How to Start a Commercial Cleaning Business

If you want to know how to start a Commercial Cleaning business and make it successful, then this article will prove very helpful.

It reveals some important tips to guide anyone interested in starting and succeeding with a Commercial Cleaning venture.

If your perfect business idea is to run a commercial cleaning business then you would most likely be thinking of how to proceed.

A commercial cleaning business would be profitable if run well.

You need all the ideas, strategies, skills, and business acumen there is to make you succeed with the business.

It is one thing to want to own and run this type of business.

It is a completely different thing to know how to start and run it.

Now, this article would help you address the question of how to start a commercial cleaning business.

There are legal, skill, and other basic requirements that should be in place before you proceed.

Keep reading to learn all these and much more!

 

What Is A Commercial Cleaning Business?

A commercial cleaning business offers cleaning services to business and industrial properties.

You can set up this business to help small or large businesses, construction sites, realtors, and government offices keep their environment clean.

You can employ cleaners to clean the offices, toilets, basements, landscapes, and other spaces of commercial properties.

In some locations, your job would be regarded as that offering janitorial services.

 

Why Start a Commercial Cleaning Business?

There are many advantages of starting a commercial cleaning business. These include:

This business has a low entry-level workforce

You don’t need to hire employees with formal education to work for you.

This implies you will not have to spend too much money training the personnel.

You can hire people who can use their strength to clean and dust property.

This business has a low overhead cost

You don’t spend too much money investing in heavy equipment.

You only need to ensure you have always had the basic cleaning supplies and essentials.

Even if you will need vehicles and other equipment, you can still invest in them gradually.

This business is always marketable

Commercial cleaning is an ongoing service. So, you will always come across businesses and companies that need cleaning services.

Related: How to Start and Run a Carpet Cleaning Business & Welding Business.

 

How to Start a Commercial Cleaning Business 

Here are some of the important steps to starting a commercial cleaning business:

 

1. Register Your Business with the State

If you have decided to start a commercial cleaning business, the first step you should take is to register your business as a legal entity.

You can register it based on the form or structure that suits your assets and liability.

The common business structures you can register your commercial cleaning business may be sole proprietorships, partnerships, Limited Liability Company, or corporation.

You can start by registering as a sole proprietorship or partnership. Or, if you can choose a limited liability company.

Once you have settled on a business structure, then you can do the registration.

You can also register your business name and get the required license and permit to operate.

Related: Advantages & Disadvantages of a Corporation.

 

2. Get a Commercial Cleaning Business Insurance

Once you have registered your business, you can go ahead to protect it.

One of the best ways to protect your commercial cleaning business is to get insurance coverage.

You can get many insurances to protect against different areas of your business.

Insurance coverage for your business can protect against any loss or damage to tools or property.

Three popular types of insurance coverage you can get for your business are:

• General liability insurance – This insurance coverage protects your business if there is a third-party accident, property damage, reputational harm claim, bodily injury, and more.

• Workers compensation insurance – This type of insurance can help protect your employees if they get sick or injured while working.

• Commercial auto insurance – This is the type of insurance that can cover your business or commercial vehicle. You can scour your state for the best insurance policy for a commercial cleaning business.

 

3. Purchase Cleaning Supplies

The next thing you do before you can officially open your commercial cleaning business is to get cleaning supplies.

These are products like detergents, soaps, cleaning chemicals, glass polish, floor polish, and so on.

You have to decide and get the type you want.

Luckily, you find a variety of ranges in the market places. Their prices are from low to high.

If you trust a particular brand, then you go ahead and get it.

Also, you should consider eco-friendly cleaning products.

You can shop your cleaning supplies online or at a popular home and hardware store.

Aside from the above-mentioned cleaning supplies, you can also buy items like cleaning cloths, commercial brooms, commercial buckets, floor wash, dusting tools, and disinfectant sprays.

A floor wax machine, large garbage bags, and high-performane commercial vacuums are some other items you can buy.

You should also get a uniform that will make you look professional.

Also See: How to Start and Run an ATM Machine Business or Soap Making Business.

 

4. Purchase equipment and software.

Once you have your cleaning supplies and equipment ready, then you must not forget to get equipment that you will need to keep track of these items when they are stored and requisitioned.

You need to have a company computer installed with the latest software to track inventory of equipment and cleaning supplies.

You also need to install marketing and sales software so you can keep track of invoices, receipts, orders, debtors, and so on.

If you have a couple of staff working for you, then you need to install payroll software.

 

 

5. Decide Your Cleaning Rates

You should know beforehand how much you are going to charge when you offer commercial cleaning services to clients.

The cleaning rate you charge may be determined by different factors like the location, the volume of cleaning, the average time spent on the job, and the complexity or risk of the cleaning surfaces, etc.

However, before setting a cleaning rate, you need to consider the industry rate and payment models.

A payment model is a system payment you can use for clients. Examples you can explore include:

• Hourly rate – This is a common model where you get paid per hour of cleaning. If you are engaged in the cleaning of large commercial buildings then this model may not be the right model to use.

• Weekly or monthly rate – This pricing model entails you, charge clients, weekly or monthly if you have an ongoing commercial cleaning contract with them.

• Flat project rate – in this model, you charge clients a flat rate for the cleaning project and also give a specific timeframe for completion.

• By Square footage rate – Here you can charge clients based n per square foot of the cleaning space. For instance, you can charge $1 per square foot.

Related: Ways to Start and Succeed With a Small Scale Business such as Winery Business.

 

6. Create A Marketing and Sales Plan

Next on the steps to start a commercial cleaning business is to create a marketing and sales plan.

You need customers or clients to succeed in this business.

If you already know of some potential clients then you can go ahead and contact them.

Nevertheless, you should draw up a marketing and sales plan.

This plan will guide you on how to target, attract and retain potential customers for your commercial cleaning business.

Develop working marketing strategies that would get you, customers. You can start with the basics by:

• Using word of mouth to let those around you know that you are running a commercial cleaning business.

• Going to local realtors, building engineers, and contractors to inform them about your cleaning service.

• Promoting your business on a professionally built website or blog for this purpose.

• Advertising your business at various social media groups.

• Listing your services at classified ad websites like Craigslist.org and Adsglobe.

• Advertising your service at industry-related magazines, websites, and trade shows, etc.

To easily get a client, you may have to show proof of what you have done in the past.

You can create a portfolio of your previous works so that clients can view and assess your skill and experience.

 

7. Hire the Right Staff and Consultants

You should consider hiring employees to assist you in the job.

You may need workers to take care of different sections of the business.

You may need to hire bookkeepers, inventory managers, cleaners, drivers, etc.

Also, do not forget employees who will help market and promote sales of your services online and offline.

You may also need the services of legal practitioners and accountants for taxation purposes.

 

8. Create a Working Schedule and Start

Once the above steps are in place, then you can create a cleaning schedule.

Of course, this should come to play once you start getting clients.

Plan a timetable and assign your staff on when and where to clean for clients.

Also See: Best States to Form an LLC for Your Business.

 

Conclusion

As this article has shown, it’s not that hard to start and succeed with a commercial cleaning business, if you know what to do and how to get started right.

Thankfully it revealed some of the very important aspects to doing things right with commercial cleaning as a business.