Let’s face it; nobody likes to clean. It is just not one of those fun jobs to be doing with your time. Many individuals put cleaning their own houses on the back burner; often to the point the place may need a professional house cleaning service to come in before a celebration or different affair.

On the subject of an office cleansing business, it’s a lot different than typical housecleaning. You aren’t only able to charge competitive rates but also schedule your individual hours and work in relative solitude without someone peering over your shoulder.

In some instances, when cleaning properties or places of work, you may find that cleaning shouldn’t be drudgery at all. Actually, given the amount of cash that may be made and being your own boss makes cleaning nearly a joy instead of a job.

Why Is Office Cleaning in Demand in a Poor Economic Climate?

The short answer to this query is employers don’t want employees to clean.

Why? Most employers are not going to make any employee ‘stoop’ to cleaning the office. Truly, can you see an office accountant changing into dungarees and hauling trash cans into the outdoor dumpster, let alone cleaning the bathroom(s)? I don’t think so.

Also, part of the ‘prestige’ of any company is showing that a “cleaning crew” comes in after hours. Staff (and even potential staff) are impressed by that and so are the company’s clients.

What Does it Take to Begin a Cleaning Enterprise?

Surprisingly, office cleaning takes little cash to begin, often under $100.

If you find this hard to imagine, read on.

My daughter’s mom-in-law started her office cleaning enterprise with little or no cash (which she didn’t have to begin with at the time). She grabbed all of the cleansers below her kitchen sink and the vacuum cleaner and purchased: “rubber gloves, paper towels, sponges, and different sizes of trash can liners for less than $20.”

After I asked her how she went without business cards, she replied, “Most professional offices don’t care about business cards; they need bids. All your data is on the bid.”

To be a legitimate office cleaning service, you will, sooner or later, need a business licence and become bonded. This will cost you in the neighborhood of around $500 if you do it yourself. If you enlist the help of an attorney, the cost will be much higher: around $1-2,000.

If you find yourself making a consistent amount of money after working for a few months or so (check the statutes in your state), you will have to get a business license. Corporations prefer that cleaning personnel are additionally bonded so be sure that you are bondable. That is to insure against any breakage or theft. Having both also shows that you’re professional, even if it is your first job in this business.

Most often you’ll need:

1. A vacuum cleaner
2. Varied cleansing products such as window cleaner, bleach, and bathroom cleansers.
3. Dusting rags, paper towels, and sponges
4. Trash bags to fit numerous sizes of containers
5. Air freshener spray, particularly Lysol
6. Rubber gloves
7. A method to journal your online business expenses and income. This can be done with a small enterprise software program or by hand if you do not have a computer. You need to keep good records when it comes time for taxes (bear in mind, all your expenses, together with fuel, are business write-offs).

More tools can come later as you develop and grow your new enterprise.

How Do You Get Customers?

The most effective ways to get offices to clean, but additionally the most costly, is by turning into a member of your local Chamber of Commerce. Many people have obtained clients very quickly by way of their Chamber and it also provides further credibility to your business.

In general, local Chambers of Commerce cost approximately $250 yearly for the membership price, although bigger city Chambers can charge much more. Many small business owners have turned out to be members of both because the local Chamber presents certain advantages while a large-city Chamber has many extra members to help spread the word about your business.

When you’re starting out on a shoestring, business cards will typically do, although they aren’t necessary as bids are generally used for information as well as pricing. Later you could possibly consider printing small brochures and making a website. Many new office cleaning companies have started out just by visiting workplace complexes and privately-owned companies, chatting with the proprietor and leaving a business card.

Bear this in mind: you do not know if any business is dissatisfied with their current cleaning crew. You possibly can wind up at the right place, and the right time, and nail a cleaning job on the spot or within a couple of weeks!

You can pass out flyers and advertise and promote your office cleaning business in the local paper and in online free or paid classified ads.

Office cleaning opportunities are also available at:

1. Churches
2. Schools
3. Dental and medical offices
4. Post offices

In most cases, particularly with a post office, it is going to be essential to submit a bid. Run some searches on the web to learn how to submit nicely-done and successful bids.

Issues with an Office Cleaning Business

Ensure that your time is flexible and your automobile is in good shape. There’s nothing worse than to break down somewhere and never get the job performed for your client. It exhibits lack of professionalism and unreliability.

Most workplace cleaning jobs are done after hours…which suggests within the evening. While not going utterly on a graveyard schedule, your hours will replicate a sort of “swing shift”: 4 p.m. to midnight, depending on how many places of work you need to clean that day.

Make sure you don’t undercharge for your services. There’s a vast difference between routine workplace cleaning and cleaning up after an enormous office party. Make sure to state pricing for these special cleaning requests.

Above all, office cleaning could be fun and does supply job security, even in a poor financial climate. After all, is there anything better than being your own boss and dictating your own rate of pay in a business that doesn’t seem to go away?

Author: Shawna Newton
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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This article is an extract from the Advanced Window Cleaning eBook. It will attempt to give the budding window cleaner a brief introduction to window cleaning based on experienced professional window cleaners.

You are about to embark on running your own business and being your own boss. You can be up and running within a week with very little capital or even experience. Business name:

Before you start your lucrative new business you’ve got to think of a good business name. You’ll need something you won’t hate a month later after your business cards, stationary, and advertisements are already printed! Been there got the t-shirt.

A lot of new business owners choose their name (i.e. John Smith Window Cleaning Services) which is absolutely fine. As long as it’s memorable and to the point.

Once you’ve chosen a name check with company house to find out if that name is still available at companies house. If it is available, make sure the domain name is also available too at a domain seller (I’ll explain why later).

If you’re based in the UK you’ll want the “.co.uk” as well as the “.com”. Whichever country you live in you’ll need the domain address that corresponds with your local area, i.e. Australia would be “.au”.

Once you’ve purchased your domain name it needs to be hosted.

What is hosting?

Once your website is completed the site must be placed on a web “Server” (a computer which is permanently connected to the Internet). This means that your site can be accessed anywhere around the world at any time.

My favourite company is 1&1, but feel free to use the company of your choice. You may even get hosting from 123 reg too!

There are several different factors that go into the decision making process when deciding on the right name for your business, and no one could ever tell you what’s right for you, that decision is yours only.

The name you eventually decide to use may impact other aspects of your business and your overall marketing plan. For example, where will you will be placed in alphabetical ad listings such as the yellow pages? Most prospective clients don’t call every listing in the book, just one, or two, maybe three, if comparing price quotes and services.

Registering Your Business with Mr Tax Man

Once you’ve found a name for your business and you’ve got the domain name registered it’s time to tell Mr Tax Man than you have now started a business. The reason why you do this straight away is the fact that there are a series of fines for not letting them know.

As a new business, you have the choice of being a sole trader, partnership or limited company. I’ll give you a brief example of the 3.

Sole Trader

Being a sole trader is the simplest and easiest way to get started in business. Once you have informed the government agencies of your intentions to go self-employed, you can start to trade right away (subject to any specific licenses or insurances you might require).

As a sole trader, you can quickly adapt to changes in your business with minimal bureaucratic changes required and you have complete control over your business and accounting affairs. However, a sole trader is also responsible for any liabilities should anything go wrong. This means that any debts that the business has can be seen as your own.

Partnership

A partnership is very similar to being a sole trader. This is the type of business entity in which partners share with each other the profits or losses of the business undertaking in which all have invested. Not only do both parties share the profits, they also share the liabilities too.

Limited Company

Aside from sole trader status, most small businesses set up as Limited Companies. The term ‘limited’ derives from the fact that the company’s finances are distinct from the personal finances of their owners (unlike the sole trader or partnership arrangement).

Shareholders in limited liability companies are not responsible for company debts, although if required, directors may be required to guarantee loans or credit granted to the company. In essence it is a separate entity.

At this point, I’d ask you to speak to an accountant (chapter 3) to see which direction is best for you. Everyone’s circumstances are different. For tax reasons I chose to be registered as “Limited Company”. This may or may not be the best course for you. I’ll let you decide!

Franchise

So what does a franchise give you? A franchise gives you an established name, cooperative marketing with other franchisees, bulk purchasing power, training and management expertise and much much more. There are some early advantages of buying a franchise rather than building your own business from scratch. They’re the types of advantages solo entrepreneurs might reap — if they’re lucky — after years of hard work in the trenches.

Naturally, franchising has its drawbacks, too. Agreements between franchisors and their franchisees can seem a little rigid, especially to eager, innovative self-starters who expect to grow their businesses as they see fit.

One of the other drawbacks is finance. Franchises can be very expensive to purchase ranging from 9,999 for a mama and papa type franchise to 250,000 (minimum) for a McDonald’s fast-food type franchise. Ouch!

Financing Your Business

If you don’t feel that confident venturing out on your own and want to choose either the Franchise or License model, there are few bodies and organisations you can try tapping for financing your new venture.

Listed below: -

Small Firm Loan Guarantee scheme

DTI Grant for Research and Development

Business Link Access to Finance service

Enterprise Grants

Prince’s Trust

Author: Joe Polanski-Smith
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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