Cleaning homes is often seen as a hassle for many people. By starting a cleaning business, like a professional cleaning service or a house cleaning company, you can tap into a large market for cleaning jobs and attract numerous clients. The demand for home cleaning services is constant, providing a steady stream of business opportunities and allowing you to keep your clients’ homes impeccably clean. Here’s a comprehensive guide on how to initiate and build a cleaning company from scratch.
1. Choose Your Cleaning Niche
After conducting market research, it’s essential to pinpoint a specific area of focus for your cleaning business. Consider the demand for services in your area—is there more demand for commercial or residential cleaning? Assess the competition and choose your niche carefully, as this decision will impact the type of training needed and the required insurance coverage.
Commercial Cleaning Services
A commercial cleaning business primarily tackles spaces such as offices, hospitals, schools, retail storefronts, and other large areas where businesses operate. Essentially, this service provides janitorial services to large enterprises, ensuring that spaces remain clean and organized for smooth business operations.
Cleaning these spaces may necessitate specialized equipment, and you might have to work overnight to avoid disrupting the company’s daily activities. Training and certifications may be required, especially in locations where dealing with biohazards or maintaining sterile environments is crucial.
A well-trained and professional cleaning team is essential for the success of commercial cleaning. They need to follow a regular routine and possess expertise in handling the specific cleaning requirements of these large spaces.
Consumer Cleaning Services
Consumer cleaning involves working in people’s homes or residential spaces. Clients in this niche may provide more specific directions as it’s their personal space, and their requirements might vary from week to week. Cleaners must be adaptable and respectful of the client’s home.
Residential cleaners need to pay attention to details and keep track of room arrangements, making the cleaning process more time-consuming. Due to this additional attention to detail, rates might need to be higher to compensate for the lower business volume throughout the day. It’s important for the cleaning team to prioritize customer satisfaction and maintain a flexible approach to meet the varying needs of residential clients.
2. Begin with the Initial House Cleaning Service Yourself
When contemplating how to start a house cleaning business, you might be inclined to focus on hiring staff right away. However, one effective approach is to start by doing most of the work yourself.
This hands-on experience helps you understand the ins and outs of the business before managing it remotely. To acquire your initial clients, consider reaching out to friends and family for referrals or offer to clean their homes.
- Doing the initial cleaning tasks yourself keeps costs low. Instead of spending money on hiring employees, you can pay yourself a fair wage while refining your business model and establishing best practices. Handling clients personally allows you to build a positive reputation and maintain control over your cleaning services business image. As your business grows, you can gradually bring in assistance for larger cleaning projects. This could involve outsourcing employees for regular clients while you focus on other aspects of the business or hiring and training employees in-house.
3. Establish a Practical Budget for Your Cleaning Company:
Many aspiring cleaning business owners often wonder if it’s possible to start a cleaning company with little to no money, if a business loan is necessary, or how to keep costs low. The reality is that while some investment is required, starting this type of business can be more affordable than you might initially think.
Even if you handle most of the house cleaning tasks independently, budgeting involves more than just the hours you put in. You’ll need to allocate funds for essential supplies, as well as account for vehicle maintenance and fuel costs if you provide transportation.
Create a realistic budget for your business, factoring in the replacement of products and equipment as needed. If you outsource labor, consider hiring and payroll costs, and don’t forget to set aside money for taxes and insurance as a business owner.
Set an hourly wage for yourself, allocate funds for cleaning equipment, and calculate estimated taxes to ensure successful business ownership. Neglecting to reserve money for taxes can quickly deplete your business budget.
4. Select the Right Cleaning Equipment
When starting a cleaning business, carefully consider the materials and cleaning products necessary for servicing clients’ homes and businesses. As part of the initial costs, you’ll need cleaning solutions, spray bottles, sponges, scrubbers, protective gloves, disposable or reusable towels, and housekeeping tools like mops and brooms.
Decide on the type of cleaning products to use, whether traditional cleaners like bleach or environmentally friendly and “green” alternatives. Plan how to prevent cross-contamination between client homes, either through disposable materials or strict sanitation practices, and make informed decisions when purchasing equipment.
5. Choose a Distinctive Brand Name for Your New Cleaning Company
Establishing a brand is crucial for any startup cleaning business. Selecting a brand name can be an enjoyable aspect of owning a cleaning business. You can opt for a play on words, incorporate part or all of your name, choose a quirky or fun nickname, or base it on your location or the specific cleaning services you offer (residential or commercial).
Ensure the chosen business name:
- Accurately describes the company
- Is easy to spell and remember
- Is not already in use
- Sounds appealing and reads well
- Has the potential to grow with the business
During the naming process, conduct online searches to check for existing names. Identifying potential conflicts early on can help avoid legal issues and potential costs associated with unintentional name duplication.
6. Set Up Proper Licensing for Your Cleaning Business Start-up
After choosing a business name, the next step is to register it to prevent others from using it. The specific requirements vary depending on your state and local regulations, so make sure to comply with your local business ordinances.
Whether you need a license to start a cleaning business depends on various factors. Licensing and permits may be necessary, especially if you use a name other than your own to operate. Check your state laws and local requirements to determine if you need to apply for a business license and pay associated fees.
Two common options for business licensing are Limited Liability Corporations (LLCs) and sole proprietorships. An LLC can reduce personal liability by putting company assets on the line, while a sole proprietorship is generally cheaper to establish, providing total control but risking personal assets if the business isn’t profitable.
If you choose a brand name for your cleaning company, you’ll also need to file a Doing Business As (DBA) license. This establishes your fictitious business name and ensures legal operation.
Additionally, check if local laws mandate business insurance, liability coverage, or other protections. Since working in clients’ homes involves risks, having proper insurance can safeguard both you and your clients in case of unforeseen incidents.
Start Marketing Your New Cleaning Company
Once you’ve decided on a business name, completed the necessary permits and licensing, and gathered your cleaning supplies, it’s time to attract clients. Marketing strategies for a cleaning business can range from word of mouth to running advertisements online or in local papers.
Consider options such as printing flyers, starting a website, launching email campaigns, investing in digital marketing, or posting signage on your property (with permission). If you already have a couple of clients, ask for referrals and consider offering referral coupons or discounts to encourage more business.
Make Customer Service a Top Priority
While cleaning is a straightforward task, customer service plays a crucial role in your business success. Prioritize client needs by being accessible to potential and existing customers. Respond promptly to service and quote requests, and follow up with clients to ensure repeat business.
Effective communication tools, such as voicemail, phone service, email, a website, and social media pages, can enhance your company’s outreach and customer satisfaction. These tools are especially important in the initial stages of starting your business.
Streamline Operations with Cleaning Software for Efficient Management
As a cleaning company owner, managing house cleaning tasks, handling permits and paperwork, and ensuring a steady supply of cleaning materials can consume a significant amount of your time.
Beyond meeting client needs and maintaining supplies, you also need to keep track of your budget, supervise employee schedules, process client invoices, record essential account information, and plan for taxes and other business fees.
When starting a residential or commercial cleaning service, utilizing cleaning software can simplify and streamline your business operations compared to traditional pen-and-paper methods.
Imagine trying to manage employee or contractor schedules, customer lists, account notes, and payment information in a spreadsheet—it quickly becomes cumbersome and confusing, even with organized sheets. An all-in-one software solution eliminates this confusion.
Professional cleaning business management software not only helps you organize your business more efficiently but also contributes to enhancing your image, particularly in marketing efforts.
With features such as review requests, marketing automation, customer surveys, and more, the software can play a pivotal role in building a positive brand reputation. Maintaining a consistent brand image, from the software you use to the uniforms your employees wear, can greatly benefit the overall perception of your new company.
