Home cleaning businesses provide cleaning services to residents with houses and apartments of various sizes. Some even expand and offer to clean offices. This is a service that a person can start with a minimal initial investment since it is possible to start with the basic cleaning supplies that many people own or can buy without spending a lot of money. The most expensive of the initial expenses is often related to the commercial license, to obtain an insurance and to commercialize your business to potential clients.
- Make a list of the services that you will provide through your house cleaning service. For example, you can provide basic services like dusting, sweeping, mopping, cleaning bathrooms, and disinfecting surfaces. However, you can also decide to include laundry and window cleaning as added services.
- Get experience cleaning houses. Aside from cleaning your own house, potential customers may want to know that you have experience cleaning other people’s houses. You can work as a temporary helper in an established cleaning service or clean the homes of some of your family and friends to earn referrals.
- Prepare a business plan for your cleaning business. List your plans to start the business, find clients, and expand later.
- Get a business license for your home cleaning business. You can ask about the license in the organization that manages the licenses and commercial registries in your city or town. For example, you can apply for a license at your city’s licensing and inspection department.
- Choose an attractive name for your home cleaning business and register it with the business registration department or a similar agency in your area. If you are going to use your full name as the name of your business, you do not need to register it.
- Get third party liability insurance. This will protect your assets in the event that your home cleaning business causes property damage or accidental injury to a client’s home.
- Get insurance on bail at a local agency. This is special insurance that protects your clients in case you or your employees steal, commit fraud or completely fail to do the cleaning job.
- Get supplies and equipment to clean houses. Usually you will need a sturdy broom, a mop and a bucket. You will also need a supply of rags and sponges to clean and remove dust and an extension bar to remove dust in hard-to-reach areas. Also buy a selection of cleaners and disinfectants.
- Find clients for your home cleaning business.You can find customers posting flyers on bulletin boards in supermarkets and libraries as well as at train stations. You can also place ads in local newspapers, buy an ad in a local phone book, and create a website for your business. Word of mouth advertising is also useful.
Advice
- Many home cleaning clients expect you to use their vacuum cleaners instead of bringing one. However, you can buy one to have ready just in case.