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Five Ways to Start Your Own Cleaning Business

The cleaning industry is a highly profitable industry that promises steady income and flexible working hours with very little investment.

By Ross GellerPublished 5 years ago 4 min read
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The cleaning industry is a highly profitable industry that promises steady income and flexible working hours with very little investment. The commercial cleaning industry is worth around $80 billion with an expectation to reach $175 billion within three years. According to various studies, this industry will provide the fastest-growing occupations in the United States.

Individual start-ups are the major performers in this industry. Large national and franchise operations represent only 30 percent of the market whereas, independent janitorial companies own 70 percent of the cleaning market. The investment-return ratio in this industry is spectacular, and if you own your own cleaning business, you can reap huge profits with insignificant debts.

Following the steps given below will help you in building your very own cleaning business.

1) GETTING STARTED

Market research is one of the foremost things you should do. Market research enables you to make your brand presentable. It also helps in assessing the potential market. The research will also help you in identifying your target groups based on demographics (gender, income, family size), geographic (region, neighbourhood), psychographics (lifestyle, personality) and behaviouristic (buying patterns, consumption) parameters.

By utilizing this information, you can tailor your business strategy to suit the needs of different consumer groups. Moreover, this will also ensure better customer relations. You will be able to figure out what types of cleaning services a client might be interested in, and how much they can afford.

2) MAKING IT OFFICIAL

There are certain things you need to ensure before officially starting your company. You should pick a name that sounds professional and appealing. Keep in mind that this name should also make for a good domain name. You need to make sure that you adhere to necessary legal obligations before starting a business. Chamber of commerce can inform you about the license and registration formalities.

Furthermore, banks will require a business license before opening a commercial account. You will also need to obtain liability insurance to protect your business from any accidental damage.

3) PRIORITIZE YOUR SPECIALITIES

First, you need to decide whether you want to specialize in commercial or consumer-driven business. This will help you in identifying the types of equipment you will need. Commercial places require only weekend or nightly cleaning, whereas homeowners require regular janitorial services for general household chores. After this, you need to specify the services that you can provide. Whether you want to specialize in general janitorial services or carpet cleaning services, you need to list these out in advance.

Some services that you can provide are window washing services, organic cleaning services, private residence house cleaner services, etc. The important thing is to stick to these specialities otherwise training, equipment, and other related costs will outperform your revenues.

4) FIGURING OUT THE COST

No matter how low or high, there are always different types of costs to start a business. Some departments that require capital are transportation, cleaning products, marketing, and permits.

The initial cost in setting up your cleaning is minute, but unavoidable. Most of the capital goes into transportation, cleaning equipment, and insurances. Transportation cost is inevitable for a mobile business—like cleaning. Most of your cleaning responsibilities will demand regular travel, so you need to keep traveling costs in mind.

Equipment expenses are also unavoidable. You need to keep a stock of brushes, cloths of different types, cleansing products, vacuum cleaners, sweeping machines, and various other products. Even if you do not want to buy these products, you can rent them, but then you will have to investigate the rental costs beforehand.

Besides these costs, you will also have to spend your money on a license, and other permit expenses. Insurance for your company also counts as a business cost. If you are hiring workers, then you will need to formulate labor wages, and advertising, and marketing costs.

After you have carefully planned your business costs, you can devise a budget to cope with these overheads.

5) MARKETING

Proper marketing and advertising are the most vital steps towards extending your business to as many clients as possible. To begin, you will need many good references to get your first clients. You can ask your family and friends if you can clean their homes for free. When cleaning your first home, always maintain quality, even if it takes a while.

Ask your acquaintances to recommend you to people if they like your work. Proper advertising is the holy grail for a successful business. Advertise in your local newspapers, and paste flyers in your neighbourhood. Many people look for maids or janitors online. Having a website for your business can thus bring many clients to you instantly. If you own a business vehicle, use magnetic signs or vinyl lettering to make your business name look attractive to any passersby.

You can also use ‘referral programs’ to enhance your product marketing. Make sure you pass your ‘business cards’ to your clients or family members.

PRO TIP: Charging rates also need proper planning. Whether you want to charge an hourly rate, a flat rate or square foot rate you need to specify them in advance.

CONCLUSION

Although the capital requirements are minimal, creating your own cleaning business requires extensive market research and efficient advertising. The cleaning industry has great potential for individual entrepreneurs. The above-mentioned steps will help you in launching a profitable cleaning business.

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