How to Start a Cleaning Business (2024 Guide) – Forbes Advisor UK

As cleaning companies, we provide services that are absolutely necessary for people's daily lives at home and at work. Commercial and residential cleaning companies provide the same services but have different requirements in terms of materials, customers, and marketing. This guide will show you how to start a cleaning business as a side hustle or full-time career.

Before you start

Choose your business structure: As with many start-up businesses, you will need to start as a sole proprietorship if you are the only employee of your cleaning company initially. This is great if you want to start it as a side hustle and see if you can grow it from there. For more information about sole traders, partnerships and limited companies, check out our 10-step guide to starting a business.

Decide on a name: Before deciding on a name for your business, you should make sure that the name you want to use isn't already taken. This is easy to do on the .Gov website. You'll want something simple and easily recognizable. It is also possible to add a brand name (“trade name”) that is different from the registered trade name.

Register your business and apply for insurance. As well as registering your cleaning business with HMRC and Companies House (if you are a limited company), you will also need to have appropriate insurance. For example, public liability in the case of an accident or property damage claim, or employers' liability insurance if you start recruiting staff. Also, check with your local government to see if any permits or licenses are required.

5 steps to start a cleaning business

Step 1: Know the market

If you're thinking of starting a cleaning business, research other companies in the area and the services they offer. What additional services or value can you offer them if they work in the same market as you? You can also consider offering incentives in your pricing to encourage repeat customers.

Part of your research should also include reading Yelp and Google reviews to see what people's top compliments and complaints are. If your customers want more flexible options, you can fill a gap in the market.

Step 2: Choose your specialty

Based on your market research, you need to decide on the focus areas for your business. Is there a high demand for commercial services or residential in your area? Where is there the least competition? The route you choose will determine the type of training you need and the insurance you take out, so choose carefully. please.

commercial cleaning services

Commercial cleaning companies handle large spaces operated by offices, hospitals, schools, stores, and other businesses. This service is basically providing a janitor for large companies that need to keep everything clean and organized so that people can easily move around the space.

Special equipment may be required to clean these spaces. You may also need to work all-nighters to avoid disrupting the company's daily operations and enroll your cleaners in classes or obtain certifications. These are especially important in locations where special precautions against biohazards and sterile environments are required.

Cleaning teams need to have a regular routine and need to know what they are doing. Having a professional, well-trained team is essential for commercial cleaning.

consumer cleaning services

Consumer cleaning involves working in people's homes and living spaces. Since this is your client's personal space, you'll likely get more direction from them, and specifications may vary from week to week. You and your cleaners must adapt to and be respectful of the client's home.

Residential cleaners need to be more detail-oriented and always know how rooms are arranged. Because of these detailed tasks, cleaning also takes time. Therefore, you may need to charge higher rates to compensate for the reduced daily business volume.

Step 3: Generalist or Niche?

Even after you choose the consumer or commercial cleaning route, you can choose to specialize in that field.

As a commercial cleaner, we can also specialize in school cleaning and use cleaning equipment that is certified safe for children. If you want to work with hospitals, it's a good idea to stock up on specialized materials and cleaning methods for hospitals.

Providing customers with flexible options of their choice for residential services can also be a great niche service. Families with young children need consistent services, so advertising your services is a good way to build a customer base.

Step 4: Set your rates

There are usually three ways to price cleaning companies: hourly, flat rate, and square foot. Hourly rates and flat rates apply to commercial or consumer cleaning. It may be wise to start with a residential hourly rate and calculate a flat fee based on the time it takes the cleaner to complete an average single-family home.

For commercial cleaning companies, rates calculated by square footage are very common. For more regular and repetitive tasks, it makes sense to simply calculate how much space you have and how much effort you need to put into it.

Step 5: Budget for transportation, equipment, etc.

When first creating a budget, you need to take into account all the stages that the company's employees go through in the cleaning process. If you need specialized equipment, it's a good idea to invest in it upfront so you can get started right away. Employee training may also be required for specialized equipment, such as floor waxing machines.

In addition to transporting equipment, you may also need to provide transportation for your employees. However, even if you expect employees to travel to the job site themselves, qualified in-house personnel should oversee the transportation of materials and ensure that employees get from the office to the job site. You should consider your transportation budget early.

Cleaning supplies can be a significant expense. In addition to specialized cleaning equipment, you should keep a large inventory of cleaning supplies such as brooms, mops, disinfectants, and protective equipment for your employees. It's important to keep these fully stocked, especially during busy weeks, in case of supply chain shortages or other contingencies.

How to advertise and find clients

Once you have decided how niche or general your offering will be and what kind of cleaning you will do, you can start creating your marketing plan.

First, identify your target client. You'll want to promote your services where your customers congregate, either online or in person. You can advertise your family home cleaning on his website like Nextdoor or place flyers at local businesses and libraries.

For commercial cleaning services, you may want to consider entering into a larger contract with a property manager. You can start researching different property owners that you think are in need of better cleaning services and contact them to market your services. Asking what they need and finding a way to implement that need will help you in the long run.

A customer relationship management (CRM) program helps you track client contact information, specific requirements, and more. As you grow your business, many options sync with your invoicing software, making it easy to bill your clients for your work. Check out our list of the best CRM software to find the one that fits your needs.