Going into business for yourself can be a truly rewarding experience. After all, you can set your own hours and work as much or as little as you wish. With the cleaning industry in the UK bringing in billions of pounds a year, a deep house cleaning business might have crossed your mind due to its lucrative nature. Cleaning homes is attractive because more and more people have less and less time for burdensome chores, and they want a professional to take care of these tasks so they can focus on what matters most. With this being said, if you’re considering starting a deep house cleaning business, there are several steps you need to take before you get started:
1.Do your research
As a starting point, research is crucial to setting up your business, and you should take into account several aspects – your target market, your competitors and your location.
Starting with your target market, you need to find out who your customers are and create a buyer persona based on your potential clients’ average demographic and socio-economic characteristics. This will help you with marketing, which is discussed in more detail below.
After that, you need to do your competitor research. Browse their website and see what services they offer, which locations these services are provided at, their charges and average costs, and the special deals they provide. Also, check how they market and position themselves on the market. What is their brand personality, and do they market aggressively? If so, what strategies do they use and will you be able to replicate them?
Finally, consider your location. Luckily, with a cleaning business, you will be going to your customers’ homes or businesses, so that takes away the need to rent or purchase a fixed location. However, you may need this fixed location as your business grows, whether to gather your team, to keep your books and accounts, do minor repairs on equipment or anything else that might arise. Having a branded office also provides an element of trust for your business, and this is something you may want to think about further down the line.
2.Choose your legal entity
When the initial steps and research are done, you need to consider the type of business or legal entity that your business will be.
As a sole proprietor, you will be personally accountable for any debts and liabilities that arise as a result of your business activities. This is not the case, however, if you choose to open a limited liability company. Further to this, there’s the option of purchasing a franchise with a proven and profitable business model that can help you avoid initial start-up research and starting from scratch on your own, as you will be guided through the process by experienced professionals in the industry.
3.Choose your name & register your business
If you’ve chosen to opt for a sole proprietorship or for a limited liability company, you now need to choose your business name and register your business with the relevant local authorities. Keep your business name short and catchy and avoid using your own name as the business’ name. The reason for this is that it will make it harder to sell your business later on if your business name is your own. Once your business is registered with the local authorities, you also need to open a special business account so that you do not mix your personal and professional income. There are many good underlying reasons for not doing so.
4.Determine what services you’ll be providing
Cleaning homes can vary from house to house, apartment to apartment. Each home you visit will have different requirements. Some will require one-off cleaning while other clients could ask you for a more regular commitment such as weekly cleaning sessions. There are also more specialised services such as carpet cleaning, end-of-tenancy cleaning or window cleaning which require special tools and equipment. Basically, you need to determine what type of cleaning service you would like to provide and which type of service you have the capacity and experience to provide, too.
5.Set up insurance and licenses
Are you wondering: “Do I need a business license to clean houses”? The short answer is yes. You certainly need to have a registered business if you are planning to grow your venture, be taken seriously by your clients and also provide an element of trust. What’s more,apart from a business license, you also need to invest in insurance. From public liability insurance home insurance to vehicle insurance, accidents happen to the best of us at a moment’s notice and you simply need to be prepared for these by purchasing the right type of insurance for your business and employees, if any.
6.Figure out your pricing
As mentioned above, you need to figure out how much to charge for deep cleaning a house. You can look at your competitors’ pricing and also factor in the cost of your labour per hour which will include the cost of transportation to your client’s location as well as any costs of equipment and detergents.
7.Put together a marketing plan
Marketing and advertising will play a big role in how you get your business name out. If you’re wondering how to promote your house cleaning business, consider creating your own website as a starting point.. In addition, printing flyers and pamphlets and leaving them in postboxes in the neighbourhood you’re targeting. You may also want to take advertising further and advertise in local newspapers or magazines. Social media is a free resource, but you can also use paid advertising online to reach more clients. Ultimately, the more exposure you get, the better for your business as this is how to get clients for a house cleaning business.
8.Consult with an accountant
As you can see, there are several expenses that have been discussed already and these expenses need to be kept in check in addition to your income. This is why consulting with an accountant will be a helpful element in keeping your business in order. However, keep in mind that accountants, too, charge fees, which you will also need to factor into your total budget. You can book an accountant for regular services or once-off services such as the submission of your taxes to Her Majesty’s Revenue Service.
Choose the easier path and join a franchise
A deep cleaning business doesn’t have to entail all the steps mentioned above, however, as you can ultimately purchase your own deep cleaning franchise. The ultimate result of such a purchase is that you’ll work with an established brand name, you will not need to do the marketing and advertising by yourself, you’ll get continuous and ongoing support from the franchisor in addition to the necessary training and courses that are needed to get your business up and running.
This post was written by Fantastic Services and posted on their website here. They are an exhibitor on the FranchiseShow247 Cleaning & Domestic Services floor and you can visit their FranchiseShow247 exhibition stand here.
