The operating system for residential cleaning companies
AOS is the operating system created by Core Profit Builders to help residential cleaning company owners build Professional, Profitable businesses they're Proud to own. Our Circles and coaching help owners, managers and salespeople put it into practice.
Hover the wheel: three phases, nine pillars.
One framework for deciding what to build next.
AOS organizes the work of building a cleaning company around ALIGN, ACT, and ACCELERATE. The same nine pillars apply as your capability develops through Core, Build, Growth, Scale, and Leverage.
Circles support different people doing that work: owners implementing priorities, managers developing their capabilities, and owners or salespeople improving sales.
How capability grows
Core, Build, Growth, Scale and Leverage, each building on the last.
How work is organized
Align, Act and Accelerate, at every level.
What must be mastered
The same nine pillars, maturing as you grow.
Because effort was never the problem
Most cleaning business owners don't struggle because they aren't working hard enough. They struggle because the business has no operating system, so everything depends on the owner's memory, motivation and mood.
Without a system, good owners end up winging it: reacting to fires all day, waiting on themselves for every decision, and collecting great ideas from events that never get installed. AOS replaces that with structure. You do the right things, at the right time, all the time.
Without an operating system
- You react to fires all day
- The team waits for you to decide
- Numbers surprise you
- Growth feels unstable
When AOS is installed
- You run a planned week with clear priorities
- The team follows roles, standards and a rhythm
- Numbers guide decisions and next actions
- Growth becomes repeatable and predictable
The five levels of AOS
AOS develops through five levels. Each level builds on the last, with increasing capability across the same operating system.
Build is an AOS level. Build Circle is a separate manager offering, and enrolling in it does not depend on your company's level.
The Phases represent how the work is organized
Every level works across the same three phases. First you align on direction, then you act through your people and operations, then you accelerate with data, sales and marketing.
ALIGN
Decide where the business is going and what matters most right now.
- Vision
- Planning
- Goal Clarity
ACT
Build the team, standards and weekly rhythm that get it done.
- People
- Operations
- Execution
ACCELERATE
Use the numbers and the growth engine to compound results.
- Data & Finance
- Sales
- Marketing
The Pillars represent what must be mastered
The pillars never change. Owners at different levels work across the same nine pillars, with different implementation needs.
One pillar from each phase, highlighted.
Vision
Where the company is going and why: a picture your team can repeat and use to make decisions.
Planning
Annual and quarterly plans, with a budget, that turn the vision into a small number of priorities.
Goal Clarity
A few measurable goals that every leader knows, owns and tracks.
People
Hiring, onboarding, clear roles and leadership development, so the right people are in the right seats.
Operations
Cleaning standards, SOPs, scheduling and quality control that run without the owner stepping in.
Execution
A weekly rhythm of priorities, scoreboards and follow-through that gets the plan done.
Data & Finance
Knowing your numbers: KPIs, gross margin, labor percentage, budget and cash.
Sales
A repeatable way to turn inquiries into recurring clients, with a close rate you can measure.
Marketing
Predictable lead flow and a brand the right clients choose.
Leadership at the core
The Leadership Thread
Leadership runs through every AOS level and pillar. Manager Circles provide focused support for the people taking on management and leadership responsibility.
GOOYOW
Get Out Of Your Own Way. The mindset work that turns knowing what to do into actually doing it.
Professional. Profitable. Proud.
Know your numbers
Track the few numbers that matter, protect margin and make decisions with confidence.
Run on standards
Clear roles, repeatable standards and leadership rhythms your team can follow.
Own your life back
Peace of mind, control and a business that supports your life instead of consuming it.
Questions about AOS
What is a business operating system for a cleaning company?
A business operating system is the set of priorities, roles, standards, meetings and scoreboards that runs the company week to week, so it doesn't depend on the owner's memory or mood. AOS is that system, built specifically for residential cleaning companies.
What does AOS stand for?
Align Operating System. It is the framework created by Core Profit Builders for residential cleaning companies.
How is AOS different from EOS?
EOS (the Entrepreneurial Operating System) is a general framework for many kinds of businesses. AOS was built specifically for residential cleaning companies, with five levels, three phases and nine pillars tailored to how cleaning businesses run.
How do Circles relate to AOS?
Circles are the accountability and implementation groups that help people put AOS into practice: Mastery Circle and AOS Express for owners, Learn, Build and Leadership Circles for managers and leaders, and Sales Circle for owners and salespeople. See the Circles.
Is Leadership Circle the same as the Leadership Thread?
No. The Leadership Thread is the leadership development that runs through every AOS level and pillar. Leadership Circle is a manager Circle for senior leaders developing the capability to run the company.
Is AOS software?
No. AOS is a way of building and running your company. GET, the Growth Execution Tool, is the software members use to track commitments and KPIs week to week.
How do I know which level I'm at?
The optional AOS Diagnostic scores your business across the nine pillars and identifies your current level. You can also talk it through with the team.
Does AOS work for commercial cleaning companies?
AOS was built for residential cleaning companies, and that's who the tools and coaching are designed around.