Start your new business off on the right foot with these easy and effective cleaning company tips.
Congratulations! You just started your own cleaning business. Your hard work, your time, and your passion paid off. You have a great business name, an office, your own equipment and supplies, and you even have your first customer already. But now what? How will you grow your business? What cleaning company tips should you follow to differentiate yourself from other cleaning businesses?
Like any business, finding your niche in the commercial cleaning industry requires a bit of legwork, a bit of planning, and a bit of imagination. To help you get started, we’ve compiled a list of cleaning company tips that are sure to make your new business shine!
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7 Commercial cleaning business tips you don’t want to miss
1. Invest in effective marketing
One of the most challenging things about starting a business is getting the word out. After all, you’re a cleaning professional, not a marketing agency. Most new business owners face this dilemma. However, if you want to have a successful cleaning business you need to buckle down and work to overcome this obstacle. Nice as it would be, new clients aren’t going to just show up in your email inbox.
Take some time to lay out a marketing plan. Decide how much you’ll spend on direct mail advertising, email advertising, social media advertising, and other channels. Whatever you do, don’t skimp on this. Building your brand not only tells the public who you are, but it helps to set you apart from other businesses offering the same services. And if you want to succeed, that’s an essential first step.
One of the most potentially rewarding places to spend your advertising dollars is on social media marketing. Yes, there are plenty of ways to get free advertising on social media, and you should take advantage of those, too. But paid advertising is more targeted, and it will help you to zero in on the customers you want to be a part of your business.
2. Hire well
When it comes to hiring staff, you have a lot of options. There’s no shortage of cleaners out there looking for work. Take your time interviewing them. Ask probing questions. Conduct background checks. Make sure you’re bringing in the best so that clients are consistently pleased with the work you do for them.
Just note that part of hiring well is paying well. Know the market and offer your employees more than the market minimum if they warrant it and if you can afford it. Happy employees are more engaged, which means they’ll work harder, and that makes your business look great in the eyes of a client.
3. Take the time to train
Of all the cleaning company tips that are guaranteed to help you succeed, this one gets skipped all too often. Never underestimate the importance of training your employees in best practices and safety. In some cases, training may be required, such as with any jobs that involve cleaning up bodily fluids. But in most cases, custodial training isn’t mandated, which means anyone can be a cleaner, even if they don’t know what they’re doing. Make sure your employees know the best ways to go about their jobs by investing in training courses that will not only improve their knowledge of the cleaning business, but will also help keep them safe.
4. Use technology
In today’s world, if you’re not using janitorial management software, you’ll likely be behind the curve with your cleaning company. Tips for what to look for in software include CRM capabilities, project monitoring, job bidding, inventory control, and client communication portals, among other things. You’ll find all of these features and more with Janitorial Manager, which will surely impress your clients while also helping you manage and organize your business without a lot of administrative headaches.
Think about technology as well when you purchase equipment, such as floor buffers or power-washers. Don’t settle for the cheapest. Investigate the benefits of the technologically-advanced equipment. You may find that the more advanced machines are well worth the cost if they result in a more efficient cleaning job.
5. Offer green cleaning
Common amongst cleaning company tips these days is to offer green cleaning solutions for your clients. You can build your whole business around green cleaning, or you can offer it as an alternative to clients who want it. As more and more cleaning customers turn to environmentally sound solutions for their cleaning needs, it’s more important than ever to give them the options they want for eco-friendly cleaning.
6. Incentivize new customers
No matter how good your cleaning company is, you’ll need to attract new customers with more than just promises of a job well done. Offer discounts to new customers, such as a free cleaning with a three-month contract.
Don’t stop there, either. Offer further incentives for new customers to tell others about you. Give referral rewards, and offer a free (temporary) add-on for clients who refer big customers to you or send lots of business your way. Make it worth their while to be word-of-mouth advertising for you. What little you give to them in discounts and freebies you’ll get back ten-fold with a more extensive customer base.
7. Join a cleaning association
No list of cleaning company tips would be complete without the suggestion that you join a cleaning association. These groups help you stay connected with others in the cleaning industry while also offering other benefits, such as certification classes, access to trade shows and events, and much more. Two popular associations are The Worldwide Cleaning Industry Association (ISSA) and the National Cleaners Association (NCA).
In addition to these cleaning associations, you may find some other resources helpful in starting your new cleaning business. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) establishes some safety and health guidelines that in certain cases are mandatory. You can also find helpful cleaning information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Additionally, new cleaning business owners will want to read Fit Small Business’ article, “How to Start a Cleaning Company in 6 Steps,” which discusses everything from how to do taxes to choosing the right kind of business insurance. And for simple networking purposes, check out Meetup.com for local cleaning groups near you where you can meet colleagues, exchange information, and ultimately grow your business.
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just wonderful everything you tell us. thank you very much !!