#91: The Biggest Mistakes Cleaning Owners Make and How to Stop Them, with Cheryl Hajjar

Even the grittiest, hardest-working owners get burned by fuzzy pricing, weak boundaries, bad hires, and saying “I’ll figure it out later" 😅 In this follow-up episode with Cheryl Hajjar, Founder of Sisters Who Scale, Stephanie and Cheryl talk through the most common (and expensive) mistakes cleaning business owners make. In fact, these mistakes are ones both of them learned the hard way and now consult cleaning business owners on!

 

📌 What You’ll Learn :

— Why “I’ll do anything while I’m here” destroys margins and confuses clients

— The pricing math that keeps wages under control without underpaying your team

— W2 vs 1099 in real life — what’s legal, what’s risky, and why “contractors” backfire in residential

— How to stop desperation hires and interview for reliability (not just charisma)

— Onboarding that reduces turnover — hybrid teams, clear roles, and quality control

— GPS, time theft, and schedule optimization — protect your payroll and routes

— Bookkeeping basics you can’t skip — owner draws, separate accounts, weekly P&L

— Ads vs scrappy growth — when to spend, when to build brand and reviews first

— Client communication that prevents scope creep and last-minute chaos

— The mindset shift from cleaner to CEO — detach, lead, and document

 

Resources Mentioned:

— Sisters Who Scale (Cheryl Hajjar): https://sisterswhoscale.com

— Sisters Who Scale Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/sisterswhoscale

— ZenMaid Scheduling Software: https://get.zenmaid.com/

 

👉 Try ZenMaid free for 14 days: https://get.zenmaid.com

📞 Book a Consulting Call with Stephanie: https://serene-clean.com/consulting-services/

 

📖 Read the full transcript: https://www.zenmaid.com/magazine/the-biggest-mistakes-cleaning-owners-make-and-how-to-stop-them-with-cheryl-hajjar/