{"id":5579,"date":"2022-04-02T17:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-04-02T17:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.zenmaid.com\/magazine\/?p=5579"},"modified":"2025-05-22T03:12:12","modified_gmt":"2025-05-22T03:12:12","slug":"8-steps-for-building-systems-focused-automation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.zenmaid.com\/magazine\/8-steps-for-building-systems-focused-automation\/","title":{"rendered":"8 steps for building a maid service that can run without you"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Simple 8 Step System to Save 10+ Hours per Week\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/4AWv2ozE39I?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><h2 id=\"heading-1\"><b>Why it\u2019s time to automate your maid service<\/b><\/h2><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are endless reasons why maid service owners feel overwhelmed in their cleaning business. Often, when we start to unpack the problem, there is one common denominator among business owners: it&#8217;s all in their head.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">No, we\u2019re not trying to make you feel crazy! It might be all in your head, meaning, your entire business \u2014 to-do lists, appointments, paperwork, new bookings \u2014 bounce around in your head all day long. You might\u2019ve even tried new operating procedures or hiring a virtual assistant, and yet, everything still feels insanely stressful.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Adding to your business is <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">not <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the solution to overwhelm. Instead of adding another employee or more operating procedures to your maid service, it\u2019s time to <\/span><b>simplify with automation. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Automation allows operations to continue 24\/7, 365 days a year, without having to think about it. This kind of change is when the pressure of running a cleaning service starts to lift.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Still not convinced you need automation? Consider the following\u2026<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\r\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\n<li>When day-to-day issues arise, do you have to swoop in and handle them?<\/li>\n\n\r\n\r\n\n<li>Do you spend your day putting out fires?<\/li>\n\n\r\n\r\n\n<li>Are you often switching tasks all day, leaving you feeling scattered?<\/li>\n\n<\/ul>\r\n<p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\r\n<p>If those questions resonate with you, automation will help. But first, we need to demystify the difference between software vs. systems.<\/p>\r\n<p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\r\n<p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<\/p>\r\n<div class=\"wp-block-spacer\" style=\"height: 100px;\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\u00a0<\/div>\r\n<p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\r\n<p><b style=\"color: #272727; font-family: Lora; font-size: 27px; letter-spacing: 0.5px;\">Software vs. systems \u2014 what\u2019s the difference?<\/b><\/p>\r\n<p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #686868; font-family: Montserrat; font-size: 15px;\">Successful automation is based on successful systems, not merely software alone. So, in order for the pressure to start to lift, we need our business systems to be operating smoothly without us. Systems over software are important because the system is how your business works. Implementing automation before you have solid systems in place may just add to the overwhelm. For more on systems, read <\/span><a style=\"font-family: Montserrat; font-size: 15px;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zenmaid.com\/magazine\/systems-for-scaling-your-cleaning-business\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">this article<\/a><span style=\"color: #686868; font-family: Montserrat; font-size: 15px;\"> next.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"color: #686868; font-family: Montserrat; font-size: 15px;\">Amy Caris\u2019 8-step system will help you identify systems and simplify with automation to transform your cleaning business into a streamlined operation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Before anything, commit to completing all 8 steps, no skipping. Each step builds on the others, so you won\u2019t see results unless you complete the entire process. Remember, we\u2019re building systems with the help of software \u2014 not the other way around. <\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\r\n<h3 id=\"heading-2\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b>Step 1: Start with a quick win<\/b><\/h3>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you think you don\u2019t have time to set this up, here are your options: Keep going as you are, stressed and overworked. Or, slow down and invest the time and effort today so you can spend much less time running your business in the future.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You might be sitting here thinking, \u201cokay, this sounds great, but I don\u2019t have time for this.\u201d Forget about setting up the systems for a minute, because that is a project that takes time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">First, let\u2019s find a quick win. Create a little bit of immediate space that you can use to take the first step. Then, reinvest the time you saved and create more space. You&#8217;re not going to go from working eighty hours a week to zero hours overnight. It is a gradual process. If you can find fifteen minutes to kick off this process, that&#8217;s all you need. And then you can build from there.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The quickest wins are usually found in your digital clutter. Think about ways that you can declutter your digital space. For example, dedicate fifteen minutes to sort through your digital files and delete anything that\u2019s no longer relevant.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Or, is there a message or email you find yourself writing repeatedly? Make a template for it, so the next time you need to send it out, it\u2019s a simple copy and paste! Start with quick wins like these and use them as momentum to keep your automation moving forward. <\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh4.googleusercontent.com\/5ju7ahcXimk1f0RMKCAI5lWBM1StzwmK1YPyEMIvSOzlUkl-rLXBefbkqsHfrJYAGLPRLXNx_tYyb5paBq4HtXXoiL8IEIfRGW4UnyH1ARNpHswwnKH__Gx1316MapgS16sfaXFZ\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\r\n<p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\r\n<h3 id=\"heading-3\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b>Step 2: Document your client journey<\/b><\/h3>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Do you know every step in a client\u2019s journey, from first hearing about your business to becoming a loyal repeat client?<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Write down every touchpoint, including calls, emails, and forms that need to be sent out.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Every step in the journey equals a step in your process that you\u2019ll need to address.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh6.googleusercontent.com\/qyibVli40FXLJhkDFIIaodepyJ8h-22qU7n-LXo-Gmol-Sk8RiY2VkUuVeO-pYfZ6drLIgQyQGN5zmkNoQYy2PiKxWrOtI6Wiz22tPax-Or0lkJ4quqkH9otfC_yiYwc2vXe6Q0_\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\r\n<p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\r\n<h3 id=\"heading-4\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b>Step 3: Write out all the tasks you\u2019re personally responsible for<\/b><\/h3>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Once you\u2019ve identified all the steps in a client journey, write down everything that you do for your business. Every. Single. Task. Often, business owners are surprised at how long this list can be.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Log all of these tasks on a document or spreadsheet \u2013 don\u2019t overthink the tech. This list could include: running payments, putting credit cards on hold, scheduling and rescheduling appointments, and hiring and training cleaners. Get it all out of your head because these are the things that need to happen without you.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Once you have your list, identify the tasks that are key to your client journey. Those are your priorities.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\r\n<h3 id=\"heading-5\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b>Step 4: Create a business playbook\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What are the processes for all the tasks that you handle? For example, how do you charge a credit card, process a refund, or create and send an invoice?<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Often cleaning services have multiple systems and documentation about processes scattered throughout those systems and software. This step is about consolidating all of that documentation in one place.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There\u2019s a lot of software available to help you capture your operating procedures, but you can also keep it simple with Google Docs and folders. The tech is less important than actually capturing all this information in one centralized place.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Make this information available in an easily accessible playbook so that other people can come in and complete tasks and solve problems. <\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/get.zenmaid.com\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.zenmaid.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/free-trial-banner-1.png\" alt=\"\" \/><\/a><\/p>\r\n<p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\r\n<h3 id=\"heading-6\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b>Step 5: Select project management software<\/b><\/h3>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Once you have a playbook, it\u2019s time to decide on a project management tool. With so many options like Asana and ClickUp, it all comes down to preference. Head over to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.zenmaid.com\/magazine\/guide-to-building-automations-for-your-maid-serivce\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">this article<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to explore helpful software options for cleaning businesses.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A project management tool is where you assign people specific tasks and deadlines. Link these assigned tasks to the corresponding documentation in your playbook. If the assignees have questions, they can turn to the playbook for answers, instead of you. You can also include templates for emails, lists, and anything your staff needs to get their tasks done. Don\u2019t reinvent the wheel each time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The whole point is that you\u2019ll gradually move tasks off your to-do list and onto someone else\u2019s plate. Make the tasks specific so that whoever you assign \u2013 virtual assistant, office manager, or someone else \u2013 knows exactly what\u2019s expected of them.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Make sure to add recurring tasks to your project management tool, so you don\u2019t have to assign them every week, one one by one. Instead, the project management tool delegates tasks for you.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<h3 id=\"heading-7\"><b>Step 6: Customize a central hub<\/b><\/h3>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The next step is to create a central hub in your project management tool.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A central hub will allow you to create areas and categories for your documentation. You could have a list of documents for cleaners, office staff, website maintenance, hiring and onboarding procedures, and instructions for key software. (So make sure the project management tool you choose allows you to do this.)\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There\u2019s no right way to build a central hub. Build one that\u2019s right for your business and the way you and your team work. ZenMaid is a popular all-in-one software solution you can try for free <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/app.zenmaid.com\/sign-up?_ga=2.248231751.1179920879.1669307238-1314690055.1631714724&amp;_gac=1.115801588.1667172582.Cj0KCQjwwfiaBhC7ARIsAGvcPe4vXSgDGnQwjj4CZ7Jm5VzABo4xipVswJzthSydRtT_VqhPMyEfPkkaAmkzEALw_wcB\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">right here<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<h3 id=\"heading-8\"><b>Step 7: Outsource<\/b><\/h3>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Once all your processes are documented, organized, and linked in one central place, you can begin to delete and outsource tasks that were once your sole responsibility. Thanks to the playbook and central hub you\u2019ve set up, your assignees will know what to do, when to do it, and how.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another benefit is if an employee goes on vacation or suddenly quits, you can easily assign their tasks (and supporting documentation from the central hub) to another person.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<h3 id=\"heading-9\"><b>Step 8: Automate and optimize<\/b><\/h3>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now you\u2019re ready to optimize, automate, and make the most of tech automation tools like Zapier to make your business run more efficiently.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You don\u2019t have to be there to send every email, appointment reminder, or review request. Let the tech tools do this work for you while you enjoy life away from your office.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\r\n<p><b>About the presenter<\/b><\/p>\r\n<p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Amy is an online business manager, business operations consultant, and the founder of Clean Ideas, a company that helps cleaning service owners simplify tech, systems, and automations.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>\n\n\n<\/p>\n\n\n<\/p>\r\n<h2 id=\"heading-10\"><b>Your next step<\/b><\/h2>\r\n<p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you found this article helpful for your maid service, you may also like:<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-latest-posts__list wp-block-latest-posts\"><li><a class=\"wp-block-latest-posts__post-title\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zenmaid.com\/magazine\/how-much-to-charge-house-cleaning-2026\/\">How Much to Charge for House Cleaning in 2026<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a class=\"wp-block-latest-posts__post-title\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zenmaid.com\/magazine\/6-templates-professional-cleaning-business-client-communications\/\">6 Templates for Professional Cleaning Business Client Communications<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a class=\"wp-block-latest-posts__post-title\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zenmaid.com\/magazine\/how-to-calculate-cleaning-cost-per-square-foot\/\">How to Calculate Cleaning Cost Per Square Foot (The Right Way)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a class=\"wp-block-latest-posts__post-title\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zenmaid.com\/magazine\/square-foot-cleaning-pricing-problems\/\">Square-Foot Cleaning Rates Are Failing You. Here\u2019s a Better Pricing Method.<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a class=\"wp-block-latest-posts__post-title\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zenmaid.com\/magazine\/cleaning-business-scheduling-human-vs-automation\/\">What Too Many Cleaning Businesses Get Wrong About Automation<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<\/p>\r\n<p><em><span class=\"notion-enable-hover\" data-token-index=\"0\">This talk first aired at the 2021 Maid Service Success Summit. <\/span><\/em><\/p>\r\n<p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\r\n<p><em><span class=\"notion-enable-hover\" data-token-index=\"0\">The Maid Summit is an annual online event that brings together the most successful leaders in the cleaning industry, like Debbie Sardone, Angela Brown, Courtney Wisely, Amy Caris, Chris Schwab and more. Get free access to masterclasses and workshops that will help you to grow, scale and automate your cleaning business so you can get more leads and create more profit. Make sure you\u2019re <\/span><a class=\"notion-link-token notion-enable-hover\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zenmaid.com\/newsletter\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-token-index=\"1\"><span class=\"link-annotation-unknown-block-id-1412232294\">on our email list<\/span><\/a><span class=\"notion-enable-hover\" data-token-index=\"2\"> to find out how to get free tickets to the next event.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\r\n<p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\r\n<p><b><i>Discover how much time you could be saving in your maid service. Get started with <\/i><\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/get.zenmaid.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b><i>ZenMaid for free<\/i><\/b><\/a><b><i> today.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\r\n<p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Why it\u2019s time to automate your maid service There are endless reasons why maid service owners feel overwhelmed in their cleaning business. Often, when we start to unpack the problem, there is one common denominator among business owners: it&#8217;s all in their head.\u00a0 No, we\u2019re not trying to make you feel crazy! It might be [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":5581,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"8 steps for saving 10 hours of work for your maid service","_seopress_titles_desc":"Learn how to simplify your cleaning business with automation using this 8-step system from Amy Caris. Get practical tips to save time and get more cleaning clients.","_seopress_robots_index":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[21,125,26,24,7],"tags":[190,33,32,321,34],"class_list":{"0":"post-5579","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-automation","8":"category-business","9":"category-mindset","10":"category-software","11":"category-systems-automation","12":"tag-amy-caris","13":"tag-automation","14":"tag-processes","15":"tag-project-management","16":"tag-systems"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.zenmaid.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5579","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.zenmaid.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.zenmaid.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.zenmaid.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.zenmaid.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5579"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/www.zenmaid.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5579\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13774,"href":"https:\/\/www.zenmaid.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5579\/revisions\/13774"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.zenmaid.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5581"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.zenmaid.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5579"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.zenmaid.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5579"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.zenmaid.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5579"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}