So, you’re in the market to create a cleaning business? You have the skills. There aren’t many hurdles or license requirements reached to other operations. And you can get created fast and affordably.
Overview of the Industry
The cleaning services industry comprises janitors and cleaners, maids and housekeeping cleaners, first-line managers of housekeeping and janitorial workers, and building cleaning workers.
Skills You Need to Start This Business
Cleaning other people’s houses and offices is an intensely personal job, such as entering someone’s home or a private office room that may contain confidential data. To be successful in this industry, you will need several skills and select character traits:
- Trustworthiness
- Diligence, or the power to get a job done
- An eye for detail
- The ability to focus
- Excellent timekeeping and time management skills
- Physical stamina and strength
- A polite and professional manner
While developing and maintaining a positive connection with your clients is essential, you are not entering a house or office to date. A professional way should be adhered to at all times. This will count significantly in your favor if the client has friends who request a referral.
Market Research
It’s not hard to see why starting a cleaning company is such a favored option: It requires little upfront acquisition and is not a highly skilled business (in the most superficial sense of that idea) with many barriers to entry. Just about anyone can start doing it. Don’t skip your market research. Because you’ll be entering an already saturated market, you must determine how to differentiate your service offerings. Sometimes, this is called reasoning out your unique selling offer or USP.
Gaining a handle on what you specialize in and how you operate—different from your competitors—will be helpful later. It will help you find clients and craft the right marketing messages so they choose you!
Pricing Your Services
Once you’ve gathered out who your excellent target audience is, where they’re found, and what type of cleaning assistance you’re going to offer, you’ll have a much more comfortable time pricing your services, but you might want to consider a few things:
- The size of the house or office (how many rooms?)
- How often will you be cleaning
- When you will be washing
- Special needs such as cleaning ranges, windows, and so forth
- Your own experience
- How many individuals will be involved in cleaning (just you or your team?)
- How you want to charge—by the hour or by the job
Getting Funded and Writing a Business Plan
If you need an injection of capital to get your company going, you’re more than likely considering obtaining a bank loan. If this is the point, you will need a firm plan. Typically, domestic cleaning company processes need very little upfront investment, and, as such, they can bootstrap their business idea or get started as part-time operations.
If you are considering a large operation, perhaps a retail cleaning service, you may want to invest in equipment and more expensive commercial stores. In this case, you’ll likely need some startup capital. There are a few options if you need funding before you can start. Let’s review them:
- Bootstrap your business with a side business
- Take out a loan
- Ask friends and family for help
- Seek alternative funding sources
Making it Legal
Be sure to register a word that is uniquely your own. It will make it more comfortable for others to remember, give you a better chance of competing for online real estate you can own (a field name and social media profiles), and mean you don’t inadvertently send business your competitors’ way. Some of the critical things you’ll need to start with include:
- Registering a company name
- Applying for a federal tax ID number
- Selecting a business structure
- Setting up pay systems if you’re not just taking cash. If you need additional help, speak with a lawyer.
Opening Your Business and Marketing It
You will rely heavily on your clients for further business as a service business. Ensuring you have a process in position to receive considerations, comments, and feedback right from the beginning will go a long way toward helping you make a reputation. Ideally, your current customers will refer acquaintances, friends, and home to your service, so uphold your values and what you stand for.
