A cleaning business can be profitable, whether you do it full time or as a side hustle. This is because commercial and residential cleaning services have an enormous market and a reliable demand. Moreover, starting this venture requires low capital and up-front costs compared to other businesses. Read on to know how to start your own professional cleaning business.
Difference between a Commercial and Residential Cleaning Business
A professional commercial cleaning company is entirely different from a professional home cleaning business. Firstly, the former targets businesses, while the latter targets homeowners and individual consumers.
Secondly, commercial cleaning businesses center on janitorial services and cleaning machinery or blank spaces in an office or store. On the other hand, residential cleaning specializes in cleaning floors, carpets, windows, and anything else around the house.
Follow the following steps to start your own professional cleaning business.
Define your Business
Business experts advise entrepreneurs planning to venture into the cleaning sector to define the kind of business they want to start. This is because choosing a niche will help you concentrate on building a firm serving your target market. The services you will offer will depend on various factors, such as local demands, competition, your abilities, and proximity to your clientele.
Therefore, determine whether you will start a commercial or residential cleaning company. You also have to decide whether you will offer general cleaning services or specialize in a service like carpet cleaning.
Create a Budget and Fund your Cleaning Business
After selecting your target market, you should set a reasonable budget for your new venture and finance it. The advantage of starting a cleaning business is that the initial capital can be moderately low. You must buy different cleaning products and equipment and pay for business permits and licenses. It is also essential to invest in marketing and business insurance.
You may consider hiring costs but doing the cleaning jobs yourself at the early stages of the business can help you save money. If you do not have enough cash for the basic requirements, you can take a business loan or borrow from your friends and relatives.
Choose a Brand Name
Choosing a name for your startup cleaning business might be the most enjoyable part of venturing into this sector. You can choose a business name that relates to your name, the type of cleaning services you offer, or your geographical location.
Searching online can also help you find a unique name. Whichever the case, ensure that you choose a title that accurately describes your business, is easy to remember, and can grow with the company. Moreover, ensure that the name does not belong to another company to avoid legal issues.
Register Your Cleaning Business
The next step is registering your business as a sole proprietorship, partnership, or Limited Corporation. Ensure that you meet the registration requirements that your state and local government have outlined.
You should also acquire a business license in addition to other business permits. Some states require entrepreneurs to have different protections, such as business insurance to protect the workers in case of an on-the-job accident.
Advertise and Market your Cleaning Business
Now that you have set up your professional cleaning business and acquired the right documents, it is time to find and retain customers. There are different marketing strategies that you can use to inform people about your cleaning services.
These include social media marketing, creating and optimizing a website, and organizing an email campaign. Create a Facebook or Instagram page so that potential clients can find you online.
You can also print flyers and business cards and share them with your friends. Additionally, you can ask for referrals from satisfied customers. Word of mouth is a valuable advertising method for startups. For this reason, ensure that you offer high-quality cleaning services so that your customers can refer you to their friends, neighbors, and family.
In summary, venturing into the cleaning business is an easy and inexpensive way of becoming an entrepreneur if you acquire the right resources and implement the right strategies. Ensure that you invest in marketing to attract more customers organically. Most importantly, prioritize customer satisfaction because it will contribute significantly to the success of your professional cleaning business.
