skills and the will to do the job well. The ability to be an efficient organizer is also a plus. You don’t have to be a “neat freak,” but you do have to have the energy and the desire to make order out of other people’s chaos. It’s a hard job, but it is one that people appreciate and will pay for.
If you’re going to be successful at providing a cleaning service for people’s homes, you’ve got to be able to deal with your clients. This is a demanding service that depends on repeat customers. If your customers don’t like what you do, they’ll let you know. If you can’t provide what they want, they will go elsewhere. Sometimes, wearing more than one hat in a business is extremely difficult, especially when you’re starting out. Can you be the person who cleans and the person who handles customers’ complaints and concerns, as well as the person who follows up and makes sure the bills get paid?
Being your own boss is great, but your cleaning skills and experience only get you so far. If you’re really determined to go ahead, consider getting further training to help beef up your entrepreneurial side, or find a partner who can handle the customer-relations side of things. Community colleges and small business centers often have courses and seminars on customer service and bookkeeping.
Starting a home cleaning business requires an investment of both your time and your money. You’ll need to assess the potential market, purchase equipment, and advertise. Consider whether your location is one that can support a home cleaning business. Is there any competition? For more about assessing market possibilities, see Chapter 5 on marketing.
Have you got what it takes to get your cleaning business up and running?
3. Filling In The Vacuum
Cleaning services come in all sizes: there are independents, agencies, franchises, and corporations. There are those who dabble and those who devote their lives to this market.
How far you want to go in this industry depends on your ambition. Remember, demand is high due to an increase in overworked, dual-income couples, more homes being built, and an aging population, who are not only in search of less work and more leisure time, but are also moving into
assisted-living residences. American figures compiled in 2000 indicate there are over 115 million homes across the country. There were over 12,000 house cleaners listed in the telephone directories in 2005. In 2004, cleaners (this includes cleaners for all types of establishments) held more than 4 million jobs, with over 6 percent self-employed. In Canada, there were over 11 million dwellings in 2001. Over 400,000 workers were employed in these areas, with about 15 percent of them self-employed. Not included in these figures is the underground economy servicing homes and offices throughout North America.
Many services are included in the home-care cleaning industry and new ones are added all the time. The following is a general list of services offered:
• General housecleaning
• Spring cleaning
• Window cleaning
• Blind cleaning
• Wall and ceiling washing
• Post-disaster cleaning (fires, floods)
• Post-construction cleaning
• Post- and pre-party preparation
• House-sitting
• Pet sitting
• Garden and outside patio maintenance
• Laundry and valet service
• Party hosting, reception
• Office cleaning
• Estate sale preparation
• Boat and yacht cleaning
• Property management
Your business can offer many special services besides cleaning. Use the services above as a starting point. Some may be immediately attractive because they fit your vision of the business and what you see yourself providing.
4. You’re On Your Way
Many people dream about starting their own business but never go ahead and do it. Faced with the reality of organizing even a simple venture, many people are overwhelmed and lose their enthusiasm. However, the key to success is to plan well and break down each goal into accomplishable tasks. If you follow the advice and steps given in this book, you may realize your dream and launch your own successful cleaning business.
2
Sweeping The Nation: Getting Started
1. Targeting Your Market
Your market is that segment of the population that will pay for a cleaning service. In the United States and Canada, there are more than 125 million homes, not to mention the millions of offices, schools, hospitals, hotels, nursing homes, retail locations, etc. These are your potential clients. Since the aim of this book is to help you start a home cleaning business, here are the techniques needed to target this special market.
1.1 Assess your market potential
Look at your area and assess its potential. You need to find the answers to the following questions:
(a) Who needs your cleaning service?
(b) Who can pay for your service?
(c) How many of those people are in your area?
(d) How do you find those people?
(e) Is there competition?
(f) If so, can you offer something your competitor can’t?
(g) Can you make a profit?
1.2 Identify your customers
Target homes with disposable income. Two-income families are best because they generally have a high acceptance for home help. Working couples are busy people for whom the idea of paying someone else to clean up is attractive and affordable.
There are probably families and couples in your locality who would welcome a quality cleaning service that also offers extras such as garage and attic cleaning, pet sitting, and window cleaning. Also note that there is a growing market of people who are “downsizing” their homes — retirees who are moving into smaller quarters and need help with the cleanup. Baby boomers are aging, and so are their parents. See Chapter 14 for more information.
Who is your ideal customer and where does he or she live? Consider these factors as you draw up the ideal profile:
(a) Is your ideal customer male or female?
(b) Between what age range does your ideal customer fall?
(c) What is his or her occupation?
(d) Does your ideal customer own or rent his or her home?
(e) What range of income does your ideal customer have?
(f) What hobbies does your ideal customer have?
(g) What type of service does your customer seek or need?
Scout your prime areas in the evenings. Are there any homes with two vehicles parked in the driveway? Are driveways empty during the day? This generally indicates people are at work.
New home buyers generally allocate their money first to purchasing the home, then landscaping, decorating, and furnishing. Therefore, newly developed neighborhoods may not be your best bet for clients because these people can’t afford to spend any extra income on cleaning services. After a few years, however, people in these neighborhoods may have disposable income