Cleaning business costs are always worth watching, especially when supply prices rise.

As the owner or manager of a commercial cleaning business, costs for supplies are always on the radar. Aside from payroll, supply costs are one of the most significant line items in a business budget. They add up quickly, too. A few packages of pens here, an extra case of toilet paper there, an extension cord, and on they go.

You also have your higher, regular costs for things like cleaning chemicals, mop heads, microfiber cloths, and everything else you need to run your business. Many of these expenses are unavoidable, which leaves you with a dilemma. As cleaning business costs go up for required supplies, you have to either figure out a way to reduce your expenses or you need to raise your rates.

Raising your rates can be tricky, although you may need to do that now and then to keep up with overall expenses. Of course, that doesn’t come without some risk of clients leaving, so what can you do to keep your bank account positive?

Harness the advantages of Janitorial Manager to enhance your overall service and customer support. Learn more today with a free discovery call and find out how to make your work more efficient and more profitable!

Learn how to lower your cleaning business costs without cutting back on service

1. Order in bulk. Wherever reasonable, order supplies in bulk. A case of supplies, such as mop heads or microfiber is usually less expensive than buying individually. Some suppliers offer discounts if you meet minimum order criteria.

2. Use concentrated supplies. These often last longer and, when compared to a per-use cost, are usually much less expensive than ready-to-use products.

3. Keep up with inventory. One of the best ways to reduce cleaning business costs for supplies is to stay organized and on top of your inventory. Every time you need to run out or rush order supplies, you’re paying extra. Whether it’s in shipping charges or for the item itself (because buying bulk wholesale is almost always less expensive). When you carefully track your inventory, you won’t have these costly emergencies.

4. Buy high-quality supplies. When we look at commercial cleaning business costs, it’s easy to compare prices. However, there’s more to cost than price. How long will an item last? How well will it perform? If you have to use more or take more time to clean with the less expensive item, is it really saving you money? It may cost more initially, but high-quality products could save you money in the long run.

5. Maintain your equipment. Keeping up with the maintenance on your equipment will help it last longer and work more efficiently. Additionally, if you take care of your equipment, you won’t face nearly as many breakdowns or surprises, which invariably cost money.

6. Buy larger equipment. This isn’t a quick way to cut down on cleaning business costs, but if you’re already saving to buy new equipment, consider larger sizes. As you go up in size, say on a floor scrubber, you reduce the number of passes your team needs to cover an area.

7. Upsell services. Add-on services tend to give you a good return on investment. They don’t require additional travel time, nor do they oblige you to do a lot of extra paperwork. You may even be able to use the supplies you already have. This won’t necessarily lower your cleaning business costs, but it does increase your efficiency.

8. Train your team. Training your team and properly onboarding new hires are some of the surest ways to cut back on expenses.

9. Review your supply expenses. It’s never a bad idea to check your supply costs and find out if you can get a better deal. Of course, that goes for other expenses, too, like business insurance and your business location lease. Just remember that less expensive isn’t necessarily better.

10. Use Janitorial Manager. With tools that help you streamline your schedule, keep up with clients and staff, track inventory, and handle work orders and bidding, Janitorial Manager is your go-to software for making your commercial cleaning business sparkle.

Increase the efficiency of your team, reduce your costs, and improve results. With Janitorial Manager, all this and more isn’t just a dream, it’s your new reality. Learn more today with a free discovery call!