Here’s the first question I’m going to ask you…. why do you want to start a housecleaning business?
The second question I’m going to ask is… what is your vision for building a housecleaning business?
You need to be able to answer these two questions to have even a slight chance of succeeding with your own cleaning business. If you don’t have your why and if you don’t have a big vision, you may not be motivated to get through the highs and lows to reach success.
The truth is that up to 80% of small businesses fail for various reasons, but if more of them had even slowed down and considered why they were getting into their own business, in the end they might have succeeded instead of failing.
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Real Reason to Start a Business
You see, you have to be in a position to want to do the work that is required to solve a problem your customers have. In residential cleaning, the problem is they don’t have time to keep their home as clean as they prefer. That’s because so many people are busy today with work, kids, and various other activities. We also have a growing senior population that can’t do the work they used to do themselves.
These are people who want someone to come into their home and do the work like they used to do or that maybe they never knew how to do properly. This is the issue you will be solving as a professional house cleaner.
This is hard work… to make consistent money you will need to clean every day and maybe even multiple houses every day. That means you will be on your feet all day. Do you know how hard that is?
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When I started my cleaning business, I had been sitting at a desk for years. Suddenly I was on my feet for hours, not expecting the painful response. The truth is, my feet were burning and no amount of soaking or rubbing helped until I got to the point that it stopped. This took weeks.
The first house I cleaned made me realize how out-of-shape I was. It seemed like I was moving in slow motion and in reality, I was! When I compare how quickly I could work after cleaning for months, those first few houses took way longer to clean than they should have. In addition, my body screamed the next day – I had aches and pains in areas of my body I had never felt before.
So, if you’re thinking of quitting your job to get away from your boss; if you have a need to be in control; if you think you are going to be making tons of money, or you want to spend more time with your family – it’s not going to happen right away. Your new boss will be all your clients, so you’ll have many bosses to report to. You may be in control of your new business, but it’s your customers who will be demanding a lot from you. And it’s going to take months or years to have time to spend with your family and make consistent money, unless you have a good plan.
Why was my business successful? For the simple reason that I enjoyed cleaning and I loved providing a service that made my customers happy. You can’t imagine how gratifying it was to complete the first cleaning on a house and hear the customer’s response. Some who had only wanted a one-time cleaning ended up booking ongoing service!
Before you go any further, use my checklist to see if you are making the right decision to start a business.
Getting Started
Sound good so far? Then let’s get into what you need to do to get started!
Here’s the steps you need to take to start your new house cleaning business:
- Define the type of cleaning business you will build
- Research the competition
- Identify your customers and where you will find them
- Define the type of cleaning you will provide
- Define how the cleaning will be done
- Setup your business structure
- Create your business name
- Establish a business address
- Setup your business phone number
- Obtain the license(s) needed in your city
- Open a bank account
- Purchase liability insurance (if needed)
- Purchase a bond (if needed)
- Create a business plan
- Complete your goal setting
- Calculate your hourly rate
- Identify a method to quote jobs
- Customize business forms (if used)
- Locate a supplier (if needed)
- Purchase your products and equipment (if needed)
- Practice your cleaning routine
- Start your advertising
- Schedule appointments
- Provide service
If you need more in-depth information on any of these steps, I have included links to blog posts and reports I have created that can assist you.
The easiest way to start a business is to follow someone who has already built that business. That’s why I created the many reports and products on this site that will prevent you from having to waste time on trial and error.
I’ve been through the issues you will face and provide the information you need to avoid them or successfully get through them. If you would like more information on starting out as an independent cleaner or build a business having workers do the cleaning for you, click here.
Anyone can start a business, but not everyone can be successful. Make sure you plan for your success!
Join us in the House Cleaning Business Mastermind, if you haven’t already!
