A cleaning business is a great opportunity for anyone looking for a self-employment option with relatively low start-up costs. There aren’t huge numbers of big firms populating the market, and it is a high-demand industry that is less vulnerable to economic recession.
If you are looking for ways to improve your small cleaning business, or if you’re thinking of starting one up – check out our tips below for growing your cleaning business fast.
Development
Keep learning! Staying ahead of industry trends and technologies, and continuing to upskill yourself and your staff, will keep you ahead of the competition.
Digital and computer skills will be especially helpful. These will help you with managing the day-to-day business tasks such as accounting, job tracking, inventory, and maintaining a website and social media accounts. If you need to learn or develop in any of these areas, you could look for training courses in your local area, or see what online training options are available.
Thorough and professional results
A job well done is essential for impressing customers and guaranteeing further work. Whether you are cleaning offices, households, or bars and restaurants – make sure the end result is thorough and professional. This means ensuring staff are properly trained and vetted, and providing all the required equipment and resources.
Focus on customers
Doing good work is important, but it is only one part of the equation. Another significant factor to a thriving business is the connection and relationships with your customers. Especially in a cleaning business when you have long-term, ongoing relationships with your customers – you need to be committed to excellent service and prepared to go the extra mile. Stay connected, communicate, and follow through on responsibilities.
Get online
A good online presence is essential for any business. More people are connected to the Internet than ever before, and consumers rely heavily on the web when considering and comparing goods and services. Market research has found that 51% of New Zealanders do online research before purchasing something, and 53% use the Internet to compare prices and products.
If your business is not utilising the power of the web, you are missing out on a lot of potential business. A user-friendly website that is also optimised for mobile use is essential. You should also consider additional activities such as social media presence and email marketing, both to find new clients and manage communications and relationships with your existing ones.
Resources
There are a lot of resources and information available online, but you could also look for local small business groups and networks in your area. They could help with operational or management ideas or contacts.
There are also several training institutions around New Zealand that offer various courses and qualifications for the cleaning industry, or you could look at the business.govt.nz website for advice for small businesses. E tū is the union for public and commercial services in New Zealand, for workers in the hospitality and cleaning industries. It is the largest private sector union in the country and can help members with advice, support, and advocacy services.
Be efficient
Use solutions and systems that enhance the efficiency of your day-to-day business responsibilities. This could include automated systems for email marketing, accounting, and reporting. You can also use technical solutions for customer service, where customers can submit a digital ticket to request or track work. You could also introduce systems for your cleaning teams, like microfibre cleaning systems to make their work more efficient and professional.
Value yourself
When you are first trying to establish your business and really get a footing in the industry, it can be very tempting to take any job that comes your way. Consider this carefully – are you actually going to make money on this job? Is it something you actually want to do? Is it going to further your business? If it isn’t going to be profitable enough or it isn’t a desirable piece of work – you can say no. Your time and energy is better spent on jobs that benefit both you and your business.
Something else you might consider doing when you are first building your cleaning business is to offer the lowest possible rates, just to undercut competing businesses. There is no need to undersell yourself and risk the financial viability of your business just to try to stay ahead of other companies. Your business will thrive and you will retain customers as long as you are doing a good job and performing well.
Good employee management
The people who work for you are your biggest assets. Their performance is directly related to the success of your business. It’s important to treat them well, make sure they are well trained, and that they are recognised and rewarded for good work.