The Definitive Guide to Starting a Cleaning Business (That’s Successful)

So you’re looking at starting a cleaning business…

It’s the dream of a huge number of people, to one day own their own business. To be their own boss. It’s an incredibly rewarding experience, while at the same time it can be scary, intimidating and often overwhelming. 

What can I do? Where do I start? How do I make enough to survive? What if I fail? You’ll all have these questions running through your mind at one point or another. Just understand that it’s ok and it’s completely normal.

For ease and simplicity, the humble cleaning business and been the first foray into the business world for many, including myself. It’s simple, straight forward, easy to operate and doesn’t require a large investment in either skills or capital.

It’s for these very reasons that the cleaning industry is one of the most competitive going around, attracting hundreds of new entrepreneurs every year, all vying for essentially the same jobs and the same clients.

It’s for this reason that you best go in prepared if you’re thinking about starting your own cleaning business. That’s why I’ve put together this guide. After nearly a decade of experience running my own business and helping dozens of others, I’ve seen what works and what doesn’t.

So let’s dive in and get you in your way!

Forming a Loose Plan

As with any business, I believe it’s essential to put together a loose plan of what it is you’re looking to do. it will force you to consider important questions such as;

• Why are you starting this business?
• What is the long term goal? 
• What can you offer the marketplace?
• How are you going to be better than your competitors?
• How are you going to pay the bills?

These are all essential questions to not only get your business off on the right foot, but to keep you going through the inevitable hard times that will come. i recommend working through the business plan template provided for free by the Aus Government. Don’t worry about too much detail, just go through the key questions and consider each answer. There will almost certainly be aspects you hadn’t thought of previously.

Some of the key aspects to consider are;

Your Unique Selling Proposition (USP)

What is it that you offer which your competitors don’t? Why would a customer choose your business over one of the dozen other competing businesses?

In the cleaning industry in particular, this is an incredibly important point to get right. You need something to stand out and set yourself apart. If you don’t, you’ll find it hard to get the initial clientelle you need to function.

Something generic such as “we’re the highest quality service” or “we’re reliable” won’t cut it either. Everybody uses the same slogans. They’re also not attributes you can prove until you’ve done the job..

Think carefully about this one…

Position in Market

Where your business is positioned within the market is another important aspect to consider. This can be related to the services you’re offering, the location of where you’re operating and of course, how much you charge. Are you going to position yourself as a high end service, charging premium prices? Or do you want a lot of volume at a low price?

Naming Your Business

You’ll then need to come with a name for your business. This is, in essence, your brand. What customers will think of when they think of your business.

I’m not overly concerned with naming in an industry such as cleaning and I’d rather spend more time on other aspects. There are a number of experts who disagree with me however. Here’s a guide on how to come up with a great business name.

I’d suggest coming up with 2 or 3, as the next step is to ensure they’re available. Both the name AND the domain name. You can check your business name availability online through ASIC. Check your domain at Crazy Domains.

So You’re Ready to Get Started..

First step is to register your business name. You can do this through ASIC Connect.

Next is to register your domain name. As mentioned above, you can get onto Crazy Domains to get it registered.

Once you have your name finalised, it’s time to consider your logo. While your name is the first thing people will hear of your business, the logo is the first thing they’ll see. You’ll want something that represents your brand well and the colours you wish to incorporate. Your logo will generally be the base of all colours your brand displays; website, t-shirts, business cards etc.. will all be based around your logos colour scheme. If you require help with this step, check out our logo design service.

Finally, you’ll need to get any registrations organised. This includes emails, any landline or 1800 telephone numbers and insurance.

Insurance wise, public liability will be required for all commercial sites and is recommended for domestic cleaning as well. $5 million coverage should suffice.

Ensuring a Quality Job

Once you’ve landed your first client or two, it’s absolutely essential that you do the best job possible. Go above and beyond in providing a quality service, perhaps doing an extra 30mins of cleaning or offering to do extra areas than they had originally paid for. The best marketing after all, is word of mouth. That comes through doing a great job.

Quoting

Before the job commences, most people or businesses will want a quote as to how much they should expect to pay for your service. The best way to understand quoting comes through experience and don’t be surprised if your first few jobs are a little off the money. There are plenty of resources out there on how to quote, however the best way is to simply learn as you go and get a feel for how long you generally take.

Cleaning Process

A cleaning process is the routine you would generally follow when cleaning a house or office. I have a couple of templates available- send me an email below and I can send one to you.

Invoicing

Once the job is done, it’s time to get paid! While some people, particularly with domestic cleaning, are happy to pay you cash, most will want an invoice. The best software I’ve found to organise this is through Xero. It’s ridiculously easy to use, giving you the ability to send an invoice from your phone in minutes. Set up a bank account for your business (it doesn’t have to be a business account if you’re a sole trader) and clients can deposit it straight though.

Now you have a fully fledged cleaning business that is getting paid for your work!