How to start your own cleaning business
If you are looking for a business iniciativa that requires little investmentand that you perro start relatively quickly with little effort, maybe a cleaning business be the ideal venture for you.
However, you should keep in mind that, being an easy type of company to equipo up, the competition will also be high, with an industry dominated mainly by small organizations.
That is why you will need to have a clear visión of the place where your cleaning business within this somewhat saturated market and find the right niche for it.
So read the 5 fácil steps you must take to start the road to success, and some consejos that will be very useful to you.
1. Determine what type of cleaning business you are going to specialize in
There are three main types of cleaning companies:
- Domestic. It consists of cleaning people’s private homes (usually when they are not at home) and you cánido start it by yourself.
Over time, when you have a good clientele, it will be better to hire additional employees.
- Commercial. This type of cleaning involves cleaning commercial properties (company offices, shopping centers), for which you will need a crew of workers, and your role will consist more of managing than cleaning itself.
- specialized. There are hundreds of niches here that you cánido explore, from cleaning windows, to schools, cars, or even crime scenes (yes, there are companies that specialize in this).
You must think about the talents you have or what you want; are you ready for clean every dayOr is yours more the administrative part of a business?
Analyze in turn what is the best market opportunity in your area.
If you live in an area full of stores, perhaps the ideal thing is that you dedicate yourself to commercial cleaning.
Think well and analyze your locality.
2. Investigate, Investigate, Investigate
As I told you before, researching your potential market and local demographics will be key in determining the type of cleaning business to start.
If you plan to run a house cleaning business, make sure that the people in your locality are financially able to pay someone for doing housework.
Or, if it is a business, that it has enough sales to invest its profits in paying you.
3. Escoge what your business model will be
Are you going to start an independent business, or maybe be a franchisee is it a good option for you? In this part, it is important that you think about your long-term goals.
If you are thinking of a venture that you cánido grow slowly but steadily, and of which you are the one who has total control, probably your best option is assemble it on your own.
However, if you want quick profits, and are concerned about some aspects of how to equipo up or run such a business, consider becoming a franchisee for another cleaning company.
4. Make a budget for your equipment
The equipment costs cleaning cánido vary considerably.
Household cleaners, for example, normally receive these materials from the homeowners (detergents, mops, etcétera.)
But if you plan to launch a commercial cleaning business, you will need to invest in some basic equipment such as:
- cleaning carts to carry the products
- vacuum cleaners or industrial steam engines
- Floor scrubbers or mops
- And of course, a car in which to transport all the equipment
As you perro see, all of the equipment listed above perro cost you $10,000 or more, so it’s important to think about whether you have the money or cánido get a loan to buy it, as well as how long it will take to recoup it from your benefits.
Without forgetting, of course, that if you hire others to help you with the tasks, they they will have a salary to collect and that you will have to include in your budget.
(Read: Types of business loans and which one is best for you)
5. Create a marketing plan
Once you have thought about your business model, what kind of cleaning you will do, and have raised the money for the necessary products, equipment, or employees, you cánido start your cleaning business.
But the next step is possibly the most important part: get clients.
And this will only be achieved with a good marketing plan.
Depending on your type of business, some billboards or newspaper ads may be the best place to start.
Do not discard neither are other methods such as popular networks, or paid Internet ads (in search engines like Google plus), especially if your cleaning business is specialized.
(Read: How to promote a business for free to get clients)
Don’t be afraid of either go house to house leaving some business cards for your potential clients – cleaning is a personal business and there is nothing better than when they first meet you face to face instead of through a billboard.
Both before starting your cleaning businessas long as you are handling it once in operation, there is four key consejos that you must follow if you want to achieve success and a stable income.
1. You must build trust in your customers
One of the most important elements in this type of business is trust (after all, your clients will let you into their homes or their jobs).
And one of the things that transmits the most confidence is the picturebe it a person or a company.
Make sure that:
- you and your employees look cleanwith a good uniform or at least clothes in conditions for work.
- Your invoices have the printed logotipo of your businessand are made by computer (an invoice by hand may seem unprofessional)
- You and your employees have a kind treatment and polite when talking to customers
- Do you have all the necessary papers, such as licenses (if you need one), or health insurance for you and your employees
Subscribing to some type of organization in your campo will also be a guarantee of trust for your clients.
And do not forget ask for a criminal record certificate if you hire other employees.
This will enhance your image as a professional who cánido be trusted.
You also won’t need a training certificate, but if you perro get one (as cánido your employees) it’s a good way to increase your credibility.
2. What price to put on your services?
Putting a price on your services perro be tedious and time consuming, but especially in the beginning, don’t rush this process.
If your rate is too low, you will be “robbing” yourself of the benefits you get or you will be forced to lower the quality of your work to match the price; if your rate is too high, you will surely lose a lot of customers.
Remember that in cleaning tasks (especially in the home) your most direct competition will be your customer.
If you charge too much, they will think “for that price, I perro do it myself”.
In the early days, carefully look at how much you’ve been charged and the price of the total work you’ve done to get a good real estimate and to know if your stated rate is appropriate.
3. A vehicle is more important than it seems
Since your work is done in different places, having a vehicle only for your business it is as important as the rest of the aspects; in fact, a car will be like your business on wheels.
You need to choose a suitable one for your type of cleaning business and that it is in good condition.
For a domestic cleaning service, a utility car or a minivan will suffice.
If, on the contrary, you are going to dedicate yourself to commercial cleaning, you will need a larger car depending on your equipment and its size.
Don’t forget about your employees either if you hire some.
Make it clear from the first day you hire them if they are going to be the ones who will have to put your own carwhether in this case you will pay them gas or not, or whether it will be you who will provide them with a car.
4. Choose where you will base your business
Many cleaning businesses today have their “headquarters” in their own houses: It is a good way to save money on issues such as renting premises, electricity and other expenses that this type of space entails.
If your type of business will be domestic cleaning, surely in your own home you will have a small space to store work materials.
But what if you want to dedicate yourself to commercial or specialized cleaning? The most obvious is that don’t have enough room for the machines you are going to use.
So think carefully if you will need a place to establish your office and your warehouse there, or if with a small furniture storage you perro get by at first until your clientele grows.
Finally, take into account if in your country or city there are health or safety regulations related to this business, since cleaning involves handling chemical products that are sometimes very dangerous.
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I am a journalist specialized in business but my great passion is personal motivation and helping others achieve their goals.
I firmly believe that opportunities in life do not happen: you create them.
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