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It is settled – you are launching a house cleaning business. The next step is to learn how to make that business sustainable and more competitive. You are already operating in a busy market, so what do you need to stand out from the crowd?
These are the main tricks to a successful house cleaning business:
Learn all along.
Cleaning may lack the complexity or even glamour of other industries, but this doesn’t mean you can’t make it fun. Successful business owners always keep an eye on technology, new equipment, and improved teamwork.
Now that you are one, you should get more involved and attend conventions, read publications, and build a reliable supplier network. Make sure you are always up to date with the newest developments.
Don’t leave anything to chance
Acquire cleaning business software that can help you work more efficiently. Thanks to programs like this, cleaning businesses run with little to no effort, and most of the functions are automated. You can even bundle different services into groups, such as laundry, cleaning, customer service, accounting, and more.
Manage your team
The success of your business depends on your employees, so make sure they perform at optimal levels. The better the service is, the more satisfied the customers will be, and that is exactly the purpose of your business.
As in every industry, you should avoid micromanagement and disrespectful treatment. Train them and make them feel like part of a community. Next to fair payment, provide incentives and bonuses for those who perform the best. You can also go the extra mail with perks, such as letting employees use your equipment to clean their own homes.
Go digital
In a world where almost everything is automated, cleaning businesses are no exception. It no longer comes down to mops and buffers – you need to make sure customers are satisfied on other levels too.
Of course, your industry may not have the high-tech potential of an IT startup, but there are many functions you can automate. Examples include billing, record—keeping, payroll, appointment scheduling through cleaning company software, and much more.
You should be present on all online channels used by targeted customers, be that a website or a social media account. To make services more fun, you can even develop an app for your loyal customers.
Focus on a particular audience
Before you begin offering your services, think of the preferred clientele and determine which regions you can serve. By doing so, you’ll be avoiding the risks of tapping into areas you can’t serve and using precious time. You will also be able to skip regions where competition is particularly strong and established.
Luckily, it all comes down to location. Are you only able to serve the city you’re in, or other zip codes as well? Who are your main competitors? Is there a service that is not yet offered, and which could thrive in that region?
There are lots of factors to consider here, including the focus of your services. Will they be offered only to households or businesses as well? Will those businesses be small/medium or large corporations?
Once you’ve answered all these questions, you have the base for a successful, area-specific marketing campaign.
Work out an efficient marketing strategy
Speaking of marketing campaigns, you’ll need to do some serious planning on how to attract new customers. This is not something you do only once, so develop a strategy that brings income in the long run.
You’ll first need an estimated number of potential clients in the area. This will make it easy to advertise in the right places and reach out to customers before they reach out to you. Make sure your offer is attractive, especially compared to one of your competitors.
Don’t do everything yourself
The beginning may be easy, and you may be the only employee that goes from house to house to save on labor costs. As your company grows, however, you’ll need to hire extra help. It all comes down to how you’ve envisioned your business in the future.
If you want to build a team, work cost-efficient and stay on top of your expenses. Booking software, for instance, is a very smart investment, but you may not need it from the very beginning. In a small company, all it takes is to stay organized.
If you do decide to build a team, hire people with care. You need experienced and professional workers who will also be friendly to the clients.
Ask customers to review your work
Positive feedback is of critical importance to every business. If you have satisfied clients, make sure their good words are heard in the area.
For instance, ask every client to review your work. They can either grade it on Google or directly on your website or social media profile. The more reviews you have, the more attention from Google you will get, and that can only be a good thing.
Don’t forget to brand
Most cleaning businesses start with cleaning supplies and a single person. Yet, this doesn’t stop you from showing extra professionalism. You will be able to attract more clients if you underline your reputation, be that with a logo or a specific slogan promoted in the right places.
Get a designer to create the logo and the necessary branding material. You will need a catchy name, statement, font, and color that your clients will remember.
Create a website
You can create a house cleaning website even for free, so there is no excuse for missing your online presents. More and more clients will go online to look for cleaning services. There is even a chance they will question your professionalism if they don’t find you there.
At best, have an experienced designer work on your website and bring it in line with your brand and your services. Depending on what you want, the site will cost between $500 and $5,000, but it will be worth it.
Keep finances under control
It comes without saying, but most new businesses fail due to the inability to stay on top of finances. The more they earn, the more difficult it becomes to plan taxes and cut expenses.
As a business owner, you should be ahead of your taxes and plan them within your total revenue. Most of the time, this comes down to 30% of your earnings. If this is not your cup of tea, make sure you hire an accountant or work with reliable accounting software.
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