Most people find housecleaning stressful and painful, despite your opinion. A house cleaning business taps into a vast market with many customers. Home cleaning services are always needed, keeping you in business and every client’s home clean. Start a cleaning company from scratch with this guide.
It would help if you did the first cleaning jobs.
When starting a house cleaning business or maid service, you may be tempted to start with staffing, but one of the best ways is to do most of the work yourself. Before running the business remotely, you must learn it. Asking friends and family for references or housecleaning can help you get your first clients.
Keep costs low by sourcing and working for your first few clients yourself. Instead of hiring workers, you can pay yourself a fair wage while you iron out your business model and find the best practices.
By handling clients, you build a good reputation and control your house cleaning services business image. You can outsource larger cleaning jobs once the business picks up. You can hire in-house or outsourced employees to serve regular clients while you focus on other business matters.
Cleaning Company Budget
Can I start a cleaning company without money? Need a business loan? How can I save? What’s the best industry business structure? Is this business costly to start? It will cost money, but it may be cheaper than you think!
Cleaning alone will save you money, but budgeting is more than just hours. Your business will need supplies, vehicle maintenance, and fuel.
Budget for product and equipment replacement in your business. Consider hiring, payroll, taxes, and insurance if you outsource labor.
To prepare for business ownership, pay yourself an hourly wage, save for cleaning equipment, and estimate taxes. Taxes can wipe out your business budget.
Choose Cleaning Equipment
Consider what supplies you need to clean clients’ homes and businesses. Cleaning solutions, spray bottles, sponges and scrubbers, protective gloves, disposable or reusable towels, and housekeeping tools like mops and brooms are startup costs.
Will you use bleach and other traditional cleaners in clients’ homes or “green” products? Determine how you will prevent cross-contamination between client homes—using disposable materials or strict sanitation practices—and plan equipment purchases accordingly.
Brand Your New Cleaning Company
Startup cleaning businesses must brand. Branding a cleaning business may be the most fun part. You can use a play on words, part or all of your name, a quirky or fun nickname, your location, or the type of cleaning services you offer, such as residential or commercial.
Your business title should: accurately describe the company, be easy to spell and remember, be unique, sound good, and read well. Grows with business
Search online for your preferred business cleaning service names. Find out if another company has your name soon. Using another business’ name—even accidentally—can cost you.
Cleaning Business Licensing
To protect your business name, register it. Check your local business ordinances because state and local laws vary.
You may need a license and permits if you use a business name other than your own. Depending on state and local laws, you may need a business license and pay a fee.
LLCs and sole proprietorships are popular business licenses. An LLC shifts personal liability to company assets. Sole proprietorships are cheaper to start and give you complete control. If the business fails, a sole proprietorship can jeopardize your assets.
A DBA—Doing Business As—license is required if you choose a brand name for your cleaning company. The license establishes your fictitious business name and legitimizes your company.
Determine if local law requires business insurance, liability insurance, or other protections. Business insurance can protect you and your clients when working in clients’ homes.
Market Your New Cleaning Company
Marketing comes next in starting a cleaning business. Find clients after naming your cleaning business, filing permits and licensing documents, and buying cleaning supplies. Word of mouth, newspaper, or online ads can market a cleaning company.
You can advertise your services by printing fliers, starting a website or email campaign, investing in digital marketing, or posting signs on your property or elsewhere (with permission). Ask satisfied clients for referrals if you have one or two clients. To encourage referrals, offer coupons or discounts.
Prioritize Customer Service
Cleaning involves removing dirt and polishing surfaces. However, in customer service roles, you must prioritize client needs by being available to potential and existing customers, responding quickly to service and quote requests, and following up to ensure repeat business.
It would help if you had client communication to manage the technical side of your cleaning business. Voice mail, phone service, email, a website, social media, or all of these can improve your company’s outreach and customer satisfaction, especially when you’re starting.
Cleaning Software Streamlines Operations
As a cleaning company owner, you spend a lot of time cleaning, filing paperwork, and restocking supplies. In addition to serving clients and stocking supplies, you must track your budget, manage employee scheduling, process client invoices and record account information, and plan for taxes and other business fees.
Cleaning software makes organizing and managing a cleaning service business easier than pen-and-paper. Keep your employee or contractor schedules, customer lists, account notes, and payment info in a spreadsheet. Even with sheets, it gets complicated quickly. All-in-one software eliminates confusion.
Professional cleaning business management software improves your marketing image with features like requesting reviews, marketing automation, customer surveys, and more. Your new company’s image can benefit from consistent branding, from software to uniforms.
