This is a problem that exist across the industry. As the cost of living rises, so does the need for janitors to look for other opportunities to increase their income. Many janitors and cleaning staff work other full-time jobs during the day and then clean at night to make additional income.

Building owners and management companies want clean facilities, but are always looking for the least expensive bid. This is normal. However, when the expectations don't meet the budget, that is when problems can occur. One of those problems is being able to pay a wage to keep trained and experienced staff.

CLICK HERE to read the full article.

Time has a tendency of getting away, but the most successful people still seem to accomplish more in a day than many of us do in a week.
Luckily for us, they’re willing to let us in on their productivity tips, tricks, and strategies. Here’s how Richard Branson, Daymond John, and 12 other leaders in their fields manage their overwhelming to-do lists and get so much done.
​
Read on if you want to up your productivity game.

Richard Branson works out in the morning
The billionaire entrepreneur wakes up at 5:00 am to work out, which he claims boosts his productivity significantly.

“I definitely can achieve twice as much by keeping fit,” Branson tells FourHourBodyPress. “It keeps the brain functioning well.”

Marcus Lemonis makes ‘knockout lists’ on personalized note cards
“I get up in the morning and I’ll make a list of the five things I want to get done that day — and without exception, I have to get those five things done. If I end up getting some things in addition to that done, great, but I always have my knockout list,” says the entrepreneur and star of CNBC’s “The Profit.”

“I just physically write it down. I have little cards in my closet in my basement. They’re long, narrow cards, with my name on top — and they make really cool paper airplanes, so when I’m done with them at the end of the day, I like to make paper airplanes out of them.”

Mary Callahan Erdoes manages her calendar, rather than letting it manage her
“Calendar management is the single most important thing, especially as you get busy and have more responsibilities,” the CEO of JPMorgan Asset Management tells CNBC.

“You have to be maniacally focused on owning your calendar, on having the lists of what you need from other people and what other people need from you. What are the short-term issues that need to be dealt with? What are the long-term issues?

“Unless you can stay on top of that religiously, it will end up owning you, and that’s not a way to go about staying organized and being on top of things.”

Daymond John finds creative ways to maximize his time
“I’m always trying to maximize my time,” the “Shark Tank” investor and founder of FUBU tells CNBC. “For example, I’ll do my emails when I’m on a plane, instead of when I’m in the office. I try to have my team members handle as much of the meetings as possible — I’ll be involved in the last part so I don’t have to sit through five separate meetings of the same purpose. And when I have personal interaction, I try to maximize that as well.”

Arianna Huffington takes time to ‘pause’
The author and entrepreneur makes sure to take breaks during the day, especially for meals.

“Take a colleague and go to a cafeteria or go to a table away from your desk in your office and have lunch,” Huffington says. “Even if you take 20 minutes to do that, it’s more recharging than what so many of us do which is eating lunch while working.”

Taking “pauses” not only boosts productivity, but it decreases stress, she says: “It just makes a difference to how the rest of your day goes.”

Tracy Anderson writes down notes and visualizes tasks on paper
“I have a lot of little notebooks,” says the celebrity trainer and fitness entrepreneur. “I do a lot of little notes and ideas, and then I figure out which ones I’m going to keep, which ones I’m going to save for later, and how I’m going to craft the bigger piece out of many of them. I grew up as a chess player, so I think that’s part of it — I need to see all of the pieces or the obstacles and then I’ll figure it out for myself.
“I like the notebook so that I don’t leave things behind, because I do run fast. I get so many emails and so many texts that sometimes it’s just easier for me to brain dump there.”

Norman Lear lives by a two-word philosophy that allows him to stay present and focused
“I think the two least-considered small words in the English language may be ‘over’ and ‘next,'” says the television writer and producer. “When something is over, [it’s] over. We’re onto next. I live in that moment. I mean this is it — this is the best conversation I could possibly be having, and it took me 93 years to get here.”

Liz Wessel uses her inbox as a checklist
“Like many other CEOs, I use my inbox as my to-do list. I don’t let myself go to sleep unless all of my to-do’s are done, which means that my inbox is empty,” the co-founder and CEO of WayUp tells CNBC. “If something isn’t urgent, I use the Boomerang extension for Gmail to make sure that I send non-urgent things to be returned to my inbox the next day or week.”

Koel Thomae unplugs completely
“It’s very easy to get distracted by your inbox or phone. When I have a big project or when I need to get something done — and done well — I shut down my email, I turn off my phone, and I put on some of my favorite music,” the co-founder of Noosa Yoghurt tells CNBC. “I just dig in and get it done.”

Jack Groetzinger turns his to-do list into a game
“I’ve enjoyed ‘gamifying’ my to-do list,” the co-founder and CEO of SeatGeek tells CNBC. “I have an estimated number of minutes for all tasks and have written software to record when I begin and end each item. Each day, I challenge myself to hit an efficiency goal: number of actual minutes divided by expected minutes. The best part of playing a game by myself is that I have every spot on the leader board.”

Nick Huzar takes advantage of Sundays
“Plan your work and work your plan,” the co-founder and CEO of OfferUp tells CNBC. “I make sure to prioritize alone-time on Sundays to focus on the team’s top priorities for OfferUp across each department. I then spend the week supporting the team to execute on these priorities.”

Katelyn Gleason picks up an inspiring biography
“If I feel creatively burned out from working long hours, I’ll go and read something inspiring about someone’s journey,” the founder and CEO of Eligible tells CNBC. Her go-to reads are biographies or autobiographies of people like Steve Jobs, Benjamin Franklin, Marie Curie and Katharine Hepburn .

“In order for me to regain focus I need to be intellectually and creatively inspired.”

Bill Smith steps back when he needs to and delegates
“As much as I’d like to be able to do it all myself, I know there are some areas of my work life that are best to pass off so I can keep focused on what is most important,” the founder and CEO of Shipt tells CNBC. “Hiring a fantastic executive assistant is crucial. It may be difficult at first, but let this person manage straightforward, time consuming tasks.”

Allison Page sets alerts on her Apple watch
“When it comes to productivity, I’m a huge believer in a good old-fashioned list. I love being able to cross things off as they’re completed, and it’s a reminder right in front of me when something has to get done,” the co-founder and head of product of SevenRooms tells CNBC.

“I also block time off in my calendar to make sure I can focus on outstanding projects. My new favorite trick is to set alerts on my Apple watch, as well as Slackbot reminders. It’s a quick digital reminder that really helps when you’re wrapped up in something else.”

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This article was written by Kathleen Elkins, a writer and personal finance reporter for CNBC Make it, the largest and fastest-growing section of cnbc.com.

After a music teacher in Swampscott, Massachusetts, died suddenly from the flu, the elementary schools where she taught were deep cleaned before the students returned, according to an article on the Boston CBS website.

Phyllis Gotlib, 68, died recently after she became ill over the weekend.

​CLICK HERE to read the full article.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health estimates between 250 and 1,100 Massachusetts residents die annually from complications of influenza. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says this season’s flu outbreak is peaking, but it will likely take weeks before it slows down.

If your school or place of employment has been suffering from an outbreak of the flu, or any other illness, we can help.

​Give me a call and we can discuss the options available for your situation.

​Local businesses can lend support in helping to quell the violent crime wave plaguing Baltimore through more job creation, said Spencer Levy, the Americas head of research for CBRE.

"Talent just doesn't come from advanced degrees, from people who are intellectually smart. It comes from other things," Levy said Friday following a wide-ranging presentation to NAIOP Maryland members on today's economy and commercial real estate.

To Levy, the business community can assist in turning the tide through helping to better the schools and offering mentorships and job training —  even as the city is in what some perceive as a crisis.

​CLICK HERE to read more

CJ Maintenance, Inc. was ​recognized as #2 on the Baltimore Business Journal’s Minority-Owned Businesses list that published in this week’s issue of the Baltimore Business Journal.

Come visit us at Booth 310.

​This year's conference is being held at the Gaylord Conference Center in the National Harbor.

 Starbucks breakfast sandwiches were recalled in 250 stores last week due to fears that they may have been contaminated with Listeria, a bacteria that can be fatal to children and the elderly.

Food manufacturer Progressive Gourmet of Wilmington, Mass., which makes the sandwiches for Starbucks, said it recalled the sausage, egg, and cheese breakfast sandwiches from 250 stores in Arkansas, Texas and Oklahoma. The recall focused on sandwiches labeled "Best Before: 07-AUG-2016."

CLICK HERE to continue reading.

I read an article online this morning about empathy. It really helps put things into perspective.

This short video below is about empathy. Take a few minutes to watch it. 

Henry David Thoreau said, “Could a greater miracle take place than for us to look through each other’s eyes for an instant?”

Doing so will give you pause before rushing to judgement.

The woman in front of you in the grocery store line just lost her mother after a nine year battle with cancer.

Your boss just found out his wife is having an affair.

The other mother you ran into in the schoolyard just found out her daughter has a brain tumor.

The Starbucks barista who has been schlepping espresso to fund her dream just found out the book she spent five years writing got rejected by yet another publisher.

The young boy acting out in the restaurant just found out Daddy is going to war.

The woman who cut you off in traffic just filed for divorce from her abusive husband.

The waiter who forgot to bring you extra salad dressing just lost his son in a car accident.
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As Rev. John Watson said, “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle”.

You can read the entire article when you CLICK HERE

Entrance Matting

Entryways are the first line of defense against many contaminants. Special effort should be focused in these areas. This begin by cleaning outside walkways leading into the building, especially during inclement weather. 

The main job of matting is to stop as much dirt as possible from progressing further into the building. When I perform a walk-through of a new facility, I begin my inspection at the entrance, taking special note of the matting, or lack thereof. 

If possible, there should be combination of mats, including a scraper mat just inside the door, and one or more finer, carpeted mats, that will continue to capture dirt and debris as individuals walk into the building. Think of mats as entrance filters, because they filter the dirt that comes in from the outside.

It is estimated that every pound of dirt that enters a building takes about $700 to remove. The more dirt captured by entryway matting, the less time is needed cleaning throughout the rest of the building. By using sufficient matting, it is estimated that you can capture up to 85% of the dirt on the shoes of those entering your building.

Not only does this extra soil make your building appear dirty and affecting indoor air quality, it can also cause wear and tear on the flooring, both hard floors and carpeted. 

You should try to provide 12 to 15 feet of matting at the door. This will stop about 80 to 85 percent of the dirt. The more matting, the better. People don’t always stop to wipe their feet, so you want each person to get at least four or five steps on the matting.

Interior Matting

Entryway mats are very important, however, interior mats also play a key role in keeping your facilities clean and healthy.

Interior mats are typically found throughout the building in main walkways, before elevators, escalators and stairs, at food service areas, and at transition areas, where a hard surface floors meet a carpeted floors.

Interior mats are designed to prevent soil and moisture being transported from one area of the facility to another. Usually these are wiper mats specifically designed to wipe dust, moisture, soil, and contaminants from shoes as they are walked acrossed.

As I mentioned above, the soil drug through your building can destroy your flooring. Interior mats will help protect your floor's finish and reduce floor care costs by reduces refinishing cycles, which can be a major cost savings for any facility.

Not all interior wiper mats are the same. Mats should be a blend of microfiber and olefin. The combination has much higher dust and soil retention properties. Also, microfiber is positively charged, attracting lint and dust, and preventing them from becoming airborne or being tracked throughout a facility. The olefin matting is designed to hold moisture, which promotes safety as well as prevents it from traveling over floor surfaces.

The mat's backing is also important.  Some interior mats have a thermoflex vinyl backing. Not only can this be more cost effective than a rubber backing, it helps prevent yellowing or negatively impacting the floor finish underneath.

So in summary, matting can not only make your facilities cleaner and healthier, they will save you money!

Whether you rent or purchase your mats, they will benefit your building's occupants and save you money on cleaning and floor maintenance cost.

As an additional note, purchased floor mats tend to be of higher quality and more effective at protecting your facility. Invariably they cost less in the long run.

Feel free to ask me for an evaluation of your building, including a cost comparison of your current matting and cleaning program.

Paul
(443) 219-0750
[email protected]