How to Start a Cleaning Business in 10 Steps
If you love to clean and don’t mind getting your hands dusty, starting a cleaning business might be for you. You can run a cleaning business from home, offering your services to individuals and companies nearby.
With the proper cleaning supplies and equipment, this customized service allows you to set your terms and availability for clients.
Plus, with no overhead costs or employees to pay, you’ll spend less money to start this business than you would for others.
However, cleaning businesses come in many shapes and sizes, so you need to consider certain factors before starting your cleaning business.
The following article is intended as a general guide to starting your own business. It covers everything on how to start a cleaning business.
Is Starting a Cleaning Business Worth it?
Cleaning is a line of work with an almost infinite number of job opportunities, and even the most straightforward operation can be very profitable.
As a cleaning specialist, you’ll have high job satisfaction while helping keep your customers’ properties in impeccable shape. And don’t forget, you can easily earn a higher income without a significant investment by starting a cleaning business.
Some people would love to own their own cleaning business but might worry that it takes a huge investment of time, energy, and money.
But the truth is you can start small and grow. It can be hugely rewarding for the patient entrepreneur willing to take the time to build the business.
With some hard work, proper planning, and execution, you could see your roster of clients diversify and multiply, your profits soar, and your life change for the better.
10 Steps on How to Start a Cleaning Business
Before starting a cleaning business, there are specific steps you need to take to succeed in the business. Below are some of the steps you need to take:
1. Find a Specialty and Stick to it
If you want to start a cleaning business, you have many options. If you’re going to dominate your market, you need to specialize and choose a niche.
Consider what niche your business is in and what services it offers to make customers choose your business over others.
For instance, a residential cleaning business could focus on apartments and single-family homes, while a commercial cleaning business might focus on office buildings and light retail shops.
Once you have come up with a niche, build your brand around this Specialty and stick to it so it is different from your competitors.
If a potential customer has experience with your company or with a competitor’s company, they will likely choose the one that provides better service. Stick with what makes you different!
2. Choose Your Market
The best way to be able to compete with other cleaners in your area is by choosing the right type of market for your cleaning business.
When you are thinking about how to start a cleaning business, one of the first things that you need to think about is your target market.
Choose where you want to start your cleaning business. Do some research about the area and create a list of who’s who there that may need your services.
Make sure that you do enough research about the community, including how much people in the area earn, how much quality cleaning they use, and so on.
Knowing all of the cleaning services, what they charge, and who they target will help you figure out if you want to be a residential cleaner or commercial cleaner.
3. Write a Business Plan
If you have always wanted to start a cleaning business, now is the time to write that business plan.
A business plan is a roadmap that will guide you through your business venture. Incorporating, and determining all aspects into your business plan, including market research, financial projections, and marketing plans, is important.
It is meant to help you think through your plan for success before you start making costly mistakes. Taking the time to write a business plan can be a very helpful tool.
A business plan will help you put your ideas into perspective and move you in the direction of a successful business venture.
It will also help you see things you’ve never thought about and ensure that your business does not fail.
4. Set Your Budget
Before you begin analyzing which cleaning company business is right for you, decide how much you are willing to invest in this endeavour.
Setting your budget and figuring out how much startup money you’ll need is an important first step to becoming a successful cleaner.
You need to research and determine how much money you can afford to spend on startup costs and equipment.
Tally up all of the expenses associated with setting up your business. This includes the initial cost of purchasing your equipment and other essential things.
Once you have all of these costs in mind, decide how much money you are willing to invest in your cleaning business. This will help you decide what type of business model to use.
The amount of money you choose to spend will stay constant throughout, so make sure that the number will not break your bank.
5. Decide Your Business Legal Structure
Before you set up shop, it is essential to consider what kind of legal structure you want your cleaning business to be.
When it comes to starting a cleaning business, one of the most important things to consider is what legal structure you want your cleaning business to be.
There are many different options, and you will need to research them carefully before making your final decision.
There are pros and cons of each option. The right option for you depends on your personal circumstances, so take some time to research what’s best for you.
The types of structures that you can set up include:
- Sole proprietorship
- Limited Liability Company (LLC)
- Partnership or
- Corporation
The structure that’s right for you depends on how much liability you want to assume, how much time and money you want to spend on administration, and your risk tolerance.
6. Choose a Brand Name for Your New Cleaning Company
Branding is super important as it shows customers that you are a severe business and allows you to be easily found.
This can be accomplished by choosing a name for your cleaning business. Picking a name for your new cleaning business is almost as fun as the work that goes into starting it.
Finding a brand name for your startup cleaning business shouldn’t be hard. Remember that the name is just part of what makes up the brand.
Therefore, it is great to be creative and come up with a name that describes who you are and what you are providing.
When you think up a good brand name, it will help to set you apart from others in the industry.
7. Register Your Cleaning Business
The next step to starting a cleaning business is registering your business in the cleaning industry.
It is essential to register your business with the government and also get your name on the “doing business” list.
This will protect your right to use your name, as you will be protected if another company uses your name without your permission.
Several online resources can provide you with all the required paperwork for registering your cleaning business.
If you are unfamiliar with the forms, Google can help you locate this information.
8. Set up Accounting and Bookkeeping
When deciding to start a home-based cleaning business, it is best to prepare in advance by setting up an accounting and bookkeeping system.
It is essential to keep accurate records of all money earned and expenses incurred. If your bookkeeping is handled poorly, your business will eventually suffer.
However, this task can be quite complex for someone just entering the business world, so it’s best to set it up before operating your business on a full scale.
You need an accurate record of all income and expenditures to ensure proper documentation for taxes throughout the year, as well as to track your overall financial status.
9. Find and Maintain Clients
The next step in starting a cleaning business is to find clients. You can broadcast a flyer or newsletter around your neighborhood, but there are also other ways.
Word of mouth is the best way to begin. After cleaning some friends’ homes, ask for referrals, and do not be afraid to give out your card.
Another way to find clients is to also advertise for clients on the bulletin board at your local grocery store.
Once you have found a potential client, be sure to set up an appointment with them in advance so that you can show up on time and introduce yourself face-to-face.
You may want to bring some promotional materials for the client to review at this meeting, including pricing information and explaining how you keep your rates low by cutting out the middleman.
Additionally, it’s always a good idea to ask the client if they have any special instructions or areas that require extra attention before you start working.
10. Create Your Business Website
If you want to start a house cleaning business, consider starting a website for your business.
Building a strong online presence allows you to reach customers and attract interest in your home cleaning services. After all, an informed customer is a happy customer.
Your website should present the general information about your business, what you’ll be offering when your business is open, and any fees that may apply.
It’s also important to include contact information (a phone number and email address) and links to social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest.
You can create a website quickly and inexpensively using one of many pre-made templates available for purchase. Or, you can use a common site-building program such as WordPress to create a professional-looking site.
- Learn how to start and make money blogging in Canada (FREE course)
- Learn how to register your business online in this Ownr review.
How Much Money Do You Need to Start a Cleaning Business?
It’s tough to answer that question. It depends on the scope and scale of your plan, but nearly all businesses require some type of startup cost.
A cleaning business can be started as cheaply as a few hundred dollars, but there are some startup costs that you’ll want to think about and plan for before opening your doors.
The type of business you want to run, the services you provide, and many other factors ultimately dictate how much you will spend to get your cleaning business off the ground.
Many businesses that start with small startup costs grow and need more funding.
If you’re willing to be patient with your returns, you could reasonably expect a high return from your new cleaning business within the first year.
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Conclusion
A cleaning business is a great way to enter the world of small business ownership. Starting up a cleaning business can be a rewarding experience and is suitable for almost anyone who has time to spare.
All you need is a good idea of just how to start and a little know-how on getting yourself ready.
With a little bit of planning and a lot of elbow grease, you could be well on your way to making this your new career.
I hope now you know how to start a cleaning business and you will be on your way to starting your new cleaning business.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Is the house cleaning business profitable?
It is incredibly profitable to start a house cleaning business. It is easy to grow with low startup costs. Considering cleaning services are highly in demand, you can make money from your cleaning business.
How do you price cleaning houses?
The amount depends on the type of house and the work required. Generally, you should charge between $100 and $200 per cleaner per hour for house cleaning. Also, you can set based on how much time it takes you to clean a given space.
How do you quote a commercial cleaning job?
You can calculate the number and hourly rate of employees required by multiplying the hours it takes to clean the area.
How profitable are cleaning businesses?
With one cleaner, a cleaning business has the potential of earning between $20,000 and $50,000. However, the profit varies based on the business’s location and its service.
