By the year 2022, the cleaning service market is anticipating a growth of 6.2%. So, if you’ve ever wanted to start your own cleaning company, now’s the time.
From office cleaning jobs to residential homes, cleaning services are a hot commodity. But there are a few tricks of the trade that can help you build brand awareness and reach your target clientele.
Here are 7 creative ways to build a successful cleaning business.
1. Build Your Brand
The first step in creating a successful house cleaning business is to define your brand. You’ll need a company name, slogan, and logo to help customers identify you.
Use this as an opportunity to get creative and stand out in a competitive market. Hire a graphic designer to help with branding business cards and marketing materials. Or look into hiring a local college student to cut costs.
Before you launch your business, you’ll need to set your service area. Think about how far you can travel to provide services. Most companies start in a smaller geographic area then expand later on.
You’ll also need to determine the cleaning services you will offer as well as which type of clients you want to serve. Consider if you want to clean both residential and commercial settings.
Take this time to find your niche. Will you target customers looking for maid services, or janitorial work? Will your company value green cleaning and a more sustainable environment?
You also want to make sure your pricing is competitive yet on par with other local cleaning services. Use your unique standards of service to get an edge up on the competition.
2. Ask for Referrals
Wondering how to get clients for a cleaning business?
This is where your personal relationships come in. To get started, ask your friends, family members, and co-workers for referrals. Have them help spread the word about your new business and the services you offer.
It’s also a good idea to approach local businesses. Pass out business cards, place a local ad, or mail out flyers. Be sure to include a call to action or incentive to encourage them to try your services.
Once you get a few clients, your reputation will travel by word of mouth. From here you will grow your client database.
A referral program is also helpful in gaining new customers. Offer a discount to any clients who refer a friend to your business. You may also want to consider a loyalty program to reward repeat customers.
3. Always Put Quality First
The best cleaning services never sacrifice on quality. No matter how busy or big their business gets.
Be speedy yet efficient. As your business grows, be sure no corners are getting cut to try and get jobs done quicker. Never take on more clients than you can handle.
Show you care about every single client. Encourage feedback and listen to any customer concerns. This shows you value the opinions of your client’s, which will make them loyal to your business.
Quality should also get placed on the products you use. 26% of consumers prefer green cleaning products. So this may be something to consider if you clean homes where children live, schools, or daycare facilities.
It’s also helpful to develop a quality control system. Use it to manage the following:
- Employees
- Customer service
- New business inquiries
- Accounting, payroll, and billing
- Management and supervising best practices
- Reporting
This will add more structure to your business, keeping things consistent and well-organized.
4. Enhance Your Digital Presence
Any business looking for cleaning services may first turn to Google. It’s important to have a web presence so potential customers can find you.
Use a free website builder, like WIX, to create your own website. They offer free templates as well as easy content management systems.
Make sure your homepage is inviting, interesting, and influential to viewers. You only have 50 milliseconds to make a first impression here, so make it count.
Keep your website visual and easy to navigate. Viewers should be able to find contact information right away. Use an “about us” section to highlight your experience and specialty services.
Offering a free cleaning quote is a great call to action. It will help capture client emails so you can set up an email marketing campaign.
You’ll also want to lace important keywords throughout your website copy. Starting a company blog is a great way to increase keyword density. This will help with SEO and get you better Google rankings.
You may also want to set aside a budget for Google ads. Here is more on how to use geotargeted online ads to attract local clients.
5. Manage Your Online Reputation
People turn to online reviews to see what type of experience past customers have had. 84% of the population values online reviews as much as they would a personal recommendation from a friend.
Ensuring you always place customer satisfaction first will help get glowing reviews. Encourage your happy customers to rate their experience online. Monitor your reputation on important sites like Google, Yelp, and other business resource websites.
Be sure to respond to online reviews, both good and bad. Communication is key when dealing with hard to please clients. The online community wants to see that you are taking action to please unsatisfied customers.
6. Expand Your Team
The people you hire to work for your company say a lot about your brand. As your business grows, you want to develop a trusted and hardworking cleaning crew. Here’s more on how to find and hire the best employees for your business.
These people are your ambassadors and the face of your company. Outfit them in clean and unique employee uniforms. You may also want to consider branding a fleet of vehicles with your own company advertising.
Always treat your employees with respect and take care of them. Offer training opportunities. Reward top performers with raises when well deserved.
As the business grows, look for ways that you can expand your services. Offer a special upholstery cleaning technique or other unique cleaning services. Or add in new service areas to gain more clients.
7. Look for New Ways to Wow Customers
Stay on top of cleaning trends and new technology that can impact your business. Attend small business meetings in the local community for resources. Go to trade shows and network with like-minded professionals.
You may want to add in computer software programs to make things easier and more consistent. They can help with payroll, billing, and tracking other expenses that come with managing office cleaning jobs. Using online tools like janitorial software solutions gives you more time to dedicate to customers.
Consider adding a website tool that lets customers book appointments and pay online. Or enroll in a program that sends texts and email alerts. Customers will appreciate the convenience of technology.
Creative Ideas to Boost Business and Book More Office Cleaning Jobs
These 7 tips will help you kickstart your business and book more office cleaning jobs. Remember that customer satisfaction and quality service are the keys to starting and maintaining a successful business.
Check out our article on a few more creative ways to promote your business and help it thrive.