How To Start Your Cleaning and Housekeeping Service

Cleaning people’s homes can be a rewarding experience. Are you looking to create your own cleaning business and don’t know where to start? Once you get it up and running, you’ll be glad you did the research. Check out how to start your housekeeping services below.

Do the First Few Jobs Yourself

Doing the first few cleaning jobs yourself will give you insight into the business. You’ll probably take a while to get through the hiring process, so why not start early and learn the business yourself? In this way, you’ll lead from the front, and your employees will know that you’re capable and knowledgeable.

This is a plus because you don’t want them to feel like you’re just barking orders at them from the sidelines. Instead, they’ll feel like you’re in the field working with them side by side. They’ll see you as less of a dictator and more like a leading colleague. They’ll know you’re not afraid to get your hands dirty and that you’re invested in what you do. That makes all the difference.

Finally, you’ll learn if the job is for you. Sometimes we don’t know what we want until we do it. This would be a perfect time to get a feel for the business while in the beginning phases.

Set a Cleaning Budget

While you could pay for your janitorial vacuum and other business expenses out of pocket, finding an investor or a government loan for your small business might work better. Make sure you outline exactly what you will pay for weekly and monthly. How much do you project you’ll make each quarter? Your plan should be airtight, and each expense should be accounted for. However, you’ll also want a little room for growth.

You might also consider buying your products wholesale since it saves money. If you have an opportunity to save your bottom line, you’ll want to take it. No matter what you do, get some budgeting software so you can track what you’re spending, what you’re saving, and where you’re losing money.

Find Your Client Niche

There are many client types to choose from when you’re creating your cleaning or housekeeping service. Sure, residential buildings are a natural choice, and they can be reliable. However, several other areas will always have too much of a mess to handle on their own, like restaurants and movie theatres. Consider offering your services to these businesses. Large-scale office buildings and government buildings might also be a great choice.

Remember to look at market rates to determine how much people are paid for each niche. You need to adjust your budget accordingly. A movie theatre will invest far more in the cleanliness of its building than a residential home.

Get the Right Supplies

If you’re starting a housekeeping business, you’ll need to get the right supplies for the job. Much of what you’re going to get is contingent on your niche. For instance, you wouldn’t use a giant commercial vacuum for a client’s living room. Still, you might use one for a movie theatre, like in the example we provided above. There are some items that you can assume you’ll need no matter what niche you choose to work with, including:

• Cleaning gloves
• Commercial vacuum cleaners—handheld, large, and possibly conventional, depending on your niche
• General-purpose cleaner and soap
• Spray bottles and sponges
• Scrubbing implements
• Brooms and mops

You’ll need each of these items no matter what, and you’ll want to buy some of them in bulk. You don’t want to start cleaning and realize you don’t have the right products for the job. You’ll waste time buying supplies on the clock, which will call your professionalism into question. Who forgets a mop or broom? Not someone looking to maintain a successful business.

Set Up Licensing

Each state has laws and licensing procedures, so getting acquainted with those before you start is important. Permits are often needed and vary by state. In addition, you’ll need to figure out what type of business you want to become. There are all kinds, from limited liability corporations, which absolve you of many of the accidents that can occur on the job, to sole proprietorships, which give you complete control of your business. The world is your oyster, and it’s just a matter of your entrepreneurial style.

Market Your Business

You’ve taken all the steps above, and now comes the fun part: marketing! Without marketing, no one will know about your business. It’s time to break out those business cards, pick a website-building platform, and get active on social media. This is a key aspect of starting your own house cleaning business. How will you get traction if no one knows who you are and what you offer? Make marketing your top priority, get under everyone’s noses, and watch the dividends flow for your business. This might also be a time to invest in a blog that you can manage and in ad space when your business becomes big enough to warrant it. 

Get the Right Software

While you might be able to get away with a file and paperwork for a while, if you expect that your business will grow or that you’ll need to hire more people, you’ll need software to back yourself up and keep track of things. Make sure you have tax software, spreadsheet software, budget tracking software, and most importantly, professional cleaning business management software. Yes, that exists. It automates marketing, manages customer surveys and email lists, and streamlines your branding. It’s an essential tool in your toolbox, so don’t skip it.

Learn How To Manage Your Business-Client Relationships

This is incredibly important because, without your customer base, you wouldn’t have a business. Managing your business-client relationships is an extension of marketing your business effectively. This could be anything from asking for reviews and surveys to offering deals on your services or even giving new clients thank you notes after you finish a job. Effectively managing your business-client relationships is the key to any successful business venture. Make sure you stay on top of it, or you’ll find your bottom line positively impacted.

Starting a business can be daunting, but it’s ultimately rewarding. Despite the difficulties, you’re doing what you love, which makes all the difference. Take these tips to heart, and you’ll do just fine as you start your business.