According to Statista, in 2020 there were almost 800,000 maids and housekeepers in the United States. In the U.K, the cleaning industry brings in £55.5 billion pounds to the economy on a yearly basis. With figures like those, it’s clear to see that the cleaning industry is providing income for people all around the world. You might wonder, though, what you need to do in order to start your own cleaning company where you live? Follow these simple steps and you will be on your way to a new flexible and rewarding career.

Picking a Name and Legally Registering Your New Cleaning Company

It’s certainly not the most fun part of starting a business but it's the most important. When you start any business you need to check with your local government for what licenses or business entities you need to have. There can be fines or legal consequences for operating a business without these in place. Once you have that information, start thinking about a business name. It’s always wise to check in the community where you will be offering services to make sure the name you have chosen is not already being used by another well-known business. You can now start to apply for the appropriate legal licenses and registrations.

What Supplies Will You Need for Your New Cleaning Company?

It’s now time to start looking into what cleaning supplies you will need in order to operate your new cleaning business. Generally, it will be similar to what you would use in your own home.

• Vacuum
• Mop, bucket, and extra mop heads
• Dusting cloths and wands
• General cleaning cloths
• Multi-purpose cleaner
• Anti-bacterial cleaner
• Bathroom cleaner
• Mold and mildew cleaner for showers and tubs
• Toilet bowl cleaner
• Glass cleaner
• Stainless steel polish
• Oven cleaner
• Furniture polish
• Paper Towels
• Trash bags
• Cleaning caddy/rolling cart

If you live in an area where these items are hard to find, don’t panic! There are plenty of homemade cleaning recipes that use common household staples like baking soda, white vinegar, dish soap, lemon juice, and olive oil.

You will need more than cleaning products to run a business, though. The admin side of your business can take up a great deal of your time and energy. Look into getting a subscription with a service industry software, like Squeegee, to help you run your business. You’ll get features like invoicing, payments, work planning, and even the option for a customer portal. Squeegee also integrates with other platforms like GoCardless and Stripe.

What Services Will Your New Cleaning Company Offer?

It is incredible the number of services you can offer your customers. There is basic or maintenance cleaning and then there are deep cleans and special extras you can offer your clients. Check out our list of the different cleaning services you can provide for your new clients.

Get Your New Cleaning Company Recognized

With social media and word of mouth, you can successfully begin to establish your clientele. Start by creating a few social media pages for your new business. Facebook’s business pages allow your clients to leave reviews for you which will help build up your reputation as a trustworthy company. Instagram® is also a nice option where you can start sharing before and after photos of your work. Add tags to your photos to start reaching those around your community. Ask friends and family if you can begin practicing by using their homes to get a head start on learning techniques, gaining confidence, and streamlining your processes. No doubt, you will earn some 5-star reviews for your new social media pages!

Think about your marketing material as well. You can make a nice logo for your social media profile pictures, business cards, uniforms, and many other things. There are many options you can use for this. Make one yourself using websites like Canva.com and LogoMaker.com or you can get one professionally created on Etsy.com. There are thousands of options available. We made this logo in 5 minutes on Canva®.

Business cards are another option many new companies chose to invest in. Make sure it has your social media pages, your phone number, email address, and of course, your business name and logo on it. We love Moo.com for business cards. Vistaprint.com is another very nice and popular option.

What Prices Should Your New Cleaning Company Charge?

That is a very good question! Depending on where you live in the world, the cost of house cleaning services can differ greatly. For example, Home Advisor says in the United States the hourly rate for home cleaning services is between $50-$90 per hour. In the U.K, the range is between £10-£20 an hour according to this site. Research the average prices based on where you live. Cleaning homes is hard work, so don’t sell yourself short. Your time, effort, and products are worth charging a fair price. Once you have established your business, and have a good reputation with your clients, you can begin to charge even more.

Congratulations! You Are Ready to Start Your New Cleaning Company!