How to Start a House Cleaning Business
I'm so sick of hearing people moan because nobody will hire them. You don't
need anybody to hire you. We have a free enterprise system in this country, which
means if you provide a product or service that's in demand, you will be rewarded accordingly.
Some businesses require expensive and specialized equipment. Some businesses
require specialized skills and talents. But a cleaning business requires only a minimal
investment in supplies, equipment, and knowledge, and a large investment in hard work.
There's always a big demand for cleaning services because dirt just keeps coming.
In the fact the demand is so great that according to angieslist you can charge
from $25 to $35 per hour. When you first get a new client you can charge even more
for that first clean. According to smallbusiness.chron.com, if you're cleaning a large
office building with basic cleaning service several times per week, you can charge
between $500 and $700 per month.
Once you get several clients, you'll need to hire and train people. Then you're out of
the hard physical labor business. You'll be working at a desk doing marketing, scheduling,
and working with contracts. This is when you'll be joining those business owners who
make six or seven digits per year. So lets not hear any more of that moaning because
nobody will hire you.
Cleaning your own home and cleaning professionally are two totally different
things. Even though you clean your home constantly, learning how to clean
professionally takes a lot of time and effort - when a client pays for your services,
they expect to come home and find their home spotless, tidy beyond reproach
and smelling pleasant. However, for some people, it's actually easier and more
enjoyable to clean other people's houses because there is no personal investment,
just pride in a job well done.
If you're mulling over the possibility of starting your own house cleaning
business, you'll need to be fit, prepared for some dirty work and willing to market
your services through friends, family and other people in order to slowly build up
your client base. It may take a while to build a solid group of clients but with the
right attitude, a good reputation and word-of-mouth referrals, you'll eventually
build a solid cleaning business.
Assessing Your Suitability for the Cleaning Business
Before you decide to start your cleaning business, make sure this kind of work
is right for you. While this is one of the easiest businesses to start due to its
low overhead and reliance on basic skills, you need to be able to live up to the
promises. Cleaning is hard, strenuous work. You need to be in good physical
condition and able to bend over, kneel down, reach up and do repetitive actions
for a sustained amount of time. If you have experienced past injuries, check with
your doctor that it'll be okay to take on this very physical work for a living.
Consider your office skills. You'll need to have basic office skills and some
accounting skills. You'll need to be well organized and to have a system in place
that keeps you this way. Clients won't appreciate missed appointments or
forgetting to clean areas of their home just because your system is messed up.
Be a good communicator. You need good customer relation skills and a
willingness to engage with people. You can learn these skills if you don't already
have them - just be open, honest and friendly initially and you'll begin to learn
how to interact more confidently as time goes on.
Consider your personal legal or criminal history. Many potential customers will
consider you unwelcome to work in their homes, businesses, or near their children
if you have a criminal record, or you are going through a serious dispute with
another person. Clear up any legal loose ends before applying to work for someone.
Have back up savings where possible. If you're planning on leaving your full
time position to start a cleaning business, make sure you have at least six months
of savings. Or, keep your full time job and start out part time.
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