By Steve Ashkin, The Ashkin Group

On Tuesday, President Obama speaking to a joint session of Congress delivered a somber but hopefully message about the state of our economy. He articulately discussed the pain that many Americans and others around the world are feeling and offered his remedy for change. And while he did not use the language of "Green Buildings," it was unmistakable that this was an important solution for both energy independence and efficiency that will help us solve both our short- and long-term economic and environmental problems.

I too believe that we are capable of solving these problems and for those who have invested in Green technologies of all kinds are best prepared for what the future holds - not only to be part of the solution, but to enjoy the benefits from a marketplace that rewards the creation of value. And Green Cleaning is just that.

While clearly “cleaning” is not new and most organizations have an established budget. So while Green Cleaning might be considered the logical next step for our industry - and in some cases it represents small incremental steps --- it is nonetheless important.

Unfortunately the “value” Green Cleaning creates for our customers is often soften and difficult to measure in terms of hard dollars and cents. These include reducing absenteeism, reducing risk to health and the environment, reducing insurance and compliance costs, contributing to improved building occupant performance and quality of work, etc.

And while these are all incredibly important issues (and to be successful you need to be prepared to both discuss and document all of these potential benefits), it still remains difficult to quantify.

But because existing budgets and the overall market for cleaning are sizable (approximately $180 Billion annually in the US alone) and because most companies and sales people maintain a small marketshare, there is always plenty of growth opportunities. And while the market may be temporarily shrinking during this economic downturn, if we can demonstrate the value of switching to a new Green Cleaning program, we can grow our sales and profits.

As I have talked and written about in recent issues of DestinationGreen, as well as other articles and interviews for both the trade and consumer media - Green Cleaning can continue to accelerate during these tough economic times because it becomes a superior option due of its "cost neutrality" compared to other opportunities that require significant upfront investment capital (e.g. solar panels, green roofs, adding insulation, replacing the HVAC system, automating building controls, etc. – for more info see our article Understanding the Benefits of Going Green).

But for you to be successful, you must compete with all of these other options and opportunities. We need to help our customers and prospects understand, as President Obama pointed out that the credit market is not flowing and as a result (at least in the short-term) products and opportunities that require even minimal upfront capital investments may need to be delayed, but there are other opportunities such as many of the components of Green Cleaning which do NOT require a large upfront investment.

We must advocate, promote, fight, yell, scream and do whatever we can to make the discussion about CHOICES. Yes, those that require significant upfront investments are likely and perhaps even necessary to be delayed. However it is a GOOD business decision to do those things that do NOT require this investment - and these opportunities exist especially with Green Cleaning.

At this time we must do everything possible to make sure that cleaning in general, and Green Cleaning in particular isn't once again taken for granted and looked at only as an "expense" that simply needs to be reduced.

As you know, cleaning is incredibly important to help our customers achieve their organizations mission whether it is to educate kids in schools & universities, heal the sick in our healthcare facilities or improve performance and productivity in our office buildings. Because without proper cleaning to protect the health of building occupants - our customers and their entire organization will suffer.

And for those customers and prospects who have committed to green and sustainability, it is your voice that must cut through the noise. Please be heard. Green Cleaning is an excellent opportunity to demonstrate an organizations ongoing commitment to green and sustainability - perhaps now more than ever.

This is a time, regardless of the state of the economy when you can grab marketshare and grow your sales and profits. So use a "repositioning" strategy to "position" other green options as those that are too expensive at this time. And then "position" Green Cleaning as the right option at the right time!

We all have a lot invested and only together can we keep the momentum going - not only now but throughout 2009. Together we can make a difference.

Good selling!

Steve

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About the Author:

Stephen Ashkin grew up in a family owned cleaning product manufacturing business where he has worked professionally in the industry since 1981 and on the specific issue of Green Cleaning since 1990. Often referred to as the "father of Green Cleaning," Ashkin has played a pivotal role in setting industry standards, promoting environmentally preferable products, and advocating for socially responsible practices. He along with David Holly (a key member of The Ashkin Group) have authored 4 books including Green Cleaning for Dummies and The Business of Green Cleaning, published or cited in over 350 magazine and newspaper articles, and a frequent speaker at major cleaning industry, building owner and environmental health events.

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