10 Steps to Follow to Start Your Own Cleaning Business

Starting a cleaning business in this day and age is still a valuable thing to do and while many might think it’s not in demand, they’re definitely missing out on this part. 

While cleaning windows, floors, and other surfaces might not be the best jobs in the world, they’re now more in demand since everyone is so busy focusing on their work and don’t have the time to do the work on their own. Therefore, this is your time to shine. 

In this article, we’ll dive deeper into this article to learn more about how you can start your own cleaning business. 

1. Choose your cleaning service category 

When you decide to start a cleaning business, it’s important to notice that you have different cleaning service categories and it’s your duty to choose which one you want to focus on. Otherwise, there are even cleaning businesses that will focus on general categories, covering all cleaning services at once. 

Residential cleaning services 

Residential cleaning services offer an innovative solution to homeowners and renters who need professional assistance in maintaining and cleaning organized living spaces. Whether you are just starting out as a business or expanding to a new one, this industry has many opportunities to take advantage of. 

Key services offered in residential cleaning include: 

1. Dusting, sweeping, vacuuming, and mopping floors.
2. Deep cleaning hard-to-reach areas, and baseboards. 
3. Move in and move out cleaning by preparing homeowners and tenants to clean property. 
4. Seasonal cleaning.

The benefits of residential cleaning services are that they have recurring revenue, since many clients will call you on a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly basis. 

Eco-friendly cleaning 

Any spaces humans live in, they instantly become toxic if not cleaned for a specific period of time. This impacts our health and environment in the long-term, creating a growing demand for eco-friendly cleaning services. 

Eco-friendly cleaning frees given spaces from harmful chemicals like ammonia, bleach, and phosphates. Sustainable practices include minimizing waste by using reusable mop heads and cloths. 

Specialized eco-friendly cleaning applies to all fields, such as residential, commercial, and post-construction cleaning. 

Commercial cleaning 

Commercial cleaning services focus on maintaining cleanliness and hygiene in retail spaces, offices, industrial facilities, and other non-residential areas. This type of service plays an important role in creating a welcoming, safe, and productive environment for businesses, employees, and customers. 

Key services that are part of commercial cleaning include: 

1. Specialized cleaning 
2. General office cleaning 
3. Floor care 
4. Disinfection
5. Post-construction cleaning 
6. Industrial cleaning 

Since commercial cleaning covers such a high range of services, it’s highly in demand and offers long-term contracts with clients. 

2. Create your business name

Instead of having to waste lots of time thinking of a good name for your cleaning business, you can now use AI business name generators to help you save time. All you have to do is include the industry you are in, which is cleaning services in this case and AI will give you plenty of options to choose from. 

Therefore, right after you’re done figuring out which services to go with, it’s now time to choose the business name that is right for you. 

3. Create your logo design

After you’re done choosing your name, it’s now time to create your logo design with the help of AI. Similar to a business name generator, your logo design will also be created based on the industry you are in and the type of information you input. 

After you enter your industry, your business description, and other important information, the AI logo generator will start to present you with different logo designs that you can use. All you have to do is choose the colors, symbols, and styles you want to use and it’ll evoke certain emotions in your customers. 

The colors you choose need to represent your brand identity. This is a one-time approach and your chance to make a good first impression. It’s never practical to change your logo’s design colors since it can make your brand look unserious. 

If you don’t have any ideas in mind, here’s our short guide on what are the most commonly used logo design colors: 

1. Blue
2. Green
3. White
4. Yellow
5. Gray
6. Orange
7. Acqua

If you’re planning on choosing two colors, you can consider choosing these five powerful combinations: Blue and white, green and white, blue and green, aqua and gray, and yellow and white. 

4. Set up your website 

Creating a website for your cleaning business is an advantage since not all businesses in this industry have any websites, but are more local based, or register themselves on online directories such as on Google My Business. 

Considering you have this advantage, with technology evolving so fast, you can now use AI tools to set up your website in less than an hour only by inputting essential information. 

In this case, you are interested in starting a cleaning business, so the AI web builder will ask you to input your business description and the industry you are part of to make sure it creates the website that is fit for your cleaning business.

5. Register your cleaning business 

After you’re done with the logos, names, and defining what kind of cleaning services you are going to provide, it’s now time to register your cleaning business. General steps to follow to make this happen are: 

1. Register with your state agency.
2. Apply for an Employer Identification Number (EIN) through the IRS. If you don’t have this number, you can't open a business bank account, pay taxes, and even start hiring employees, so this is mandatory. 
3. Apply for a business license and permits that your local and state government requires. 
4. Register your business name. 

Each state has different regulations, so you’ll need to check up with them to see which ones you are eligible for. 

6. Open your business bank account 

Even if you’re running a business on your own, it’s important to keep your personal finances and work separated when starting your cleaning business. Business bank accounts help in showing you your revenue and overall expenses to be surer of how your finances look like. 

If you’re looking to apply for a business loan when starting your business, you can do so. 

7. Acquire liability insurance 

Acquiring liability insurance is important for protecting your business from any lawsuits and claims. This makes sure that in case someone gets injured from your services, insurance will cover it. 

There are different types of insurance such as disability insurance, employee insurance, and more, where you’ll need to research more if that field interests you and your local government is asking for more requirements. 

When checking for liability insurance, it’s best to compare rates and see which one the best option is to go with. 

8. Set your prices 

The prices you set will all depend on the region and area you are living in. For instance, cleaning service prices in the USA, Europe differ between each other. The average rate in America is anywhere between $25 to $40 hourly. However, your best bet is to closely monitor your competitors and see which prices they are charging. 

Cleaning services usually have competitive prices so it’s important to make sure you don’t set prices higher than what they ask for. 

9. Promote your business as much as you can 

When starting a cleaning business, it’s important to make sure you are promoting it as much as you can. This includes posting more about your business on social media channels, business cards, flyers, and anywhere else you can think of. 

For instance, a good approach would be to start joining groups on social media channels, such as Facebook, Instagram, and others. You can start passing out or posting flyers on community boards and even leave them on people’s doorsteps. 

Above all, it’s always a good idea to ask customers to leave good reviews and testimonials for you. This helps in spreading the word and makes your new business look much more trustable. 

10. Offer high-quality services 

The success of your business will strongly depend on how satisfied your customers are and what kind of services you are providing to them. You can always make your customers happy by doing simple things such as responding to them on time, always being available, not being late in your inquiries, being professional, paying attention to little details when cleaning, and making sure your customers are happy when you finish the job. 

When customers are satisfied with your work, they’ll always tell others about it and even leave a good review if they want to. Word of mouth has always and will always be the strongest marketing tool, and in this case, once customers are satisfied with your work, they’ll make sure to spread the word. 

88% of customers trust customer recommendations and 13% of sales are driven by word-of-mouth. 

It’s now time to start your own cleaning business 

Starting your own cleaning business is a rewarding venture that offers your more flexibility, independence, and opportunities to build a successful long-term business. By following important key steps such as obtaining the necessary licenses, creating a good business plan, and investing in the necessary equipment, you are one step away from making it possible. 

Above all, it’s important to build strong long-term relationships with your clients, implement effective marketing strategies, and offer high-quality services. After you do this, always remain consistent and committed. When clients see that you’re serious about quality work, they’ll make sure to tell everyone about your business and recommend it to others.