How to start your own cleaning business: An Awesome guide with 14 Step

There are a lot of reasons why you should start your own cleaning business. The first and most important reason is that the demand for cleaning services is very high. Secondly, you can make a lot of money by starting your cleaning business. And thirdly, you could start your cleaning business with a minimal amount of money.This article will tell you everything you need to know about How to start your own cleaning business and making money as a business owner. But first, you need to organize your business. Here is our 14-step detailed guide to starting a cleaning business.

Choose your cleaning services to offer

When considering starting a residential cleaning or maid service, it may be tempting to begin with staffing. However, one of the most effective ways to begin is to do most of the initial cleaning tasks yourself. This is because one must first become familiar with the business to manage it from a distance. One way to acquire initial clients is to ask friends and family for referrals or to clean their homes.

To keep your costs low, you should focus on getting your first few clients and working for them yourself. That way, you won’t have to spend a lot of money hiring people, and you can make sure you’re paying yourself a fair salary while you figure out what your cleaning business model should look like and what works best for your company.

What type of service do you provide?

One of the most essential choices you’ll have to make is whether or not to offer commercial or residential cleaning services. Both sides of the industry will necessitate different skill sets and areas of concentration from your business.

Even then, you’ll still have a wide variety of services, including carpet cleaning, home cleaning, janitorial services, pool cleaning, pressure washing, window cleaning, and Septic cleaning.

When listing your cleaning services, look at what your competitors offer.

This will help you determine what cleaning services could be improved and what you can offer – and use that to your advantage. Start with a few basic options for your final list of services. Think about what you can do now and what you can do with more money down the line.

At this point, you’ll need to decide whether you want to specialize in residential cleaning (house cleaning) or whether you want to become a commercial cleaning business serving businesses in your community.

You can also offer carpet, window, pool, or pressure-washing services.
And once you know what kind of services you want to provide, you can decide if you will run the business from your home, have a more significant business with additional employees, or something else.

You’ll also need to determine if you want to work part-time (weekdays or weekends) or full-time (full-time) and where you want your service area to be.

Begin with understanding your cleaning business structure. 

Before you start cleaning your first home, there are a few things you need to take care of legally and financially. This will help you create a reliable cleaning business with which your customers will want to do business.

Register your company name and choose a business structure

If you want to start a cleaning business, the first thing you need to do is get your name registered. If you don’t already have it, here are some ideas on what to name your business. Once you’re all set, here’s how to register your business, depending on where you live.

In the United States, ensure your domain name is registered in a state where no other domain name is registered, then trademark your domain name.

Canada: Does your business name match yours? If yes, you do not need to register your business name. If you still need to, register your trade name and trademark your business name to protect your brand.

In the UK, you’ll need to set up as a single trader or business partner, find out if your name is available, look for a trademark, and register your business and company name.

In Australia, businesses that do not use your name must register their business name via the Business Registration Service (BRS), the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) or a third-party service provider.

Get a business license for your cleaning service. 

Before you can clean a single house, you need a business license. This is the legally required document that allows you to operate your business. If you don’t have a business license, you could be in serious trouble (and face a hefty fine).

There is an initial fee that depends on your location. You will need to renew your license yearly and likely must pay the exact cost each time.
Go to your city or state’s website, search for “Business Licensing” and “Licensing for Cleaners”, and look for information on applying for a business license.

Get cleaning business insurance for your cleaning business.

If you’re a new business owner, you don’t want to worry about accidentally causing damage to a client’s home, not having insurance, or getting into debt when you have to pay for all the repairs out of pocket. 

So, if you’re cleaning a home without insurance, it’s a significant risk. But if you want to protect your business and your employees, you must ensure you have cleaning insurance.

Insurance is a crucial part of running a cleaning business, and finding the right plan for your needs is essential. Depending on what you’re looking for, there are a variety of options out there, 

1. General liability insurance 
2. Health insurance 
3. Vehicle insurance
4. Business owners’ policy
5. Workers’ compensation 
6. Employment practices liability

It’s a great way to ensure you have a safety net in place, so shop around for the best coverage for your business.

Establish Accounting and Bookkeeping

You cannot run your business from a personal bank account. Set up a business account so you can receive payments and keep track of cash flow from your account.

Next, set up a budget for your expenses. This will include payments for supplies, fuel, advertising, and other overhead costs. You can adjust your budget over time if needed.

Payment is a crucial expense. Decide how much you will be paid and set up a bi-weekly payment so you can use your profits to pay yourself (and your employees, if they have any).

Please keep track of all income and expenses to report them when it’s time to file taxes accurately. Depending on your location and job, you will file taxes with the following:

You will file your business tax returns in the United States with the IRS.
In Canada, you can file your business tax return through the CRA.
In the United Kingdom, you can send your UK company tax return through the UK companies house online portal.
You can lodge your business tax return in Australia with the Australian taxation office.

How much does it cost to start a cleaning company?

At the outset, your primary concern is financing. Fortunately, the cost of starting a cleaning business is relatively inexpensive. You can begin with an essential selection of cleaning supplies and gradually increase your inventory as your business expands. However, you will still need to purchase your necessary supplies, which can be challenging before funds are available.

Consider borrowing money from your savings account to purchase trash bags or disinfectants. Alternatively, you could take out a business credit or business loan to begin your business. You may have to pay interest on the loan, but your investment in your cleaning business should more than cover the cost.

What if you don’t have the money to start your own cleaning business right now? 

Only some indeed have the money to start their own cleaning business. But don’t let that stop you from dreaming of owning your own cleaning business! Start small with what you need to get your first cleaning business up and running. Legal paperwork and some essential equipment are all you need to get started. 

Then, as time passes, you’ll need to invest in more equipment and marketing. If you still need to become a cleaning professional, it’s a good idea to start working for another cleaning company before you start your own. This will also help you get the start-up money you need.

Is Formal training required to offer the cleaning service?

If you’re starting a cleaning business, you don’t need formal training to get certified. Unless your city or state requires it, you can train casually. 

But getting educated on how to clean properly before you start is essential. That way, you’ll know how to prevent cross-contamination and keep your home clean. 

The American Cleaning Association (AHCA) has courses to help you get certified to learn about cleaning tips, chemicals, how to prevent illness and the industry’s history. 

Unfortunately, an entrepreneur’s money can be tight so that certification may take time. But you can start learning right away with resources like this house-cleaning checklist.

Get Cleaning Supplies and Equipment

Beginning a residential cleaning business is a relatively inexpensive endeavour. However, purchasing the items listed in this cleaning equipment list is necessary before starting your first cleaning job, as making money requires money.

Consider what supplies and cleaning products you’ll need to clean clients’ homes and businesses. You’ll need cleaning solutions, spray bottles, sponges and scrubbers, gloves, towels, mops, brooms, and more. Think about what kind of cleaning products you’ll use – do you want to use bleach and other regular cleaners or something more eco-friendly? 

Consider how you’ll keep your clients’ homes clean, using disposable materials or following strict sanitation rules. And plan when it comes to buying equipment.

Even so, you’re starting on a budget, so you don’t have to buy everything at once. Here’s how to set your budget and decide what you need:

1. Set an equipment budget that’s within your reach right now. Remember to factor in your profit on your first few jobs.
2. Make a list of the tools, equipment, and chemicals you’ll need to complete each service you plan to provide (e.g. gloves, mop, microfiber towel, extendable pole bleach, glass cleaner, etc.)
3. Set out how many of these items you’ll need for each service.
4. Set out the costs associated with each item (including the total price).
5. Prioritize the items you need most right now.
6. Decide based on necessity, price, budget, and how often or how often you’ll use them.

Discover how to charge for cleaning services and estimate jobs.

Now it’s time to figure out how much you should charge for housecleaning. First, pick out your pricing plan. Housecleaning companies charge for their services using the following methods:

1. Hourly rate
2. Flat rate
3. Room rate
4. Square foot rate
5. Speciality service rate

Using this system, you can estimate the cost of a job by calculating 

• How many hours of labour you’ll need
• How much a cleaner’s salary will cost
• How much you’ll need to pay for payroll, overhead, and any other fees
• What your profit margin will be?

You can also factor in any taxes you might need.

PRO TIP:

Create cleaning service packages based on services that are logical to a group, such as a comprehensive deep clean package. These packages can provide good, better, and best pricing. However, ensuring that the pricing does not reduce profits is essential.

When you are still refining your pricing, a handwritten quote may appear to be an attempt to inflate the price. This can be one of the reasons why clients request a discounted rate.

Having a professional-looking template for your cleaning estimate and invoice will give your clients the confidence that this is the final price, and there will be no negotiation for a lower price.

Understanding the budget for transport

In addition to the transportation of equipment, you may need to provide transportation services for your personnel.

However, even if you anticipate that employees will be able to travel to the job site independently, a competent individual from your organization should be responsible for managing the transportation of the materials and ensuring that they are transported from the workplace to the work site. 

Therefore, a transportation budget should be taken into account from the outset.

How do you invoice cleaning jobs and control your cash flow?

It’s essential to have a system for collecting payments and monitoring customers who still need to pay their bills. Here’s how it might look :

Choose a payment provider. Select a payment system to collect payments from clients. Decide if you want to accept payments before or after the service. Easy-to-use invoicing software makes it simple to send bills and get paid quickly.

Select Payment Methods. Depending on your payment method, you may provide cash, cheques, credit cards, or electronic transfers as payment methods.

Send invoices. A cleaning invoice template can generate an invoice upon completion of a job, which can then be sent to the customer for payment.

Reach out to clients who still need to pay an invoice. Send them payment reminders after a certain period to address missed or failed payments.

You’re also likely to encounter clients who don’t pay on time or at all, so you’ll want to consider how to handle that as well.

Digital Marketing – Get Set Up your Online Presence

The Internet is the place to go if you want to get the most out of your cleaning customers in the long run. That’s why knowing all the ins and outs of digital marketing is essential.

You’ll need to set up a Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram account for your business and then post regular content, such as how-to videos, before and after pictures, business growth tips, etc. These accounts are free to set up and can be used to direct people to your pages while your website is still up and running.

Ensure you have a Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) so your business or service appears in local searches. And remember to ask satisfied customers to leave 5-star reviews!

Register your business on local business directories and lead-generation websites. Listing your business on these sites helps you grow your online presence wherever people in your area come across cleaning businesses like yours.

Create a professional website listing your services and giving potential customers a quick way to apply for work. Keep your URL short and sweet, and ensure it matches your company name. Here are some great cleaning websites to get inspired by.

Google Local Service Ads are a fun way to try digital ads for cleaning businesses.

Make Customer Service a Top Priority

Cleaning is simple- you remove the grime and make the surfaces look nice. But in customer service, you must ensure your clients are cared for. That means being there for potential and current customers, responding quickly to service and quote needs, and keeping up with clients to ensure they keep coming back.

If you’re starting a cleaning business, you must keep up with the technical side. You’ll need a way to communicate with your clients, like a voice mail, phone service, email, website, social media, or something else. These can help boost your company’s reach and customer service, especially if you’re starting.

Discover how to run your cleaning business and relationships with clients.

Next, you must decide how to manage your business and create a positive experience for your clients. You can make changes based on what’s working and what’s not.

Reach new clients: Clients can contact you via an online booking form available on your site. This form provides all the necessary information to contact you and discuss job details (space size, cleaning type, cleaning frequency, etc.)

Manage your clients: Store your clients’ information in Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system, including their names, addresses, contact details, and service requirements.

Send quotes: Create a quote with your line items and send it to your client via email for all of your cleaning services. You can also send a follow-up customized to your client if you last heard from them a while ago.

Job management: Once a client approves your quote, turn it into an order and schedule it in your work calendar. Once you arrive at the job site, use the house cleaning checklist in the mobile application to ensure consistent service.

Communicate with Clients: Send a text or email reminding clients to schedule a cleaning appointment a day or two in advance. You can also contact them after the cleaning, ask them to schedule their next meeting and ask for a Google or Yelp review.

Send invoices to clients and get paid. Send invoices to clients at the end of the project. Offer contactless payments to clients online through the client hub.

How to hire and train cleaners to grow your business?

Once the workload starts to increase and you start to feel overwhelmed (which is inevitable), it’s time to start thinking about moving out of your office and beginning to hire cleaners. Here’s how:

1. Figure out who you want on your team, what they’re looking for, and how to find them.
2. Write a job description for your house cleaners so you and your future employee know what they should do.
3. Please post it on a job-finding website like LinkedIn, Indeed, or wherever your ideal employee hangs out.
4. When you start getting resumes, narrow them down and interview the best ones. Remember to include a paid audition in the hiring process so you can see how the candidates work.
5. Hire the best person for the job, and do whatever you can to keep them around. 
6. Invest in training your cleaners, so they’re ready to go out and do their job. You can do this by ensuring they have all the tools they need to stay updated with the latest skills. This could be things like a job checklist, an employee handbook, or regular evaluations.

Who are your target clients? 

If you want to start a cleaning business, you need to figure out your target clients. Many different types of people and companies are out there, so you’ll need to find the right niche for your business.

When focusing on commercial cleaning, you must consider significant office buildings, schools, or small businesses. 

If you’re cleaning a house, you’ll want to target Airbnb hosts, landlords, and owner-occupants.

People trust experts, so focusing on one type of client at a time is essential. That way, you’ll be able to get to know them better and get the job done right.

Plus, you’ll have a better chance of winning business over more generic competitors.

How to Earn Referrals?

If you don’t have existing clients who could provide referrals, you could clean homes for friends or family members and let them know you’re looking for new clients. This way, they can spread the word about your new business to their friends and get you a head start on finding new clients.

Word-of-mouth advertising is the best way to acquire new clients and expand your cleaning business. A referral from a former client will give you their approval, helping you quickly gain the confidence of the person who referred you to you. 

A good customer testimonial will help you continue to acquire new clients. Be sure to go the extra mile with your service to make a client more likely to recommend you to others.

What Equipment Do I Need to Start a Roof Cleaning Business?

Starting a roof cleaning business requires a few essential equipment. First, a sturdy ladder is necessary to access rooftops safely. Using a pressure washer with adjustable settings will help remove dirt, grime, and moss effectively. Additionally, protective gear, such as gloves, goggles, and non-slip boots, is important for safety. Finally, a reliable transportation vehicle to reach clients’ locations promptly completes the equipment needs for starting a roof cleaning business.

How to Market your Cleaning Business and Get your First Customers

Marketing is critical to the success of your new cleaning business. You’ll compete with other cleaning companies for your visibility and customers. But don’t worry; there are plenty of ways to market your business, and many of them are free.

Connect with your community

Find local community groups on social media platforms like Facebook and Nextdoor. Promote your cleaning business to your neighbours to get your first customers.

Build your business brand.

Part of being a successful professional business is looking your best. Building your business brand will help you stand out from the crowd.

Tell your friends and family about your cleaning business. Get them to become your first clients (and remember to ask them for referrals!)

Print Professional Tear-away Flyers

Use free online tools

Another cost-effective way to market your business is through door hangers. Referral programs are another great way to get clients to recommend your services to their friends or book several services with you simultaneously. You can reward them with service discounts or other incentives.

Connect with local business owners who might be willing to partner with you to refer clients to your business, such as pet shops, pet restaurants, event planners, or real estate agents.

Cold calling is simply calling the business to discuss your services. Going to the company in person is even better, although you’ll need to make many calls or visit many companies. This method rewards perseverance.

If you own a company car, use decals or vehicle wrap to make it look like a moving billboard, and park it in public places so passersby can see your business.

Get organized with cleaning software to run operations smoothly.

As a cleaning company owner, you spend most of your time on house cleaning, filing permits, paperwork, and stocking supplies. But you also need to keep track of your budget, manage employee scheduling, handle client invoices, record important account information, and prepare for taxes and business fees.

When starting as a cleaning service business owner, cleaning software can provide the tools you need to run your business more efficiently and effectively.

For example, suppose you’re trying to keep track of everything from employee or contractor schedules to customer lists to account notes and payment info, all in a spreadsheet. In that case, it can get confusing and disorganized very quickly.

Professional cleaning business management software can help improve your image when marketing your cleaning business, with features such as requesting reviews, automated marketing, customer surveys, and more.

Maintaining your branding, from the software used to the uniform worn by you and your employees, can positively impact your new company’s image.

Now, are you ready to launch your own cleaning business?

Starting a cleaning company is one of the easiest things you can do. It’s quick and easy to start, and you can start making money immediately. Plus, you don’t need a business loan to start. You get to be in charge, make your own rules, and do stuff that matters to your customers and the community.

It is essential to possess enthusiasm and a positive attitude. One will establish a cleaning company if one wishes to establish a cleaning company. There is no room for failure.