House Cleaning Business - Low Start-up Costs/No Experience

Increasing demand for professional house cleaning services and minimal start-up costs makes this an ideal and lucrative business to be in.

The increasing stress of day to day life virtually leaves us with no energy to manage and clean our houses. After a hectic work day the last thing that anyone wants is to get the house cleaned. As a result, there is great demand for such type of services. What makes this business even more attractive is the start-up costs are minimal and anyone with practically no experience can get started. The only thing that one requires is motivation and a sincere love for the profession.

Supplies

Most of the supplies used for cleaning purposes come under $100-$150. This may include window cleaner, furniture cleaner/polish, sos pads, stainless steel cleaner, floor cleaner, bathroom tiles cleaner, mops, cleaning cloths, ladder, etc. Although most customers will allow you to use their vacuum cleaners, there is always a risk of damage to the equipment. Also, the cleaning may not be as effective as the cleaning achieved by some heavy-duty cleaners employed by professional house cleaners. Hence an additional investment on a heavy duty cleaner can be considered some time later, if not initially.

Insurance and Bonding

Get yourself bonded and fully insured is the most sensible thing to do in this profession. Most clients wouldn't entertain the thought of someone uninsured handling their personal articles. Getting insured would immediately boost your credibility as most cleaners don't get them insured. Not only will it relieve your clients but will also give you peace of mind as you don't have to worry about getting your assets seized in case some of your clients complain of their belongings being stolen. Liability insurance can run anywhere from $300 to $700. However, depending on the number of employees you hire, your liability insurance premium will increase correspondingly.

Taxes

There are various deductions in the house cleaning business depending on your state laws and an experienced accountant will be in a better position to explain them to you. For example, the miles you travel during business hours, vehicle maintenance charges, supplies, equipments, advertising costs, are all deductible.

Marketing Tips

Here are some marketing tips that have proved effective for this type of house cleaning businesses:

Advertisements in local newspapers

Ads in local newspapers are cheap and are very effective in spreading the word about your business. Here's a simple ad you can use:

Get your home or apartment professionally cleaned at reasonable rates. Call now 123-1345---Sally's Cleaning Services. Your satisfaction is guaranteed.
Flyers

These are also very cost-effective advertising mediums. You can either create a hand-written or printed matter and send them to local businesses or homes through mails. You can also hire kids to drop them at homes in your locality. Placing them on desks in super markets or social places can also be effective.
Business cards

Just like flyers, you can use catchy business cards to market your business. There are several online stores where you can get business cards printed cheaply.
Door hangers

Door hangers can be very cost-effective tools to leave a message in your neighborhood. Not only are they attractive and easy to notice, they are also inexpensive. You can get 200 printed for as little as $50-$60.
Testimonials/References

Like any business, one of the primary factors that'll contribute towards the growth of your business is referrals. Make sure to keep a log of your customer's responses or a feedback book and use it as a tool to build credibility in new clients. You can also offer discounted rates for every new referral an old customer brings to you.

What to Charge

What to charge for your services depends on a lot of factors like your locality, the prevailing rates your competitors are charging and the demand for cleaning services in your area. The fact that you are bonded, insured and licensed also accounts. These adds to the overheads and your charges increase correspondingly. Research what your competitors are charging and adjust your rates accordingly. Don't price your services too low as it might indicate inferior service.

Defining Your Niche Market

In order for your business to succeed you need a strong USP (Unique Selling Proposition) that will make your services stand out and a well defined target market. For example, you may want to target only salaried individuals or only doctors or only businesses. Defining your niche makes it easy to laser target your audience and the marketing effectiveness increases correspondingly.

Some words of advice and caution:

Some customers may use special cleaning solutions for some of their furniture/equipments. Make sure to make a note of such details before commencing the work.
Have an information packet ready that contains all the details like references, insurance copies, and the procedures.
Get a background check done from your local police station and include copies of it in the information packet. This will ensure that your clients will be comfortable dealing with you.

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