“Hey Mo! Good morning, Agnes!” About half an hour before Madurodam opens to visitors, Gustav Beks strolls through the theme park towards the cafeteria. The cleaners employed by Beks receive a cheerful greeting and a broad smile. “Our people come first, treating them well is essential,” Beks says later over a cup of coffee.

In July, Beks celebrated the fifteenth anniversary of B2-Cleaning in The Hague together with his business partner Edward Bokern. The two met while working for one of the largest service providers in the world. “It was an amazing time,” says Beks. They got along well, and with the experience they had gained, they decided to start their own company.

At first, they didn’t dive straight into cleaning. The pair focused on facilities consultancy and acted as intermediaries between cleaners and the companies that needed their services. Although this went well, they quickly realised that their happiness did not lie in a lifetime behind a desk. Beks laughs: “We’re not really desk people. So when a client asked why we didn’t just do the job ourselves, we decided right then and there to start cleaning ourselves.”

Bijenkorf

Fifteen years later, the company employs over seven hundred people. In addition to regular cleaning, B2-Cleaning also handles window cleaning, floor maintenance, and pest control. Their clients include major names like the Bijenkorf, Kruidvat, and PLUS Supermarkets. B2-Cleaning works across many sectors, from healthcare and retail to childcare and museums.

The cleaners are busy early in the morning ensuring Madurodam is spotless on time.

What began with a single client has grown into a large network across the country. According to Beks, the secret to this success is twofold: hard work and looking after your employees. “If cleaners need new or different equipment, they get it.” And if employees face financial difficulties or other problems, support is available. “Not long ago, one employee’s father passed away in Ghana. He couldn’t afford a plane ticket, so we lent him the money. Of course, we keep things professional and make clear agreements, but when someone is in need, you have to step up for each other.”

To mark the fifteenth anniversary, B2-Cleaning donated €5000 to the Madurodam Children’s Fund and €5000 to Sterk en Positief, a foundation that raises money for brain tumour research. The company also launched its own ‘Make a Wish’ fund, allowing employees to grant small wishes for each other, such as a new washing machine. “We had done this for a while, but now we really communicated it widely to our team: look out for each other,” says Beks.

Scrubbing floors

This works best when you are approachable and among your employees, say Beks and Bokern. When there’s a new client, the two directors go along on the first visit. “And sometimes the second or third visit too, if needed,” says Beks. “We all get to work, and I often end up on the floor cleaning the toilets. I tell all our new managers the same thing: pitch in, show that you’re not afraid of hard work.”

This mentality has brought the company to where it is today, but it can sometimes go too far. On one occasion, Beks and Bokern went to a job with a team of cleaners and brought two large floor scrubbers. “Edward and I were lifting those heavy machines out of the van while the others were having a smoke break …” Beks laughs. “That’s not exactly the point.”

The company is doing well, but it hasn’t all come easily, says Beks. “Things do go wrong from time to time; that’s part of it. And like any other entrepreneur, we experience stress, but for us it’s about more than the numbers. We want our team to enjoy coming to work every day. We value the extras, like a Christmas party at the Doelen in Rotterdam and a weekly course to help our staff with Dutch. It all costs a bit, but if you focus too much on finances, it always comes at the expense of your people.”

www.b2-cleaning.nl