With ������ý celebrating its 100-year anniversary this year, I began to look back on the history of the cleaning industry, what has helped it to stay relevant and grow over time, and what separates it from other industries as well.

At the crux of this reminiscing, I found myself returning time and time again to the simple fact that ‘humanity’ and ‘compassion’ are the integral parts that make the cleaning industry a beautiful and fine-tuned machine.

And, when looking at this intricate and enduring machine in action, it never hurts to take a closer look at the perfectly aligned cogs that make the community grow and connect seamlessly each and every day. Every pillar of the community, thought leader, and industry expert is part of the grand machine that is the cleaning industry but, when you truly stop to see the roles they play, you simply can’t help but feel amazed and proud to be a part of the legacy that is cleaning in America.

A humanitarian through and through

Mason Tomaino, a prominent figure in the cleaning industry, is more than just a businessman. He is a humanitarian, family man, and compassionate leader in the industry who is driven by his desire to make a positive impact on the world around him. Through his work in the industry and his involvement in various charitable causes, he has proven that success and compassion can go hand in hand.

As such, this humble man seemed like the perfect choice for the second chapter in our ‘Human Touch’ series at Cleanfax. After winning the Ralph Bloss Humanitarian Award at The Experience in Las Vegas last year, I knew his story was one that deserved to be covered not just for his leadership in the industry but also for his charitable efforts across the nation.

A cleaning industry legacy that transcends Mason Tomaino himself

Tomaino’s journey in the cleaning industry began with his family, who taught him the importance of work ethics and integrity. “The one who is the most sincere, reliable, and consistent and works the hardest, chasing customer satisfaction over money, will be a success in the long run,” he says. With this guiding principle, he started his own cleaning and restoration business, and over the years, has become a leading figure in the industry.

As his daughter, Becky Tomaino, explained, “He has helped many individuals in the industry and would volunteer to door-knock with them and walk them through how to start their businesses. He has a tendency to not be able to say no when someone is in need. In fac,t I don’t think he ever has said ‘no’. Which led him to create Mason’s network. He always gave out his personal cell and when it became too hard to answer every call he needed a way for everyone to get their questions answered as quickly as possible. Of course, he would prefer to give one-on-one guidance, but he is only one guy and this is how the network began as a way to get not only the questions he had the answers for answered but to directly link professionals to other professions as well.”

Helping those in need through it all

It’s not just his business success that sets Mason Tomaino apart, however. He has also been involved in numerous charitable causes, particularly those focused on cancer research and support for families dealing with the disease. Losing his mother-in-law to cancer in 2000 and other friends and family to the disease, Tomaino felt a deep desire to help those affected by cancer. He organized benefits and fundraisers to support leukemia research and raised over $25,000 with a beard-shaving event at The Experience in 2016.

Tomaino credits his mother-in-law, Mary Ann Walsh, with inspiring him to give back and do for others more than himself. Mary Ann was known for her love of life and her compassion for others, even in the face of her own illness. Tomaino continues to uphold her values of joy, humor, and compassion, and he sees his customers as family. “Every time I sell to them, it is very important that I help them succeed,” he says. “To me, they are all family.”

Tomaino’s dedication to giving back extends beyond cancer research to other causes, including Toys for Tots, Make-A-Wish, and Gyba for Blue Santa, an annual toy drive. He has also volunteered with the Rotary Club to help build low-income housing for seniors, and he coaches youth sports and helps maintain the fields with his own manual labor.

His daughter also shared, “When he ran a limo company, he would volunteer his services for many charity events such as Toys for Tots and Make-A-Wish. When the local church youth group busses broke down and couldn’t take the kids to camp, he rallied up all the limos in his fleet to take them to camp and of course, the kids arrived on time. He has been and still is volunteering as a Board member of the Georgetown youth sports association where he serves as a director of umpires and ensures the fields are in perfect shape all on his own.”

Building a community and connecting with family

For Tomaino, volunteer work is not just about giving back, but also about building a sense of community and setting a positive example for the youth. “You can network with and meet your neighbors—and the kids need and appreciate having well-kept facilities,” he says. “This sets a good example for the youth.”

Through his work in the cleaning industry and his involvement in charitable causes, Mason Tomaino has become a role model for others in the industry and beyond. His dedication to hard work, integrity, and compassion is an inspiration to all who know him. “If you love what you do, it is not work,” he says. And for Tomaino, that love is not just for his business, but also for the people and causes he supports. At the end of the day, to Tomaino, it all comes down to family, “Everything I do, I do for them. I thank God every day for the family [my wife] Sheila and I have created.”

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I had an eye-opening discussion recently with Jim Pemberton, the president of Pembertons in McKeesport, PA. For some reason, the topic was pet pee, specifically on carpet and rugs. What can be done about it, how to really remove odors—you know the conversation. You have had a similar discussion with your own team or perhaps with your peers at a trade show or event, right?

We recorded this as it was something the Cleanfax audience would want to see and hear. You can watch it below. During our conversation, Jim said something interesting: “You know, we’ve been teaching pet odor control since the 70s and, in that period of time, we have got used to generationally—fathers teaching sons—that we offer a pet odor removal guarantee if the pet is no longer in the house. That rolls off the tongue easily, but that doesn’t match today’s reality about how people feel about pets in their homes. They now call them fur babies … four-legged children. How could you tell them not to keep their child?”

He went on to explain how some 70% of households have a pet of some type, usually dogs or cats, and that people “are more worried about their pets than their odors.”  What? I recall the day when some pet owners would get rid of their pets if they kept peeing on the carpet. At least they made the threat.

The next statement Jim made was eye-opening: “People spent, last year, $2.14 billion on Valentine’s gifts for their pets.”

As he continued to explain, now may be the time to adjust how we approach taking care of odors in the home. There is a unique way to do this, “If a cleaner leads with pet odors, meaning pet accidents, they are putting a negative in the customers’ minds that they don’t want to think about.”

Jim continued: “What they do care about is if their pets will be safe given the chemicals and work you will be performing to eliminate odors in their homes. That is what I see that is changing and I’m not sure the cleaning industry is keeping up with it.”

What’s the ultimate solution? Jim recommends a “pet-friendly” approach, which he teaches in his seminars. It’s eye-opening, especially when you consider his interesting analogy of a nursing home. I’m not going to explain that one. I leave that to Jim. Watch the full video below.

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See all the all-new Proven Jobs Mobile in person at RIA’s Convention & Expo booth #118.

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The HEPA 700’s larger filters optimize air filtration. Its prefilters balance airflow with HEPA filter protection, and the DOP-compliant HEPA primary filter removes 99.999% of .1-.3 micron particulates with more durable synthetic media. The Activated Carbon Filter also adsorbs more smoke and odors per filter.

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Dot’s Deep Mold Stain & Extra Strength Cleaner is our most powerful product, designed to effectively mitigate deeper staining and provide heavy-duty cleaning ability. This product is perfect for nonliving spaces and better for workers, with lower odor and 10x less chemical.

All of our Dot Mold products are delivered in small easy-to-mix pouches with a 2-year shelf life.

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So far in this article series, we have covered…

• The 8 Steps to Building Your Dream Team
• How to FIND Dream Team Members
• How to ATTRACT Dream Team Members
• How to HIRE Dream Team Members

Today, we’ll talk about pay. Most business owners want the best team members, and they assume they can’t afford them. They assume that pay is the most important thing to a team member. They assume people don’t want to work and that the only way to get them to show up and do a good job is to pay them more.

Well, my high school driver’s education teacher told the class what the definition of ‘ASSUME’ was even back then. You probably know what I mean by that, so I won’t go into further detail. I can still see the word written with blue marker on the white board to this day.

At the end of the day, your employees want to do work that has meaning.

I have done a lot of assuming in my career. Today, I have 33 team members in our cleaning business who care for high-end rugs, carpets, upholstery, and natural stone floors. We work in some of the most expensive homes in the city and serve the area’s most prominent citizens, celebrities, and world leaders. Former President George H. Bush and First Lady Barbara Bush were clients before they passed away.

So, of course, our technicians must be very well trained and compensated. But, if you were to assume that pay is the most important part of someone’s compensation, you would be wrong.

This past Saturday, the chief operating officer of one of my client’s companies shared their leadership pillars with one of my groups.

The company started as a carpet cleaning company and then became a restoration/reconstruction company. They will make $50M in revenue this year. The young man who is now COO started with my client’s company 12 years ago when he was only 27. But he was no ordinary 27-year-old. He was a major league baseball player and was considered one of the top five in the world at that time.

After an elbow injury, he had an opportunity to reexamine his life. Although he went back to baseball after rehab, he knew it wasn’t his destiny. He no longer enjoyed the locker room culture. He went to work for my client for $10 an hour! A major league baseball player!

He was told that he could learn sales from my client, which he did. But more importantly, he fit the culture and became the COO of a $50M company. That is proof it’s not always about the money.

The Leadership Challenge, one of the best collections of leadership books written based on almost fifty years of research, reveals that more important than pay, team members have several other priorities. Their research is also confirmed by other organizations as well.

The value chain begins when people feel like they are included. They don’t want to feel like they are kept in the dark. My experience is that all people have a deep longing for belonging. They want to be part of something that makes a difference.

Furthermore, they want to feel important and accepted. These employees want to know that their work has meaning. After all, why would people give up a 20% raise to get their manager fired, as one study revealed? Why are people leaving well-paying jobs in droves, creating The Great Resignation? The reason is simple: During the pandemic, they realized they were giving up their very lives for a paycheck.

Your employees want a positive work environment. Provide that to them.

Instead, employees want a positive work environment. They don’t want a stressful, overbearing boss—they want an encouraging leader. In a previous installment in this series, I shared what employees are looking for in a leader. It doesn’t mean they won’t work hard. They will if you give them the right fuel.

The next thing people value is a flexible schedule. They want to be able to serve their family. They don’t want to be a slave to the business like you might be. They don’t have the investment in the business like you do. They don’t want to work seven days a week, 12 hours a day.

Finally, before pay comes benefits. Vacation, health insurance, 401k, and things of that nature are more important than monetary compensation for many. If you doubt that, look at the U.S. Military. Or think about people who work in a ministry. I was coaching a very accomplished woman the other day who runs a non-profit. Although she could make so much more money building a for-profit business, she feels called to the non-profit realm.

And therein lies the rub. At the end of the day, people want to do work that has meaning. So, understand why you do what you do, and how what you do makes a difference in the lives of your clients and vendors. Then, share that with your potential and existing team members.

Purpose is what makes a difference. The ongoing Gallup Employee Engagement Poll reveals that 70% of American workers are disengaged and 18% are actively disengaged which means they hate their jobs. They are telling their friends how much they hate their bosses specifically too. Don’t be that person. Be the leader people love to follow.

Believe it or not, the work I do in coaching has attracted highly talented people who volunteer for me. It blows my mind. I always find ways to compensate them. And of course, that doesn’t happen in my cleaning company, but people love the company, and they are highly engaged and perform at a very high level.

So, let’s talk about monetary compensation because people do need to get paid, and they deserve to get paid well. My experience is that if you have the right person and the right culture, you can use practically any compensation method and create a win-win.

Compensation methods

1 | Hourly

The advantage of hourly pay for the team member is that they know exactly what they will get, and you may be required to pay hourly anyhow. I am not an attorney, and this is not legal advice, but most often, employees are required to be paid hourly. The challenge is balancing the budget when you are short-handed, jobs take longer than expected, or there is a lot of drive time.

2 | Salary

The advantage of a salary method is that you can budget it with ease. The downside is that, when revenue is down, you pay the same amount of money. The downside to salary for a team member is that more and more work gets piled on them because there is no additional cost. Also, let me caution you that there are certain rules that are required to be followed when paying someone a salary. Since I can’t give you legal advice, I’ll let you look these rules up for yourself now that you are aware they exist.

3 | Commission

Commission comes into play when a team member is selling for you. The advantage is people get paid based on what they sell. The disadvantage is that people may tend to oversell and put too much pressure on the prospect. Again, there are some hard and fast rules about commission. Putting technicians on straight commission is a bad idea. However, I have a solution for you which we will discuss further below.

4 | Subcontractor

This method is prevalent in this industry. In this case, it’s much like straight commission when it comes to cleaning jobs. I will give you the job, you clean it, and you get a commission. However, again, there are some hard and fast rules to this compensation form. You cannot dictate their schedule; they must have their own equipment and they must be able to work for other people. Please check out the legalities for yourself.

The best method in my opinion is a BASE + PERFORMANCE PAY system. For technicians, we pay a low hourly amount and make sure that they get their proper overtime. Then, we give them a percentage based on their level of expertise.

Levels of expertise

We have three levels:

1. Base Technician: Knows carpet and tile
2. Intermediate: Knows upholstery
3. Advanced: Knows a specialty service such as rug cleaning, stone care, or carpet repairs.

They are thoroughly trained and certified in these areas. This makes them more valuable to us. Therefore, they get a bigger production bonus.

Our inside sales team is on BASE + PERFORMANCE that is tied to the number of bookings they have. Their hourly pay compensates them for the hours worked, and they get rewarded for their performance.

The entire team gets a bonus when we hit our monthly sales goal. One day, I was at our weekly meeting, and everyone was super excited. When I inquired what everyone was jazzed about, my operations director informed me that we had hit our sales goal, and everyone was getting a $1,000 bonus! Did I mention I have 33 people on my team? The math was pretty simple. This meant I just paid out an extra $33,000! Or did I?

What really happens every time they reach the goal, which is routine, is I make more too.

I learned these secrets from my friend and colleague, Ellen Rohr. Many years ago, Ellen Rohr led Benjamin Franklin Plumbing from zero to over $40M in franchise sales. When the company moved, she didn’t want to move from her home and put her shingle out as a consultant. That’s when I met her. Today, she is building her own empire called Zoom Drain, Inc. with partners.

When Ellen came to consult with us many years ago, we didn’t have the best compensation program. Our labor rate was 35% and we weren’t charging enough, so we were losing money even though we were billing $2.5M per year.

Raising prices helped fix the profitability issue and creating a win-win compensation program brought us the rest of the way.

The basic compensation structure I learned from Ellen is this:

• If they get the work done on time and on budget, they get to stay.
• If they get the work done late, and/or over budget, they get coached, but not forever.
• If they get the work done early and/or under budget, they get to share in the gains.

So, we created this structure:

• Technicians and inside sales: Low hourly base, plus a performance bonus % based on their level of expertise. Remember, I shared the three levels earlier. If it is a two-man crew, there is a split in production bonuses, with the lead tech getting the bigger percentage. Benefits grow as people stay with the company.
• Referral marketing reps: Hourly

Everyone participates in the company-wide Sales Bonus. And if we hit a certain mark, we buy them all breakfast at a favorite breakfast spot.

Directors and managers get a salary, plus a specific production bonus tied to their role. For example, the operations director gets a bonus when labor and materials are kept in check.

Remember that until you understand your numbers, you really can’t create an effective pay plan.

In my next article, I’ll talk about training.

 started his cleaning business from the trunk of his car nearly 40 years ago and built it up to over $4 million per year. For two decades, Partridge has coached cleaning and restoration companies, teaching them to have phenomenal success. He is the exclusive small business coach for Ziglar Inc., the world’s first Ziglar Legacy Trainer, the founding member of the John Maxwell Coaching Team, a DISC Certified Trainer, a ONE THING Certified Trainer. a Certified StoryBrand Guide, and No. 1 bestselling author of 12 books including his latest: F.T.I. (Failure To Implement).

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As hard as it may be to believe, there was a time in my life when this body looked like a chiseled block of granite! Obviously that time is not right now. But in my younger years, I ran distance both in high school and in college. I learned a lot of lessons about life and business by running long distances, whether it was on a team or as an individual.

One of the first lessons I learned was that I couldn’t blame the outcome of my race on anyone other than myself. I was the only one responsible for always doing my best. If I didn’t perform as well as I should, it was all on me. Even today, I vividly remember being repeatedly taught that lesson by my college track coach … at the top of his lungs as he stood about six inches from my face! I can assure you, he was not practicing social distancing or kumbaya coaching as he gave me my lesson.

At one time or another most of us learn the same lesson in business, although hopefully not by having someone shouting at us. Our customers let us know we’re not performing when they take their business elsewhere. Our employees let us know when they choose another place to work. We can blame outside forces, inside forces, or mystical forces for poor performance all day long, but the only one responsible is us.

In track I had coaches who helped me develop the technique and stamina to compete and win. In life and in business we have coaches, too; they go by different names and instruct us in different ways. We call them bosses, competitors, colleagues, spouses, partners, employees, and paid consultants. The good ones help us become better versions of ourselves. And the courses we run now are called professional careers or lifetimes.

The lessons I learned in sports and the ones I’ve learned in life have been invaluable to me when it comes to competing and collaborating in business.

People with all kinds of physiques run distance. Short ones; tall ones; ones built like fire hydrants; ones built like telephone poles. Some run faster than others. To this day, I find myself getting annoyed when a runner passes me who’s older, chubbier, or has a lousy running form. Still, those factors don’t change the fact that they’re passing me by.

It’s no different in business. We will always have business competitors who are smarter than we are, more well-known, or better funded. We should learn that if we spend our time focusing on their perceived advantages it won’t make us any better. All it will do is take time away from us being able to focus on ways to strengthen our own weaknesses or leverage our own strengths.

Some lessons take longer to learn than others, both in track and in business. One of the lessons I’ve recently learned is that knees aren’t always as forgiving when we get older as they were when we were much younger. Unfortunately, without the assistance of surgery, there aren’t any do-overs to make things right.

It’s no different with businesses. When we don’t take care of them as we build them—managing the money responsibly, hiring the right people, building lasting relationships—we not only struggle to get a decent return when we go to sell, but we’re not able to enjoy the journey as much while we’re running it.

Chuck Violand is the founder and principal of Violand Management Associates (VMA), a highly respected consulting company in the restoration and cleaning industries. Through VMA, he works with business owners and companies to develop their people and profits. For more information, visit .

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