Starting a house cleaning business can be profitable and a way to schedule work around your life instead of life around your work. Starting your house cleaning service can be a great idea to either provide a full-time income or supplemental income for your family. This post shows hows to start your own cleaning business.
There are several tax benefits to owning a house cleaning business. It also provides you with a flexible schedule to book around your life, and you are free to charge the rates you want. Even in this economy, the demand for house cleaning services is great.
First, you will need to make some fundamental decisions about your business. Will it be a sole proprietor, or will you have a partner? Will you want to hire others to clean for you?
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Research Your Competition
Do some research in your area about what other house cleaning services are charging and for what specific tasks. Research at least five different companies or individuals providing services.
Cleaning Services
You will want to decide if you want to specialize in a certain cleaning aspect. Do you want to do residential homes? Is commercial or new construction cleaning your forte? Do you want to focus on one service, like window washing?
If you don’t like cleaning (many of us don’t) don’t think a cleaning business is not for you. For example, if cleaning other people’s bathrooms and fat splashed kitchens is not your idea of fun, consider offering your services cleaning offices or shops. These types of spaces tend to require only straightforward hoovering, mopping, and dusting; there is very little “dirty work” involved.
You’ll want to set your rates next. Do a few test runs of jobs in your own home or friend’s home to determine how long a task takes you. Some companies charge by the job regardless of how long it takes, while others choose to set an hourly rate. You also need to choose whether or not you’ll provide cleaning supplies or if your clients will leave them ready for you. For more information on pricing, see This Is Money Back.
There are pros and cons to both strategies.
Go to your town’s application office to apply for a business license. Usually, this is a simple procedure that is usually inexpensive and can even be done online. You’ll also need to choose if you want to carry liability insurance or bonding; again, an internet search can provide many answers for you.
When you are ready to start, a simple ad in your local newspaper is a great start and usually not that expensive. You can add your services on sites like Gumtree for free, but most of your business will come by word of mouth. You can also put an ad on local bulletin boards, tell everyone you know, and pass out business cards. You may want to join a local Chamber of Commerce for networking possibilities.
Starting and running your own house cleaning business can be very profitable and a way to take control of your schedule. It’s also got a bonus in that because it’s physical work, you’ll get plenty of exercises thrown in the mix as well.
