When to Hire a COO: 7 Clear Signs You Need One
Running a janitorial business comes with unique challenges—managing cleaning crews, scheduling contracts, handling customer expectations, and ensuring quality service across multiple locations. As a fractional Chief Operations Officer (COO) specializing in the janitorial industry, I’ve seen firsthand how operational inefficiencies can stunt growth and cause leadership burnout. Knowing when to hire a COO before you end up in burnout, can save your sanity.
If you’re a cleaning business owner feeling overwhelmed, it may be time to bring in a fractional COO—a strategic operations leader who helps structure, scale, and optimize your business without the cost of a full-time executive. So, how do you know when it’s the right time? Below are seven clear signs your janitorial business could benefit from a COO.
What Is a COO?
The COO role as part of the executive team is the second-in-command in a company, responsible for overseeing daily operations, streamlining processes, and ensuring the business runs efficiently. Unlike a CEO (Chief Executive Officer) , who focuses on vision and strategy, a COO implements the vision, ensuring every part of the business operates smoothly.
For janitorial businesses, the role of a COO means:
- Managing crew schedules & workflows
- Improving customer retention & service quality
- Reducing inefficiencies in supply and labor costs
- Standardizing operations across multiple contracts
A fractional COO provides all these benefits on a part-time or contract basis, making it an ideal solution for small-to-mid-sized cleaning businesses. A COO plays a pivotal role in many areas of the daily operations of your business. An effective COO will be able to help make those big decisions, provide a wealth of experience, and scale your entire company.
Benefits of Hiring a Fractional COO vs. a Full-Time COO
Many business owners assume they need a full-time COO to streamline operations, but fractional COOs provide the same level of expertise at a fraction of the cost. There are many benefits to having someone fill the COO position in your company.
1. Cost Savings
A full-time COO typically comes with a six-figure salary, benefits, and long-term financial commitments. In contrast, a fractional COO allows you to pay only for the hours or projects you need, making it a more budget-friendly option.
2. Flexibility and Scalability
A fractional COO works part-time or on a contract basis, giving you the flexibility to scale up or down as your business evolves. A full-time COO, on the other hand, requires a long-term commitment, regardless of whether you need have need of a COO for a while, or for the long term.
3. Specialized Industry Knowledge
Many fractional COOs specialize in specific industries, such as janitorial services, meaning they bring deep expertise and proven strategies tailored to your business model. This means that when you hire a fractional COO as your right hand person, they have the right skills and can make the right choices because they understand the day-to-day operations of a company like yours.
4. Faster Implementation of Solutions
Since fractional COOs typically work with multiple businesses, they have tested, efficient systems ready to implement. This means you’ll see results faster, rather than spending months onboarding a full-time COO who may need time to analyze and restructure your operations. And depending on the size of the company, this may take longer for a full-time COO.
5. Lower Risk, Higher ROI
Hiring a full-time COO is a big investment and a long-term commitment. If the hire doesn’t work out, it can be costly to replace them. With a fractional COO, you can test the waters, adjust their role as needed, and ensure you’re getting a solid return on investment before making any long-term decisions.
If your janitorial company needs high-level operations leadership but isn’t ready for a full-time executive, a fractional COO is the perfect solution. Let’s talk about 7 signs that you’re ready for a fractional COO. Knowing the signs of when to hire a COO can save you before the operational chaos gets to you.
7 Signs of When to Hire a COO for Your Janitorial Business
1. The CEO Is Overwhelmed
As a business owner, you likely started by doing everything yourself—sales, hiring, client relations, and even stepping in to clean when needed. But as your company grows, this becomes unsustainable.
If you’re working 60+ hours a week, stuck in the weeds of daily operations, and unable to focus on scaling your business, it’s time for a COO.
A fractional COO helps by:
- Taking over day-to-day operations
- Optimizing systems & workflows
- Freeing up the CEO to focus on business growth
2. Lack of Organizational Structures
When there is a lack of organization structures, you’ll start to notice things like cleaning teams not following a consistent process, or the workflow’s are changing frequently which creates inefficiencies. Or, you may often find that you’re constantly fixing mistakes.
A COO creates operational consistency, ensuring:
- Standardized cleaning procedures
- Proper training programs for employees
- Automated scheduling & reporting for smoother workflows
3. Rapid Business Growth Without Proper Systems
Scaling a janitorial business is tough. More contracts mean more employees, more equipment, and more logistics to manage. Without the right structure, growth can lead to chaos.
A fractional COO helps by:
- Implementing scalable systems to handle new clients
- Ensuring hiring & onboarding keep pace with demand
- Managing vendor relationships to avoid supply chain issues
4. Poor Coordination Between Departments
When there is poor coordination and communication between departments, you may find that your sales team promises one thing, but the cleaning crew delivers something else. It may create supply or staffing issues, which could lead to unhappy customers.
A COO acts as the bridge between departments, ensuring:
- Sales & operations are aligned
- Scheduling & dispatching run smoothly
- Customer expectations are clearly communicated
5. Declining Productivity and Inefficiencies
If your janitorial teams are taking too long to complete jobs or using more supplies than necessary, you’re losing money.
A COO helps:
- Identify bottlenecks in operations
- Implement performance tracking for crews
- Streamline supply chain & inventory management
6. Customer Complaints and Service Issues
If you’re having customer complaints and service issues, it may be caused by late arrivals or no-shows, inconsistent quality, or clients not renewing contracts.
These are signs of operational inefficiencies. A COO ensures:
- Quality control systems are in place
- Employee accountability is enforced
- Customer relationships are prioritized
7. Stagnant Revenue Growth
If your business isn’t growing despite getting new contracts, operational inefficiencies may be draining profits. A COO will:
- Identify cost-saving opportunities
- Improve pricing strategies
- Ensure teams work at peak efficiency
By improving operations and efficiency, a COO helps increase profitability and scalability. If you’re experiencing any of these, it may be time for a fractional COO. You may find that you’re not having as many of these problems to this extent, but maybe you’re starting to have small things creep in and you’re feeling stretched thin. Regardless, a fractional COO can help.
When to Hire a COO: Is it time for a Fractional COO?
Knowing when to hire a COO can prevent a lot of things and save yourself the time and headache. If you’re feeling stretched too thin, struggling with inefficiencies, or hitting a growth ceiling, a COO could be your next best hire. A fractional COO offers an affordable, high-impact solution—helping you take your janitorial business to the next level without breaking the bank. You want to make sure that you’re next COO is a perfect fit for your business and understands the needs of your company. You want to make sure that they understand the company’s vision and can move it in the right direction. A great COO will be able to help your entire organization run efficiently, scale past the growth ceiling you’ve hit, and be an effective leader for the long run of your company.
If you need help optimizing your business in the janitorial industry? Consider hiring a fractional COO to take operations off your plate and help your company scale. With over 25 years of experience, I would love to talk with you over a strategy session about how we can help you scale your operations with efficiency. Book a strategy session today.
