| Deliver Us from Filth: Starting a Cleaning Service |
Ever been awestruck by the reflective polish produced your own elbow grease? Well put your cleaning muscle to work for you with a Cleaning Service.
There are plenty of opportunities for entrepreneurs entering the cleaning industry. Because just about everything needs to be cleaned once in a while, the options for starting a cleaning service are almost limitless. Whether you focus on a specialized chore such as window washing while marketing yourself to a wide array of businesses, or choose to offer multiple services to only a few loyal patrons, the clients are out there.
Commercial and residential buildings alike require the services of cleaning businesses. From routine tidying to disaster cleanup, cleaning professionals make business and domestic operations easier. While the job may not be glamorous, there is potential for a nice income in a fairly short amount of time.
Do You Have What It Takes?
To run a successful cleaning business, you need resolve (not the cleaning solution). It takes some staying power to make it in this business. A sense of pride will also ensure the work is done thoroughly and the customer is satisfied. All service businesses thrive on customer satisfaction. To generate repeat business and referrals and ultimately revenue, your clients must be pleased with your work. When it comes to your customers, trust will be a huge factor as well. You want your clients to be completely assured when you send workers into their homes and offices. Also the ability to manage your employees effectively and budget your time wisely is essential.
Independent vs. Franchise
New owners have the option of starting up their businesses independently or buying into a franchise. Most franchises offer name recognition, marketing assistance and instruction on how to build your business. They may also put limitations on how your business can grow and cost you more in the long term. On the other hand, the independent owner must do his/her own research. There will be no template for success or bail-out money, however, the direction of the business is completely under his/her command.
Housecleaning, Janitorial Service and Carpet Cleaning
One common route for starting a cleaning service is doing housecleaning. You can run this type of business out of your home or with a small office space. Having a business in a residential area may subject you to city ordinances that will limit your size and operations, but typically for cleaning services whose clients seldom come to their office, this is not a problem. However, many business owners advise that a commercial space enhance your opportunity for growth. But choose carefully. Consider the amount you have to invest and your business needs and goals before deciding on your office location.
Whether you operate alone or with a crew, chances are that your focused efforts can get the house spotless faster than your clients could. Your primary selling point as a housecleaner is that you can save your customers time.
People who solicit housecleaning services typically live in two-income households making over 50K per year. Some are busy singles or wealthy families who prefer other uses of their time. Even senior citizens who are not able to do the work themselves and can afford the luxury will consult housecleaning services.
As an owner you will be tasked with scheduling, billing, ordering supplies, payroll (if you have employees) and dealing with customer complaints. In the midst of all of this, there may be very little time to do any actual cleaning yourself which is why most housecleaning services employ a team of people to be dispatched on service calls. Reliable transportation is a must.
Janitorial services appeal to commercial clients. They clean schools, restaurants, offices, and hospitals. They may also clean industrial facilities. Most clients will prefer that these services be performed after business hours; so much of this type of work is conducted at night. The scope of a janitorial service is quite larger than that of a housecleaning service. Where a housecleaner might concentrate on the small details of a living space, the janitor will have to take the big picture and divide it into smaller tasks.
Carpet cleaning has also become a popular start-up business in recent years. The overhead is relatively low and these businesses, like the others, can be run from home. This vast market includes any building that has carpet covering its floors including residences and commercial facilities alike. Homes, schools, offices, apartment buildings, churches, banks, restaurants, etc. are all fair game. Though commercial facilities will require a larger investment, the potential payoff is greater as well. Apart from carpet cleaning, these businesses may provide stain removal, upholstery cleaning, protective treatments, dyeing, and water and smoke damage restoration services.
Seed Money
Getting your business off the ground will require a relatively low amount of capital up front. Many owners used their personal savings to get started. Some other options are finding a partner who wants to invest in the business or asking friends and family members who have faith in your idea for assistance. It is wise to only approach those who have it to do it. Don't ask anyone to overextend themselves. Also it is a good business practice to get everything in writing. The contract should outline everyone's responsibilities and obligations.
Another avenue for help with start-up capital will be the SBA (Small Business Administration). Many government outlets provide help for small business owners especially women and minorities. There may be grants available, even tailored for opening this kind of business. You can research them on the Web or at your local library.
Because the work of cleaning services is done on site at the client's facility, a dependable vehicle or fleet will be a required asset. With housecleaning these vehicles may be economy cars or even your employees' personal vehicles as they do not require much space. For janitorial service, larger equipment may be necessary which will call for the use of a larger vehicle. Typically, carpet cleaners will use vans and trucks spending between $10,000 and $18,000 for reliable transportation of equipment. Whatever the vehicle, make sure there is sufficient insurance on each driver, car, van or truck. Talk to your insurance carrier to ensure you are covered at all fronts.
Your Cleaning Team
Depending on your start-up budget and how well you can build your client base, you may be able to start a cleaning service by yourself. However, as the workload increases you will want to consider hiring employees, whether they are part-time, administrative assistants or helpers. Remember, honesty is a core value in this industry so choose wisely when hiring employees.
A janitorial service might require some additional support sooner. Though the work is usually done at night, the appointments and contracts will undoubtedly be scheduled during the day. Consequently, hiring someone to take these calls and schedule will give you the chance to sleep. Working at commercial sites may also be quite laborious. You might need a crew of personnel, which will later include a salesperson and a customer service clerk. Carpet cleaning can also be difficult work. Hiring at least one other person to start is recommended. Minor tasks such as unloading equipment and setting up can be handled by a helper and make jobs run smoothly. This speed will enable you to take on more clients and increase customer satisfaction. In fact each vehicle should have a pair of workers to make operations more efficient. An appointment scheduler may be needed as well.
Costs and Billing
Figuring out what to charge can be a complicated task for any small business. On the one hand they have to make enough to cover their expenses and hopefully make some profit as well. On the other hand they need to price their services reasonably so their customers won't decide to go with a competitor or even attempt to perform the work themselves. When you are first starting out you will want to watch your numbers closely.
Look at all the aspects of a job: the size of the facility, how far you had to drive to get there, the types of services rendered, the equipment and materials used and the amount of time and manpower it took to complete. Eventually you will get the feel for what a job will cost you. There are also other costs to consider that are unrelated to any particular job such as insurance and your phone bill. You will want to estimate these costs for the year and divide by 12 or 52 to get your monthly or weekly expenses. When you have an idea of your costs, you can decide your desired profit margin. Tack a percentage on to the fee.
Billing clients periodically as opposed to demanding payment after each job is customary with commercial clients. This practice is effectively extending credit to your customers. Ensuring your clients pay you in a timely fashion will be integral to the continuation of your business. Try to coordinate your billing date with the cycle of payment practiced by the business by asking when you can expect disbursement each month. On the invoice itself, include notice of any late fee policy or early payment incentives so there will be no confusion. Print the due date and the date by which payment will be considered late. Also, you may use the invoice to extend your marketing strategy, inform your customers of special pricing or listing new services.
The First Gig
Define your target audience by geographic location. After all, you don't want to sink your own ship by spending loads on gas. Then define who you will tailor your service to. You may want to specialize with vacant apartment units, private homes, small offices or buildings in a particular industry. To get those first few customers you may want to reel in those closest to you including family members, friends and acquaintances. Tap your social networks for new clients.
Lastly, professional appearance for yourself, your equipment and your workers will help set your clients at ease and project a good image for your business. Attract new clients by creating a reputation for top-notch service. While it may be a dirty job, if you can deliver, you'll make a clean sweep.
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