What sort of cleaning business will you develop? Is your business a general house cleaning one or will it specialize in such cleaning as green cleaning, end-of-tenancy cleaning, open home cleaning, after-party cleaning, removing smoke damage, etc. The more specific your cleaning type becomes, the more you’ll need to research, learn and possibly seek qualifications for. [3] X Research source Will your business offer different types of cleaning? Related to the sub-step above, perhaps your business will grow over time to include more niche services. Will you use your own products or will you use those of the client’s? If you make your own products or believe in certain products, this might form the core of your business. Or, you might be happy with what the client wants used (note that in some cases, you will need to be flexible even if you do use your own cleaning products––after all, it’s not your home). Where will you operate? Check out the cleaning services already in your area and beyond. Is the market able to take one more cleaning service or is it currently saturated? What transportation do you have? You can’t really rely on the family’s own car filled with buckets, mops and cleaning products, at least not for long, as it’s too messy and takes away a vehicle from everyone else needing it. If you’re cleaning using the client’s products, you might get away with using public transportation; otherwise, you’ll need some means for getting to and from the houses, especially if they’re in very different areas. What is your price scale? Check what existing services charge. Can you undercut them for a while without going into the red? See below for more information on how to charge.
Some companies charge by the hour, some charge by the room, some charge a flat rate per home and some charge by the square foot. [7] X Research source While this variety sounds good, it is better to charge by the home, not by the hour (taking into account house size, of course). If a client knows they have to pay one set fee, they don’t care if you take 2 hours or 5 hours, provided you get the job done. Most clients appreciate knowing what they are paying up front and not having to fork out added expenses. Of course, exceptions can, and should, be made, such as cleaning the oven or cleaning a particularly badly soiled part of the home. Be sure to estimate houses not only by square footage, but by number of occupants, cleanliness of occupants, contents, and pets. Square footage alone does not indicate the time it takes to do a deep cleaning or the regular ongoing service. No two houses are the same and there is no set charge for all homes. You have to clean for awhile yourself to get some experience and to work out a system to clean efficiently. Only you know what you want and need to make. Decide what you need to make hourly to cover all expenses and still make a good profit. A word of advice: Make sure when you start your company that you charge what you would charge if you had employees. Some people make the mistake of undercharging when they start out just to get customers and then later on when they grow and need to hire help, they aren’t making enough money on their houses to pay help.
Liability insurance rates depend on your insurance carrier and where you’re located. You can yearly or quarterly with most insurers and you can purchase your bond through a local insurance company. Note that a bond needs to be renewed every year. Each person you hire will increase your liability insurance but it’s well worth the cost because while you may be careful and trustworthy, you can’t always vouch that an employee will remain that way, especially when working beyond your supervision. Note: If you hire employees and cover them under your insurance, they must be an employee on payroll and not a sub-contractor. If you employ them as a sub-contractor your insurance may not cover them, check to make sure - (some policies do cover sub and independent contractors, such as the one offered through Eco-Friendly Residential Cleaner’s Association) If they are a sub-contractor they are required to carry their own insurance.
Use natural cleaning products that are non-toxic. This is an important selling point, especially for people with children and pets and who have concerns for their health and well-being. Natural products that contain essential oils tend to be appreciated for their lovely lingering scent. Use trusted brands. It’s harder to sell a product to a client when they’ve never heard of it. If you have your own homemade cleaning products, be prepared to explain why they’re good, healthy and reliable––sometimes offering literature you’ve prepared can help to convince the client better than a long-winded discussion. Many customers prefer that you bring your own cleaning supplies. That way they do not have to worry about going to the store for cleaning supplies before you clean. Some customers have special cleaners for certain appliances or floors in their houses––these customers usually will have these cleaners on hand for you to use and you must use these or risk harming the surfaces (which you may end up having to pay for). In general, you can use the customer’s vacuum cleaner. That way you do not have to carry a heavy vacuum from house to house––most clients will have one.
If you have a logo, use it on all your advertising materials. It is best to have a website developed before you start advertising. Stick with the same logo and colors on both your printed advertising, and on your website.
Many website deals are very affordable. If you use a web designer and hosting package, this will help to make your company appear more professional. The more information you can include, the better, including testimonials as you get them. In addition to your website, advertise on Craigslist, and if you can, Angie’s List. Free advertising is as good as the paid! Start a Facebook business page and a Google+ one too. You can do all sorts of fun things to encourage clients to visit your site, participate in competitions and quizzes and leave testimonials if you put in a little effort.
Advertise in a local paper with a text ad. Try to come up with an eye-catching ad. Do not sell your service based on low rates––sell your service based on your quality of work and what you can do for the client that other companies do not. There is a lot of competition in the cleaning service industry but by being the best and staying that way, you will stand out from the rest. Having your business name and contact information on your vehicle is a great way to advertise. It’s recommended to use vinyl lettering. The lettering looks much more professional than the magnetic signs. Print flyers. You can print nice flyers on your home computer, invest in some professional flyers. Hang flyers at hair dressers, laundromats, restaurants, bakeries, grocery stores, etc. Put flyers on car windows at local groceries stores and businesses. You can even go door to door in your targeted neighborhoods. Make door hangers. When people get flyers or ads in their mailbox they usually throw them away with the junk mail. A door hanger may just be the ticket to getting them to look at your ad. Pick the neighborhood you would like to work in and hang the door hangers on the door knobs.
Let clients know that you are new to the business but that you have thoroughly researched all aspects of the cleaning business, have obtained any necessary training and that you are up-to-date with cleaning needs, including more demanding requests such as green or allergy cleaning. This may require research beforehand but is well worth the effort. Assure your clients that you know what you’re doing and that you’re quite capable of cleaning their home to their specifications. Be confident––this can’t be stressed enough, as clients respect and trust confidence. It relieves their worries and lets them know that their home is in good hands. Get character references as well, to reassure clients that you’re a good, dependable person. A police check is also very wise; in some places, it’s required by law. Consider offering a discount for the first clean, a loss leader approach whereby you can prove how excellent your services are.
After cleaning, go back and double check all rooms to make sure you didn’t miss anything. Impress those first clients and word of mouth will soon spread.
Start out with one part time employee. Train this person and let him or her take your place one day a week. Then have this employee take your place two days a week and so on. When training new employees, always, either train them yourself or have a lead person train them. There should be a lead person on each and every cleaning job––some employees have a tendency to slack off when they are on their own. Do a regular check the quality of the employee’s work, to reassure yourself that your standards are being maintained.
