For as long as mess is being created, there will be demand for cleaners. While most households might elect to handle the cleaning themselves, the same isn’t true of businesses and government buildings. If you can prove yourself capable of removing clutter and grime in a way that’s efficient and affordable, then you’ll have a viable and profitable cleaning business.
But how do you get started? You’ll first need to do a little bit of groundwork. Let’s take a look at exactly what that groundwork might consist of.
Study the Market
The chances are good that there are already cleaners working in your vicinity, covering certain niches. You might choose your niche depending on the strength of the competition. The three main kinds of cleaning business are domestic, commercial and specialist – with the latter being divided into as many sub-categories as there are specialist kinds of cleaner.
Business Plan
The foundation of any business should rest upon a well-thought-out business plan. This is a document that you’ll be constantly developing throughout the lifespan of the business. It should include, among other things, the name of your business. Pick something that you’re going to be able to stick with, as rebrands will set you back when it comes to reputation-building.
Set your Budget
As part of your plan, you’ll work out all of the money you intend to spend, and all the money you expect to make. You can use this to measure your success or failure further down the line.
If you don’t properly account for every expense in your budget, then you might find that your business isn’t as profitable as you thought it might be. You’ll need a uniform, equipment, and materials. Larger teams might also require more administrative costs. Specialised equipment, like a cordless leaf-blower, might require more of an up-front investment.
Set your price
If you don’t know how much you’re going to be charging for your services, then you won’t be able to come up with a budget you can rely on. Set your prices too low, and you’ll struggle to turn a profit; set them too high, and you’ll put off potential clients.
Make sure that you account for the quality of service you’ll be providing when you set your price. Once you build a reputation for quality, you’ll find that clients keep hiring you again and again. Most new businesses make the mistake of pricing too aggressively – but you want a business that can be sustained for years, and that means covering your costs.
Advertise
If your clients don’t know who you are, then you won’t get any calls. You should ideally advertise via several different avenues, including digital and physical. Do your research, find out where your target market can be reached, and advertise accordingly.
