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How to Start an Office Cleaning Business

Why would anyone want to go into the office cleaning business? You would have to work when there are no people in the office, which is usually after (or before) hours and on weekends and there is no salary to be earned every two weeks or at the end of the month.

That’s about as far as it goes for the ‘detriments’ of the office cleaning business. One of the best things about starting an office cleaning business is that you can start doing it with little more than $100. At the start of your office cleaning business, you probably would have to do all the work at times not normally associated with keeping ‘office hours’, but on the plus side it won’t last forever.

As soon as the office cleaning business comes in at a steady rate, you’ll most probably hire a crew who’ll go in and do the job while you lie snug in bed or spend time on other pursuits. Another great thing about having your own office cleaning business would be that added bonus of taking a day off whenever you want and that you don’t have to wait two weeks or a month for your salary. So let’s take a look at how you would go about to set yourself up in the office cleaning business and prepare for a life of financial security.

Unlike many other professions, the office cleaning business does not require a fancy suit or uniform, although it pays to look professional. The real focus when you start out with the office cleaning business is getting the basic equipment together and finding clients. So what equipment do you need and how do you find clients?

For those starting their office cleaning business with little or no initial investment, the first one is easy. Think about what you would use to clean your house. Pay attention to the chemicals you use and to which surfaces and objects they can be applied. A bucket is always a handy tool and, depending on the layout of the office, you might want to get a small stepladder to get to those hard to reach places.

Another good investment for your office cleaning business might be a belt system into which you can hook your rags, chemicals, window cleaning squeegees and rubbers and the rest of the tools you would require on a more regular basis than others. This will obviously supply you with a more ‘action-ready’ image for potential customers and could work toward promoting your office cleaning business. And when you are finally ready to expand your office cleaning business, a van and a floor scrubber and a sweeper would be a sound investment.

Marketing your office cleaning business will require some research because you would like to know if there is any competition in your target area and what it is they offer and what your office cleaning business can offer that they don’t. Business cards are always a good idea; hand them out to current and potential clients – you never know whom your cards might get passed on to.

Other things you might want to consider doing is placing an advertisement about your office cleaning business and the services offered in local newspapers and magazines, and if you have a computer and internet access, get a website on the internet detailing the services you offer and why you would be beneficial to prospective customers. An online booking form would be a big plus.

At this stage you should be set-up with your basic equipment, have just handed out a couple of business cards and your office cleaning business advertisement will appear in the local paper within the next couple of days. There’s just one more thing we need to discuss: Pricing.

The area you choose to focus your office cleaning business on can determine your fees. If there is little or no competition in your area, you can get away with charging premium rates. And if there is a healthy amount of already established office cleaning business competitors, then you may well be able to ask less than they do or offer an additional service at a discount price. Just keep in mind that you don’t want to charge too little either.

There are various ways to determine your initial fee structure. Go to your local janitorial supply store where you bought your equipment. Needless to say they’ll be happy to see a customer returning on a regular basis so it will be in their best interest to dispense of any information that could help you out.

For an office cleaning business that takes $100 or less to get off the ground, it should be easy to keep your head above water and operate at a profit. Project your monthly office cleaning business expenditures, the amount of tax you will have to pay and what kind of salary you would be able to pay yourself to afford your rent and personal cost of living. With a little bit of work, you could be smiling on your way to the bank in no time.