Starting a home based cleaning service is not only affordable, but requires very little set up time, as you can develop a series of services for your local area, purchase supplies and set up shop in a matter of a few short weeks.
With busy parents struggling to keep their homes tidy, to the elderly who need a bit of extra help around the house and garden; you could easily tap into an ever growing market right in your local area.
In regards to the legalities of starting a home based cleaning business, you’ll want to consider getting licensed and properly bonded. This provides customers with assurance that you are a professional, and will provide them with the protection they need. After all, odds are that you’ll be in their homes while they aren’t present.
You also have two primary options when setting up your home based cleaning service. You can choose to cater exclusively to residential areas or include commercial properties in your marketing message.
Keep in mind that in order to service commercial areas you will require bonding and additional insurance (along with licensing depending on your local area, as well as individual commercial requirements including security clearances and personal security checks).
The commercial arena is usually far more competitive than residential with larger cleaning services catering to businesses, so you might want to consider targeting residential areas first, and later when you’ve gained experience, expanding your service to include businesses and retail outlets.
The equipment needed for a home based cleaning service will vary, depending on the types of services you are willing to provide.
You will need an industry grade vacuum cleaner, dust clothes, mops and cleaning clothes to get started, but you should also consider the different types of polishes and cleaners available to you.
Many people aren’t fond of strong, scented cleaners being used in their homes due to how abrasive these cleaners are on furniture, but another thing to keep in mind is whether there are people with allergies in the home.
An alternative is to purchase “green” cleaners that are both effective at cleaning even the toughest spots, but also environmentally friendly to both pets and animals.
You can also use this to your advantage via your marketing message as well, by highlighting the fact that you only work with all natural, toxin free cleaners, so potential clients are given extra incentive to hire you.
As for your service list, you could start off with a basic service listing that includes common cleaning services such as:
* Washing Floors, Sweeping
* Dusting
* Washing Windows
* Replacing light bulbs
* Washing Walls
* Vacuuming
* Waxing Floors
* Cleaning specific rooms (bathrooms, attics, organizing, removing trash, etc.)
And you can later extend your services to include all of the little things like laundry, dishes, making beds and even a bit of yard work.
One of the most important aspects of developing a home-based cleaning business involves careful planning.
You want to write down your ideas, including the types of services you are interested in offering and thoroughly evaluate all options, including how much time it will take per household to fulfill your obligations.
Since it’s likely that you will start out on your own without the help of a team, you will want to be careful with the number of clients you take on, so that you can spend the needed time on each client’s home without ending up overwhelmed.
As someone who has operated a home based cleaning service for many years, I recommend taking on 2-4 clients, getting a feel for what the business involves and then slowly grow your business to include additional clients.
It’s important that each client is fully satisfied so that they refer other people to you, and you want to be able to retain your clients over a long period of time, so give each client the attention they deserve and take it one day at a time!
As your business grows, you can then expand your service offer as well as consider hiring help, creating a professional home cleaning team for your local area that offers a wide variety of services at affordable rates.
It’s also important to spend time evaluating existing competition, so that you are able to determine what price range is acceptable, so you can stay competitive.
Depending on the level of competition in your area, you can expect to earn up to $50 per hour based on the services you provide and the number of clients you take on.
You can also offer to clean homes on a “per project” basis, where your clients pay a weekly fee for a series of cleaning options, or for larger homes, you could charge on an hourly basis, billing clients each week for services rendered.
Tip: When evaluating your price structure, make sure to calculate the costs of cleaners and supplies, as well as the cost to travel to each clients residence!
In order to properly manage your business, you will want to purchase a home computer along with a database and invoice program such as Excel.
This way, you can keep on top of what each client is interested in, as well as develop an organized system and schedule to help you stay focused. Your clients will expect to receive an invoice and a receipt for your cleaning services so make sure to purchase paper stock, a printer, ink, and a program to help you create and maintain invoices for future reference.
One of the best ways of to build a successful home based cleaning service is to choose a specific niche market and cater to it. For example, there are different categories of clients involved in offering residential cleaning, including:
Senior homes
Family homes
Single person homes (bachelors, etc.)
Daycares
Creating your cleaning business so it’s tailored towards a specific segment of the market will help you gain the necessary experience while being able to effectively target your customer base. Then, you can expand your outreach once your business is up and running.
When advertising your business, consider contacting local apartment buildings, senior care facilities, as well as placing classified ads in your local newspaper. You could also contact day care services, and anywhere else that you can think of that would require regular cleaning services.
Consider printing business cards and distributing them everywhere you go. From local gas stops, shopping malls, hair salons to restaurants, you can effectively get your message out without spending a lot of money in advertising.
You should also print out half page advertisements rather than just business cards and post your flyers throughout your neighborhood. You could consider hiring a couple of teenagers to distribute your marketing message by posting them on signs, public service boards, on car windshields and on bulletin boards.
Take a grassroots approach to marketing your business and you’ll be able to build a solid client base while saving a lot of money along the way!
You should also consider listing your new business in the local yellow pages and other business directories that will help maximize exposure and build a client list.
If you have the marketing budget, you could purchase air time via your local radio station, or take out an advertisement in your classifieds (which is often more affordable).
Make sure to highlight the benefits of your cleaning service as well as provide a direct contact line so potential clients can easily contact you with questions. Your ad doesn’t have to include a listing of all of your service options but instead, the most important (and popular) ones.
Do not include your rates within your advertisements!
Let people call you to discuss what they need and base your prices on a per-client basis, as each home will be different and every client will require different services.
The cleaning service isn’t a “one size fits all” business, and you need to communicate your message to potential clients that you are willing to create an affordable cleaning service plan, just for them!
Last minute tips:
Contact your local Chamber of Commerce for licensing information regarding your home based cleaning business. You should be able to get started with a simple business registration, which can cost anywhere between $50-$120 per year.
Shop at wholesale distributors like Costco, as well as janitorial supply centers so that you can save money by purchasing cleaners and supplies in bulk. Keep an eye on weekly flyers, looking for discounts and savings wherever you can!
While being “bonded” isn’t usually required for residential cleaning, if you plan to include commercial buildings in your cleaning service, you will want to become registered and bonded.
Contact your local business center for information on how to proceed as well as overall costs involved. You want to leave yourself plenty of time to take care of everything before launching your new cleaning service to the public!
Purchase a cell phone and pager (unless your cell phone as texting service) and include the number on your business cards and flyers so that interested parties can contact you quickly. You want to make it as easy as possible so that you can cater to busy families and professionals.
Set up a voice mail system to collect calls when you are not available, and return calls promptly, even if you are full and are not accepting new clients, you should still follow up with everyone who calls, offering to place them on your waiting list. It’s a great way to secure clients for when your business expands!
Spend time creating a quote spreadsheet that can be easily adjusted based on a clients requests and preferences.
You want to include your business name, contact information, and service outline when submitting bids for client work. Attach a business card to your quote sheet when distributing to potential clients.
