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.
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