Why not get in on the act now, take advantage of this demand, and start profiting from your own home-based house cleaning business!

Below are the main points you need to know to start-up as an Independent Cleaner.

Choose a Business Name

For advertising purposes you really should give your cleaning service a name. It could just be your own name, i.e. ‘Joan Walter’s House Cleaning’ or you could give it a more generic name i.e. ‘Your Sparkly House’. Well, you get the idea anyway!

Having a business name forms an identity for your business. If you are serious about making a profit and an income from this, then you need to take your little business seriously and it all starts with a name.

Choose Your Territory & Customers

You need to know who your customers are going to be and where they live. You might not have your own transport, so this will have to be taken into consideration. If you have a car then you will be able to travel further a field and be able to do more cleans per day.

If you don’t have your own transport, then you should try and target people near where you live. But you will also need to identify if the people in your area have the money to pay for a cleaner.

So basically you need to know who can afford to pay for a cleaner. You also need to know if there are enough of these premium customers within a certain proximity of each other? Ideally you would want as many customers as close to each other as possible. This way you can do more cleans per day and not lose too much time traveling from one customer to another.

Set-Up Costs

As an Independent Cleaner, there is very little you need to buy to start your own business. Most Independent Cleaners tend to use the cleaning products and equipment of their customers. So you won’t need to buy any cleaning products. This is the main reason why you will make a healthy profit!

The following are what you will probably have to spend some money on:

o A tabard/apron
o Advertising
o Travelling costs

Pricing

You need to set yourself a price structure. The best way to do this is to ring around the local cleaners in your Yellow Pages and find out what they are charging. You can also get this information from your local job center.

You can then set your hourly rate in proportion with your competitors. Whether you choose to undercut them, charge the same, or set your prices slightly higher is totally up to you.

Advertising

If you don’t carry out advertising activities, then know one will know about your cleaning service. The best and cheapest way to do this is to create small flyers and to put them directly into your potential customers’ mailbox.

Simply type up your flyer in a word processing document, or get somebody to do this for you. Try and put at least two flyers on one page. Take these your local library or wherever has a photocopier. Get them copied as many times as you can afford.

Put your flyers out by the hundreds if you can. You will be surprised at how quickly this actually takes. Hopefully by the time you get back home, you might even have your first phone call.

In addition to flyers, depending on your budget, advertise your cleaning service in the Yellow Pages. If you cannot afford this from the onset, once you start making some money you can then think about placing an advert then.

Expanding

Once you are well on your way of having a full, jam-packed diary you might want to think about expanding your cleaning business. By now you will be beaming with confidence of what you have accomplished all by yourself. So thinking about hiring a cleaner to help you expand should not be too daunting.

Put an ad in your local newspaper advertising for a cleaner. Once you have chosen a satisfactory candidate take him/her with you on your cleaning rounds for him/her to get used to your cleaning methods and techniques.

Once you are happy and confident that he/she can go and clean on their own, you can then either have some free time to yourself or double your customer base.

Once you are totally confident with managing cleaning staff there is no reason why you can’t hire more cleaners.

Claire Bowes runs her own Starting A Home Business website where she shares experience and information from working from home. Claire also shares information for anyone wanting to run their own House Cleaning Business

We started a house cleaning business over nine years ago. Although our schedules
are now brimming with other creative commitments, we continue to clean houses
and offices because the pay is excellent, it gives us the free time we need to pursue
our personal goals, and we like it.

When I first joined Ev as he started a house cleaning business I had no idea what I
was getting into, but I loved the idea of working for myself. Two things were
bothering me a little. First, I was concerned with job security. Second, I secretly
doubted my basic cleaning skills. Cleaning had always seemed like drudgery and I
wondered if my skills were up to par with the pros. Ev guaranteed that cleaning
would give me time to spend the way I wanted. I was ready to take a leap of faith,
so I decided to try it.

I made three discoveries:

Cleaning is not drudgery when you’re getting paid well to do it.

Leaving behind neat, clean rooms is quite satisfying.

Not having a boss is fantastic.

I also discovered a new use for my research and investigative skills. Because I was
determined to rank up there with the best of the professionals, I began to research
cleaning tips and as a result, learned how to clean just about anything. Best of all,
our diligence and excellent service has provided genuine job security all along.

Why do we think starting a house cleaning business is a great idea? Here’s eleven
reasons why:

1. Unlimited income potential

You can grow your house cleaning business as big as you want. Many recent
entrepreneurs have built up their house cleaning businesses up to 100k a year
within one year. Try that with a JOB (just over broke). Cleaning franchises are
booming nationwide, but franchises are a bad deal for the want-to-be professional
cleaner. You go massively into debt before you even get started. Franchises are
highly appropriate for oil lube shops and Internet cafes because those are expensive
and complicated businesses, cleaning is not.

2. Start bringing in money within two weeks

You can discover interested clients within days. You can be giving quotes within a
week. You can have jobs by week two. You can have a full-force house cleaning
business within a few months.

3. Start on a shoestring budget

You can start a house cleaning business for well under $100. This business is one of
the best for inexpensive start-ups. Believe it or not you can even start without a
vacuum or a car. We did!

4. Be your own boss

Absolutely my favorite reason for starting a house cleaning business. My inner
compass just tells me that being my own boss is taking me in the right direction. I’m
sure you can relate. Nothing quite compares to the pride and excitement of calling
the shots and being in charge of your own destiny. This is what America is all about,
right? What is stopping you? Sure, you’ll make mistakes, we all make them. But no
one is going to scold you and you’ll learn from your mistakes. Besides, as another
entrepreneur once said, we have the most sympathetic boss in the world -
ourselves!

5. Set your own hours

We love this aspect of starting a house cleaning business even more than being our
own boss. We take days off when we want and as often as we can get away with. Try
that with a JOB (just over broke). We find that we each work smarter instead of
harder because we’re able to tap into our natural sense of responsibility. When
you’re empowered to take charge of your own schedule you take more pride in the
work you do.

6. Get paid everyday

This is my second favorite benefit. It’s really cool. Every day we get at least one
check if not several. You won’t stress out about paying your bills on time. No
waiting two weeks or a month to get paid. This makes your personal accounting
system less stressful and a whole lot more enjoyable and even downright fun.

7. Cleaning is easy work, not technical or complicated

If you prefer to use your brainpower on genuinely creative, significant pursuits, or
even if you don’t, starting a house cleaning business won’t drain your brain.

8. Professional cleaning is not emotionally or mentally exhausting

This is Ev’s favorite part of starting a house cleaning business. Ev initially started a
house cleaning business because he was frustrated with how emotionally draining
his JOB was, making it very difficult for him to pursue his creative endeavors. He was
tired a lot of the time and just couldn’t get motivated. Within weeks of starting his
first house cleaning business he was realizing a lifelong desire to compose music.
He now has seven CDs of music published. Ev and I built a house ourselves with the
free time and free mental space afforded by our part time house cleaning business.

9. Choose who you work with

Number two favorite on Ev’s list. There has always been that one person that made
life at work less than enjoyable if not a complete drag. Can you relate? If we discover
we don’t exactly click with a client, we have a system for replacing them within one
week, sometimes sooner. You’ll never feel trapped with an unwanted associate
again.

10. Work close to home

No long commute, no commute at all if you prefer. There is plenty of work near you,
we drive maybe ten miles a day, we do 80% of our work in one neighborhood. When
Ev started his first house cleaning business he rode his bike and took public
transportation to his clients’ homes and offices. With a little foresight and planning,
you can clean with no supplies of your own. We have met several other cleaners who
work by bike and on foot as well.

11. Start additional cleaning services

You can add in any of a dozen additional cleaning services to maximize your profits.
Carpet cleaning, steam cleaning, house sitting, pet sitting and plantscaping are all
natural outgrowths of starting a cleaning business. You can mix house cleaning with
office cleaning, or window cleaning with house cleaning, or for variety do all three.

Starting a house cleaning business may not be glamorous, but because we did it, Ev
and I have gained free time to do what we want to do, lowered our stress levels,
become more productive and happier, and we make a good living. For people with a
sense of independence and a creative spirit, starting a house cleaning business is a
wonderful way to provide yourself with genuine security.

This article was adapted from the newly revised and improved edition of Suzanne Arthur’s ebook, Start Your Own House Cleaning Business. Also check out Suzanne’s other cleaning business ebooks, featuring the Suze & Ev Method: Start Your Own Window Cleaning Business, and Start Your Own Office Cleaning Business. These ebooks, as well as an 88 page cleaning tips ebooklet, can be found at http://www.start-cleaning-business.com

For some online business owners, the ideal online business might be one in which the owner is spending much of her day working with 1:1 clients, interspersed with a few information product sales. For others, the ideal day might consist of implementing Internet marketing strategies to sell many information products, and only a small amount of time spent with high-fee 1:1 clients. The bigger vision to wrap your head around is how do you want to spend your day — your week — your year — your life? How much money do you want to make? How do you want to spend your time — with family, traveling, completing hobby projects, in relaxation, or working in your business?

There are no right or wrong answers here. The great part about being a self-employed service professional is that you have the freedom and the tools to create the perfectly designed business for you — to become a lifestyle entrepreneur, or lifepreneur, in which your life and your business work together in harmony so that you have adequate time and energy to devote to both . And, if that vision changes at some point, you can make changes accordingly.

For my business, that vision includes working many days in my bathrobe, spending time on the phone with hand-picked clients in 1:1 sessions where I get as energized as they do, writing content for additional information products, designing additional revenue streams for my business, enjoying a relaxed lunch while watching Samantha Brown’s travels on the Travel Channel, and spending time with my fiancee when his schedule allows. You won’t find me taking lots of exotic vacations or throwing wild parties or bragging about the new expensive car or house or clothing I just purchased –that’s not a part of who I am. I love the creative process I find through my work, and I find my work to be fun, so I treat my business as others might treat a treasured hobby. Flexibility is also important to me, as is being able to conduct ALL aspects of my business from my home office. I find myself becoming annoyed at even having to go to the Post Office to check my mail!

If your business isn’t developing the way you initially thought, take a long, hard look at your business vision and check to see how close you are the picture of your ideal business. Syndicated columnist Maureen Dowd says it best: “If you settle for less than you deserve, you’ll get even less than you settled for.” So, If you hate the travel component of your business, brainstorm ideas of how to take your information to your target market from your home office. If you’re burned out from working with 1:1 clients, strategize the possibilities of working with them in a group setting. If you want to take more time off, assess some passive revenue possibilities for your business. If you hate in-person networking events, discover where your target market hangs out online and develop relationships there.

Running a successful business isn’t easy — if it were, everyone would be doing it. And, it doesn’t happen overnight — many “overnight successes” have 5, 10, or more years of work that contributed to that “overnight success”. You deserve a full, thriving business — don’t settle for less! To make sure your online service business is on track, conduct a regular checkup of your online business, including:

1. Your service fee structure. Begin with the end in mind here in terms of what amount of money you need to live on for the year in way you’d like to or are accustomed to living and determine what you need to charge to live your life in this fashion. In a service business, your time is precious and should not be squandered. What is the client value of working 1:1 with you? Are you charging adequately for that privilege?

2. Your passive income strategy. What percentage of your business income do you want to derive from passive income streams? Have you devoted time during the course of your work week to develop these passive income streams?

3. Your invoicing and payment policies. Are there multiple ways clients can pay you (check, cash, debit/credit card)? When do you expect payment for a contract? How do you deal with late payments?

4. Your hours of operation. Are you working around the clock, or do you leave time for yourself to enjoy your life? What about vacation and family time? Are there procedures for dealing with clients who want you to work outside your scheduled work hours?

5. Your ideal client profile. Include descriptive adjectives of the characteristics of your ideal clients as well as more statistically-oriented details, such as what industry they’re in, what do they read, where do they hang our on- and off-line, what professional associations do they belong to, how much money do they make each year, what are their most pressing business management concerns. Do your current clients fit this profile? If not, you need to clean house and find clients that are a better fit for you and your business.

6. Kind of work you love to do. Don’t waste your time with tasks that aren’t fun or don’t tap into your special talents/gifts that come easily to you. Do what you do best, and delegate the rest.

Once you’ve reviewed these checkpoints, create an action plan that helps you move forward toward your ideal business vision. The president of the college where I once worked had this motto he established for all the administrative staff, “If it is to be, it is up to me.” You are the creator of your destiny, of your business, of your quality of life. If you are to have a successful online business, it is up to you to do it in the way that works well for you, brings you joy, and permits you to make a decent living in the process.

Online Business Resource Queen (TM) and Online Business Coach Donna Gunter helps independent service professionals learn how to automate their businesses, leverage their expertise on the Internet, and get more clients online. To claim your FREE gift, TurboCharge Your Online Marketing Toolkit, visit her site at http://www.OnlineBizU.com Ask Donna an Internet Marketing question at http://www.AskDonnaGunter.com

Here’s the deal: If you’re running a business and you haven’t identified the one best way to perform each repeatable task or process (such as answering the phone in a consistent manner, managing your sales process etc.) then you’re in big trouble.

We all want consistency and predictability when we deal with a business. In order to achieve that, you have to take discretion out of the equation when it comes to how your employees perform repeatable tasks. That’s the perfect world, and in order to maintain a perfect world for your company, you must have an operations manual. The operations manual is the very reason that franchises are so successful; it eliminates all the guesswork on how to do things. You simply find the “one best way” and document it in a step-by-step manner.

But a note of caution: Just because the process is documented, it does not necessarily mean it’s always going to be the “one best way” to perform that process. You should challenge your employees to improve on how things are done to increase productivity and quality of results. That said, your operations manual should be a “living document.”

In today’s ultra-competitive marketplace, you simply have to provide your customers with consistency or you’re not going to grow your business as you otherwise could. The fact is, the best way to grow your business is by positive word-of-mouth… and people are more likely to recommend a company when they know their recommendation is going to make them look good.

Aside from a written step-by-step operations manual, you might consider the “video operations manual.” You’ve heard the phrase “a picture tells a thousand words”… well in today’s economy, a picture actually tells 1348 words. Which is why a video might be more helpful in training a new employee on the various repeatable processes that make up their job description. This does not mean you can’t train your employees using a real live person, but it does mean you can use the video to support and follow-up the training. And that’s a good thing.

So take the guesswork out of running your company and create a written operations manual (supported by a video operations manual). This will allow you to provide your customers (and employees) with positively predictable experiences when dealing with your company.

Michael Schell, President of Thought Leader Publications & Training, is an engaging speaker, trainer and author who licenses and conducts the Buyer-Approved Selling Workshop across North America. He has authored five books, including “Winning Sales Advice,” “The Customer Approved Small Business” and “Human Resource Approved Job Interviews.” His books and workshops are based on interviews with hundreds of decision makers from companies like DaimlerChrysler, Verizon, Oracle and Hyatt Hotels.

Starting this cleaning business is not easy. You must have proper knowledge in all cleaning agents for different stains. You must know how to promote and advertise your cleaning service. Online is the best way for getting information, tips, guidelines and strategies in putting up your business. There are some people who release kits or blueprints on how to have a successful online marketing. You can surf online for any training provided in the internet regarding on your cleaning business.

There are lots of cleaning business online but with proper strategy and marketing plan, your cleaning service will have chance to survive in this business online. Most people rely on the internet even for cleaning service that they need. People depends on the internet with their home and business needs. If you don’t have a proper successful online marketing strategy, your cleaning business won’t succeed.

Make sure your ads are appealing to prospective customers especially to those who visit your cleaning service’s site. There are some websites who can provide an easy way to follow on how to make a simple and creative ad website for your own cleaning service. Of course, this websites offer a few and affordable fee, but it will give benefits on you in the long run. People who needs your cleaning service will be easy for them to locate you on the internet. Google is the leading searching communication on the internet, and most people begin their search in Google.

You can earn and gain more, if your cleaning service is properly introduced online. You may find it difficult at the start but you can succeed in your cleaning business if you have patience and determination. There are available kits online on how to make marketing strategy that can be a good help in your business. They also provide videos for proper way in cleaning carpet using special formulated soap, including the proper equipment you will use in cleaning carpet.

There are also available books in the market about marketing strategy online. It includes guidelines, tip on how to manage your cleaning business.

Avail us at: How to start a cleaning service business

Dolson McArt – Author of: Cleaning Business – Cleaning Resources Online
Contributing to EzineArticles.com since March 2007

* Make a Plan: Simplify housecleaning by making a plan of attack. Jumping into it without a plan can be overwhelming. Whether you’re spring cleaning or just giving your house a good once over, create a plan that designates time for each task. Keep in mind this doesn’t need to take place all in one day, so spread if out if that will work better with your schedule. IT doesn’t have to be in depth. Set aside Mondays for laundry, Tuesdays for the living room and dining room, and Wednesday for the bedrooms. Sticking to this schedule can also help you keep up with your cleaning on a weekly basis without being overwhelmed.
* Don’t Wait: One dish in the sink may not seem like a big deal but within a few hours or days you’ll find that it’s multiplied into a monster. When you prepare a meal or dirty a dish, clean everything up afterwards. Waiting can make the dishes harder to clean and therefore you will be spending more time in the kitchen than necessary. The same is true for laundry. Instead of waiting for laundry day, once you have enough dirty clothes for a full load send it through the wash cycle.
* Clean Surfaces Regularly: It’s tempting to put off tasks like cleaning off the stove or wiping down the shower. After one meal or shower it seldom seems necessary to wipe down the counters, stove, sink, or shower; however, by doing so you will save time when it comes time to really give your house a good cleaning. Soap scum and grease can build up over time making it harder to remove regardless of how strong your cleaning solution is. Keeping on top of it will prevent this build up and therefore make it easier to care for in the long run.
* Avoid Clutter: There is a fine line between decoration and clutter, and it’s one we often cross with little or no concern. You may love those trinkets you have all over the coffee table and mantle but they can actually make it hard to keep your home looking clean and organized. Too much clutter can increase the sight of dust, make a room look smaller, and make cleaning a nightmare. Try to keep clutter to a minimum by choosing a few of your favorite pieces and putting the rest away. You can also invest in a hutch or a curio to store items that you want to keep in sight.
* Invest in a Good Vacuum: Never underestimate the power of a great vacuum. This is especially true for those with pets or children. An otherwise clean living room can look disastrous when there is fuzz, crumbs, pet hair, and other particles on the carpet. A good vacuum can be one of your best allies in keeping your home clean as well as minimizing the amount of allergens that enter the air.

Imagine what your life would be like if you never had to scrub, vacuum, dust, or polish again. MaidPro can make your dreams a reality. With a team of trained professionals, we make it our business to provide homes across America with quality cleaning services at affordable prices. Visit us at http://www.maidpro.com. It’s about time!

For example, you could pay someone else to build you a page for three to six hundred dollars, and you would still have to buy and learn the software to keep it updated, not to mention spend another hundred or so on yearly hosting fees. In addition, you can’t just build a website and expect people to see it. You have to have a mechanism in place to get traffic for your website, or spend a decent chunk of time doing it yourself.

If you are purchasing adds in newspapers, distributing fliers, or using craigslist to find customers for your cleaning service, the competition is fierce! By providing a website, you establish credibility for your company and show customers you are serious and trustworthy. There are lots of people that clean houses, and most of them don’t have a website. This is one place you can get a serious advantage over the competition.

If someone is really looking for a new cleaner your business website may be what seals the deal for you, and convinces that person to call you. If you don’t have a site, how are you going to stand out from all the other cleaners out there?

If you own or operate a cleaning business and don’t have a website, please check out what we have to offer at http://www.BizDetail.com You can also check out a recent example site we built for Frontline Commercial Cleaning Services, a cleaning company in West Yorkshire

The products advertised in this way usually are not the best ones. To find ones that really work, you will need to test several products. Ask around to find out what your family and friends use, and what they think of that product – you will learn about a lot of new products this way, and find out which ones are suitable for use on fabrics, woodwork, and home appliances, and which ones work for different kinds of spills, or general cleaning purposes.

If you are starting your own cleaning service, investigate a wide range of products, and note their qualities – some clients may require products that do not use a certain ingredient. Some may want a product that has a certain fragrance, or one that does not leave any smell at all after use. To ensure you can keep all your clients happy, you will need to have a wide variety of products in your arsenal.

You do not need to buy the most expensive products, your clients will be more impressed if you find products that work, regardless of their price. If people ask for natural cleaning products, then one option is to make your own.

DIY House Cleaning Products

By making your own house cleaning products, you will save a lot of money, and be helping the environment at the same time. The chemicals used in many modern products are quite harmful to the environment, and many people are allergic to them. If you offer home made cleaning products to your clients, you may find many of them ask if they can buy some of the product for their own use, giving you a whole extra way of generating income for your business.

DIY cleaning products are quite easy to make. Some of the simplest ones to make are bleach alternatives – baking soda or white vinegar is a good alternative to bleach – mix it with a little water, and you’re done. To clean glass, use a little lemon juice or vinegar mixed with water, for an odor free, effective cleaning product.

Instead of using a harsh furniture polish, try a little vegetable oil and lemon juice – put some of this on an old towel, and rub it in to the furniture for a nice shiny finish.

There are lots of other recipes, try experimenting with natural ingredients to make your own recipes.

Keep your home clean and happy with a house cleaning list. Sign up for our FREE newsletter and make house cleaning chore lists a priority in your family.

To sustain and grow in this business, it is imperative to sustain a good level of services. Depleting quality can be harmful. You don’t want to be out only after the first contract, right? So provide such services that the clients get addicted to your quality of work. Leave no room for competition. Engage in the idea of frequent feedback, where your existing clients can introduce any required changes during or before the contract.

Flexible working hours could be your selling proposition. Pamper your client. Tell them that you will be available to do the cleaning at the last minute if so desired. This, of course, implies having a workforce working in shifts. If you need to, hire a few temp employees initially and make them permanent as volumes grow.

Networking with the various society members to know if a new cleaning contract is on always helps. Stay updated, also advertise in the local newspapers and get some pamphlets printed for local circulation. The idea is to keep your name in the mind of anybody who is considering an alternate home cleaning service provider. Another way to get the first entry is by providing complimentary cleaning services for the relatives of your existing clients as a special treat. The scope is thus increased. More people know about you, and this is exactly what you need to grow. Leave a good first impression and let them look for you when they need another cleaning.

The right equipment also plays an important part in your offerings package. You might think that manual services can impart the desired results; however, the saved time and increased proficiency can easily cover up for the increased expenses. So next time you shop around for your tools, rate price against quality and do not compromise on the latter. You can of course hire some expensive equipment initially.

Home cleaning is a specialized field in itself, and experience is the best teacher in this domain. So, just work on the above tips and see your self grow.

Alexander Gordon is a writer for http://www.smallbusinessconsulting.com – The Small Business Consulting Community. Sign-up for the free success steps newsletter and get our booklet valued at $24.95 for free as a special bonus. The newsletter provides daily strategies on starting and significantly growing a business.

Business Owners all across the country are joining “The Community of Small Business Owners” to receive and provide strategies, insight, tips, support and more on starting, managing, growing, and selling their businesses. As a member, you will have access to true Millionaire Business Owners who will provide strategies and tips from their real-life experiences.