TeachMarket.com

By Fayola Peters

One of the main reasons people start businesses is to make money. For some it’s a blessing to make money doing something they love. I’m not saying that you have to love house cleaning in order to have a successful house cleaning business; however it would be a good idea if you didn’t hate it.

How much money you make depends on how big you want your business to be. It could be a one person operation where you set up at home and service areas close to home, or you could set up a commercial office and hire people to work for you.

Here are 7 simple steps to get you started in your own house cleaning business.

1. Decide exactly what kind of house cleaning services you will offer.

Decide what cleaning you will do, like making beds, vacuuming, mopping and waxing floors, dusting and so on. Also note what you won’t do (e.g., laundry). You can also decide to specialize (e.g., cleaning carpets only, cleaning suspended ceilings only, etc.).

2. Pricing your housecleaning service.

To get an idea of how to charge for your housecleaning service, use your competition. Check your telephone directory and the classified ads section of your local newspapers for cleaning businesses; call them up (pretend to be a prospective client) and learn exactly what cleaning services they offer and how much they charge. With this information, decide the best price to charge for your cleaning service.

3. Work out startup costs.

For this you need to consider tools, materials, transport, advertising, insurance, etc. List all the tools and materials you need, like cleaners, sponges, mops, carpet cleaning equipment, etc. Cost each item on the list and write it down next to the item.

Transport: You will have to estimate your costs here. You see it depends on where your client is located and your means of transportation to get there. (Having your own vehicle would be to your advantage.)

Advertising: You can use free advertising (word of mouth) and paid advertising (classifieds, telephone directory ads, etc.). Phone calls to your local newspaper and the telephone company publishing your telephone directory will tell you the cost of placing ads.

Once you’ve gathered all this information, calculate your total startup costs.

4. Name your business.

Choosing an appropriate name for your house cleaning business is important. Here are a few examples I got off the Internet: Maid Brigade, All Shine Cleaning, White Glove Cleaning Service. Please avoid using “Your Name Cleaning Services.” Using your own name as part of your cleaning business name is overdone. Brainstorm and come up with a name that helps you stand out from the crowd.

5. Learn the zoning regulations of your community.

Check the city clerk’s office or your local library for a copy of the zoning laws that govern your community. Your reason for doing this is that some community zoning regulations prohibit home businesses.

6. Do a few free cleaning jobs.

Well, you’re not actually doing them for free. You’re doing them in exchange for references (these add to your credibility for future paying clients and are invaluable). You can offer these free cleaning jobs to friends, non profit organizations in your communities, etc.

7. Get your first paying client then get another and another and another and so on.

Tell everyone you know that you’ve started a cleaning business and place ads in the local newspapers. In the beginning, you’ll need to spend most of your time and money getting paying clients. However, the more clients you get the less time and money you’ll need to spend on marketing and more on cleaning and making your clients happy.

This is just the beginning. Once you start making money take a house cleaning business course to help you better manage your business in terms of growth, accounting, taxes, insurance, better marketing strategies and more.

Fayola Peters is the webmaster of Housecleaning-Tips.com which gives you more information on starting and running your own cleaning business.