My Cleaning Business Mini Course Introduction My name is Anna Ajina. When my children were small and I wanted to stay at home and be with them as much as possible it was very difficult to find an office job to suit my hours. I decided then that I had to find something to do which would allow me to work when I wanted. It had to be my own business. I also knew that it had to be: Business to be run from home Which can make you a lot of money - money is constantly coming in Can be started on a shoestring To be your own boss - there is no one to answer to but yourself Easy to run as a business (just good management skills) To make good relationships with clients and develop friendships Flexible business to run 1
Every self-employed person complains about their business or industry but they almost always finish by saying it is better than working for someone else More fulfilling lifestyle I decided that that business was running my own cleaner introduction service, often known as a cleaning agency. People are very busy these days and have no time for cleaning and ironing. So I would help them to provide a good cleaning and ironing service. I looked at various domestic cleaning franchise operations but decided to rule them out because: There was a high initial franchise fee There were high ongoing monthly management fees I would have been limited to a specific postcode territory Overall I would have been restricted how I wanted to run and develop my business So I decided to go it alone and set up my own cleaning business. I researched and learned from my own mistakes and followed my own marketing and administrative system. I am now very happy to give you all my knowledge at a small fraction of a franchise cost and with no limits on where you like to operate your business. For more information please visit: http://www.cleaningbusinessgold.com 2
If you are well organised, enthusiastic and determined to achieve success, I am confident you will build a prosperous business in this strong and exciting domestic cleaning niche. I look forward to helping you to achieve your success as well Anna Ajina 3
Domestic Cleaning And Beyond Domestic cleaning is a huge part of the cleaning industry and is our main focus, at least to start with. Domestic cleans are usually categorized as follows. Cleaning provision for: homeowners letting agencies housing associations We concentrate on cleaning for homeowners. It is a significant slice of the overall industry. Current estimates suggest that domestic cleaning is worth 3 billion per year and that the sector is continuing to grow. One reason this sector is growing is that more and more people have demanding careers women as well as men. There is also more disposable income now, and people are less inclined to clean their own homes. You will have to carry out some local market research to identify the target homeowners who may require this service. For example: upper/middle-class professionals young executives and professionals affluent elderly people. The easiest and best way to attract business initially is through leaflet drops. I remember walking down the chosen road alone or with my son or daughter and putting leaflets through the door. 4
Later, when you want and are ready to expand you can go for cleaning offices, pubs and leisure premises, builders cleans, cleaning new-build homes or commercial premises, cleaning for letting agencies or housing associations. You can also add other services like window cleaning, cleaning carpets and upholstery or specialist cleans. 5
First Things First Naming Your Business Let s have a little fun here, although it is a serious business. It may sound a little extreme, but choosing the right name really can make or break your business if you have a vague name, clients will not understand what it is you are offering and will naturally contact a company that sounds like it offers the services they require. Your business name will be on your business cards, stationery, and advertising, and possibly online, so choose a good name. Try to avoid choosing silly or comedic names. This is bound to give impression that you are unprofessional and are not entirely serious about your business intentions. Write down every name you can think of. Then narrow your selection down to three favorites, with the name you like best at the top. There is a good reason to choose three names. Before you set up everything, do a name search to make sure that no other business is using the same name. Check out all three of your company name choices. This way, if your first choice doesn t work out, you already know if your second choice is available. Before you invest in stationery, advertising, and business cards be absolutely sure that you can legally use the name. At some point you can create your company s logo, which you can display on your letterheads, compliment slips, leaflets and business cards. Always remember that YOU are the best advert for your business. Meeting people and being polite, professional and presentable are simple things that will help people associate your brand with quality. 6
Don t Wait for the Right Time to Start There is often no right time to start something but you need to start anyway. Of course you have to think about having the right skills and sometimes the right people to go with, but you know that if you wait too long, you might never start at all. It is very rare that the people, money, skills and emotions come together exactly when you want them. Sometimes you just have to go with what you have. As long as you are aware there are good and bad sides to everything, it is not wrong to jump into something. Just be prepared. Life is about learning to adapt as you progress and things don t have to be perfect for you to succeed. Of course you can work at making it better and you learn a lot as you go along. And you have to trust your own judgment because that is all you have. Starting something new is not easy. It requires you to stretch and step outside your place of comfort. The fact is that all success lies out of your comfort zone. When you reach a point where you are more and more unhappy with your life, you have to get out of your comfort zone. There is a saying that If you keep doing what you have always done then you will keep getting what you have always got. So, if you want to change something in your life, you have no choice but to move out of your comfort zone. It can be very difficult to make a change in your life, especially if you have little money. You might not have all the choices in the world, but you still have some. And it s all right to feel scared, as long as that doesn t stop you acting. 7
Get help from someone who knows the route or follow someone who can lead you where you want to be. Decide where you want to go and make your plan with any help you can get. So, go ahead and do it! 8
Provide Your Clients With A Service Clients are your business. Keeping your clients is as important as finding new ones, and you can only retain your clients through good and consistent levels of service. When clients choose a service provider, they do not anticipate cancelling the contract after a few months or a year or so they take on a cleaning company in the belief it will be a good service provider. It is when things go wrong that a client will consider cancelling a cleaning contract. It is up to you, therefore, whether you retain or lose your clients. First, deliver what you promise: if you cannot deliver it, do not promise it! Remember, more clients only require the following from a cleaning service: Clean premises every time. A competitive price. An understanding of their needs and expectations you understand not only your own business but also theirs. A consistent cleaning service: same cleaner, same day, no days missed. To be kept informed. That comments, queries and complaints are dealt with and rectified the first time of asking. Support and attention, when required. 9
In most cases, if you attend to those requirements, you will retain your clients. Despite your best efforts, however, there will be occasions when your relationship with a client breaks down: You underestimated the cleaning time. As a result, you are struggling to achieve quality with the labour budget available. The client may have unreasonable and demanding expectations. You have committed yourself to a task you are untrained to do or are incapable of carrying out. The client s premises are in an area where it is difficult to find cleaning staff willing to travel there. The client does not tell you about the problems they are having with your service and cancels out of the blue without giving you an opportunity to rectify these problems. The client is experiencing financial problems and wants to cancel the cleaning contract to ease their financial burden. While there is little you can do to avoid the above, the point remains that you should never compromise on your level of client service. So, try your very best! 10
How Green Is Your CLEAN You can choose as your USP (Unique Selling Point) for your agency an ecofriendly service by using organic and nontoxic cleaning materials. From the kitchen and bath to the living room and laundry, you can get green solutions for every common cleaning chore. You can supply your clients with special green cleaning materials there are companies out there which sell those products. It could be an extra income for you. Or you could prepare yourself, if you like, a few recipes which are very good and easy to make. For example: Mild All-Purpose Cleaner This baking soda based formula gently scours away dirt, food spills, stains and buildup on most surfaces. Its deodorizing properties make it ideal solution for cleaning fridges, microwaves, tiles and even children s toys. For 1 quart (a bit less than a liter) of cleaner you need: 4 tablespoons of baking soda and 1 quart of water 1. Mix all ingredients in a clean container or a bottle. 2. Wipe surfaces with a soft cloth or sponge. 11
Minty Fresh All-Purpose Cleaner If you like the smell of mint, try this cleaner. It works on sinks, showers, tile floors and as a great insect deterrent when sprayed on out-door plants and flowers. For 1 quart of cleaner you need: 2 tablespoons peppermint liquid castile soap (Dr Bronner s from Amazon) ¼ cup of white vinegar ¼ cup of baking soda water to fill quart spray bottle Mix all ingredients in the bottle. Spray on cloth, mop or directly on surface. 12
Cleaning Business is NOT a Small Change Pursuit Why do you think that I believe this business to be the best business in the world? Most businesses require you to have some money in the bank or take a bank loan, and employ staff. Not this one. From my own experience I found this business to be the cheapest to start with, very flexible and easy to run and a potential of making you a lot of money. It is a repeat business which means that for an initial effort of finding a client you get money coming in every week, every month and every year. The business is very easy to run and requires only basic skills of reading, writing, adding up and communication. You will need a telephone, a computer and printer and couple of hundred dollars for printing some advertising leaflets. That is all! You will be your own boss there is no one to answer to but yourself. You are going to operate a domestic cleaning agency. Within two years you may have approaching 300 clients paying you each about 36 per month, that is 432 a year, which means 129600 a year. This business can be run part-time or full-time, by one person or husband and wife team, a stay at home mother, single mother or a student. To Your Success Anna Ajina for more information go to: http://www.cleaningbusinessgold.com 13