How I Built the Most Organized Office in the Men in Kilts Franchise
When I was first hired by Men in Kilts exterior cleaning company, the business was already doing fine, however, it was running on hustle, not structure. The owner was out in the field working alongside the crew while also trying to answer phones, reply to customers, and keep the business moving forward. Leads went unanswered for sometimes days,, customer service requests sat in the inbox, promotions weren’t happening, and the email count was hovering over 1,000 unread messages.
The team of technicians was good at what they did, but motivation was low. There was no clear path for growth, no incentive program, no system for measuring success beyond “Did we get through the day?”
I was hired to be the voice on the phones, the quick responder to emails, and the keeper of the schedule. But I didn’t stop there. I implemented monthly promotions to keep new business coming in. I created a bonus program to reward the crew for hitting targets. I introduced a “Tech 1, Tech 2, Tech 3” progression system to give employees something to work toward. I hired new team members to lighten the load. And my favorite task of them all: I tackled that mountain of emails until the inbox was at ZERO!
One of my favorite parts? Scheduling ahead, tracking goals, and proactively reaching out to clients to hit our numbers. It wasn’t just about getting through the work, it was about planning for growth. The idea of a clean inbox, a well-laid-out schedule, and a month’s worth of sales goals ready to chase down? That excites me more than most people get excited about vacation days.
Within 6 weeks, our office was running like a machine. We had processes in place that other Men in Kilts locations across the country hadn’t yet figured out. We knew our monthly dollar amount goal and exactly how we were going to reach it.
The recognition came unexpectedly. One of the original Men in Kilts founders visited, alongside the company’s marketing specialist. After talking through our systems, they told us we were the most organized office they had seen in the entire U.S. franchise.
For me, that’s the real win, not just the praise, but knowing we built something sustainable. Systems give you space to breathe. They create room for growth, creativity, and better service. Because in business, “fine” might get you by but organized will take you further than you ever imagined.