If you’re tired of a nine-to-five job and want to be your own boss, your best option is to start your own business. Of course, it’s not easy to build an enterprise from the ground up. For something that’s straightforward, with low overhead and consistent demand, you can explore a venture in the cleaning industry.

What’s great about a cleaning business is that you can start quickly. In addition, you probably already have all the basic skills required; as such, formal training isn’t necessary (but highly recommended!) for most services.

Of course, don’t expect big profits right at the outset. With a cleaning business, you’ll usually start with modest earnings and then gradually generate more income as you go along. What you can expect, however, is a lot of hard but fulfilling work. If you’re fortunate enough, you may even be able to provide jobs for others!

Are you ready to start your own cleaning business? Here are some things you need to keep in mind:

Decide on a Specialisation

When you start a cleaning business, you’ll likely be a one-person operation. In short, aside from managing the books, you’ll also be doing all the cleaning. This makes deciding on a specialisation important.

Indeed, even commercial cleaning companies have points of expertise. They may offer a variety of offerings, but you’ll find that most of them will be more well-known for one or two services. Take your cue from them and start with something more aligned with something simple, like basic cleaning or even carpet washing.

Stick to this specialisation until you acquire more experience, as well as more resources to purchase equipment and/or hire more people.

Come Up With a Name Name

You need a good name for your business. It’s an important part of your brand identity so be sure to choose one that you really want. Of course, it should also make sense. While you have the freedom to be creative, you also need to be clear.

Find a perfect balance between unique and straightforward. If you want, you can compile a list of cleaning business names that you like. Then, identify what you like about these names. This may help you in coming up with your own business name.

Think About Funding

If you’ve saved up enough to fund your cleaning business, congratulations! You can start right away and develop your brand. However, if you feel like you need a bit more help in funding, you can take out a business loan.

Fortunately and as previously mentioned, a startup cleaning business doesn’t need much in terms of overhead costs. As such, you won’t have to start your venture drowning in debt. It also means you can pay off your loans and generate more revenue much faster.

Plan Your Budget

Once you’ve secured your funding, you need to plan how you’ll spend it. Some of the things you need to invest in for cleaning business include the purchase of cleaning products and equipment, as well as transportation.

Having your own vehicle is particularly important, especially if you’re planning on servicing multiple areas. Having your own vehicle is also ideal because otherwise, you’ll be lugging around your cleaning tools in public.

Do note that, at first, you may have to rent much of your equipment, particularly heavy machinery and specialist tools. It all depends on how much you’re able to put up as starting capital. This also further highlights why choosing a cleaning specialisation is crucial

Of course, don’t forget to allocate some money for your business licence, permits, and insurance, as well as advertising.

Insure Your Business

There are various types of insurance for businesses, but what you should prioritise is public and product liability. This way, you’re protected in case property is damaged or someone is injured in the course of conducting your business.

Later on, you should also purchase commercial property insurance to protect your assets such as your vehicle and cleaning equipment. There’s also BOP or business owners’ policy, which combines the components of general liability and commercial property insurance.

Should you have the opportunity to expand and hire your own employees in the future, you should get workers’ compensation. This will ensure protection and coverage in case of injuries, as well as other incidents like wage loss due to financial constraints.

Market Your Business

A big part of running a cleaning business is marketing. After all, how can people hire you if they don’t know about you in the first place?

The good thing is that there are many avenues for you to explore when it comes to promoting your business. Your friends and family, in particular, can help with word of mouth.

You should also put up a social media page and take advantage of the built-in targeting features; if you have the budget for it, you can also try running social media ads. A well-made and well-maintained website is also extremely helpful in increasing your search results rankings.

If you bought into a cleaning franchise, you may also receive help in terms of business coaching and promotions. What’s more, commercial cleaning companies also have contacts that can make things easier for you when it comes to purchases and finding clients.

 

With all of these considerations settled, it will be much easier for you to run your cleaning business. Good luck!