Grow Your Company With a Dream Team [Video]

ROSEMONT, Ill.—January 31, 2022—In this edition of Straight Talk! with Jeff Cross, Howard Partridge, business coach, best-selling author, and owner of Clean as a Whistle and Phenomenal Products, discusses how his cleaning company has been able to continue growing despite the ongoing challenges posed by the pandemic. Partridge says the key to his success is in building a dream team that is ready to meet whatever challenges come their way.

When the pandemic first hit in 2020, Partridge says his cleaning business, Clean as a Whistle, was down 20% during the lockdowns when there was a lot of uncertainty about the future and the economy at large. Many workers were laid off during this period, but he was determined to keep his team intact and continue paying them, whatever the cost. “If I had to lose $200,000 of my own money to keep my team, I was prepared to do that,” Partridge says, noting that some of his employees had been with the company more than 20 years.

In fact, his team is wholly responsible for all the company’s operations. Partridge explains that many years ago, he put systems in place and hired people he trusts so that today, while Partridge owns the company, he no longer “works there,” focusing instead on his writing and business coaching endeavors. Clean as a Whistle bounced back from that initial pandemic hit and in 2021, grew by $1 million in sales and doubled profits over 2020. Partridge gives full credit for this growth to the phenomenal work of his team, saying, “I did literally nothing!”

Partridge says many people find it hard to believe he can be so hands-off with his company, but he believes that by building a “dream team” and implementing systems, anyone can create a turnkey business that will grow and thrive. Partridge has outlined a framework for how to build a dream team, but he notes that the first mistake most owners make is that they bemoan hiring challenges but fail to notice excellent work ethic or high potential in people during their day-to-day interactions. Partridge suggests that noticing good workers in restaurants, gas stations, and grocery stores is a much more effective hiring strategy than placing an ad online and hoping someone excellent walks through the door.

The second mistake owners make, according to Partridge, is that when they do find a good potential team member, “they don’t attract [that person] because they’re not attractive.” Partridge isn’t talking about appearances here; he’s talking about an owner’s attitude, energy, leadership, and personality. “The way that you attract people is by noticing them and helping everybody that you meet get what it is that they want.”

“I believe that you can build your company just through networking,” Partridge says. “Notice people; add value to them.” Once you hire great people, keep them through good leadership, which Partridge believes comes down to coaching, rather than trying to be the boss. “Learn how to be a phenomenal coach so that your ‘players’ can perform for you.”

Watch the complete episode of Straight Talk! with Jeff Cross below, and find more Straight Talk! episodes on cleanfax.com. Take part in the engaging online conversations on industry topics by joining the Straight Talk! Facebook group today. And look for more business insight from Howard Partridge in his upcoming series of articles for Cleanfax.