8 Point Checklist for Starting your Cleaning Service





8 Point Checklist for Starting your Cleaning Service

In recent times the interest for starting home based ventures has increased rapidly. Among the many types of home businesses, cleaning services are becoming immensely poplar due to the fact that it is able to generate profitable revenue very quickly.

The following checklist will provide you with the necessary guidelines on how to establish a successful cleaning service with ease.

1. Required Skills and Commitment

Determination, dedication and enthusiasm are required to obtain success in your venture. Also to win the confidence and favor of your clients, you should be honest, punctual, reliable and organized. Furthermore you should also have some basic business skills in order to handle administrative work in your business as well as build relationships with your clients and your employees if you have expanded your business. Depending on the amount of time and effort you posses to commit to your venture, you should decide whether to carry out a part time or a full time cleaning service.

2. Selecting the Market Segment

There are mainly two market segments in this industry, the commercial segment and the consumer segment. While the commercial segment rely primarily on janitorial service providers to carry out the tasks, the consumer segment depends on maid services and other types of cleaning services which are not required on a regular basis. Some examples are carpet cleaners, window cleaners, ceiling cleaners etc. You can cater your services to one segment of the market or it is even possible to service multiple markets successfully.

3. Type of Service Offered

The next step would be to decide on the type of service offered, whether it is a maid service, janitorial service or carpet and upholstery service. A maid service mainly caters to the consumer market and is requested during normal working hours. Janitorial services cater to organizations such as offices, restaurants, hospitals, shops, schools, etc. The janitorial services are usually requested before or after business hours and it consists more tasks than what maid services offer. Carpet and upholstery cleaning services are requested by both the consumer market as well as the commercial market. Any person or organization that has installed carpeting or upholstered furniture would be a potential customer. In addition to cleaning carpets, carpet and upholstery cleaning services also provide other types of cleaning works such as wall cleaning, spot and stain removal from upholstery, ceiling cleaning, etc.

4. Franchise or Independent Operation

You have the option to run your venture as a franchisee or as an independent operator. The franchisor would assist and support you to get established as well as market your services. But in the long run you would find being a franchisee a disadvantage due to the royalty fees you are expected to pay. By being an independent operator you would have more freedom, but due to the fact of not having any support or previous experience you would have to rely on the ‘trial and error’

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method to determine everything. If you are selecting to run an independent operation it is highly recommended that you conduct research into every aspect of the business, in order to ensure that you start on the right track.




5. Zone Regulations, Business License and Insurance

In some zones it may be illegal to operate home based ventures while in some others there may be specific restrictions as well. So it is advisable to check out the zoning regulations of your community before starting out. The zoning laws that govern your community can be easily accessed through the city clerks’ office or the local library. After checking the zone regulation, you should obtain a business license for your venture. You should also obtain an insurance cover for your business. Another important factor to remember if
you do have employees working for you is that they also should be covered by the insurance.

6. Start Up Costs and Required Resources

You would be required to purchase equipments and tools such as mops, sponges, cleaners, polishing liquids and so on when starting out. Also you would need to spend money in advertising your business. Another factor to take into consideration is the transportation costs. If you do have your own vehicle it would be a definite advantage. Furthermore you should decide whether you would carry out the cleaning work by yourself or hire full time or part time employees. Before hiring you should take into consideration the amount of capital you have.

7. Fixing your Price

When fixing the price, ensure that it is not too low as this would lead you into a loss, or that the price is not too high which would turn the clients away. You should take into consideration the costs involved for labor, materials as well as the overhead costs which are required to operate your business when deciding on the final price. Your fixed price should be able to cover all your costs as well as leave you with a decent profit. It is also a good idea to check the prices of your competitors.

8. Marketing Your Venture

Word of mouth is an effective and cheap method to announce your venture. Tell your friends, relatives, neighbors and people you associate on a daily basis about the service which you are offering. You can also place advertisements in the local newspapers, magazines and directories. Utilize flyers, banners and posters to get the word out. If you are using your own vehicle for the venture, you can display your business name and contact information on it as well.

Bizymoms.com has been helping women start work at home businesses. Their Cleaning Service Career Kit includes everything you need to start your Cleaning Service Business including a basic business start up guide and an easy start program, which provides step-by-step guidance on how to build up your Cleaning Service business within 29 days!

8 Point Checklist for Starting your Cleaning Service / Author: Susan Hutson