Starting your own cleaning business may seem like an overwhelming task at first, but it’s actually quite simple. To get started, you’ll need to consider your budget, gather your supplies, and perform several tasks before opening your doors to the public.
Start a cleaning business, and you’ll never have to worry about finding money in your couch cushions again. Cleaning services are one of the most profitable types of small businesses, with an average profit margin of around 30%.
It’s also one of the simplest kinds of small businesses to get started; you need basic supplies like cleaning products and vacuum cleaners and the ability to follow some simple steps to make sure you’re doing your job well.
Keep reading to learn how to start a profitable cleaning business in 10 easy steps.
Starting a Cleaning Business in 10 Steps
- Get work experience by working with a cleaning company.
- Set a Cleaning Business Budget and Buy Cleaning Equipment.
- Create an Effective Marketing Plan for your Cleaning Business.
- Arrange Secured Financing (if needed).
- Establish a Brand Name.
- Select a name, logo, and color scheme for your business.
- Get Licenses and Insurance.
- Put Together an Effective Website (create one if you don’t have one yet!).
- Create a Workable Pricing Structure.
Get work experience by working with a cleaning company
You may already have some work experience that you can use when starting a cleaning business. If not, then try getting a job in an established cleaning company and get at least six months of working experience. During your job, try to learn how a successful cleaning business functions.
The other way to get experience is by doing some cleaning jobs for friends, neighbors, and family friends. This way, you’ll be able to network with people that can help your business get off the ground.
Set a Cleaning Business Budget and Buy Cleaning Equipment
You’ll need basic cleaning equipment and supplies, from mops and buckets to chemicals and rags, but that initial outlay can range from free (get hand-me-downs from family or friends) to several hundred dollars. Once you have your budget, shop around for deals on equipment.
Take advantage of coupons, rebates, and sales. Ask whether your local utility companies will give you bulk pricing if you make them your cleaning service and buy used equipment whenever possible.
Create an Effective Marketing Plan for your Cleaning Business
Once you’ve decided on what cleaning services you’ll offer and who your customers will be, put together an effective marketing plan for your cleaning business.
Your marketing plan should include everything from where you’ll advertise (local newspapers or the internet?) to how often you’ll advertise (daily? or weekly?) and how much you’re willing to spend on advertising each month or year.
You should also consider whether or not it makes sense for your cleaning business to have a Google My Business profile. If so, make sure that the site is optimized with relevant keywords that potential customers are likely to search for when looking for someone like you.
Secured Financing (if needed)
Sure, starting your own cleaning business sounds glamorous until you consider how you’re going to finance it. If you don’t have funding saved up or an investor lined up, then starting a cleaning business is probably out of your reach at first.
But if that’s your dream, don’t give up just yet! There are other ways you can start your business even if you don’t have startup capital, like taking on freelance cleaning gigs and so on.
Establish a Brand Name
Your brand will be your new cleaning business’s public face. You want it to convey professionalism and instill trust, so pick something that speaks specifically to what you do and how you do it.
Avoid generic names that could apply to anyone or anything. Think Cleaning Services LLC instead of All-Star Janitorial. And if possible, go with something that includes your name: that’s your brand, after all!
Select a name, logo, and color scheme for your business.
Before you launch your new cleaning business, you need to do some prep work. Select a name for your business, as well as a color scheme and a logo (which doesn’t have to be elaborate). Make sure that these three elements’ name, logo, and color scheme all fit together cohesively; if they don’t, you could end up confusing clients.
Get Licenses and Insurance
You don’t want to start your business only to realize that you can’t operate it legally. Make sure you have all the necessary licenses and permits, as well as any required certifications or training. This may involve getting bonded and insured. Don’t skip it! If you do, you could find yourself in financial trouble if something goes wrong with your work. Especially if you cause damage to someone else’s property.
If you’re not sure whether you need certain permits, contact your city or county government. And if you’re planning on advertising your business, you may need permission from local authorities before posting flyers or putting up signage. Keep track of all information and documentation related to permitting and licensing so that when it comes time to file taxes, you don’t find yourself scrambling for paperwork.
Put Together an Effective Website (create one if you don’t have one yet!)
It’s a must to put together an effective website if you don’t have one yet. Create one for your cleaning business, even if it doesn’t exist yet, just for practice. A good first step is to set up a WordPress or Wix site and start publishing content on it.
Create a Workable Pricing Structure
Starting a cleaning business is as simple as locating your potential customers and selling them your services. The hard part is figuring out how much to charge for those services.
You’ll need to consider your hourly rate, what you’ll charge per room or surface cleaned, and whether you want to offer package deals or flat rates. And once you’ve settled on a price point, you must stick with it. If you routinely give discounts or throw in freebies at first, it can be difficult to re-establish prices later on down the line.
Check out this video for more valuable tips for starting your own cleaning business.
Conclusion
By now, you should have a good idea of how to start a cleaning business. You’ve already written up your business plan, and you have all your marketing materials ready to go. The only thing left is to get started! So what are you waiting for? Get out there and make that dream come true! The new cleaning boss, that’s who!
