On the surface, the commercial cleaning services market appears to be in relatively robust health. In fact, the sector is expected to be worth $74.3 million globally by 2022. Why is it, then, that few managers of the 54,000+ independent building service contractors (BSCs) in the U.S. will be celebrating? Why are so few of the key customers of janitorial and housekeeping products banking on growth in the years ahead?

从表面看，商业清洁服务市场相对稳健。到2022年，在全球范围内，该行业预计价值7430万美元。那么，为什么美国5.4万多独立建筑服务承包商(BSCs)的管理人员中很少有人会庆祝呢?为什么在未来几年，清洁行业只有少数客户会指望增长?

The harsh truth is that commercial cleaning is one of the most competitive outsource markets of all. In times of economic uncertainty the janitorial industry feels the full force of tightened belts. In a sector populated by a small number of multi-service contractors and powerful franchises, the independent BSC has a fight on its hands. These economic challenges can in turn impact the commercial cleaning and janitorial distributors that support BSC businesses by supplying everything from cleaning solutions to tools to the disposable gloves that protect workers’ hands.

现实是残酷的，因为商业清洁是竞争最激烈的外包市场之一。经济不确定时期，清洁产业就会感受到紧缩的压力。在这个由少量服务承包商和大型特许经营商所组成的行业，那些独立的建筑服务承包商（BSCs）需要一场战斗来争取（市场份额）。这些经济挑战也会反过来影响从事商业清洁和家用产品的经销商，（因为）不论是工具清洗解决方案，还是保护工人双手的一次性手套，（他们）都会给独立大型建筑承包商（BSCs）提供支持。

In order to stay ahead of potential pitfalls, wholesale distributors need to stay up to date on their customers’ challenges and the ways they can help mitigate them.

为了提前提防潜在的隐患，批发经销商需要及时了解客户要求，找到帮助他们排除隐患的方法。

The Scott-Macon Janitorial Industry Review estimates that there were 829,522 cleaning and janitorial service businesses in the U.S. in 2016. The four biggest companies account for less than 10% of the market, in stark contrast to food services, retail, or nearly any other mature sector where a handful of giants typically commandeer the bulk of the revenue. Independent BSCs comprise approximately 30% of the market, while there are also more than 44,000 franchises and counting.

《斯科特-马康清洁工业评论》统计，2016年美国有829,522家清洁服务公司。其中前四强公司所占的市场份额不到10%，这与食品服务、零售等成熟行业形成了鲜明对比。因为这些行业一般少数巨头通常会占据大部分市场份额。独立的建筑服务承包商约占30%的市场份额，这还包含了超过44,000家的特许经营商在内。

Typically, commercial cleaning covers residential, commercial/office, specialist, and laundry services, with competition brutal across all sectors. Competition is sufficiently fierce that a single poor performance can be enough to lose an entire contract. The average cleaning services business experiences more than 50% customer churn each year because of poor service.

一般来说，商业清洁包括住宅、商务写字楼、特殊行业和洗衣店，竞争也是非常激烈，一次糟糕的表现就有可能失去整个合同。清洁服务行业平均每年就有超过50%的客户因为服务差而流失。

This customer churn can cause problems for janitorial and sanitation distributors who supply products to these commercial cleaning businesses. Supply orders may vary week to week and prohibit regular supplier revenue. There are traditional and future economic challenges that contribute to the turbulent nature of this industry. Every challenge that impacts the BSCs’ business in turn impacts the revenue of wholesale distributors.

客户流失现象会给清洁卫生用品经销商带来不利影响。供应订单量每周都会发生变化，供应商的收入也会相应减少。经济的不确定也会导致行业动荡，每一个影响到建筑服务承包商（BSCs）业务的因素都会反过来影响批发分销商的利益。

When the economy is buoyant, businesses feel empowered to outsource commercial cleaning services to independent contractors. As soon as the bubble bursts, however, janitorial distributors can find themselves one of the first services to feel the cut.

经济上行时，一些企业会将商业清洁服务外包给独立的承包商。然而，一旦经济泡沫期，清洁服务经销商就会明显感觉到业务需求量的缩减。

When budgets are trimmed, businesses will either take their janitorial services in house, cut back on frequency, or find themselves forced to vacate the premises altogether. This was a consistent feature of the 2009 crash, which put an end to several years of BSC growth. Residential cleaning followed the same pattern, too. Where cleaning services were concerned, there was clearly no lipstick effect—clients cut back swiftly on non-essential expenditures, leaving many cleaning companies with dwindling bookings.

当预算缩减，企业要么内部解决清洁，要么减少清洁频率，要么搬离经营场所。这是2009年经济危机的一贯特征，建筑服务几年的增长也因此戛然而止。家庭清洁也遵循同样模式。在清洁服务行业没有明显的“口红效应”——客户迅速削减不必要的开支，这使得清洁公司预约订单量减少。

When cleaning companies struggle to book clients, they use fewer supplies and therefore negatively impact the business of wholesale distributors. 

当清洁公司客户减少时，清洁用品供应也会减少，从而影响批发分销商的利益。

The battle of the future, however, will not be fought over familiar ground. Commercial cleaning service operators face the following challenges:

实际上，未来所要面临的挑战不会在熟悉的场景展开。商业清洁运营商将面临以下挑战：

• Shrinking profit margins—The average net profit margin among top cleaning companies stands at just 4%. With so much pressure on the bottom line, managers can drive efficiencies to liberate revenue. But most report that they’re as lean and efficient as possible. Should the cost of materials and equipment rise, operators have very little wiggle room left to protect already slim margins without compromising quality. This results in tense supplier relationships when profit margin is on the line.

• 利润率缩减——排名靠前的清洁公司平均利润率仅为4%，在如此巨大的利润压力下，管理者往往通过提高效率来增加收入。如果材料和设备成本上升，即使尽可能精简和高效，面对微薄的利润，运营商也没有多少回旋余地，这些都将使供应商处在紧张状态。

• Labor issues—The U.S. commercial cleaning sector employs 3.26 million workers. As long as the sector draws heavily on migrant worker sources at minimum wage, commercial cleaning will be characterized by high turnover, inadequate training, and low morale. These issues make it hard for managers to share ownership of business growth and performance targets with staff. Part of worker dissatisfaction can be attributed to low-quality supplies such as thin and inadequate disposable gloves. When workers feel they do not have the tools they need to do their job safely and effectively, it impacts morale and turnover.

•  劳工问题——美国商业清洁机构雇佣了326万名工人。只要商业清洁机构用低工资吸引大量外来务工人员，整个清洁行业就会呈现高流动率、缺乏培训和效率低下的问题。这些问题使得管理者很难与员工共享业务增长和业绩目标。高流动率可以归结为设备质量差，比如清洁手套太薄或者供应不足。当员工觉得自己没有安全有效完成工作的工具时，就会影响工作热情。

• Legislation and compliance—Health and safety compliance requires all staff to be trained which saps time and resources when turnover is high. The organization itself will need to be CIMS-certified, while OSHA, HCAPHPS, and ISO certification are all potentially on the To Do list. Part of adhering to those regulations is safe supply sourcing. Workers are frequently required to wear disposable gloves in order to protect against harsh chemicals. Distributors can step in with expert advice and safe products to make compliance easy for businesses.

• 立法规定——健康与安全法要求所有员工工作前必须接受培训，当流动率高时，就特别耗费时间和资源。企业本身就需要组织认证体系，比如职业健康和安全标准（OSHA），健康保健评估（HCAPHPS），ISO证书都是必要的。遵守这些规则是出于安全的考虑。比如，工人被要求佩戴一次性手套，以防止化学物质侵害。经销商可以介入专家建议和安全产品，使得企业更易于执行。

• Green cleaning—The big buzzword in the commercial cleaning sector, Green or eco-friendly cleaning is set to graduate from niche to mainstream within the industry. The term covers the use of eco-friendly chemicals and the implementation of sustainable practices, and promotes a greater understanding of the effects of cleaning products and practices on both the environment and employees. To get on board the Green bandwagon, businesses need to train employees to GS-42 standards and source Green Seal-certified chemicals. Janitorial and sanitation distributors will need to add Green products to their lineup to keep up with the demand.

• 绿色清洁——广泛应用在商业清洁部门，绿色和环保清洁很有可能成为主流趋势。这既包括环保化学试剂的使用和可持续发展做法，也使员工对环境保护有了更深的理解。为了加入绿色环保行列，企业需要培训员工遵守GS-42标准，寻求经过认证的绿色化学用品。清洁卫生用品经销商需要添加绿色产品来跟上市场需求。

• Automation—Robots and AI technology have already started to make their presence felt within the commercial cleaning sector. The advantages (on paper) are evident: low cost, high consistency, zero problems with ICE or the IRS. Yet anxiety remains high where AI is concerned. How can managers turn AI to their advantage? Robots can be an asset, not a threat. Let them take care of the repetitive tasks and liberate humans for customer-facing or skilled activity. As the industry moves towards AI and IoT (internet-of-things) solutions, wholesale distributors will need to keep up.

• 自动化——机器人和AI技术已经在商业清洗行业崭露头角。其优点是显而易见的：低成本，高度一致性，ICE(美国移民和海关执法局）或者IRS(是美国收入署)不会出现问题。然而，如何将人工智能转化成优势是管理者们需要思考的。机器人是有价值的，不能把它当做威胁。让机器人处理重复性工作，将人类从面对客户和技术处理的任务中解放出来。随着该行业向人工智能和物联网解决方案的转变，批发商需要跟上时代步伐。

• Marketing—Commercial cleaning is at its core a traditional industry, often from family-run roots. It still puts stock in the cold-call and customer relations. That might not be enough anymore. Building managers are increasingly likely to search for contractors online, to check their ratings and testimonials, and to look for a social media profile as proof of pedigree. The same is true for janitorial and sanitation distributors. Digital channels continue to grow as a primary source of information for those researching new business partnerships. As commercial cleaning businesses digitize, so too will their purchasing decision-makers.

• 市场因素——商业清洁作为传统行业，通常是家族经营的。主要业务放在电话和客户关系中，这已经远远不够了。越来越多的建筑管理者在网上搜寻承包商，他们会检查其评级及推荐度，并用社交软件的资料证明其真实性。对于清洁和卫生经销商来说也是如此。对于那些研究新业务的合伙人来说，持续增长的数据分析通道是主要的信息来源。随着商业清洁业务电子数据化，采购决策者也会采用此方法。 

Commercial cleaning operators, and their distribution partners, can meet these new challenges head-on with the following strategies:

商业清洁运营者和其经销合作伙伴，可以采用以下策略迎接挑战：

• Focus on value-added services—Opportunities for conventional growth are limited, particularly when there are no more cuts to be made on the staff or materials side. But janitorial businesses can differentiate by offering niche services or specialized personnel. They can stand out against the competition when it comes to contract renewal by offering training, reporting, resource management, waste removal or tracking services on top of their existing capability. The right distribution partner can support janitorial businesses in sourcing high-quality products at a fair price as well as diversifying their niche offerings. If wholesale distributors recognize the pain points their customers face, they can step in with actionable solutions.

• 关注增值服务——常规增长机遇是有限的，尤其是在员工和材料没办法削减情况下。但是对于清洁业务，可以通过提供缺口服务和专门化服务，使得自己差异化。他们可以在现有基础上提供培训、报告、资源管理、垃圾清除和售后服务等，使得自己在竞争中脱颖而出。合适的经销商伙伴，既能在公平的价位上提供高质量的产品，又能给他们提供缺口服务所需要的用品。如果批发经销商抓到客户面临问题的困境，就能采取可操作的解决方案。

  
  

• Employee training—The enduring perception is that commercial cleaning is not skilled work. As a result, turnover can be high, and companies find themselves allocating vital resources to a cycle of ongoing training without necessarily increasing the overall skill portfolio of the company. But by taking a more proactive approach to training, business managers can focus on the skill areas that will deliver the most ROI. At the same time, a staff that is better equipped to handle a variety of tasks will enhance customer satisfaction and boost the business brand. It’s a simple formula, but too often overlooked: staff perform better when they feel valued—and the investment required rarely fails to reap dividends. Part of that investment is ensuring staff have the right supplies to do their jobs adequately. This is the perfect opportunity for distributors to come forward with high-quality barrier protection products and cleaning supplies.

• 员工培训——从长远看，商业清洁不是需要工作技能的工作。因此，人员流动性高，企业会将重要资源分配到周期性培训上，而不是必须增加公司整体技能性组合。但是通过采取更加积极主动的培训方式，企业管理者可以将精力放在能够带来最大回报率的技能领域。同时，一位训练有素的员工可以提供多种服务，提高客户满意度和品牌形象。这个准则很简单，但是常常被忽视：员工只有感觉自身有价值，才能表现更好——而此项投资是最少，并且收益是最高的。这项投资其中就包含保证员工使用合适的设备。对于经销商来说，是一个提供高品质防护产品和清洁用品的绝佳机会。

  
  

• Cost control—The logistics of running a building service contractor business can be so complicated and intense that managers frequently find themselves too short of time to stand back and analyze the operational costs. They end up sticking to what they know and experience a level of decision paralysis when it comes to innovation.

• 成本控制——运营一笔建筑服务承包商的业务流程既复杂又激烈，以至于管理者经常发现自己无法分析运营成本。他们最终会坚持自己所知道的，并在创新方面经历一个决策瘫痪的阶段。

  
  

• A simple way to lighten the load is to partner with a distributor to source cleaning chemicals, disposables, equipment, and technology. These distributors have a business obligation to know the sector inside out—from its challenges to its emerging trends. They generate more revenue by passing on cost-saving expertise or operational experience, and they help cut operating costs for the commercial cleaning service by concentrating a wide range of products in a single delivery.

• 减轻负担一个简单的方法就是与经销商合作，来寻求清洁用品、一次性用品、相关设备和技术方案。对于所服务部门所面临的挑战还是其新趋势，这些经销商有业务责任去彻底了解。（经销商）通过传授节约成本和运营的经验，他们可以提高收益，同时在一次简单交易过程中，提供范围广泛的产品线，帮助客户降低商业清洁服务业务的成本。

In an industry rife with changes and challenges, solid business relationships can be beneficial for both commercial cleaning businesses and the distributors who supply them. If you are a wholesale distributor struggling to develop a solid marketing strategy, AMMEX can help. We supply a range of disposable gloves for the janitorial industry. Our disposable gloves keep workers safe and happy in their day-to-day tasks, and when economic challenges make it difficult for commercial cleaning businesses to source products, we can step in with cost-effective solutions. Our streamlined digital ordering process eliminates stress on the supplier side so you can focus on your customers. Additionally, our business development solutions can help you to maximize the ROI of the products in your lineup.

在一个充满变化和挑战的行业中，稳定的商业关系对于商业清洁企业和服务于他们的经销商都是有利的。如果你是一位想努力制定坚实的营销策略的批发分销商，爱马斯可以提供给您帮助。我们给清洁行业提供多种一次性手套。我们的一次性手套可以让员工在日常工作中保持安全和愉悦的心情，当你所面临的经济困难是你很难选购商业清洁用品时，我们能提供节省成本效益的解决方案。我们拥有精简的订单流程，消除供应商的压力，这样您可以专注您的客户。另外，我们的业务开发解决方案可以帮助您最大限度地提高产品的投资回报率。

爱马斯，手套品牌领导者。专注“健康、卫生、安全”的防护领域30年。

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