Tips on Making Your Cleaning Service Business Profitable
One of the common mistakes that most cleaners make is that they decide to focus on one set of clients. For example, many advertisements that you read in the paper will say “will clean your home.” There are many businesses, big and small, that need to be cleaned too. If you are just getting your cleaning business started, cleanings homes is a good way to get your foot in the door. You must remember not limit yourself though. If you are planning on placing an advertisement in the paper, be sure to mention that you will clean homes or businesses. There may be a local business owner reading your advertisement and if you do a good job a cleaning contract might be in your future.
In addition to local papers, you will want to make up fliers and business cards to distribute to possible clients and hang on community bulletin boards. If already do not have an established business name, you should think about getting one. To be honest, if I were a potential customer and saw a flier, I would be more likely to contact “Fine Cleaning” versus just “Mary.” Since you will be traveling with your vehicle to jobs, you may wish invest in a magnetic sign that will describe your business and provide a contact number.
In addition to advertising your business, you will also need to physically get out and spread the word. You will need to target clients that you feel will best benefit from your service. With many couples working full time, home cleaning often comes last on their list. You will also want to target elderly or disabled individuals, business owners, store managers, or apartment complex owners. Owners or landlords of apartment complexes are an often profitable market that sometimes goes unnoticed. When you think about it, they may become one of your more steady customers. When a tenant moves out of an apartment, all apartments need to be cleaned and possibly have repairs completed.
You may have a client who wishes to select and review the cleaning products that you plan to use. If your client does care which items you use, you may want to test different brands to determine the best performance and value. I always used to clean my home with name brand cleaning products, until I worked at a discount store. When you have a countless amount of customers recommending a generic product, you can’t help but try it. Many of the cheaper products that I tried worked just as well as the national brands. If you ending up find a cheaper brand that does not perform as well as the national brand, it is advised that you discontinue using it. It is nice to find a great deal; however, you should make sure that your job is up to par. Before you start a cleaning project, you may want to ask your client if they or anyone in the building is allergic to some of the cleaning products. Although you are the one is who having the most contact with the chemicals, someone who enters the room may have an allergic reaction.
If you have a cleaning business already running and you are not seeing an increase in new or returning customers, you may wish to rethink your fee scale. Many cleaning companies charge an hourly rate. Your rate can be anywhere from thirty to forty dollars. It is a good idea to call around and get estimates from other cleaning companies, allowing you to come up with a realistic rate. You may want to have a contract for clients to look over and you should attached your pay scale to the contract. Having a client sign your contract is a good way to ensure that your business will be a success. You could have a basic sheet and leave portions of it blanks and once you start each job you can fill them in. For example, you may want to record what you did on the job, what time you started and ended, or which chemicals you used.
A cleaning service may be a good way for someone looking to start their own business. To have a successfully cleaning business you will be to be a hard worker, have patience, be able to stand or bend for long periods of time, be physically fit, and pay attention to detail.
The startup costs for this business are extremely low if you already have a reliable vehicle. If you are able to advertise your business with out help from others, you may want to think about starting this business alone. There are many cleaning business that are started with two partners. It will often take time before a business is up and running. Give the business a shot by yourself and if it grows into a success, you may want to considering hiring additional help.
