Read This Before Starting A Cleaning Business [Beginner's Guide]

What are the Benefits of Starting a Cleaning Business? 

Cleaning services are highly sought-after services for countless reasons. At the top of this list are people always looking for ways to ease stress and outsource where possible.  

Below are some statistics to show this. 

According to the Gitnux report for 2024;

• 56% of millennials have hired a professional cleaning service.
• 25% of Americans have used a professional cleaning service in the past year.
• 23% of homeowners book recurring cleaning services every month.
• On average, homeowners spend about $235 per visit on residential cleaning services.

These figures show the demand for cleaning services. Now, let’s see some of the benefits of starting the business.

• You can start small with little capital. You don’t need to buy heavy equipment or rent an office; you can simply start from home and move up as you get more jobs. 
• You can start with little or no experience. You don’t need five years of experience to know how to mop a floor or clean window panels.
• You get to have a sense of accomplishment after beginning a small business from scratch.
• You can choose your work time, workspace, and location. This means you get to take the jobs you want– you get to become your own boss. 
• Quick profit and the freedom to increase your service charge when you see the need to.  

We’ve seen some benefits of starting a cleaning business, but how can you start one? 

7 Steps to Starting a Cleaning Business in 2024

Step 1. Conduct Market Research

This part deals with surveying your target market to know what works and what doesn't. 

This means you need to pick your target audience. You can focus your services on offices (commercial cleaning) or homes (residential cleaning). 

This will help you design your marketing plan, payment plans, and service packages to suit them.

Another factor you should consider is your local competition. So, after choosing your primary market, you should identify your competitors, evaluate their services, and find what you can do better. 

Also, you could choose a particular niche in the cleaning service industry. For example, your cleaning business can be solely for big event centers and outdoor spaces. This way, you fix your price based on what your direct competitors charge. 

Step 2. Develop a Business Plan

You need a business plan to succeed in your cleaning business. A cleaning company business plan will serve as a guide for your company and can also help when you need to secure funds.

Here’s all you need for your business plan: 

1. Define Your Business Structure and Legal Requirements

‍You’ll need to define your business structure as it determines the legal and financial framework of your company. 

The most common business structures are sole proprietorship, partnership, limited liability company (LLC), and corporation. And each structure has its implications for liability, taxation, and management. And if you’re planning to hire employees, you’ll need to comply with labor laws, and this covers worker’s compensation insurance and tax obligations. You can contact a legal advisor to avoid legal issues.

2. Outline Your Financial Projections and Funding Sources

‍This will enable you to make estimates of your revenue, expenses, and cash flow. And you should aim to project your revenue for the next three to five years. 

You can also estimate costs like rent, salaries, inventory, and marketing expenses.

Additionally, you need to identify where your capital will come from. You should determine if you'd be using your personal funds, loans, or grants.

3. Establish Your Branding and Marketing Strategies

‍Marketing and branding is where you get to tell people what you do and why they should patronize you. So to attract the right clients and retain them, you'll need to implement some cleaning business marketing strategies and get this part right. A great way to start is to develop your brand identity. This includes your business name, logo, tagline, and other visuals. 

Plus, your branding should tell the story of your business, reflect its values, and resonate with your target audience’s needs.

Furthermore, you should aim to use a mix of both digital and traditional marketing methods. This means you can use digital strategies like online advertising, social media campaigns, content marketing, and email marketing with traditional methods like print ads, direct mail, and relevant local events. 

Additionally, develop a marketing plan with clear objectives, like boosting brand awareness or generating leads. Also outline specific tactics, timelines, and budgets to achieve these goals. 

And you should constantly evaluate how effective your strategies are, and adjust them when needed.

A well-developed business plan won't just guide your business decisions but it can serve as a document to educate potential investors.

Step 3. Obtain Necessary Licenses and Permits

You’ll need to ensure that your business complies with all necessary regulations by obtaining the required cleaning business licenses and permits to avoid legal issues. The first step is to select your business structure. This is important in a cleaning business startup, you should choose the most suitable structure for your cleaning business. 

It could be your personal business, limited liability company (LLC) corporation, or partnership. You can contact a lawyer or business advisor to determine the best structure for your company.

Next, register your business name. Afterward, obtain an employer identification number (EIN) from your country’s Internal Revenue Service. This number is necessary for tax purposes and for hiring employees.

Step 4. Invest in Equipment and Supplies

The cost of cleaning supplies may be high, so to cut costs, take time to search for the best sourcing options available so you can buy them for cheap prices. 

Cleaning business equipment and supplies is very important because every project requires you to show up equipped and prepared with the necessary tools and supplies, so you need to invest in your equipment and supplies. 

In addition to specialized cleaning equipment, you’ll need a sizable supply of:

• Vacuum cleaner
• Brooms
• Cleaning solutions like glass cleaners, bathroom cleaners, and all-purpose cleaners.
• Mopheads
• Disinfectants
• Worker safety gear
• Buckets and Dustpans
• Paper towel
• Spray bottle
• Protective gloves and face masks
• Trash bags
• Floor cleaning supplies like floor wax, floor cleaner, and floor polish
• Ladders and step stools.

You need to keep these well-stocked is crucial in case of supply chain disruptions or other unforeseen circumstances, particularly during a hectic workweek. 

Remember to also factor in transportation for your equipment to job locations. This is where Xenia comes in; you can use Xenia’s equipment management features to track and maintain your cleaning service equipment efficiently.

Xenia has a centralized equipment maintenance and asset work history where you can

• Create a detailed record of equipment and parts.
• Schedule preventive maintenance to ensure asset uptime
• Attach QR codes to equipment for on-site work logging.
• Conduct mobile inspections with smart automation.
• Create corrective work orders to resolve issues faster.
• Analyze the work history and cost of every asset.

Investing in equipment and supplies is crucial for any cleaning business aiming to operate efficiently and effectively. Here’s a closer look at how to approach this:

1. Determine the Essential Cleaning Equipment and Supplies

‍Just like you do before shopping, identify all the equipment you need for your cleaning business before purchasing them.

This involves evaluating the type of cleaning services you offer and the tools you need for each task. 

For instance, commercial cleaning might require heavy-duty vacuums, industrial floor scrubbers, and specialized cleaning agents. Conversely, residential cleaning may focus more on portable vacuum cleaners, mops, and other simple cleaning products. 

2. Explore Cost-Effective Sourcing Options

‍Once you’ve decided on the equipment you need, you should search for the best places to shop from. This involves researching suppliers, comparing prices, and looking for bulk purchase discounts or wholesale options. 

Plus, you can consider leasing or renting high-cost equipment for a start. Also, keep an eye out for seasonal sales or promotions to further reduce expenses. 

3. Use Xenia’s Equipment Management Features for Efficient Tracking and Maintenance

‍If you want to ensure that your investments are well-maintained, then you should use software solutions like Xenia. 

Xenia provides tools that enable you to track the use, maintenance schedules, and service history of your cleaning equipment. This means you can easily know when you need to serve or even replace equipment.

Additionally, Xenia’s analytics can help you know if you're spending excessively on equipment and other materials, and also guide future investments and maintenance practices.

Want to see how it works? Try out the platform for free. 

Step 5: Hire and Train a Reliable Team

The best way to save labor costs and keep your expenses low is to do all the cleaning yourself. 

However, as you grow and get more gigs, you will need to increase your workforce. This is where your cleaning business hiring and training comes in, you have to take time selecting and training the proper individuals for your team because they represent your business. 

They ought to be reliable, have a strong work ethic, cordial, and professional to facilitate your cleaning business quality assurance.

Your cleaning staff will have certain duties and responsibilities, which include:

• To get rid of dust, debris, and grime, vacuum, mop, and sweep the floors.
• Make sure waste is disposed of in approved areas and empty trash cans.
• Toilets, sinks, and fixtures in restrooms should all be cleaned and disinfected.
• Dust shelves, furniture, and other surfaces to get rid of allergies and grime.
• Use proper cleaning products to clean windows, mirrors, and glass surfaces.
• Stocking up on all cleaning supplies by monitoring the levels available and reporting to their superiors for replenishment when needed.
• Notify the supervisor immediately of any mishaps, accidents, or safety risks.
• Work together with other cleaning personnel to guarantee reliable and effective cleaning procedures.

There’s always room to tailor the responsibilities of your cleaning service staff to suit your company’s standards and services.

Also, remember to perform thorough background checks and screening processes when hiring your team. This way, you’ll ensure you avoid individuals with a history of theft or violence, as that is not good for your business.

Plus, you’ll need to efficiently onboard them to the team. This means you need to train them to use specialized equipment and cleaning solutions to prevent any hazards. 

You can use Xenia task management and training features to ensure effective staff management and the quality of the services you offer.

Step 6: Establish Operational Processes

You’ll need to establish an operational process to ensure consistency, service quality, and customer satisfaction.

To achieve this, develop a comprehensive cleaning checklist and a standard operating procedure (SOP) for your different cleaning offers. 

How do you create a SOP for your business? 

You can start by listing all the steps in a task, from preparation to execution and clean-up. 

Also, each SOP should include safety guidelines and specific instructions for different types of floors or surfaces. 

A cleaning business Management software can help. You can use Xenia’s operations templates to create and customize your SOPs. This way, you’ll ensure they are easily accessible to all your team members. 

The platform can help you establish these operational processes for a more efficient cleaning service.

Step 7: Promote and Market Your Business

If you want to effectively promote and market your cleaning business, you need to design a strategy that covers building an online presence, local advertising, networking opportunities, and the use of analytics tools like Xenia.

Here’s how you can go about each of them: 

1. Develop a Robust Online Presence

You need to build your online presence to market your business effectively. 

This begins with building a user-friendly, SEO-optimized website that serves as the central hub for your marketing efforts. You should ensure your website looks professional and works well on both desktop and mobile devices. Plus, you can add real images if your past works instead of using stock photos. This will build credibility and trust among potential clients.

Additionally, you can improve your website for search engines by using relevant keywords that potential customers are likely to search for, this includes things like “cleaning services,” ‘cleaning companies’, “cleaning service brands,” etc. With this, you will improve visibility on the search results pages and attract more prospects to your site. 

Also, you can create outstanding profiles on social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. This will enable you to connect with your audience, share content related to cleaning tips or promotions, and showcase customer testimonials. And as you regularly interact on social media you’ll significantly increase your brand visibility and win more clients.

2. Explore Local Advertising and Networking Opportunities

Local advertising is an effective way to promote your cleaning business. You can do this by placing ads in local news, community bulletin boards, or sponsoring local events. 

Additionally, participating in local networking or business groups can help you build relationships with other businesses that may require cleaning services or refer clients. 

Also, Google My Business tool is particularly effective for building local visibility. 

As you optimize your profile on the platform with photos, reviews, and accurate details, your cleaning business can appear in local search results when potential customers search for cleaning services. 

Plus, you can encourage satisfied customers to leave positive reviews on your site to enhance your credibility and attract new clients.

3. Leverage Reporting and Analytics Capabilities

‍If you’d like to know what works and what doesn’t, you should use Xenia’s reporting and analytics to closely monitor your marketing campaigns. 

As you constantly analyze data such as customer engagement metrics, website traffic, and conversion rates, you can identify effective tactics and improve your marketing strategies accordingly.

Build an Excellent Cleaning Service Brand with Xenia 

You should know that If you offer excellent services and satisfy your clients, your cleaning business will definitely succeed. 

And you can achieve this by following through all the steps we've outlined in this guide.

Importantly, you can sign up for Xenia to guarantee your operational excellence.

With Xenia, you can: 

• Manage tasks
• Coordinate your workforce 
• Ensure compliance 
• And create customized SOPs. 

Ready to give it a try? Check out the platform for a free trial.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How do you find customers for your cleaning business?

You can run ads on your social media platforms to find customers. You can also use Google ads, billboard ads, commercial ads, flyers, posters, and other paid ads. 

Plus, you can ask for referrals from your satisfied customers, friends, and family.

What features to look for in a cleaning business operations software?

You should look out for software that is tailored to fit the cleaning service industry. The software should have features like task scheduling and management, team communication, client communication and management, data-driven insights, mobile access, customization options, and equipment tracking. All these are available at Xenia.

What is the best type of cleaning business to start?

This depends on your market and resources. However, residential cleaning is a popular and low-cost option with high demand. Commercial cleaning offers higher revenue potential with business clients, though it may require more specialized equipment and staffing.

Plus, niche services like carpet cleaning, window washing, or green cleaning can also be profitable.