You can earn a whole lot of money with a cleaning business, but only with strategic management. Only with the right tactics, you can ensure that your cleaning business is successful and efficient.
There are tons of house cleaners out there, so why should customers pick you? Luckily, there are many ways for cleaning services to stand out from the crowd. We’ve gathered the best tips and practices to help you run a successful cleaning business.
How to run a successful cleaning business – Best practices
Our list of tips and tricks will help both established and brand new cleaning services:
Modernize your scheduling
Remember: the money you spend on technology is well-invested. Your modern cleaning service needs modern scheduling software. This way, you can communicate with customers efficiently and in real time.
With these apps, you can assign the right jobs to the right people, keep the team up to date, and generate reports based on your performance. Certain apps even let you accept and process payments.
Trafft is the perfect cleaning business software for business owners who need to streamline their booking experience both for their staff and their clients. With Trafft, you can cut even 75% of the time used to manage your bookings.
Trafft lets any business owner:
- accept and process confirmations and payments right away
- keep in touch with customers with emails and SMS notifications
- impress customers with an attractive web and mobile page for bookings
- assign cleaning jobs within seconds and have a clear overview of availability
How does Trafft help grow your own cleaning business?
- Lets you manage pricing for each cleaning service and manage payments for employees
- Lets you assign and monitor cleaning jobs in different locations
- Lets you manage the team and schedule jobs evenly
- Produces efficient statistics and reports
- Lets you create a responsive and professional booking page for your cleaning company
- Keeps track of performance and lets you plan in advance
- Processes payments and automates work orders
- Enables notifications for all parties in real-time
- It guarantees 100% uptime and enhanced security features
Ensure customer satisfaction with fair pricing
Make sure you offer free estimates. This way, all potential customers will plan their costs and the time necessary to complete the cleaning job. Adjust the residential cleaning prices to the size of the place, and be a fair service provider.
Before you move on to pricing, consider all factors affecting your service. Among them are your location, target audience, competition, and the market you operate in. Intrigue customers with more than basic packages. Offer extra services such as wall washing, window cleaning, carpet cleaning, etc.
Excel at what you do
Residential cleaning is simple, but it needs to be done right. Be that janitorial work or a premium cleaning service, deliver the quality you would expect. Customers will know to appreciate this.
You can only move forward with quality and fair prices. The happier your customers are, the better reviews they will give you. Before you know it, you will have a whole bunch of new clients.
Better yet, satisfied customers will refer you to all their friends, and you will soon have a local community. This will make you proud of what you do and will ensure that customers are willing to keep working with you.
Choose the best niche
You can’t do it all, and that is sometimes a good thing. Pick a market you work in, and stick to it. For instance, if you have a small cleaning company, reaching out to large buildings may not pay off.
Instead, limit the jobs to smaller apartments and offices. Consistency is key – if you try to be everywhere at the same time, you will get nowhere.
Apply effective time management
Launching your cleaning business is time-consuming, but there is plenty you can do to simplify it. You can save time by automating daily operations and managerial tasks, and by making strategic decisions in advance.
For starters, manage your schedule in a way that lets you clean more objects in a single day. If the slot starts at 10 am, you may not be able to serve the next customer in the afternoon. Therefore, move it to 8 am and earn double instead.
Keep business finances under control
The worst mistake any business owner can do is to neglect how the finances are spent. Even if your cleaning company earns more than you expected, plan all expenses, and keep taxes under control.
Once all expenses are subtracted from the overall revenue, 30% of the remaining amount needs to be allocated for taxes. If you don’t have experience with this, consider accountancy software or professional help.
Clean with high-quality supplies
We would all be tempted to get the cheaper products for our cleaning business, but that may not be the deal we expect it to be. The better products we use, the more unique clientele will get interested in our business.
If possible, use only eco-friendly and non-toxic products, and such that won’t damage the furniture of your clients.
Healthy and safe cleaning solutions are more expensive, but they are worth it. Read industry blogs and publications to gather information on the best products. This will give you a competitive edge.
Make sure employees are satisfied
Another critical factor to the success of any cleaning business is employee satisfaction. The more you take care of them, the better they will perform, and the more satisfied clients you will have. There are many ways to do this, so start by praising their job.
Your employees are your most valuable resource. Don’t impose unnecessary rules, and let them know they are responsible on the field. The key to their good job is to keep pressure on low levels.
If you are satisfied with their job, let them know with further incentives and bonuses. You can even offer additional perks, such as letting them use your equipment at home.
Marketing is key
The whole idea of being referred may work for a while, but you need to advertise your cleaning business to expand it. Modern cleaning services require a professional online presence.
This is true especially if you intend to work in various regions. Remember – if your customers nowadays can’t find you on social media, you don’t exist to them.
A website may be a big investment for a small cleaning business, but there are other ways to leave a digital footprint. Consider Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter. Your clients will find your contact data easily, and they can also read about your newest offers and discounts.
You can even go a step further and have a professionally designed logo for the cleaning business. Choose something that works with the name and the statement you want to make, and you will outdo competitors with a single move.
Create a great cleaning business website
Think of your website as your digital storefront. In less than a second, your customers will form their opinions about you and will either contact you or leave. Give them all possible motivation to stay. This is how:
- Create an identity with a cute logo and recognizable brand colors
- Track the performance of the website. Note that websites that take longer than 3 seconds to load lose even 40% of their conversions.
- Make navigation easy and user-friendly. You don’t want to avoid your customers.
- Consider SEO, so that your cleaning company ranks higher on search engines.
- Introduce CTAs. Small websites are practically dependent on clear calls to action so that customers make quick decisions.
- Involve your most loyal customers and publish their reviews. You need to establish credibility via social proof so that customers want your cleaning services only.
Make sure your cleaning business plays along with the economy
There will always be work for a cleaning business, but don’t take this for granted. Economic changes affect all markets, and a cleaning company is not an exception. When families are looking to save, they think of cleaning services as a luxury they don’t need, so you may be losing some of them along the way.
The same goes for commercial cleaning. If the business isn’t generating profits, there will be no offices to clean. Or, at the very least, you may get replaced by a more affordable cleaning service business.
The economic shakes may not destroy your own business, but they may affect the profits you make. Consider, for instance, how oil prices influence your travel-related expenses. Perhaps it is time to reconsider some of your strategies.
Retain good customers
You may be looking for new customers for your house cleaning business, but don’t forget the ones who are already there. Competition is stronger than ever, so think of strategies to keep customers coming back.
You can begin by bulletproofing their loyalty. Create special pricing or loyalty programs to make them choose you and not your competitors. Offer every tenth cleaning for free, for instance, or give them an extra service they didn’t offer. This will keep customers on board.
Keep learning
It’s true, that a cleaning business may not be the most exciting career in the world, but there is still plenty to be done about it. It is highly affected by technology developments and safety issues, so make sure you know these things. Improve the cleaning services, but also yourself – there are many managerial skills to adopt.
You can find information in industry publications, or join a community or a trade organization. You can build a network by working tightly with your suppliers – they will refer you to the right sources.
Stand out from the crowded market
Are you starting a cleaning business? No worries!
The cleaning industry is ruthless, but that shouldn’t discourage you. There is plenty of space for your cleaning business to be unique, and to attract more clients. All you need to do is to show them that you are better than other cleaning businesses, in your own, unique way.
This is what business experts call a unique selling proposition (USP). This term brings together all ways for you to run a distinctive cleaning business, and let customers know that. A great beginning would be to tell potential customers why current customers chose your cleaning services.
Most residential cleaning and commercial cleaning businesses require a small budget, which is an advantage on its own. You can get your cleaning business up and running in no time, and with a limited budget. The difference is onward will be if you want to keep costs covered or make a fortune with the cleaning business. The choice is all yours!
FAQs about running a successful cleaning business
1. How do I market my cleaning business to attract more clients?
To draw in additional customers, you must market your cleaning company. Some efficient tactics include social media marketing, targeted advertising, and referral marketing.
Also, you can provide existing customers with special discounts or referral bonuses. It can also help to enhance exposure and develop trust with potential customers by networking with nearby businesses and participating in local activities.
2. What types of cleaning services should I offer to be competitive in the market?
Being competitive in the market requires that you provide a variety of cleaning services. There is a significant demand for services such as routine home cleaning, thorough cleaning, move-in/move-out cleaning, commercial cleaning, and post-construction cleaning.
To differentiate your company, you may also think about providing eco-friendly cleaning services or specialist services like window cleaning, carpet cleaning, or upholstery cleaning.
3. How do I establish a pricing strategy that is both competitive and profitable?
Pricing your cleaning services properly requires striking a balance between profitability and competition. You must take into account elements including the room’s size, the degree of cleaning required, and the frequency of service.
Establish a competitive pricing by comparing it to other cleaning companies’ rates in your neighborhood. To ensure profitability, don’t forget to account for labor and supplier costs as well.
4. What is the best way to train and manage my cleaning staff to ensure high-quality service?
Maintaining a good level of service requires proper training and management of your cleaning personnel. Provide a training curriculum that addresses customer service, cleaning methods, and safety protocols.
To make sure that every cleaning duty is completed completely, use checklists. Check in with your personnel frequently to get input and pinpoint areas that could want improvement. Provide rewards for achieving quality criteria.
5. How do I handle customer complaints or negative reviews?
Although it can be difficult, responding to consumer concerns or unfavorable reviews is crucial for keeping a positive reputation.
Provide a solution to the customer’s issue and react quickly and sympathetically. If there are any problems with your staff or service, fix them now to avoid future complaints. Use unfavorable comments as a chance to enhance your service.
6. How can I differentiate my cleaning business from others in the market?
You can stand out from the competition and draw in more customers by differentiating your cleaning company from the competition.
You can provide specialty cleaning services, such as eco-friendly or pet-friendly cleaning, or you can charge differently, such as with a subscription-based service. Establishing trust with customers and offering outstanding customer service can also distinguish your company.
7. What kind of insurance and licenses do I need to operate a cleaning business?
To protect your company from responsibility and pay for any staff accidents, you might require liability insurance and workers’ compensation insurance if you run a cleaning firm. You might additionally require a company license or permission depending on your location.
Make sure you have the required insurance and licenses by researching the regulations in your area.
8. How can I streamline my administrative tasks to maximize efficiency?
Streamlining your administrative processes can help you work more quickly and effectively. For organizing bills, making appointments, and keeping track of spending, think about using software or applications. Time can be saved by automating repetitive operations.
To free up your time for other crucial facets of your company, outsource jobs like marketing or bookkeeping.
9. How do I track my finances and ensure profitability?
To ensure profitability, keeping track of your funds is crucial. To keep track of your earnings and losses, use accounting software.
Maintain thorough records of your revenue and expenses, including invoices and receipts. To find areas where you can reduce costs and boost revenue, analyze your financial data on a regular basis.
10. How do I maintain high standards of cleanliness and sanitation in a post-pandemic world?
In a post-pandemic world, upholding strict standards of cleanliness and hygienic conditions is more important than ever. Be abreast of the most recent cleaning and sanitation recommendations issued by medical organizations like the CDC and WHO. To successfully eliminate bacteria and viruses, utilize cleaning supplies and disinfectants that have received EPA approval.
Make sure your workforce is instructed in correct sanitation practices and is wearing the proper PPE. To foster trust and ensure your clients that their environments are safe and clean, explain your cleaning and safety procedures to them.
If you enjoyed reading this article on how to run a successful cleaning business, you should check out this one with cleaning service agreement templates.
We also wrote about similar subjects like what to put on a cleaning service flyer, how to advertise your cleaning business, and cleaning business success stories.
