How Do I Create A Cleaning Company/Business

Starting a cleaning business is an easy and lucrative thing to do. You can start your cleaning business on a shoestring budget, and growth of the cleaning business depends on how much you put into it. The first thing you need to decide for your cleaning business, is if you are serious enough to make a real attempt to make some real money, with minimal work and overhead.

The first thing you need to decide for your cleaning business, is if you are going to clean residential properties or commercial, or both. I would suggest sticking to residential till you get the hang of the business. Most residential customers are a little more forgiving when it comes to you learning the ropes, and trying to make a go of this type of business. Commercial companies expect a little more, and they expect Urgency, which is something you may not be able to provide until you get more experience and time.

Now that you have decided you are going to clean residential properties, we need to get some supplies for our cleaning business. You will also need to check to see if your cleaning business needs to be licensed in your city for this type of service. Most cities don't require such a license for cleaning businesses.

1. Extension Duster

2. Vacuum

3. Glass Cloths

4. Eraser Bars

5. Grout Brush

6. Lysol And Air Freshener

7. Small Trash Bags

8. Caddy To Hold All Your Cleaners

9. Mop

10. Multi Cleaning Rags

11. Brillo Pads

12. Small Dust Broom

13. paper towels

14. Assorted Cleaners (Pine Sol, Toilet Cleaner, Furniture Polish, Bleach, etc...)

There are many ways to get customers for your cleaning business, and I will explain how to get them step by step. I would suggest getting some nice business cards with the name of your cleaning business on them. Please do not skimp on the business cards, You want your cleaning business to look and be professional. Start by handing out your business cards to people you know and explain that you are in the cleaning business for yourself now and would like to have them as a customer.

Put and add in the paper for your cleaning business and explain what services you provide and a phone number that you can be reached at. If you are not by your phone all the time, have an answering machine or voice mail with a professional sounding message. Again you want to be professional about your cleaning business.

Put an add on Craigslist in the services section for you particular city, and again make sure your add is professional. Leave them a contact email and a phone number to reach you at. You can put in the add that you will give free estimates for cleaning jobs, and that will draw a lot of replies which will lead to paying jobs.

Hand out fliers for your cleaning business, put them on windshields, on bulletin boards, laundry mats, or wherever you can find to put them. A print shop can print these out for you at a reasonable rate. I suggest using bright colored paper that will draw more attention to your flier, and again put something on the flier, like FREE ESTIMATES, or HALF OFF YOU FIRST CLEANING SESSION. These tactic really work and you will have a lot of work in no time.

Good references when starting out is very important to be successful, ask some friends or family members if you can clean their homes for free or at a discounted. The sound of working for free may not be appealing but it will be worth it to get some good references to show potential customers.
When cleaning your first homes, go for quality, not how fast you can clean the home. Cleaning efficiently takes a long time, but you will get to the point where you can do a thorough cleaning in no time. After cleaning make sure you go back and check all rooms again to make sure you didn't miss anything. Impress those first clients and word of mouth will spread quickly.

When ever you get a customer or two for your cleaning business, be respectful at all times and be professional as possible. Always ask them how they would like there home cleaned, and if they have any special request. When cleaning do a thorough job, don't break anything, and don't re-arrange anything. When they see how well of a job you did and compliment you on it, It ok to ask them to spread the word about your work. Truth is, they probably know someone else that is in need of you cleaning service.

In my opinion, I would not do anything for less than $20.00 per hour. You have to factor your supplies, gas, and your time in the equation, and I think that is a fair rate of pay for this service. So if a house is going to take you a couple of hours to clean, charge $40.00 or $50.00 for the job. There are not a lot of jobs out there where you can start off making that type of money. Remember as your cleaning business grows, you may have to hire help, so factor that in when giving estimates in the future. How much you can make at your cleaning business depends on how much of yourself you put in to it.

House cleaning gift certificates make great gifts for any occasion. Birthdays, Anniversaries, Housewarmings, Weddings, Baby Showers, Christmas and Valentine's Day. I have a lot of requests for gift certificates around Christmas. If you have a website you can email the gift certificates to the recipient.

Offer a referral program. If one of your current customers lands you a new cleaning account. They get 50 percent off their next cleaning session, or the next cleaning session is free. This is a good system for getting new clients fast and your current customers do all the work in getting new clients.

Offer coupons for cleaning services at a discounted rate. This is also a good promotion that will land you new customers quickly.

1. Work from the Cleanest to the Dirtiest Part of the Room

2. Have all of your cleaning supplies close by, Put them in a bucket or caddy of some sort.

3. If no one is at the home, listen to your favorite music on the stereo, not so loud as to disturb the neighbors, You can also use your ipod.

4. Use a shop vac instead of a dustpan, A shop vac is also useful for getting cob webs, dirt in corners, ceiling fans, and under sofa cushions.

5. Only clean one room at a time, Don't skip from one room to the next. If you skip around, it is not productive at all. Finish a room, then move to the next.

Follow these critical suggestions, and you will be done in no time and at the bank, cashing your check

1. In the cleaning business profession it is important to be polite and on time.

2. Don't take on more than you can handle in the cleaning business. Take it slow and let your business grow.

3. If you plan on making the cleaning business your career choice, Look into licensing and bonding.

4. Always carry hand sanitizer and wash your hands frequently in the cleaning business profession.

5. In the cleaning business it is important you let the customer know it is alright to ask for something done differently or tell you if something was not done.

6. Bring your own cleaning supplies unless the customer request otherwise.

1. Go to every real estate office in town and let them know you are in business. Bring them donuts and several business cards. You can make fliers on your computer at home to bring also.

2. Join the chamber of commerce, and hand out business cards.

3. Put an ad in the local newspaper.

4. Put a decal on your car with your business name and phone number.

5. Stand on a street corner and hold a poster with your business name and phone number.

6. Put an advertisement in the phone book.

7. Build a website and get listed with Google Business Listings.

8. Ask current customers for referrals.

9. Arrange for your fleirs to be delivered via mail in local circulars.

10. Use social media to get some new clients.

Several things can cause you to lose a client. I have seen it happen. So when you can avoid these examples, do so.

1. Having a dirty car inside and out

2. A messy caddy filled with dollar store cleaners

3. Holes and stains in your clothing

4. Smoking in the clients home

5. Drama and foul language

6. Gossip

7. Bringing new people to the clients home without asking

8. Chewing tobacco in the clients home

9. Consuming alcohol in the clients home

10. Bringing your pet in the clients home

Once established, you may want to hire some employees and add on other services to help your company grow. Here is a list of some add on services you may want to consider.

1. Window Cleaning

2. Carpet Cleaning

3. Errand Services

4. Party Cleaning and Assistance

5. Real Estate Cleaning

6. New Construction Clean-Up

7. Organizing Services

8. Doggy Doo Clean up

9. Garage clean up

10. Personal assistant.

Pros

1. Great income

2. flexible hours

3. Work near your home

4. High demand

5. Your the boss

6. You choose your clients

7. Paid daily

8. No nights

Cons

1. Cleaning is hard work

2. Exposed to lots of germs

3. Who wants to clean the toilet

4. Can't depend on the same pay every month

5. No health insurance

6. Picky customers

Homemade cleaners are good for the environment, and you can cut your cost by making them at home and using them at your residential cleaning accounts. Here is a recipe for an all purpose cleaner that works just as well as any store bought cleaner. Give it a try to I think you will be happy with the results.

Mild Abrasive

Baking soda is a mild abrasive which will deodorize and leave your bathroom smelling great. Sprinkle baking soda on a sponge to clean your bathroom vanities and sinks. Put it onto a toilet brush to leave your toilet looking new. For tougher stains and grime make a paste of baking soda and water, apply to the stain, let sit for 10 or 20 minutes, then proceed to scrub out the stains. Baking soda also is a great substitute for unclogging drains. Just pour some down your clogged drain, let it sit in the drain overnight, then flush with warm water. This clears up most clogs and leaves the pipes smelling fresh.

Glass And Mirrors

Rubbing alcohol works great for cleaning mirrors and windows. The recipe below is perfect for getting the place looking top notch for house guest, or just for your peace of mind. No one likes dirty windows and mirrors.

Homemade Glass Cleaner Recipe

Mix in a sprayer bottle:

• 1 cup rubbing (isopropyl) alcohol
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar

A Stronger Multi-Purpose Cleaner

Mix in a sprayer bottle:

• 1 T clear, non-sudsing ammonia
• 1 T clear laundry detergent
• 2 cups water

Homemade Furniture Polish

Believe it or not we can make our very own homemade furniture polish. The recipe is below and you won't believe the results.

Mix in a sprayer bottle:

• 1 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup lemon juice

This video has great insight on starting a cleaning business. Watch it, and it will help you out with some of the fundamentals in getting started.

There are many areas in the cleaning field. Keep an open mind, and anyone can be successful in this business.

Newer properties are the easiest to clean.

Make things sparkle. That is what they are looking for.

Double check everything.

Starting a cleaning business can make you extra money, and if done right you can do it full time and be your own boss. Just remember to do good work, charge fair rates, and be professional.