When meeting face to face with your cleaning business prospects, you have to prepare and make a list of probing questions to get you prospect talking about their concerns and for you to show your expert problem-solving skills.

You have to be more of a listener than a talker at this meeting, so to help your prospect find a solution to their problems; you have to get as much information from them as possible. When making your list of questions, think of questions that will get your prospect thinking. Some questions could be:

What are the reasons why your company is looking to change your cleaning service? (ask this one when they contracted you.)

Why are you placing the contract out for bid?

It could be because they’re required to cleaning service out for bid once a year. Or they’re not satisfied with the current contractor. Or it’s because they are cutting costs and are looking for someone who can offer a lower price. If their reason is the latter, then it should serve as a warning for you. Prospective clients that are looking for the lowest bidder are not usually the best customers for your cleaning business.

What types of challenges are you having right now?

What other concerns do you have?

With this information, you will be able to know how to solve their problems. If you are talking about the current contractor, don’t talk badly about them. Your prospective clients may feel that you are criticizing their poor judgment when they hired the current contractor.

What improvements would you like too see?

What do you expect for your cleaning service?

What does your current cleaning company do to guarantee you the quality of work you require?

When I talk about “value” in term of cleaning service, what comes to mind?

What do you think about this topic?

If your prospective client voices a concern about the price, ask them: What would you do when you’re current cleaning service doesn’t show up or complete the job to their satisfaction, would they feel that they’re getting value for their money?

After asking them more probing questions, your next step is to ask your prospective client if you can have a tour of the building you’ll be bidding on. If it’s not possible at the moment, then you have to get another appointment so you can have the tour.

Before going on with the tour, set your next appointment. You have an appointment to make so that you can come back and present your completed bid to your clients and close the sale.

Though your clients may have the measurements for the floor surfaces, it is recommended that you make your own measurements of the building and the different floor surfaces such as the tile, carpet etc. You may also ask the prospect if you can be allowed to go back after the tour to initiate your measurements without taking up any more of his time. When you are done, check back in with the prospect and let them know you’re done. Remind then of your next appointment and thank them for the time.

See: How to start a cleaning service

Insurance coverage is one of the most overlooked items in one’s business. The policy is to cover instances that may occur in the future, such as lost items, negligence in the use of chemicals, theft, damage to equipment and the like. The right coverage would be able to keep one’s risk and thus one’s premiums to a manageable level.

The basic coverage for a business includes general liability insurance, auto insurance if the business has vehicles, worker’s compensatory insurance and breakdown insurance. These coverages are most often bundled into one policy but one needs to verify with one’s agent as to the actual coverages. But the industry where one has chosen to be part of has specific risks which may not fall under the basic policy package. So in order for one to be able to perform the job engaged for, one needs to cover the following risks inherent in the cleaner business.

1) For keys. Keys are important in the business as most of the activity is done after work hours. If one the employees loses one or any of the keys provided the business, one would need to pay for the actual key, lock adjustment or even replacement of these locks. By having insurance for this, one need not worry about this.

2) For property left in one’s care and supervision. This type of insurance covers property given to the cleaner for use or left in their care and supervision. This includes rented or leased property or equipment like vacuum cleaners or industrial grade floor machines.

3) Thievery. This coverage is not the same as the insurance against the cleaner’s own employee’s theft, but if the cleaner’s employee’s negligence allows the occasion that the criminal act of theft be realized. An example would be leaving the back door unlocked and thus allowing thieves to gain unlawful entry.

4) Against pollution. As a cleaning company, one works with an array of chemicals used to clean the work site. Pollution may occur when there is accidental spillage or mishandling of these volatile chemicals.

5) Business losses. The risk insured against in this type of coverage is sudden business loss or downturns that were unforeseen. A prime example is the sudden closure of business or bankruptcy of the cleaner’s biggest client making the bottom line go to the red. Having this insurance allows one to be financially supported until the business income returns to normal.

6) Non-cleaning materials. This coverage is for the office equipment of the cleaners. This may just be a rider if one works out of one’s home.

So there are some risks associated with the cleaning business which is not included in a typical business insurance policy coverage. The risks may be a lot more since one performs a highly specialized service, one small act may ruin a small business such as this one financially. It would be best to discuss these risks with an insurance expert or specialist so one may be able to adequately prepare for them.

See: How to start a cleaning service

In any service business, the right pricing may be hard to achieve at first because there are no products to speak off. In fact, you are pricing the cost of your labor and this is a precious commodity. However, simple research can actually be a big help in this task. Designating a fee for your services need not be perfect, an educated guess would suffice. You will have time to correct it later on when you start calling for cleaning service bids.

The first thing you need to investigate on is how much your competition is charging. Call up various listed cleaning businesses outside your area, just in case you slip up and admit that you are thinking of establishing your own cleaning business, and ask for their fees. Make your own house an example because they might ask for specific space measures, areas needed to be cleaned and equipment that the cleaning task might need. List down a few quotations and average the figures for you to have a clearer idea of the pricing involved in the existing cleaning industry.

Next, you will need to have a long list of how much cleaning supplies cost. These include cleaning chemicals and solutions, cleaning tools and equipment, and other related products. You can visit the local stores for this and you can tell them your plans outright. They would be very much willing to help you out since you are now a prospective client. In fact, they might even make your job easier since they can give you a brochure of their products.

If you want a better idea on how much of these products you will probably use up in cleaning houses, buy a few products and clean your own house. List down all the products you use up and see how much area they could clean. Afterwards, you will have a strong basis for your fees for the cleaning products and you now have the opportunity to price your labor.

After that, make quick run of the list of cleaning services in your area. As the law of supply and demand goes, the more supplies the lesser the price for it. So, it would be to your advantage if the cleaning industry in your town is lacking, that means you can charge higher prices for your services. But if your area has more than its share of cleaning businesses, you might want to specialize in a few areas of cleaning or offer a new service. Aside from that, you still need to have a competitive price to get your foot inside the market.

Lastly, you need to remember that you are in business to make profits. As a business, you only not need to purchase cleaning products and equipment, you also need to pay your taxes and receive a salary. Moreover, you need to save up some cash for the maintenance, repairs, or replacement of your own cleaning equipment.

See: Start a cleaning service

Studies on the current demographics of the American society show that over 50% of American households have both parents working, and for couples who have finished high school or earned degrees, the number even increases. To top this off, the growing number of divorces has led a lot of single parents to holding two or more jobs.

Although this may come as an indicator of the sad fact that life is becoming harder and harder, it also has let a new industry emerge – the business of cleaning.

With a ton of people too busy to keep house, there is a growing demand for house cleaners on call. Let us face it, not a lot of people like cleaning since it is very tedious and tends to cause anxiety and feelings of inadequacy in people. When we are busy with work outside of the home, the more anxious we get when we still have to think about keeping the house spic’ and span. The solution? Call maid service. A working person need not think about how grimy his windows are, or how much dirt is behind his refrigerator, or how much cobweb there is in his cupboards. Maid cleaning services provides all the solutions for any household cleaning worry.

If you are beginning to wonder how you can get into this booming industry, here’s a tip on where to find the right advice – the janitorial supply shop in your neighborhood. They probably know of a lot of cleaning services and may even be suppliers for some. This means they could let you in on some secret techniques and strategies on what you would need in starting up a cleaning business. They probably would not give you a written business plan, but narratives and stories are as good as it gets. They will want to get you to trust them because these supplies store would also want you as a customer as soon as you open your cleaning business.

Another way to learn the ropes is to associate yourself with a small but running cleaning business. Tread this path carefully and find someone genuinely willing to help. You also should be very clear on your intentions and you should try to help the business out as much as you can too. Establishing good relations with another cleaning service may be beneficial for you in the long run. When you start up your business, keep in contact with the business owner who helped you out. Make sure that you do not steal any of their clients and if your business goes well and you find yourself lacking hands to accommodate clients, you may actually tap that other cleaning service.

Finally, you can find a ton of helpful ideas about starting up a cleaning business online. Some come for free while the detailed ones may cost you a few dollars. However, having the right tips to start your own successful cleaning business is well worth every penny.

See: How to start a residential cleaning service

If you’re considering joining the lucrative and profitable world of the cleaning industry, it might be tempting to own a cleaning franchise instead of starting your business from the ground up. After all, buying into a cleaning franchise gives you a template that you can easily follow and can be a sure investment. Or is it?

Before you sign that contract, think about it for a second. There are many pros and cons to owning your own cleaning franchise. Take the time to weigh the options and then see if buying in to a cleaning franchise is for you.

Yes, although buying into a cleaning franchise can be an easy solution for you, you might want to take a step back.

PROS: A cleaning franchise is a contracted type of business wherein you buy into a brand name or another person’s company. Think of it like the 7/11 franchise, there is an overall owner of the business and people just buy into the company. You are contracted to fulfill certain obligations when you buy into any kind of franchise. This can cover anything from number of employees to how much money you should hand over in a month. Cleaning franchises will provide the equipment and also give you a set list of pricing that you can use a guide. This gives you an easy template to follow.

CONS: Cleaning franchises normally require a larger investment from you. It may sound easy but you have to plunk down a larger amount of money for the provided equipment. You are under obligation to fulfill the contractual terms. Plus, you’re not your own boss. You have to answer to a larger corporation that deems you responsible for everything that occurs with that particular franchise.
These are some of the various things you should consider when you think of buying into a cleaning franchise. If you actually start your own cleaning service (no franchise included), you have all the benefits of above without the contract to fulfill, unless to yourself.

What is the difference between a cleaning franchise and starting your own smaller cleaning business? You are your own boss, you make your own hours, and you decide when to hire, expand or train. We don’t normally recommend buying into a cleaning franchise, especially if you live in a smaller community. You can easily turn your small cleaning business into a profitable one without the help of a larger corporation. It may sound easier to have someone else lay all the groundwork for you but in the long run it is much simpler to start your own business. Your community doesn’t need the large franchise and your potential clients may not be able to afford the prices that the franchise will set for you.

Although buying into a cleaning franchise is not a bad idea, consider the long term effects on your business and your community. Why not start your own business that you can eventually franchise? It’s cheaper, easier and has a bigger profit margin in the long run.

See: How to start a cleaning service