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You can start your own cleaning company anywhere in the world. You may need to pay bills. You may be unemployed, have no money, and have no experience, but don't let that deter you. Take action now by following these steps.
Steps
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1Start reading about the cleaning business online. Learn what other cleaning companies in your area are charging and for what types of cleaning. You can ask for rates as a potential client if the rates aren't displayed anywhere.[1]
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2Be aware that you will make your share of mistakes, but take care to correct them. You cannot afford to be the WalMart of cleaning companies, i.e. the cheapest in the state. You may have to increase contract amounts for existing clients and even drop some.Advertisement
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3Call the companies and know what they are charging and why. Get your script together and get started.[2]
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4Call all the companies in your area, and get prices and cleaning package quotes.
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5Create a spreadsheet with all their information and pricing and average out the price (it is a good idea to charge the average). Charge lower if you are at a disadvantage in attracting customers, or higher if you are at an advantage.
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6Get your business license (in New Mexico it is $35.00 for each city).[3]
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7Contact an Insurance Broker and have him/her shop insurance quotes for coverage (a typical price quote is $130.00 per month on a 2 million dollar policy).
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8Form a corporation (LLC, or Inc. - To protect yourself from lawsuits, in New Mexico it cost $50.00-$100.00).
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9Set your prices as follows (this is an example; feel free to modify to suit your needs):
- One time/First cleaning is by the hour; this is always the "Spring Cleaning Pkg)" $30.00 Per labor hour and send 2-3 people, so $60-$90 an hour - Including Tax.[4]
- Decide what your "Show up Charge" is: you can set it at $90.00, ie. you will NOT clean a house for less than $90.00 - remember, you have to buy supplies, insurance, pay taxes, pay gas, and 941s. Usually the price is right around $110.00 to $120.00 a cleaning.[5]
- Have all of your residential clients COD ONLY. If you arrive and there is not a check waiting when you get there, leave and charge the $45.00.
- If a client would like an invoice mailed to him on a billing cycle, charge $19.00 (Per Invoice) - Remember, you are "fronting" a service and this costs you too.
- MAKE SURE YOU GET A SIGNED CONTRACT BEFORE YOU START. If you don't have one, you can have a huge mess! Verbal agreements are hard to enforce.
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10Floor Care Pricing: (as an example)
- For Residential carpet cleaning, charge between $19.00-$30.00 per room with a three room minimum. Charge them $5.00 to pre-treat any stains and traffic areas, and let them know that you do not guarantee that they will come out but you will try your best.
- For Residential Tile Cleaning, charge $0.50 a square foot, with a MINIMUM of $100.00 per visit.
- For Hard Surface floor rehab - like vinyl composition tile flooring, charge about $250.00 MINIMUM; do not care about the size of the space, because it is an 8 hour job all night long. You need to move furniture, sweep, supply floor stripper, buy black stripping pads for your buffer, use the buffer to remove stains and old wax, and get on your hands and knees, and scrub the dirt out of the corners. After this, you do two rinses, let it dry, and apply about 3-5 layers of wax. Then once it dries, you have to wax it with a soft pad to make the surface hard and durable.
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Community Q&A
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QuestionDo you charge extra to load a dishwasher?
Community AnswerYes, at least 5 to 10 dollars depending on how big or small the dish load is. -
QuestionDoes the price include the inside and outside of blinds and windows?
Community AnswerNo. You can charge extra for blinds as well as any additional cleaning like a stove, refrigerator, etc. -
QuestionDoes a house-cleaning job include windows?
Community AnswerNo. Ask the clients if they want their windows clean. If they say no, then don't clean them. It is nice to clean at least one inside pane each time, but let the customers know if you do. -
QuestionWhat's the best way to handle a customer that wants everything spotless and only wants to pay for a quick cleaning?Community AnswerSimply explain that you cannot guarantee both, so she can either pay for a full cleaning to guarantee a spotless house, or she can pay for a quick cleaning and lose that guarantee.
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QuestionHow do I estimate cleaning a home with 8 bathrooms and 4 bedrooms?Community AnswerIn most situations, housecleaning is determined by how many hours the person spent cleaning. The hourly rate may be raised or lowered due to various factors, like if the cleaner had exceptional difficulty cleaning an area or was particularly thorough.
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QuestionHow do I charge for house cleaning?Community AnswerYou can charge by the hour with a typical range of $25-45 per hour.
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QuestionHow much should I charge for 2 hours of weekly cleaning?Community AnswerFifty dollars for two hours of basic cleaning is a good starting point.
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QuestionHow do I alter my pricing for a large amount of keepsakes?Community AnswerFirst, make sure the customer wants you to dust the keepsakes -- some people would rather do this themselves, especially if they are valuable. If you do clean them, to do a good job can be very time-consuming, so keep that in mind when you price. Alter your pricing somewhere in the neighborhood of adding $5-$20/room. But if you are cleaning inside a curio cabinet or the like, add $5-$20/shelf.
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QuestionHow much should I charge for an exit cleaning for a 2100 sq ft, 3 bedroom, 2 bath house?Community AnswerExit cleaning/vacancy cleanings take much longer than regular cleans. You have to factor in that you will be cleaning refrigerators, freezers, inside of cabinets and closets, ovens, windowsills, etc. I live in Central Florida and I start my exit clean prices at $200. The size home you are speaking about sounds more like it would be $250-$300. You are going to use more supplies than normal. You are going to do a lot of deep cleaning and scrubbing. If the home is in horrible condition I would not be afraid to charge more. Never undersell yourself because people will take advantage of you. Plus, that size home will take anywhere from 6-8 hours, depending. It could even take a little longer.
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QuestionShould I supply cleaning supplies and materials?
Community AnswerThis is up to you. I supply my own cleaning supplies. If a client wants me to use theirs, I do, but I trust my supplies more than I trust theirs. Plus, I know my supplies will do a better job.
Things You'll Need
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2 Welcome Packages (One for you and one for the client) to contain the following:
- Contract
- W-9
- Emergency Contact Information
- Certificate of Insurance
- Business License
- MSDS Sheets
- Techline Sheets
References
- ↑ https://squareup.com/us/en/townsquare/determine-house-cleaning-rates
- ↑ https://squareup.com/us/en/townsquare/determine-house-cleaning-rates
- ↑ https://www.legalzoom.com/articles/how-to-start-a-house-cleaning-business
- ↑ https://www.homeadvisor.com/cost/cleaning-services/#rates
- ↑ https://www.homeadvisor.com/cost/cleaning-services/#rates
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