When it comes to entrepreneurial endeavours, one of the most viable options is to start a commercial cleaning business. For one, there will always be a need for high-quality cleaning services. With the COVID-19 pandemic, the demand has increased even further.
If you’re interested in pursuing this path, below are a few helpful tips in starting a commercial cleaning business.
Write a Business Plan
Every business begins with a plan. There are plenty of guides you can find online, but remember that your business plan doesn’t have to be an overly formal document. It does, however, have to answer several questions. Some of them include the following:
- How are you going to finance your business?
- What are your goals for the first year of your business?
- What are your goals five years from launch?
- How much do you want to earn per month?
- When do you plan to start your business?
- Which areas do you want to service?
- Do you want to work during the weekends?
Another thing you have to remember about your business plan is that you can adjust it in the future. Consider it as a working document that you can revise as you also adjust your strategies. The key thing about your business plan is that it can help guide you as you run your business.
Get Some Experience
When you start your own business, it’s best to be knowledgeable about it. In short, get yourself some cleaning experience. It’s likely that you’ll be starting your cleaning business all by your lonesome or perhaps with one or two people to help you. This simply means that you’ll be doing the bulk of the jobs until you can expand and hire employees.
Clients are also more inclined to trust business owners who are hands-on. It shows trustworthiness and commitment to great service. With a high level of trust from your clients, you can easily build loyalty and gain a larger customer base.
Choose a Trusted Name
If you’re a complete newbie in entrepreneurship, it’s a good idea to buy a franchise instead of starting an all-new business on your own. This will not only help with profitability but also with marketing and establishing your presence.
For a franchise, find an established and New Zealand owned business. This way, you know that your partners truly know the market and can thus provide great advice and help you achieve your business goals.
Be Patient
After you launch your own commercial cleaning business, it might feel like you aren’t achieving anything in the first few months. This is quite normal and you shouldn’t feel discouraged at all. Instead, study your business plan and see where you can make any changes. When you’re starting, focus mostly on building your brand, investing on equipment, and developing your skills.
You should also learn the nuances of the industry. For example, there are faster and more profitable periods, such as during the summer and right before spring. You can use these times to build momentum. If you need help, don’t be afraid to consult your partners.
Do Your Marketing Homework
If you’re working with a franchise, you won’t have to worry too much about looking for clients. Nevertheless, you still have to do your homework when it comes to marketing. You can’t completely rely on your partners to deliver clients every single day. You need to learn not just to find clients on your own, but also how to convince them to avail your services.
Some of the most accessible marketing and advertising platforms these days is social media. Study how you can harness the power of the Internet and keywords to get your business seen by the right people. At the very least, establish your presence using a website and a carefully curated social media page.
Once you’ve established a client base, encourage them to leave reviews about your service. Remember: word of mouth marketing is still a powerful tool and customers are more willing to trust the word of the people they know.
Take Care of Your Clients
Customer service is a huge element of business success. Be friendly and polite with your clients and make it a habit to follow up with them after you’ve completed a service. Show them that you care for them, even if you aren’t currently cleaning their establishments. More importantly, show them that you’re happy doing your job. This gives them more reasons to trust you and be a loyal patron.
It’s also important to ask for feedback. Ask questions about how you can further improve your services. Doing so will let your clients know that you’re always working hard towards providing what they need. In addition, customer feedback can show you possible weak points that you can improve or eliminate.
Starting a business, any kind of business requires hard work. Running one is even more labour-intensive. However, if you truly want to succeed, you’ll need to exert time and effort. This is part and parcel of a business owner’s life. Don’t let these facts discourage you, though. In the end, being your own boss can give you a sense of fulfilment unlike any other.