Did you know that 50% of businesses fail within the first 5 years of business? If you’re thinking about starting a cleaning business, this statistic might worry you, but it shouldn’t. As long as you think about your business in detail before you start it, you can make sure that your company has a sturdy foundation to carry it throughout the years.
But where should you begin when starting a cleaning business? Keep reading and learn more about what you need to know before starting a new cleaning business.
Create a Business Plan
In this guide to starting a cleaning business, you will find that one of the most important things you can do is start a business plan. Creating a business plan is important because it allows you to figure out what exactly you want your business to do, where you want it to go, and how you want it to change (or stay the same) over the years. It can also help you figure out business finances and other details.
For example, the first year of business should be very detailed in your plan. That way, you know what you want to work towards and what kind of goals you want to accomplish. For example, suppose you write a plan and want to make a certain amount of money within the first year.
This is a good place to start because that way, you will be more motivated to make money with your professional cleaning business and you will be motivated to go out and seek extra clients. But in your business plan, you should also think about what kind of cleaning business you want to have.
The Details
Do you plan on working alone and being the only employee or do you plan on hiring other employees right away or down the line? If you want to work alone, you’ll have to think about how much work you can realistically handle every day. This is in contrast to businesses with multiple employees that can accomplish more in a day.
You will also need to write down any problems you might encounter with your business. For example, suppose you ordered a shipment of cleaning supplies but find that they aren’t going to be delivered in time? This could interfere with your relationship with your customers.
You should also think about how to deal with customers that are not happy with your services for one reason or another. You always want to try and keep your customers happy, so you’ll need to find a way to deescalate unhappy customers.
Think About Your Business Costs
When you start a cleaning business, you won’t have to spend all that much because cleaning businesses don’t need a lot to start out compared to other businesses. However, this doesn’t mean that you won’t need to spend any money. Any good business requires somewhat of an investment to succeed.
The main thing you will be spending money on is cleaning supplies. You’ll need to get your hands on different cleaning solutions, tools, rags, and other accessories. But there are many other costs you’ll need to consider. For example, if you plan on working out of an office, you’ll need to pay for that office space.
On the other hand, if you work out of your home, you can save quite a bit of money. Do you plan on buying a company vehicle? If so, this will take up a large chunk of your finances in contrast to simply using your own car to get around.
What You Need to Know
You will also need to think about your target audience. Do you plan on servicing residential or commercial customers? In general, you can’t charge as much for residential cleaning as you can for commercial cleaning.
The amount you charge will also depend on what kind of services you offer. For example, the cost to clean a hardwood floor will be different than the cost of cleaning carpet or upholstery. And, of course, you can’t forget about the basic costs of starting a business such as a business license, business insurance, and so on.
If you don’t plan out these costs, they can easily surprise you and destroy your budget, so it’s best to think ahead of time.
Choose the Right Name for Your Business
Choosing a good name for your cleaning business is much more important than you might think. If you choose a generic name, you’ll find that it will be difficult to make your business a success. That’s because it’s very difficult for potential customers to find generic names on the internet.
Such a name would only get buried under thousands of other search results. For that reason, you’ll want to choose a very unique name. Choosing a name that’s hard to forget is the goal.
That way, if a person sees your company’s name, they might think back to it at a later time and think about hiring you for a cleaning project. So, when choosing a name for your business, make sure that it’s something unique. If you’re having trouble coming up with a name, you can always look for inspiration on the internet.
Preparing to Start a Cleaning Business
If you want to start a cleaning business, there are a few important factors you’ll need to consider first. First, you’ll need to create a detailed business plan, you’ll need to think about your business costs, and choose the right name for your brand. That way, it will be much easier to get your business started in the first year and it will also be easier to propel your business into subsequent years.
To learn more about starting a cleaning business, contact us here.
Additional resources:
- What Business Structure Type Is Best for My New Cleaning Business?
- Starting a Cleaning Business Checklist
- How to Start Your Own Cleaning Business – From Scratch!
