of it, building that rapport is vital and helps builds loyalty with your customer. Also find ways to set up meetings with the 'contact person' with your client as he/she will be the determining factor in this job going smoothly and keeping the contract. This along with having a good supervisor who is company 'minded' and is knowledgeable of all the specifications that apply to the daily, weekly and monthly items that need to be completed. Make sure this person has the ability to maintain all the standards that are expected by the client and checks all the buildings to ensure that all work and security items are completed each night.

Developing a condensed 'Check List' for each building from the specifications for those items that may be missed is a good idea. Have the workers check off this list indicating that all items were completed. And have the workers sign it each night, this is a good training for the detail needed to do a good job.

In a project of this size, each and everyone of their workers (staff) are in reality your boss. It is sometimes easy to think that you are doing a good job only to have a few people complain... take care of these people, make them happy. Because in our business, usually all you are going to hear are the complaints. It is expected that you are going to 'do' the job and usually compliments are few. Attention to detail is important even when you get complaints, use them as an opportunity to enhance your customer service. It has been said that the actual 'steak' is not what sells the dinner... it is the smell and the sizzle...

The advice that Chuck gave you above is the best way to bid this job. Slice your cost factors to the point where you can still manage and arrive at a profit that is acceptable when you sit back and look at how many dollars this will bring in, month after month.

Good luck, I hope I helped in answering your question and I know that I went beyond but I like the old TV commercial where all the people are sitting in their office and the phone rings... moments later the salesman jumps up and announces that they got the BIG job. Everyone cheered and shouted... then they all sat down and said... "what the hell are we going to do now.......?" :eek:

Opps... no planning...

Please let me know if I helped you?

Thanks,

Stringer