Regardless of industry, budgets are feeling the pinch from the cost of living crisis. Businesses are being faced with price increases from every angle: spiralling energy expenses and rising costs of raw materials, which is, in turn, pushing up product prices.

Naturally, this is resulting in organisations trying to cut spending wherever possible. However, now that all Covid restrictions have been lifted and people are interacting more, cleaning and hygiene are areas that they simply cannot afford to skimp on.

With this in mind, here are our top three tips to ensure your budget is working as hard as possible.

#1        Partner with a trusted supplier

Beware unscrupulous providers offering low-cost solutions. The Cleaning & Hygiene Suppliers Association (CHSA) recently warned that, against the backdrop of the escalating cost of raw materials and energy, those reducing prices are likely to be compromising on product quality and quantity.

Instead, shop in confidence with a CHSA Accredited Distributor, like Jangro. This way, you can be sure that the products you purchase are fit-for-purpose, meet industry standards, and are reliable both in terms of their high quality and the exact quantity promised on the packaging. Whilst not immune to rising costs, our increased buying power means we can offer high quality products at more consistent, competitive prices too.

#2        Work smarter

We are huge advocates of training – well-trained employees work efficiently, cost-effectively and to a high standard, therefore optimising productivity. The investment need not be time intensive or expensive either. At Jangro, all of our customers and their staff have access to our CPD (Continuous Professional Development) accredited, interactive, and award-winning training platform, the LMS (Learning Management Solution). It covers a wide range of topics with varying course lengths and is highly flexible and versatile, enabling users to train remotely at times that suit them or to dip in and out of short or longer sessions.

#3        Pay a living wage

This may seem at odds with reducing costs in the current economic climate, however, paying a wage that is enough to live on is good for business, the individual and society. Not only will employers know that staff and their families will be able to live and enjoy life, but they will reap commercial benefits too. These include higher loyalty, greater productivity and reduced staff turnover, which, in turn, saves both time and money in recruitment.

At Jangro, we are proud to be an accredited Living Wage Employer and urge others in the cleaning industry to join this movement.

For more information or advice, please call our friendly distributors on 01204 795 955 or visit Jangro.net / jangrolms.net.

We are pleased to announce that our newly refreshed health and safety training course is now LIVE on our award-winning and CPD-accredited  e-learning platform, the Jangro Learning Management Solution (LMS)!

Often perceived as a career requiring limited (or zero) skills, cleaning can actually be a hazardous occupation. For example, many chemical products used are dangerous and, if handled incorrectly, can be detrimental to health, the environment, and even cause fires.

Employers have a legal responsibility to make sure that their staff have a safe working environment. But, it is also important that employees contribute to the review and development of best working practices. It is vital that together, they can both properly identify common workplace accident hotspots in order to prevent them before someone gets hurt.

The module takes 30 minutes to complete, during which users will learn to:

• Identify risks in cleaning
• Prevent accidents during cleaning
• Recognise their responsibilities regarding health and safety
• Identify chemical and biological hazards in the workspace

By the end of the course, they will have been taught to understand health and safety signs and hazard symbols, identify possible accidents, and eliminate risks in the most effective way.

Accessible to all our customers and their staff, the LMS is designed to give our clients the tools to get their teams fully trained quickly and efficiently, so that they can offer a safe and high quality cleaning service.

Highly accessible and fully interactive, this innovative, versatile e-learning platform covers a wide range of topics, with varying course lengths, so that users can dip in and out of sessions as required and train remotely at times that suit them. Other modules include Colour Coding & Infection Control, Washroom Hygiene, COSHH, Floor Care, Kitchen Hygiene, and many more.

To learn more about this and the other courses available, please visit https://jangrolms.net.

Joanne Gilliard, CEO of Jangro, offers advice to help cleaning businesses work smarter and avoid unethical traders amidst rising costs.

Up and down the country, the cost of living crisis is squeezing budgets. Businesses are being faced with price increases from every angle: spiralling energy expenses and rising costs of raw materials, which is, in turn, pushing up product prices, to name but a few.

At the same time, as we learn to live with Covid, workers are being encouraged (or mandated) to return to their usual workplaces. With people interacting more, businesses cannot afford to skimp when it comes to cleaning and hygiene.

Depend on trusted suppliers for quality

During times of crisis, unethical companies surface looking to take advantage of the situation. We saw this two years ago at the outbreak of the pandemic, when demand outpaced supply of cleaning and hygiene products. Profiteering opportunists entered the market and charged desperate buyers extortionate prices for supplies that had no guarantee of meeting industry standards.

This time, purchasers need to beware unscrupulous providers offering low-cost solutions instead. The Cleaning & Hygiene Suppliers Association (CHSA) recently issued a warning explaining that, against the backdrop of the escalating cost of raw materials and energy, those reducing prices are likely to be compromising on product quality and quantity.

The best way to shop in confidence is to deal with a CHSA Accredited Distributor, like Jangro. This is the only way that customers can be sure that they are buying products, which are fit-for-purpose, meet industry standards, and are reliable both in terms of their high quality and the exact quantity promised on the packaging. Whilst not immune to rising costs, the increased buying power of a distributor also means high quality products are offered at more consistent, competitive prices.

Quality products often mean there are other benefits to the end-user too. For example, a high-quality sanitiser may reach its stated efficacy level more quickly than a sub-standard or cheaper alternative – minimising the risk of infection spreading around the workforce, and, in turn, reducing absenteeism. They may reduce wastage or benefit from other eco-friendly features, like Jangro’s new ntrl range, which can help companies lower their carbon footprint and reach their own sustainability goals.

Work smarter to boost productivity

We are huge advocates of training – well-trained employees work efficiently, cost-effectively and to a high standard, therefore optimising productivity. The investment need not be time intensive or expensive either. At Jangro, all of our customers and their staff have access to our CPD (Continuous Professional Development) accredited, interactive, and award-winning training platform, the LMS (Learning Management Solution). It covers a wide range of topics with varying course lengths and is highly flexible and versatile, enabling users to train remotely at times that suit them or to dip in and out of short or longer sessions.

A living wage

We know that budgets are under pressure, however it is important to pay staff fairly, especially in the current economic climate. At Jangro, we are proud to be an accredited Living Wage Employer. We believe that rewarding employees fairly for their hard work and the value they bring to the business is vital to maintain a strong, motivated team.

This may seem at odds with balancing the bottom line in the face of rising costs – however, paying a wage that is enough to live on is good for business, the individual and society. Not only will employers know that staff and their families will be able to ‘heat and eat,’ but they will reap commercial benefits too. These include higher loyalty, greater productivity and reduced staff turnover, which, in turn, saves both time and money in recruitment.

It’s going to be a tough couple of years ahead. The key to survival is to look at the bigger picture and think creatively. Train staff to work smarter and more productively, reward them with a living wage, and partner with a trusted supplier to procure quality products that do more than just ‘clean.’ This will all help to boost productivity and lessen the sting of rising costs.

At Jangro, we believe that we have a responsibility to give something back to the communities and areas in which we operate. That’s why, as a business, we support a nominated charity each year. Most recently, we have been fundraising for Macmillan Cancer Support and last December, we were thrilled to reach our target of £100,000!

This year, we have decided to support The Trussell Trust. All 47 members in our network have started collecting foods and other essentials and have been dropping them off to their local food banks across the country. At a time when the true cost of living is soaring, we hope our contributions will help families get by that little bit easier.

As well as organising food collections, we will also be donating any monies raised from fundraising events throughout the year, such as our annual supplier days. You can track our progress or donate at our Just Giving page. It’s still early days, but we have already raised over £3,000.

The Trussell Trust is a worthy charity that supports a nationwide network of food banks. Together they provide emergency food and support to people locked in poverty. We share its vision for a UK without the need for food banks; for a just, compassionate future, where no one should have to use one to get by.

If you’re not familiar with the excellent work that The Trussell Trust does, you can find out more at www.trusselltrust.org.