If you decide on starting a cleaning business, you’ll essentially provide a service that’s a downright necessity for people’s daily lives both at home and at the office. Residential and commercial cleaning companies provide pretty much the same service but have different demands and requirements in terms of clients, materials, and marketing.
Regardless of whether you’re interested in starting a residential or commercial cleaning business, in this brief article, we’ll walk you through the necessary steps to start a cleaning business from scratch as a full-time career or as a side gig.
Select Your Business Structure
First things first, if you’re about to build your cleaning business from the ground up, first, you’ll have to begin with selecting your cleaning company’s name and file the necessary company creation paperwork. Even though there are minor upfront costs, this initial step is crucial for ensuring that you can operate your business freely and successfully and start building a loyal customer base.
To do that, you’ll need to form a corporation or an LLC to get started. Besides deciding on your business structure, you’ll need to find out whether you need a license to operate in your state or not. After getting the necessary paperwork in order and figuring out whether you need a cleaning business license, you can begin hiring people and offering your services to domestic households or companies. But, in order to know what you’re doing and where you’re headed, you’ll also need to have a bulletproof business plan in place.
Draft A Comprehensive Business Plan
Once you select a business structure and know the niche of your future cleaning company, it’s time to draft a comprehensive cleaning services business plan to guide you through the goals and obstacles you’ll face along the way. Of course, even though formulating a comprehensive business plan isn’t really mandatory for a cleaning business, it will undoubtedly help you crystallize your business ideas and avoid any costly mistakes.
As a matter of fact, studies disclose that entrepreneurs who take the time to draft a comprehensive business plan when starting any given business are 2.5 more likely to get their business off the ground. In addition, the work that goes into developing a thorough business plan also helps new business owners develop skills that will be invaluable throughout their journey.
Carefully Set Your Rates
When setting the rates for a cleaning business, in general, there are three different ways you can charge: hourly, flat, or calculated by cleaned square footage. The first two work for both domestic and commercial cleaning. Or, it might be wise to start with an hourly rate for residential units and calculate a flat-rate offering afterward based on how long it takes your employees to clean average-sized family homes.
Rates that are calculated by cleaned square footage are more common for commercial cleaning services. Because your company does more regular and repetitive work, it can make sense to estimate how large the space is and how many employees you’ll need to devote to the area, so you can offer a fair price.
Get Your Cleaning Equipment Ready!
Contingent on the services you’ll be offering, you’ll also probably need to buy equipment such as trash bags, floor cleaning supplies, a professional vacuum cleaner, and other cleaning equipment to set up your business. When buying more expensive stuff, get heavy-duty gear that can endure considerable wear and tear and last for many, many years.
Besides getting the essential cleaning equipment, ensure that you purchase the proper safety equipment to keep yourself and your workers safe on the job. Masks and gloves are necessary if your company is about to handle toxic cleaning chemicals.
Customer Outreach: Promote Your Company To Get Your First Clients
Finally, after you’ve successfully gone through all previous steps, you’ll also want to reach out to prospective customers in any way possible to build the initial roster of clients for your newly established cleaning business. In the beginning, even just a couple of regular clients can help you make ends meet while you aggressively market your services to an even-wider target audience.
Try advertising in local magazines and newspapers to promote your cleaning business. Along the way, advertise your offer deals to first-time clients. In addition, set up an account on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and other social media platforms where you can effectively market your services and hunt for new customers. Finally, if you have the budget, ensure that you have a professional-looking website that lists your contact information and all your cleaning services.
Final Thoughts
While cleaning may initially seem like a relatively simple business endeavor, it’s really quite the opposite—it’s hard work. However, over time, you can take on more work and customers as you get more accustomed to the job. As you accumulate regular clients and figure out your scheduling, you’ll optimize your time and expenditures and continue to deliver first-rate service, provided you take the proper steps in advance.
