The Entrepreneur Press staff and Jacquelyn Lyn explain how to launch a successful cleaning service in Start Your Cleaning Service. This includes maid services, janitorial cleaning services, carpet cleaning and upholstery cleaning, and more. This edited excerpt contains advice from successful owners of cleaning businesses about how to be successful in the industry.
Many people would prefer to avoid cleaning their homes and offices themselves. This presents an opportunity for entrepreneurs to start their cleaning businesses.
As of 2016, there were 2.3 million jobs in the cleaning industry, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. From 2016 to 2026, the field is expected to grow by 10 percent. This presents an excellent opportunity for business owners interested in this field.
Nothing can teach you more than the experience of others. We asked cleaning service owners what contributed to their business success and what caused some businesses to fail. To see their advice, click through the slides.
Never stop learning
Cleaning may seem simple, but business owners who have been in the industry for a while say there is always something new to learn. You’ll need to keep up with the latest technology and safety concerns regarding cleaning chemicals and equipment. Attend trade shows, attend meetings and conventions, and join organizations. Encourage your suppliers to update you. Shutterstock
All your resources are available
Many associations serve the cleaning industry. These associations can assist with marketing, management, and operations issues. State and federal agencies offer information and support to small businesses.
It’s essential to clean it as if it were your own
Cleaning is cleaning. Whether doing traditional housecleaning or janitorial services or providing an exceptional cleaning service, you should clean as if you were cleaning your home or office.
Develop systems
Systematizing your business will allow you to be more efficient and productive. It also allows you to create an organization that can continue to operate even if you are not there. Create systems for each function, including cleaning, laundry, and reporting.
Be careful!
Don’t be so hurried that you become careless, even though time is the most precious commodity. Customers usually accept accidents, but it’s better to avoid them. In terms of out-of-pocket cash, lost time, and damaged customer relationships, repairing or replacing something is often much higher than the amount you could save by working more carelessly.
Don’t undersell yourself
You may initially feel tempted to try and undercut your competitors’ prices. It’s better to outperform your competitors by delivering quality work.
Look after your employees
The quality of your employees’ performance will determine whether or not your customers are satisfied. Find ways to motivate them to perform at their best. Please treat and train them respectfully, and don’t micromanage them. Offer bonuses and incentives to top performers. Consider offering them perks like letting them use equipment from the company in their homes.
Find your niche
Focus on the market that you are best suited to serve. If you decide to work in smaller office buildings, you might be unable to provide high-quality services at a profitable price to more extensive facilities. You should excel at what you do and be consistent in your services. You will only succeed in a market if you serve a few.
Develop your digital skills
Digitally, you must be just as proficient as with a buffer or mop. You may not have a high-tech cleaning business, but there is no time to manually do things like estimates, payroll, accounting, inventory, and record keeping. It would help to have a solid online presence for your business, including a website and social media accounts. (You could also hire someone to build an app).
Keep track of your labor costs
You must keep track of your labor costs. You’ll lose track of your labor costs if you don’t monitor them daily. Create a daily report that shows you how much labor is being used. This will help you spot trends and problems before they escalate. Find out what is causing the rise in work. Are you charging extra for services that your customer is not requesting? It would be best to consider the time required to complete the task. If your labor estimates are under, ensure that your employees deliver the quality you promised.
Investing in customer service is a wise investment
It’s essential to maintain a high standard of cleaning, but there are other things you should focus on. Customer service is critical to building solid relationships with clients. Please do not assume that because your work appears satisfactory to you, it will be the same for your clients — or that they have no other needs or wants. Follow up on them regularly to see how they are doing.
Keep an eye on the economy
Professionals will be needed to clean dirty things as long as they remain unclean. Economic changes can affect your market. An economic downturn could impact customers’ willingness to pay for residential cleaning services. Companies look to reduce expenses when profits are down. This may mean examining their budgets and seeing if any assistance can be cut or eliminated.
Consider also how the global economy may impact your profits. You’ll need to pay more for fuel, and you may also see an increase in your utility bills. The cost of paper products, such as toilet tissue, paper towel, and other disposables, will also increase when the price of lumber increases. While you may be able to pass on some of these costs to your customers, rely on something other than an economy that is booming to keep your business profitable. Plan so that you can change your focus on the market if needed.
