Maria Carmen - How to Start, Run and Grow a Successful Residential & Commercial Cleaning Business

How to Start, Run & Grow a Residential and Commercial Cleaning Business

BY

Maria Carmen

Copyright 2016 - CSB Academy Publishing Company

All Rights Reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the proper written consent of the copyright holder, except brief quotations used in a review.

Published by:

CSB Academy Publishing Company.

P.O. Box 966

Semmes, Alabama 36575

Cover & Interior designed

By

David Miller

First Edition

H ello, my name is Maria, and I have something important to tell you. I know you've probably heard these types of success stories before and are a little skeptical, but I'm telling you this is true and can really happen for you. Ten years ago, after my divorce, I needed to find a way to support myself. I was one of those individuals that never went to college or had a trade skill, so there weren't a lot of job choices for me.

What was I to do? I started looking into entry level jobs that didn't require specialized training or skills. Unfortunately, I wasn't keen on the idea of working at a fast food restaurant for minimum wage with limited potential for advancement or better pay. Then I learned about house cleaning from a friend of mine. She used house cleaning as a way to supplement their family income. However, I realized the potential to grow this into something more.

So I started taking on a few residential cleaning jobs, getting my name out there and increasing my client list. I took the time to do some research and found a way to offer some specialized services that got me paid a little extra. Before I knew it, my client list was growing beyond what I could do by myself. So I started hiring employees.

Then I realized the importance of branching out and started to take on commercial contracts. Commercial cleaning turned out to be even more beneficial to my income than residential cleaning.

Not only was I able to support myself with this work, but I was able to grow and thrive. Today, I have a company of my own with 22 employees. We take on both residential and commercial cleaning contracts. My income has grown to over $250,000 a year now. I never dreamed a simple job to help pay the bills would grow into this, but it has. It takes a little bit of work, but the benefits are there to be had if you know what to do. I'm here to tell you what you need to do so you can have success just like I did.

Lastly, a quick apology in advance for any mistakes, typos, or grammatical errors you may find, as I mentioned I never went to college, so I am what you call a well-educated nerd, but what I am is a small business owner with a passion for success. I initially started writing this book last year, but then had to put it in the backburner for a while. Just recently I decided to spend some time so I can finish what i started. Just know that the knowledge I shared here all came from my 10 years experience in this industry.

So, let's get started....

A s you probably gained from reading about me, there are two primary market groups in the cleaning industry: residential and commercial. I'll discuss a little more about what each of these groups are, little later, but it is best if you choose a specific market to start and then expand your business as you are able.

W hen you choose to go into any form of cleaning you are going into an in-demand field. According to studies, nearly half of American households are two-wage-earner households; nearly 76%. Then nearly 15% of American households are single parent households. These facts show that a good number of American households are busy. The upside to this is that a lot of individuals choose to hire cleaning individuals since they don't have time to manage it themselves.

P erhaps another upside to starting a cleaning business is the fact that you can build a profitable business that generates revenue quickly without having to start with a lot of money. You have the flexibility to choose between a full-time or part-time business from your home or from a commercial location. To get started your really only need a few supplies: vacuum, broom, duster and some cleaning supplies. Then you can get a few clients, grow your business and add on as you need.

W hile one of the biggest benefits of starting a cleaning business is to build a company that meets your individual style, the main question to ask yourself before you start is whether you want to buy a franchise or start an independent business. If you have the health and time to do the work yourself, you may want to stay small and work your way up like I did.

However, for those that have more administrative skills, adequate funding and prefer to manage others who do the work then perhaps you would be better suited for a franchise. There are plenty of cleaning businesses out there that offer franchise opportunities. This gives you the opportunity to work with an established name to get yourself running. It does mean you won't have as much freedom in the direction your business goes.

A franchise will work closely with you as you start your business, but you will still be responsible for keeping it running smoothly and make it profitable. A franchise is a good option for those who don't want to gamble on starting their own system. With a franchise, you have the support of national advertising and name recognition, something that is often difficult for an individual starting their own business.

The freedom of starting your own business is both an advantage and a disadvantage. It provides you the freedom to do things your way and spread into more specialized markets. However, you also have no guidelines or groundwork to rely on when you get started. Everything you learn is going to be through trial and error. When I choose to go at it alone, I had to do a lot of research so I could make the right decisions and start strong without making too many mistakes. Once I knew I wanted to start out on my own, the other thing I needed to ask myself was if I had what it takes. Let's look at each area individually to help you see which option is right for you.

B uying into a franchise is like having an instant business. Most of the initial work is already done for you. You simply need to follow a few steps and the business will be up and running quickly.

P erhaps the biggest benefit of buying into a franchise is the instant brand awareness. Especially if you are going with a bigger and well-known company. This means you won't have to work as hard at selling customers on your brand as you would if you were starting your own company.

T his is similar to brand awareness. If you buy into a big name franchise, they will often assist you with marketing. Some of the larger companies even promote through national advertising campaigns. This will bring in customers to local businesses without you having to do much work at all.