There’s no better way to take control of your financial future than by starting your own business. The typical nine-to-five is so last decade!
You may be scratching your head trying to figure out what type of business to start, or maybe you’ve already decided on starting a cleaning business.
those who are still undecided, you should really consider starting a cleaning business.
Why? Well, not only does it have low startup costs, you’ll always have work because who likes to live in a dirty house or go somewhere grimy?
Some other benefits of starting a cleaning business are:
- You can set your own hours
- You can decide on what to charge
- You can choose in which area you want to work
- Seeing your business make the world a cleaner place brings a lot of satisfaction.
- Starting your own cleaning business from scratch is a great achievement you can revel in
It’s great to know what you’ll get out of running your own cleaning business. That way, you’ll stay motivated to overcome any obstacles you may face.
If you settle on opening up your own cleaning service, your next thought must surely be, “how to start a cleaning business?”
You came to the right place. In this article we’ll share with you our top tips on how to start a cleaning business from scratch.
7 Steps How to Starting a Cleaning Business
You can get your cleaning business up and running in no time and start to make money relatively quickly. Best yet, you can get the vacuum rolling with little to no experience or expenses.
Figure Out Who Your Customer Is
Who are you going to clean for? Do you want to focus on cleaning in residential areas, or do you want to target business owners and go commercial?
This is the first thing you need to do when you start your own cleaning business because it will determine the rates you’ll charge, the hours you’ll operate, the equipment you’ll need, and it will impact your marketing strategy.
Knowing what type of clients you want to work for gives you an idea of what they expect from a cleaning service. For example, large businesses may want you to clean at night when they’re not open. If you know your target market, you can tailor your services to suit their needs and by doing so, increase your chances of getting more clients.
Decide Which Area are You Going to Target
Now that you know your target market, you can start looking at specific locations you want to work in. With an area or two in mind, go look at your competition; you don’t want to choose a location with too many competitors as it will thin out the client pool.
However, if all areas you’re considering are filled with competition, don’t feel disheartened. You’ll just have to set yourself apart with a great and innovative marketing strategy.
Set Your Cleaning Services and Prices
With your target market and location in mind, you can start to figure out what you can and want to charge for your cleaning services.
If you decide to go commercial, remember that small businesses won’t have the same cleaning budget as established big-name companies. Likewise, middle-class homeowners won’t spend the same on cleaning as someone rich and famous who lives in a mansion.
It’s a good idea to research what your competitors are charging. Consider their services, read a few reviews, and then think about the value you plan on bringing to the area. Do you plan on offering perks other cleaning services don’t have, or are there anything else that sets you apart and can merit higher prices than your competitors?
Market Your Business
You’ve identified the three most important starting points: who your customer is, where they’re located, and what you’re going to charge them. Now you can start to market your cleaning business.
Some marketing methods you can use to attract clients are:
Social media
Take to Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, or any other social media platform and start telling the world that you’re ready to clean for them. Keep these channels active by posting relevant content such as cleaning hacks or interesting information like the most germ-covered item in a person’s house, for example.
You can start your own Google My Business profile. It is a great way to attract customers to your business without having to pay a cent.
Paid ads
Google, Facebook, and Instagram are only two of many platforms you can advertise on to draw in new customers. The cost associated with this type of advertising isn’t too high making it a viable option for new business owners.
Referrals
Your family and friends can be very helpful to get word out about your cleaning business. Ask them if they know of anyone who’d be interested in cleaning services. They may also be nice enough to tell anyone who wants to listen that you’re starting a cleaning business. It may be worthwhile to consider a discounted rate or bonus for those who refer new clients to you.
Ultimately, to make any marketing strategy work, you need to know what makes you stand out from the rest and then build your marketing around those points.
Purchase Cleaning Supplies
You can’t expect to use the customer’s cleaning supplies unless they specifically ask you to. So, it is up to you to make sure you have the right supplies and equipment.
It’s not going to cost you too much to get the basics, and you can always buy better and more supplies once the money starts coming in. However, if you plan on cleaning commercial spaces, you may need to buy some heavy-duty equipment to do a good job.
Here’s a list of the basics you need to start cleaning:
- Bucket
- Broom and dustpan
- Rags
- Disinfectant wipes
- Paper towels
- All-purpose cleaner
- Window cleaner
- Vacuum
If you don’t have reliable transport yet, that may be your biggest expense.
Hire some Extra Hands
When you first start your cleaning business, you may be able to do all the cleaning yourself—that’s a great way to keep expenses low. But, as word gets out of what a wonderful cleaning service you offer, you may need to consider hiring some extra help.
Have a look at your bottom line and see if you will be able to cover the added cost of hiring someone. If you can, great! If not, then you unfortunately will have to turn away some clients; there’s only so much one person can do.
Make sure whoever you hire has the same high standards as you do and will deliver the same great cleaning service. Choosing the right employees is super important as they represent your company. Look for people who have a good worth ethic.
Give it Your All
Happy clients lead to repeat business, referrals, and great reviews. If you make sure to do your best and deliver top-class work every time, your business will be successful. Your clients will continue to work with you because they’ll notice that you take pride in your work.
BONUS: Create a Great Website
Everything happens online; it’s where people find businesses and rate and review businesses. When you have a website, you make it so much easier for potential customers to find you.
You don’t have the time or money to hand out business cards to everyone in the area your cleaning business operates. However, you can make a digital business card in the form of a website that will give you a much wider reach.
You can pay someone to design your website or you can do it yourself using WordPress. You’ll find many website templates to choose from and modify to fit the look and feel of your cleaning business.
Another good thing about having a website is the use of online booking systems. Webba Booking is a good example of a WordPress plugin that can streamline your cleaning business’s booking process. You can send email and SMS appointment reminders to make sure your clients know when to expect you.
What’s more, clients can pay for your cleaning services online on your website using Webba Booking!
Bottom Line
You made the right choice to start a cleaning business. It can be a lucrative business if you keep your clients happy by delivering the type of cleaning service they expect.
There’s no doubt that you’ll face some obstacles along the way, but if you follow the above tips on how to start a cleaning business, you’ll have a much smoother ride.
You should also make use of other tools that will make your life easier and improve your chances of success. Webba Booking system is a great example of an easy-to-use online booking system that many cleaning companies use to manage their appointments, reminders, and even online payments.
