Stop Guessing, Start Growing: Profitable Financial Systems for Cleaning Businesses
Welcome back to the Five Door Media Podcast Blog. In our latest episode, we dove deep into the numbers side of cleaning businesses with financial coach and cleaning industry expert Cristóbal Mondragón.
Cristóbal is the founder of 7 Figure Cleaners and a seasoned cleaning business operator turned financial strategist. His mission? Help owners stop guessing, get clear on their numbers, and start building real, lasting profit.
In this conversation, Cristóbal drops a masterclass on the financial blind spots holding owners back and lays out the simple but powerful habits every cleaning CEO needs to adopt. If you want to stop flying blind and finally feel confident about your margins, this episode is your financial foundation.
Know Your Numbers or Keep Losing Money
The biggest blind spot Cristóbal sees in cleaning businesses? Owners who work 60+ hours a week and still don’t know their break-even point.
Cristóbal explains it like this: If you’re not paying yourself, you’re not charging enough. Period. And if you don’t know your labor cost, overhead, payroll taxes, and desired owner salary? You’re pricing in the dark.
His go-to formula:
Add up all monthly expenses, including your target salary
Add labor costs, workers comp, and payroll taxes
Divide by workable hours to get your break-even hourly rate
Add 25% to 35% profit margin
That’s your minimum price. If you’re under it, you’re losing money on every job.
Growth Mindset Won’t Save You Without Margin Discipline
Many cleaning business owners chase top-line revenue growth but ignore profit. Cristóbal calls this out: "You’re not scaling a business, you’re scaling a mess."
More jobs don’t fix broken margins. You need to fix your foundation before you pour fuel on the fire.
His tip? Look for a 20% profit margin after paying your team, overhead, and yourself. If your bank account isn’t growing by at least 20% of what you’re bringing in, something’s leaking.
Set a Weekly Finance Habit (It Only Takes 30 Minutes)
Cristóbal has a non-negotiable on his calendar: Every Monday at 10 a.m., he categorizes all his transactions from the past week.
Whether you use QuickBooks, Wave, or a simple spreadsheet, the key is consistency. Know where your money went before it disappears. This weekly habit alone can keep you 10 steps ahead.
Bonus tip: Watch out for subscription bloat. Cristóbal uncovered $1,000/month in unused software ($12K a year in lost profit)!
Budget First, Spend Second
When money’s coming in, it’s easy to overspend on marketing or tools. But Cristóbal stresses: Create a budget and stick to it.
He recommends:
Spending ~10% of gross monthly revenue on marketing when you're trying to grow aggressively
Diversifying between Google PPC, LSAs, SEO, and email/SMS
Avoiding one-off "guru" services without clear ROI
Sticking to a smart, diversified marketing budget helps prevent overspend in feast months and protects you in famine months.
Start Building Your CRM and Email List Early
Cristóbal admits one of his biggest regrets was waiting too long to build a CRM and email list. Once he did, he had a built-in revenue lever.
He sends weekly SMS offers to past leads and clients, filling slow spots without relying on new ad spend. If you’re not nurturing your list, you’re burning potential revenue.
Use AI to Get Financial Clarity Fast
One of the most creative tips from this episode: Use ChatGPT as your custom financial advisor.
Feed it your business size, location, revenue, and expenses. Then ask for help calculating your break-even rate, identifying savings opportunities, or improving your budget. Just double-check anything major with your CPA.
It’s a judgment-free, instant feedback loop for owners who feel overwhelmed by traditional finance tools.
Mindset: Profit Over People-Pleasing
Cristóbal shares a powerful mindset shift he learned in the car sales world: "Do you want to be nice, or do you want to make money?"
In business, you can do both, but not if "being nice" means undercharging and overworking. His advice? Get crystal clear on your “why” and create a dream board to keep you anchored during tough months.
Revenue is Vanity, Profit is Sanity, Cash is King
Whether you’re making $200K or $2M a year, the rules stay the same:
Know your break-even point
Pay yourself first
Track your numbers weekly
Stick to a budget
Build a list
Protect your margin
Cristóbal’s episode is packed with practical tools and mindset shifts that can immediately change the way you run your business!
