Solid Property Services increases gross margin on every contract with Aspire

Tight margins remain a challenge for companies that know driving revenue without increasing profit is not a pathway to success and growth.

But Solid Property Services, a commercial cleaning business in the San Diego area, has found a solution.

Juan Acosta, Solid Property’s Director of Operations, said a major reason margins have improved in 2024 is its addition of Aspire, the cloud-based software for commercial cleaning and landscaping companies.

“We had about a $2 million (revenue) increase after we joined Aspire,” Acosta said.  “More than that, we actually saw our gross margins increase. That’s been the bigger help.”

How did Aspire make that happen?

“Accountability on our contracts,” Acosta said. “In the past, we had people overworking contracts, and the office wouldn't get that information until maybe a week down the line when their time cards were submitted. It would be very difficult for us to stop it in real-time.

“We've seen our gross margins increase with Aspire, especially in our maintenance division. The margins are real tight there. So that's been a huge help.”

Acosta started in the trades as a part-time dispatcher while attending college at the University of California at San Diego. The job was close to his residence and provided the cash he needed.

“I was studying math, and as I was working,” he said. “Then I moved into another department and got into some accounting work while learning the industry.

“Then fast-forward a little bit, right? Just from learning about the trades, the janitorial industry, and the cleaning industry, I was able to work to where I am now.”

Solid Property was on a different software when he joined, a software that had its shortcomings. For one, it was not accessible to the entire team.

“We had about 14 people who could access the program,” he said, “and 200 who couldn’t.”

The list of those who couldn’t access the software included account managers and sales reps, who needed the information that a more robust software could offer.

“We needed to satisfy many, many buckets of services that we provide,” Acosta said.

Able to handle multiple trades

For Solid Property, cleaning services include interior and exterior windows, floors, and carpets. Its facility maintenance includes ensuring a building is ADA-compliant in engineering, plumbing, electrical, and welding. Add asphalt, concrete, and landscaping, and it’s clear that the breadth of this commercial cleaning business is wide.

As it searched for new software, Solid Property wanted one that could handle the contracting side along with cleaning and janitorial services.

“Aspire met all our needs,” he said. “It incorporated all our staff and was able to satisfy contracts, projects, and T&Ms. We found that incredibly useful.”

Solid Property has not looked back since adding Aspire in January of 2023.

“Aspire is progressive,” Acosta said. “We see it happening in real-time, so we're greatly appreciative of it.”

Acosta said the positive changes for the business are numerous and start with accountability, especially on the janitorial side. Before Aspire, instructions were given by word of mouth from the supervisor at the job site, who would then head to the next site. With Aspire, every team member can receive and see information on the contract and what it covers on their phone.

“It helps us keep our supervisors accountable,” he said. “Because sometimes, especially at the beginning, they start seeing the scope of these contracts, and some of these janitors are like, ‘Wait, we're supposed to be doing that?’”

Aspire is ‘continuously innovating’

Over time, Solid Property saw that cleaners and janitors appreciated the information. They didn’t have to spend time writing information; they just accessed the job via the mobile app to clock in and out.

The fact that Aspire allows workers to verify their time worked is another benefit.

 “In prior times, we had a lot of issues with time cards and a lot of back payments because it's like, ‘Oh shoot, this person didn't get paid correctly,’” Acosta said. “With Aspire, we've noticed that people are now feeling more secure in the amount of hours they're getting paid.”

Acosta said that Solid Property was at 40% clock rates in his first year. With Aspire, the rate is about 95%. That has helped the business reduce the number of people working on payroll from seven to two.

Acosta also mentioned site audits as another benefit of Aspire. These allow Solid Property to conduct thorough inspections and communicate the results. The larger benefit is it facilitates Solid Property’s all-in-one offerings, from janitorial cleaning and power sweeping to paving, pressure washing, and building painting. 

“Aspire is just continually innovating,” Acosta said. “It’s continually bringing out new products to help the cleaning industry, to help us.”