You have made up your mind to start a cleaning business. You are very excited about it and confident that you’ll do an outstanding job. You get your business registered, obtain insurance, and order business cards. You believe that it only takes a broom, mop, vacuum, and a cheerful “can do” mentality to take over the cleaning industry.
But this can expose you to mistakes that could harm your cleaning business and delay its growth. Knowing these mistakes before will help you save time, money, and your reputation.
There is no need to use the trial-and-error method to figure out what works. Just avoid these top 5 mistakes, and your company’s chances of success will skyrocket.
1. Not Having a Business Plan
Every business needs a plan, including a clean business. Many small companies fail within the first three years, with lack of planning being the most common reason for failure. “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail” is an old phrase we often hear, and it’s famous for the right reason.
Your business plans should include information such as
· How much money you’re willing to invest?
· Market analysis
· Where you want to run your business (at home or elsewhere)
· What cleaning services you’ll be offering and at what prices
· Marketing and Sales Strategy
· Analysis of your competitors
Making a business plan may seem overwhelming, but it will serve as a road map for your business, allowing you to concentrate on reaching your objectives rather than wondering what to do next.
2. Not Advertising Enough
You need to establish a presence in the market, especially if it is new. An online presence will help your potential customer easily locate and connect with your business. Social media is a great place to start since you can do a lot of advertising and networking on it for free.
Create a website that should have information about your company online and use social media to promote it. Request people to share your information. This can lead to a chain of new customers, or at the very least, let people know you’re open for business.
Once you build a presence in the market, you can deploy other methods of advertising and marketing. The idea is to get involved from the start so you can watch your company flourish.
3. Charging Less for Cleaning Services
Many new cleaning businesses often fail to research ongoing rates in the areas they plan to operate, so they charge randomly. Others underprice their services in the hope of grabbing new clients, and their profits suffer. If your prices are too far below market, clients may begin to distrust your service quality which will negatively affect your business.
Start by looking at what other cleaning companies in your area are charging. Make sure your pricing is competitive. While you may offer specials to attract customers at first, once you’ve established yourself, you’ll want to raise your prices to the level you’ll normally be charging.
If you have a professional cleaning business, you may charge more than a solo entrepreneur, who can have lower expenses. Most of your clients, on the other hand, will regard you as more professional. Bonding, insurance, and training give value to your company, and while not everyone will be willing to pay for them, a significant number of potential customers would.
4. Hiring the Wrong People
Make sure you conduct background checks on potential employees. Remember that these individuals will be entering your clients’ houses, most likely when they are not present. You want to surround yourself with people you can trust and who will not bring you any troubles.
You also want to hire people who are skilled at what they do. You want to have top-notch personnel working for you right away when you’re establishing a cleaning service. You won’t retain existing customers or attract new customers if your company doesn’t have a reputation for doing good work.
Check references and discover what their past employers have to say to ensure you’re recruiting experienced staff. You might want to reconsider if you discover they were unprofessional and had a poor attendance record.
5. Buying Insufficient/Too much equipment
New cleaning business owners easily fall on either extreme on this one. They either acquire too much or not enough equipment when they first start out. You should have adequate equipment for each employee you hire, or at the very least enough for your company to handle many jobs at the same time. The following are some of the items and equipment you’ll need:
· Dusting Cloths
· Cleaning Cloths
· Bottles for spraying
· Vacuum Cleaners for Floors and Upholstery
· Mops
You can buy more equipment as you hire more staff and your business grows. On the other hand, you’ll need adequate supplies and equipment to give each job the time and care it requires.
Hire a Commercial Cleaning Business Consultation Service
If you want to know more about the ins and outs of starting a Commercial cleaning business, Cleaning Business Coaching can help!
We will provide you with step-by-step training on how to start and run a successful cleaning service. With our commercial cleaning business consultation service, you’ll know how to avoid common mistakes and what you need to do to succeed.
