12 Steps on How to Start a Cleaning Business from Scratch

A cleaning business is one of the most profitable companies you can find out there either you want to work commercially or in people’s homes. One thing for sure is that homes and offices requiring cleaning will always be there. Moreover, quite several persons easily hands-off cleaning jobs as they don’t want to get their hands dirty. This article is exactly what you need. It offers insight on how to start a cleaning business from scratch.

The Cleaning Business Industry is Profitable

Automatically, you have a market opened up to tap into. A leading expert in the cleaning industry relates how the hourly rates of her cleaning business tripled in 7 years. This goes to show how well this industry is profitable.

To ice the cake, the business can be started with little or no cost. It even gets cheaper if you are ready and willing to perform most of the tasks all by yourself, still you will have to spend a little. We will subsequently see the areas that will require some cost.

Yet, with the right strategizing and planning process, this business can prove to be a cheap means to attain the business owner’s status. How exactly can you go about that? Are you a stay-at-home mom, free bird, or looking to set something up and have set your mind in offering cleaning services?

How Do I Register My Cleaning Business?

First, you have to realize that to follow the law in whatever locality you find yourself, you have to register your business. This part requires spending some money.

Legal Zoom is a great company that you can use to register your cleaning business fast and easy. I have used them when I started my own business.

You might also want to insure your business, which is not legally mandatory.

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What Else Do I Need To Start My Cleaning Business?

Apart from these, you have to get the basic cleaning tools and supplies to help you handle your job effectively. With the right rags, scrub brushes, cleaners, and bags, you can approach your tasks with relative ease and get them completed.

Well, these are simply the areas where you will have to roll out some cash to start up your cleaning business. Other things are involved in starting up your business from scratch. As with other small businesses, a business plan and great marketing strategy will drive the success of your business.

Here is all you need to know to put your cleaning business out there:

#1 Make Your Mind Up

This involves deciding on what font you would like your business to operate, either as a consumer-driven or commercial business. You have to decide whether you will be serving residential spaces or commercial outlets. Your decision will determine the scope of the business, the cost, your rates and the type of tools that will be required to get the job done for you.

Business outlets, including office buildings, require your services at night or weekends in most cases. These jobs include cleaning the bathrooms, washing and scrubbing the floor, cleaning kitchen areas, emptying the trashcans, as well as washing windows and doors. The commercial drive jobs offer better pay and are more consistent.

Most homeowners hire the services of house cleaners to handle the general cleaning around the house and other tasks in line with their needs. The work carried out in the home is usually done in the presence of the client.

Handling a residential cleaning service will require that you have multiple clients, in fact, a lot of them. Most homes are usually cleaned once or twice every week.

#2 The Type of Service

You have to decide the type of service or range of services you want to offer. You might be wrong to view every cleaning service as all-purpose; you can well specialize in a single type of cleaning.

When deciding the type of services you want to offer, you must consider your strengths and abilities and the services that are best suited to your community.

Some of the services you can decide to specialize in include:

janitorial services
organic cleaning
private residence house cleaner
window washing
floor waxing
carpet cleaning services

#3 Your Personal Business or a Franchise?

It is important that you decide whether you are best suited to run a personal business or to franchise. If you are not as stable in many areas, being part of a franchise will go a long way in setting you up for success. Setting up a franchise might be an easier way to start your cleaning business.

There is a level of security derived from being part of a successful known brand. That is not quite the case with setting your personal business up.

Operating a personal business requires that you engage with your clients and gain their trust. Still, you will enjoy a higher level of flexibility operating your own business. This is a great way on how to start your cleaning business from scratch!

#4 Location

Next, you have to decide on a location that is best suited to your business. Although you render your services from place to place, you have to run the entire operation from a particular space.

You have to decide if that space would be a room in your private residence or a leased commercial space. Any of the decisions has its merit as well as its shortcoming.

Working from your home is much cheaper as you will not be required to pay an additional charge for the location of your business. This will save you money but will congest your living area as you have to house your cleaning equipment in your home.

A commercial space gives you a professional setting to meet clients. You can set the office up with a comfortable sitting area and a platform to advertise your brand. Besides, your logo and brand name are readily displayed in front of your commercial site to the visibility of every passerby.

#5 Making It All Official

Next, you have to take the proper steps. You must get your branding intact.

You must decide on the name you want. Something catchy, but professional will do. It has to be a unique name as well as search engine friendly to increase the visibility of the business when people get to search for the services you do provide. You must ascertain that your business name makes a great web domain name, you also have to ensure that it is available for use and it is not in use by any other business.
The next step is to design a logo with your business name. You can use a designer on Fiverr to do it for a low cost. Ensure your design is sleek and modern as it will be printed on business cards, promotional materials as well as website use.
To set your business up, it must be registered at the deeds office or by using Legal Zoom. Legal Zoom makes it easy to obtain your Employer Identification Number if you intend to hire employees. You will have to fill the right tax forms as well.
It is at this point that you have to request for a business permit or license to operate your business.
Get liability insurance because it is quite important in the event that you cause damage to the property of a client. Such occurrence can close down a cleaning business not having basic insurance in place. You must not have excessive insurance; all you have to do is look for a well-respected company that can cover the cost of your operations within what is affordable in your budget.

#6 Your Startup Capital

As previously stated, you will need to make some expenses to set your business on the off. Making the business official requires money; the same thing goes for the purchase of equipment. You have to factor the overall cost and find a means to raise funds.

You can set out to save funds to secure the necessary items or create a borrowing strategy that will allow you to commence your cleaning business at a lower cost. An alternative is for you to take a loan, grant or go into a business partnership deal.

#7 Setting Up

After securing the capital to fund your business, you need to obtain the necessary equipment to operate. You have to buy floor-cleaning supplies, industrial vacuum cleaner, trash bags to get started. You need to purchase the right essentials. This is an excellent way on how to start your cleaning business from scratch.

Purchasing heavy-duty equipment will last you longer and prove to be cheaper as they can handle wear and tear. Purchase the essential safety equipment for safe work for protection. You must get masks and gloves as they are essential to virtually all aspects of cleaning.

To ensure that you are getting the best equipment, you can rent some of the essential equipment for some time to determine the very best products available in the market.

#8 Ease of Work

To make your work easier, it is advisable to purchase a company vehicle. That is, if it is within your means to do so. You will need a truck, van or car to transport you, your employees and equipment back and forth the cleaning sites.

You might have to depend on the vehicles of your clients to get to your cleaning site if you decide against purchasing or renting a vehicle. Although, you must bear in mind that reliable transportation will ensure effective operation.

A company vehicle will also help you advertise your brand since it affords you a platform to paste your logo and drive around town. So, if you get one, do make sure it is clean at all times and avoid dents, as it will only give the public perception of what your brand stands for.

#9 Hire Workers

This should be entirely based on the scope of the job at hand. Although you can set out your business to handle all the tasks as a sole proprietor, you have to hire people with time as the business grows.

You have to ensure that you comply with all the legal requirements with respect to this process. Also, get to know the individuals properly as well, to avoid getting the wrong hands in the job and in client’s homes.

You can find workers fast by posting an ad on Fiverr, Flexjobs, or Craigslist.

#10 Pricing Structure

You have to create a pricing structure that accounts for the materials, overhead, labor cost, and the charge for a particular service to ensure that you make a profit.

This requires some research about the industry and what your location permits. You can allow the negotiation of prices to get new clients but have a cost baseline to ensure that your business survives.

#11 Pay Attention To Your Accounting

You also have to create and enforce an accounting system because it is necessary to keep track of paying clients. You can be paid by sending them invoices that describe the methods.

Be clear with your clients on the expected time of payment for the services rendered to them. Use a filing strategy to keep track of paying clients and those who have not paid. Do not neglect taking account for tax expenses, business expenses or any other expenses incurred by the business. This is a crucial step on how to start a cleaning business from scratch.

#12 Branding

You must promote your business to get the right traffic for clients. Do well to reach out to all prospective clients and ensure that you offer the highest level of service when you have the opportunity to do so.

Build a roster for customers and bear in mind that having a small number of regular customers will see the business above water as you aim at getting more prominent clients.

Market Your Business

Advertise in local magazines and newspapers and give exciting offers to first-time clients. Make good use of social media accounts such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to promote your brand.

Take your marketing a step further by setting up a professional website that gives your clients a preview of what you do as well as your contact information.

Create an Honest and Trustworthy Business

In line with making a good brand name, you must be trustworthy to keep your clients. You have to be very efficient with your job and respect the space of your client. Remember that theft and damage to the properties of your clients will only smear your reputation, so you must avoid actions leading to that.

Keep your clients abreast of everything that occurs in the job. Also, follow every instruction to the last detail and ensure that your employees do so as well. This is a very important step on how to start your cleaning business from scratch.

Use our business social media presence checklist to give your cleaning business a great profile on social media accounts!