How to Write a Sample Commercial Cleaning Proposal
Everybody loves samples. Cheese samples at the grocery store, ice cream samples at the dessert shop, samples of a gym membership (although they call it a free trial) – these are all samples that we not only love, but they do a proven job of getting you to buy stuff. But what about a sample proposal for cleaning services?
A sample puts the product in your hand right away. You don’t have to think about what that cheese might taste like. You don’t have to wonder if you’ll make it to the gym. A sample makes things immediate and real.
It’s that immediacy that we’re taking advantage of when you have a sample commercial cleaning proposal for your services ready to go. Your potential client doesn’t have to wait around for a day or two while you start from scratch writing out the details of a proposal.
So what does this sample look like? And how do you write it?
Use software to help manage your cleaning business so you can do more. Check out a free demo of Janitorial Manager today to see what we’re talking about!
Writing a Sample Proposal for Your Commercial Cleaning Services
Let’s start with a few general guidelines. You want a sample business proposal for cleaning services that’s long enough to look impressive, but not overwhelming. An easy way to do this is to keep it simple. That also gives you room to make the proposal more universal so that you can use the same one for almost all of your clients. You’ll just need to fill in the details.
Start with the “who” of your proposal. Write a short paragraph about your company, but add a few stand-out aspects of your business in there. Something like:
“XYZ Commercial Cleaning is the greenest commercial cleaning business in the Dallas metro area. Not only are all our cleaning products green-certified, but our entire fleet of electric vehicles runs entirely on solar power. Our award-winning team is 100% dedicated to working with you to do our job right so that you can do yours. A clean work environment is a productive and safe work environment.”
Add a few bullet points regarding your services and any guarantees you offer.
- XYZ Commercial Cleaning is accredited by the Better Business Bureau
- You have a 100% money-back guarantee on our services
- You can expect your facility to be cleaned with state-of-the-art commercial cleaning equipment
Next, get into the scope of work. This will likely be the bulk of your sample service proposal for cleaning services. If you use Janitorial Manager, this is as easy as punching in a few numbers as you do your walk through. Our software includes a built-in calculator, so you can easily base your estimate on things like margins or expenses.
Additionally, Janitorial Manager includes ISSA bidding templates, so each bid is based on ISSA cleaning standards, giving you consistency. You can also load your own standards into the software and compare it with ISSA 612 Tima and Task Standards. And since this is all cloud-based, you can enter all these calculations from any device. No more having to go back to the office or to your vehicle.
Include your guarantee of spot inspections and quality work. Again, with the right janitorial software, inspections are a breeze. Your team can upload pictures and comments into an inspections app so you can see right away how well your crew is working.
Point out, as well, that communicating with you and your team is as easy as opening your JM Connect app (assuming you’re using Janitorial Manager). Customers can communicate directly with your or any of your on-site team quickly and easily. And since communication is location-based, it’s easy for them to look through previous conversations to update any details or ask questions.
Next, go through the specifics of the agreement. This includes things like when your team will be working (including days and times), who will be responsible for ensuring access to the facility (is the building open or will they need a key), and the length of the contract. Spell out, in detail, what your expectations are for payment (how often, via check or credit card, the date), as well as any penalties for non-payment. Hopefully, that will never be an issue, but it’s always good to be clear on these things.
If you don’t have specific dates, you can also offer an estimated timeline and how soon you can start once the agreement is finalized.
Incidentally, if you are giving someone a proposal without doing a walk through, you may want to have a separate page here that outlines your prices. For example:
Our standard prices are
- Vacuuming carpets: $$ per square foot
- Sweeping and mopping tile floors: $$ per square foot
- Cleaning glass doors and windows (below 6′): $$ per standard-sized door/window
Make it clear, as well, that this is an estimate, and any final pricing is contingent on a visual inspection of the facility.
This is also an excellent place to include your list of additional office cleaning services and prices. It’s an opportunity to upsell and show your customer what else they could add to their contract either now or at some point down the road. Make sure, however, that there is a clear delineation between what you are proposing and what other options are available. You don’t want to give the impression that something like lawn care is included with every contract!
Lastly, and this is entirely optional, you can add a positive customer review at the bottom of each page. Take quotes from Yelp or Google reviews and include them as proof that other people are happy with your work.
A sample proposal for cleaning services doesn’t need to be complicated. But having one ready to go will help you come across as the professional that you are.
Manage bids, track inventory, monitor jobs, and more with Janitorial Manager. Get in touch with us for a free demo to see how we can add value to your business!