How to Start a Cleaning Business

Becoming a housekeeper sounds simple. You apply to cleaning jobs on sites like Care.com and slowly start to build a group of clients who pay you to clean their houses. But if you want to make a good living in this career, you need to stop thinking like a housekeeper and start thinking like a small business owner.

Setting up a small business can be a daunting challenge and most people don’t know where to start. There are start-up costs, business licenses, advertising, etc. — all before doing any actual cleaning.

Housekeeper Delores Garcia*, and Tammy Wright*, a small-business owner, have been through it all. Here are their eleven tried-and-true steps for setting up a successful housekeeping business.

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1. Ask Questions

If you have a family, your small business will likely begin by discussing with family members the impact starting a business will have on your family. Other questions you’ll have to answer include:

Will you do it all yourself or hire employees?
Is this a part-time or full-time business?
Do you want to hire strangers or work with family and friends?
How many staff/employees will you need?
What will your role be: worker or manager?
Do you have business skills, or does anyone involved have experience or training to run a business?
How will payroll work?
How much do you think you will be able to pay your workers and yourself?

2. Go to School

There are tons of details and specifics involved with running your own business — and they change depending on where you live. Take classes at local community centers, small business organizations or even a community.

3. Name Your Business

Choosing a name can be tricky — look for something interesting and catchy to draw the interest of prospective clients. Before you even begin brainstorming, you’ll have to pinpoint your focus: Will you clean homes or serve corporate clients? This could affect your name. Google prospective names to make sure no one else had the idea first. Search profiles of other housekeepers and cleaning companies near you, to make sure yours stands out.

4. Hone Your Skills

You may want to think twice about starting a house cleaning business if you haven’t touched a vacuum in two years, or you’ve only cleaned your own home. This is a business and clients will expect expertise. Get practice by offering to clean the homes of friends and family. Practice techniques such as spot or pet-stain removal, polishing chrome or silver, oven cleaning, floor polishing or treating furniture. Experiment with different cleaning products and equipment to find the most cost-effective and efficient methods.

5. Procure a Company Vehicle

Outfit a business van or car with professional signage, including your company name, logo and phone number, plus the fact you are insured, licensed and bonded.

6. Create a Budget

Slow growth and budgeting is important. Determine all the costs associated with your business and allocate how much money, resources and time you have to dedicate to each. For example, insurance and transportation are costs that must be considered, in addition to supplies, labor and advertising. Always be on the lookout for ways to save. Purchase cost-effective cleaning equipment that can multitask, such as a steam cleaner that can remove gum, eliminate allergens and act as a wet and dry vacuum.

Investing in accounting software can help you manage your appointments, payroll issues, expenses and income.

7. Determine How Much to Charge

Deciding the price of your services goes hand-in-hand with creating a budget. Do not sell yourself short by undercharging. Once you figure out what your costs are, you know how much money you need to bring in. You have to balance the number of clients you need with how much you charge in order to make your budget work. Also, research other local cleaning companies to see what they’re charging.

8. Get a Business License

Some housekeepers dread getting a business license, but in fact, the process is relatively painless.

9. Start Advertising

The key to a successful business is customers, and lots of them. You need to make sure people know about your services. Let everyone you can think of know you started a cleaning company, from friends to the cashier at the grocery store. Build a basic website to provide prospective clients with information (try free and simple website creators like Weebly, WordPress and Google Sites. Create a profile on Care.com that talks about what you offer.

10. Build Relationships with your Clients

Once you have your business up and running, you may have more clients than you can handle. How do you ensure each receives top-notch service to help your company grow? Are you going to specialize? Customers have to see you as trustworthy and honest. It’s also important to be different and memorable.

Many clients love the personal touches: little chocolates on the bed pillows and a small vase of fresh flowers on the kitchen counter. Learn and grow from each experience, good and bad, and be flexible.

11. Balance your Time

It’s not easy juggling people and time, since everyone works on their own agenda, but it’s helpful to have a steady crew.