In the U.S. alone, more than 3.4 million people are employed in the cleaning industry. This number is set to rise in the coming years as the demand for cleaning services skyrockets.
People understand that a clean environment significantly improves the quality of life. So, even if they don’t have the time to clean their spaces, they make sure to hire professional cleaners to do the job for them.
Having said that, you can now rest assured that a cleaning business can turn out to be profitable. But, to guarantee your success, it would help if you approached it in the right way.
In this article, you’ll learn some of the must-have essentials to start a successful cleaning business.
1. Cleaning business software
In this digital age, you wouldn’t want to stick to manual ways of running your cleaning business. Even most of your clients expect you to show some bit of professionality by using such tools in your daily tasks, including communication with the clients.
So, make a point of purchasing a specially-designed cleaning business software.
Here’s what you can do with the cleaning app:
- Accurately schedule and dispatch your crew to their various job sites without underbooking, overbooking, or double-booking any staff member.
- Track the whereabouts of your workers using the GPS feature.
- Find the optimum access routes to different client sites.
- Create professional quotes and invoices.
- Notify your workers and clients of urgent issues.
- Track time worked by your team and automatically export to payroll.
- Offer round-the-clock customer service.
2. Cleaning equipment and supplies
On top of a cleaning app to streamline your operations, you’ll also need a range of cleaning equipment and products for the actual job.
These include:
- Buckets
- Mops
- Sponges
- Disinfectants
- Window cleaners
- Dusters
- All-purpose detergents
- Apron
- Paper towels
- Scrubbing brushes
- Latex gloves
- Wood cleaners
- Tile and grout cleaners
- Vacuum
As you shop for the cleaning equipment, try to buy budget-friendly ones, as you’re just getting started, and you need to keep your overall expenses down. Going for the overly expensive ones may only drain you financially and make your business challenging to kick off.
Also, it’s best to invest in green cleaning supplies.
Green cleaning is the use of chemicals and methods that ensure the environment remains free of toxins. Most clients you’ll work with are aware of the benefits of going green, and thus you’ll market yourself better if your company is green.
Here are some pointers to watch out for when shopping for green cleaning products:
- Organically grown ingredients
- Zero phosphates
- Zero artificial colors
- Zero chlorine
- Zero artificial fragrances
- Recyclable or biodegradable packaging
You’d want to avoid buying and using formaldehyde, borax, bleaches, fragrances, quaternary ammonium compounds, ammonia, and ethanolamine. These are toxic and may cause many health problems in both humans and animals.
3. Sound financial plan
Creating a sound financial plan is critical from the word go. And don’t assume the financial outlook is good by merely scheming in your head. Make a point of putting it down on paper.
Research indicates that committing a plan to paper increases your start-up’s venture viability by 27%. So, take your good time to draft a detailed financial plan.
Ensure you include the following items:
- Capital: This is the amount of money you already have in your pocket for the purchase of the initial equipment and running the business until it starts making a profit.
- Expenses: This includes the amount of money you’ll spend on licenses, insurance, cleaning equipment, and products, advertising, labor, permits, transport, etc.
- Expected income: You must predict the amount of money you think you’ll earn by handling a certain number of jobs per day. But note there’s a possibility of surpassing your target or falling short of it.
As part of your financial plan, you must also define how much to charge for your services.
Ideally, your hourly or fixed rate should be able to cover your material, labor, and overhead costs and leave you with a decent profit, say, 20%. Getting this correct from the very start will ensure your business remains afloat.
4. Marketing plan
The mere existence of your business doesn’t necessarily mean that customers will immediately come in droves to hire your services. You must get the word out to the masses that you run a cleaning business and are ready to take jobs.
Here are some practical methods to market your cleaning business:
- Teaming up with potential customers at trade shows and other networking events
- Requesting your current customers to spread the word about your business
- Advertising your services on local Facebook groups
- Cold emailing
- Video marketing
- Blogging
- Optimizing your Google My Business page
Your cleaning business can be very successful if you get the basics right. Among the essentials you need are cleaning apps, a marketing plan, a financial plan, as well as appropriate cleaning equipment and supplies. And above all else, clean like it’s your own. That’s a sure way of making customers stick with you as their favorite cleaner.