Ultimate Guide to Start a Successful Cleaning Business
Want to start a successful household cleaning business? You first need to decide what kind of business you want. Once you know your ideal business model and are ready to take the plunge, it's time to find the right cleaning services company. The good news is that there are many options out there, so picking one doesn't have to be difficult. This blogpost will guide you through choosing a company and answering common questions about starting your own cleaning service in Canada- from finding customers, promoting yourself, managing cash flow and more!
Most people think that running their own Cleaning Business is too hard or isn't worth it because success depends on luck. This is entirely false. One of the most important factors in success is knowing how to make it happen. I also want to add that I'm not writing this blogpost to sell you a particular cleaning business model, but rather to provide you with information based on my personal experience and findings.
How do you find your ideal business model?
At the end of the day, your ideal cleaning business may be different from someone else's. You have to take time and research your target customer, their needs and expectations, as well as researching successful competitors in order to create your own unique value proposition (voucher) and offer that is truly valuable for the customer.
Consider questions like:
Who are my ideal customers? Are they the same people that I'd love to do business with (i.e. friends and family)?
What is the level of service (measured by quality and speed) that I can provide? How much of my attention will I be able to spend on customers, and how much will be devoted to other tasks?
How do my competitors compare to me? Where am i different from them in order to set myself apart from the competition?
Are there any advantages or disadvantages of my business model over others (e.g. franchising or strict licensing)
What kind of professional training would I need to get in order to start the business? Would I want to hire a professional, or do it myself?
What are the costs of running my business (measured by time and money invested) and how do they compare to other options?
Answering these questions can help you narrow down what kind of cleaning business you'd like to start. If you're looking for some inspiration, check out this post: A visual guide on what kinds of cleaning businesses might work best for your situation .
Questions about your ideal cleaning company
Over the past 5 years, I've been running my own cleaning service (the whole time). The service is called Spring Cleaning Ottawa and we provide cleaning services to homes, condos and offices. We started by simply cleaning my own house for friends and family, then customers started asking where they could get the same service done. I started getting more business and eventually hired a small team of cleaners to run the business. Please note that this is not meant as an endorsement of my current company (Spring Cleaning Ottawa), rather an example of how someone could start their own home-based business.
How did I find my employees?
I posted some flyers around town, but mostly found employees by word-of-mouth referrals from previous customers or other friends who were looking for a similar service in their area.