How to Start

a Cleaning
Business:
A QUICK START GUIDE
 Contents
Step 1: What Services Will You Offer?.......................................................................................................................4

Step 2: Should you choose a Cleaning Franchise or Build Your Own Brand?..............................................6

Step 3: What Equipment will you need?.....................................................................................................................9

Step 4: What about the ‘business’ side of things?...............................................................................................10

Step 5: How can I stand out from the crowd?.......................................................................................................12

Step 6: How much should I charge?...........................................................................................................................14

Step 7: How do I find clients?.......................................................................................................................................15

Step 8: Where can I find out more / how do I get started?............................................................................. 17

 How to Start a Cleaning Busines s: A Quick Start Guide

How to Start
a Cleaning Business:
A Quick Start Guide
A cleaning business can be a fun, flexible, profitable and rewarding business
to start, however it doesn’t just happen overnight. You need to be prepared
to invest some time and money (although it is possible to do it on a budget)
to create the business of your dreams.

In order to be successful it’s important to treat your cleaning business like a

business, because if you treat it like a hobby it will pay you lik one (and vice
versa!). This means having a business plan, a professional attitude and the
right tools and training for the job.

Ready to learn how to start a cleaning business?

Let’s jump straight in…
 How to Start a Cleaning Busines s: A Quick Start Guide

Step 1: What Services Will You

Offer?
When you are getting started you’ll find it easier to offer one or two core
services. This will help reduce your start-up costs (because you only have
to purchase one set of equipment / products) and help to establish you as
an expert rather than a generalist. As you grow your business you can add
additional and complimentary services quite easily and quickly.

Questions to Ask Before Starting your Cleaning Business

When choosing the services your business will provide consider the
following:
• What are the training / licensing requirements (or recommendations)?
• How much will professional grade equipment / cleaning products cost?
• What interests you the most?
• What is the demand for the service?
• What is the lifetime value of a customer?
 How to Start a Cleaning Busines s: A Quick Start Guide

For example it’s very easy to get started as a house cleaner, because the
start-up costs are very low. All you need are some professional cleaning
products, some low-cost equipment, a few flyers, business insurance and
you are pretty much in business. However the downside is that because the
cost of entry is so low, you’ll find there is quite a bit of competition (there
are some ways to overcome this competition however, which we’ll explain
below).

However to become a professional carpet cleaner you need to invest in a

high quality portable or truck mounted carpet cleaning machine (which will
cost at least $10,000 and up to $100,000) and so whilst the investment is
higher, the level of competition will be slightly lower because not everyone
will be willing (or able) to make this kind of investment.
 How to Start a Cleaning Busines s: A Quick Start Guide

Step 2: Should you choose a

Cleaning Franchise or
Build Your Own Brand?
Deciding whether to go with a franchise, or create your own business is
a decision you’ll need to make early on. There are both advantages and
isadvantages to both options, and at the end of the day it comes down to
your personal preference and individual situation.
 How to Start a Cleaning Busines s: A Quick Start Guide

Franchise
Advantages:

• Established brand name

• Proven business model
• Marketing support
• Ongoing help and advice

Disadvantages

• Upfront capital / investment required (depending on the specific

services you choose to offer you’ll usually be looking at a minimum of
$5,000 and potentially up to $100,000)
• Ongoing fees (usually a monthly / annual fee and a % of sales go to the
franchisor)
• Restricted growth (some advertising restrictions and not as easy to
‘addon’ new services)

If you do decide to look in to buying a cleaning franchise please make sure

you do your research carefully. Ask to speak to current (and previous)
franchises and meet with the zowners. We’ve heard reports of franchisors
not providing much in the way of ongoing service and support, once the
upfront fees have been paid.
 How to Start a Cleaning Busines s: A Quick Start Guide

Independent Business
Advantages

• Complete control
• Low start-up costs
• you retain all profits

Disadvantages

• You are on your own (which can be quite challenging and lonely when
getting started)
• You have to learn by your own mistakes (although there are guides /
business plans you can purchase)
• Can be difficult to complete against marketing by bigger brands
 How to Start a Cleaning Busines s: A Quick Start Guide

Step 3: What Equipment

will you need?
This will depend a lot on the type of cleaning business you have decided to
launch. Don’t be empted to go for low quality tools or products simply to
save money, you’ll end up spending more time at each job to get the desired
result, and you could even end up damaging your clients house or office
furniture / carpets.

However you can save money by purchasing second-hand equipment

from businesses upgrading to the latest models, or from someone who is
retiring. Just check to make sure everything is in good working order and the
machines are reliable.
 How to Start a Cleaning Busines s: A Quick Start Guide

Step 4: What about the

‘business’ side of things?
It is possible to earn a great income when you discover how to start a cleaning
business the ‘right’ way.

Training / licenses
Most types of cleaning are not regulated in Australia, however it is important
to check with your state licensing body (see links below) if there are any
specific requirements you need to be aware of. Even if there are no minimum
entry requirements, we highly recommend getting a formal qualification
behind you before you go in to someone’s house or business to offer your
cleaning services.

A recognised qualification will ensure you are aware of the best products
/ equipment to use in a range of different circumstances, and will help to
build trust with your clients. In addition your qualifications can become a
tool you use in your marketing to stand out from the competition.
 How to Start a Cleaning Busines s: A Quick Start Guide

Insurance
You’ll need to obtain public liability insurance (usually $5 million or more) to
cover any accidents or damage whilst working at a clients property, and if you
take on employees you’ll need employers liability insurance to cover them too.

Business plan
Do you need one? The short answer is yes!

If you are serious about your business you’ll need to create a business plan.
This shouldn’t be a lengthy document which ends up sitting in your drawer
gathering dust, it should be a practical step-by-step action plan which lays
of the steps you need to take to get your business launched, find clients and
become profitable quickly.

Hiring Employees / using Sub-Contractors

This will depend on your personal situation and the services you provide. Initially
you may wish to use sub-contractors as will already be fully trained, have the
right equipment and will usually be available immediately, however it is more
difficult to manage the quality and you’ll reduce your profit margin. As you grow,
and your work becomes more stable you can look in to hiring employees with
your role becoming more of a management role in your business.

Keeping Business Records & Tax

Get an accountant from the start, they will help you establish your business
and put the correct accounting practices in place. A good accountant will
save you money in the long-run.
 How to Start a Cleaning Busines s: A Quick Start Guide

Step 5: How can I stand out

from the crowd?
Earlier we mentioned that the barriers to entry are quite low when it comes to
starting a cleaning business, this can create competition. However the good
news is that there are plenty of opportunities to create a profitable business
as long as you make sure you offering something different and unique.

Become a Specialist
Clients will usually choose a specialist over a generalist where there is one
available. For example an office manager is probably going to choose an
experienced office cleaning company to clean their large office, rather than
a ‘general’ cleaning company.

Because they know they’ll have the skills and experience needs to get the
job done quickly and be used to working unsociable hours to clean when
the office is empty. So one way to stand out from the crowd is to get really
good, and well know for providing a specific service (think end of lease
cleaning, office cleaning, commercial carpet cleaning). Also don’t forget
about outdoor cleaning options such as gutter, exterior pressure washing
or window cleaning.
 How to Start a Cleaning Busines s: A Quick Start Guide

Go Above and Beyond

Very few companies provide exceptional customer service, but those who
do arely have to advertise because their clients do it for them. Spend time
making sure you exceed customer expectations and you’ll instantly stand
out from the competition.

This could be as simple as making sure you always sound friendly when you
pick-up the phone, and ensuring you turn up when you say you will. Little
touches such as leaving a hand-written note, offering a discount for repeat
customers, or sending a card on a client’s birthday, make a big impact (and
cost very little to do).
 How to Start a Cleaning Busines s: A Quick Start Guide

Step 6: How much should

I charge?
Don’t try and compete on price, you’ll end up with low profit margins and feel
like you are working for nothing. You’ll often find the worst customers and
lients are the ones who haggle over price. Put a value on your service and
be proud to tell people what you / your services are worth. You’ll find that
people are prepared to pay more for a quality service, and by positioning your
cleaning business as a ‘premium quality’ business you’ll be able to raise your
prices, and attract the best clients & customers.
 How to Start a Cleaning Busines s: A Quick Start Guide

Step 7: How do I find clients?

Good question, I’m glad you asked! Many people think they know how to start
a cleaning business and jump in, however the bit people often forget to think
about is the most important part: finding people who are prepared to pay for
your service!

Without customers you don’t have a business and unfortunately they won’t
just appear magically one day 1 when you ‘open your doors’!

There are lots of ways to find clients, and it will take you a bit of trial and
error to find the most profitable ones for your business.

Lifetime Customer Value

One thing to keep in mind is the lifetime value of your customers. For
example if you offer a commercial carpet cleaning service in Sydney, and
your average job is worth about $500. You might know that most clients
have their carpets cleaned 3 times a year and they stick with you for about
3 years, so your lifetime customer value is $4,500. So you can see when
you look at the lifetime value, rather than the value of the first job, you can
spend a bit more on marketing to get your initial customers.

Offline Marketing Techniques

The most effective techniques usually involve building relationships with
other companies who have an existing client base, for example real estate
agents, roperty managers etc. Other forms of marketing such as local
 How to Start a Cleaning Busines s: A Quick Start Guide

community events, flyers, leaflet drops and some newspaper advertising

can be effective (especially in community publications). If you are planning to
offer a general cleaning service traditional directories like the Yellow Pages
are probably not oing to prove effective, as most people now go online to
find the information they need.

Online Marketing Ideas

It is impossible to ignore the internet, and at a minimum your business
should have a professional looking website. Because many people now use
Google (and other search engines) to find a cleaning business in their local
area you eed to think about making your company visible when people
search online. You can either purchase advertising (e.g. Google Adwords)
or work with acompany who specalise in getting your business to the top
of page 1 on the search engines organically (this is known as search engine
optimisation).
 How to Start a Cleaning Busines s: A Quick Start Guide

Step 8: Where can I find out

more / how do I get
started?
Hopefully you’ve found this guide useful and you are excited about starting
acleaning business somewhere in Australia (if you still have any questions
pleaseleave us a comment below and we’ll try and help you out). Know that
if you commit to doing this, and are willing to put in some time and energy to
get it off the ground, you really can create a rewarding business and full or
part-time income.

Below you’ll find a list of websites and organisations who you can talk to about
your plans, and get information on licensing / training requirements.
How to Start
a Cleaning
Business:
A QUICK START GUIDE

Useful Links
and Resources
How to Start a Cleaning Business Tools & Guides Advice on Starting a Business in Australia
http://www.business.qld.gov.au/industry/service-industries/ http://www.business.gov.au/business-topics/starting-a-
repair-and-maintenance/startingacleaning-business business/Pages/legal-essentials-forbusiness.aspx

http://www.smexcellence.com.au/sme/module/ http://www.jobaccess.gov.au/content/how-start-your-
commercial_cleaning/5/47.html own-business

http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/41426 http://finance.ninemsn.com.au/smallbusiness/
planning/8124625/checklist-starting-a-smallbusiness-
http://www.wikihow.com/Start-a-House-Cleaning-Business from-scratch

Associations Training Providers

Cleaning Contractors Australia Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration
Certification
Building Services Association
Jena Dyco Training
Specialised Cleaning & Restoration Industry Association
Certificate II in Cleaning Operations