Start a House Cleaning Business

There is a great problem in the world today when it comes to time. Most people don't have enough. And if you're prepared to capitalize on this deficiency in most homes, starting a house cleaning business might be one of the best "everyday" businesses to start.

Makes sense, doesn't it?

Starting your own house cleaning business is a fairly simple business and as long as you can learn how to market your business and provide great service, then success isn't far away.

There's very little equipment to buy besides the supplies you can grab at Walmart and you can very likely earn a decent part-time income right away.

Just the other day, I read about a woman in Charlotte, NC who tossed aside a high stress job in engineering to start her own house cleaning business. From day one she's been busy and she finally has the freedom she always wanted.

What's the secret to success?

In the house cleaning business, the key is finding those homeowners who have the income to pay you what you need to make.

If you have to go from home to home to make a measly $35 a house, you're not going to make it.

Shoot for the big homes. These homeowners have the money and are more than willing to pay for a job done right because it's just too hard finding a good cleaning company.

Is there a need?

According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, an estimated 80% of dual-income households use an outside cleaning service of some type.

That's a lot of people looking for house cleaning services and you'll certainly have no problem finding client as long as you understand marketing. But keep in mind...there's a smaller percentage of very high profit clients within that 80%.

And those are the homeowners you want to go after.

Growth

As your house cleaning business grows, you can easily add on more services or offer to take on other projects at your client's homes. Simple tasks that may take you a couple of minutes extra could add hundreds of extra dollars every week.

Some house cleaning businesses move from general cleaning to specializing, such as being in carpet and upholstery cleaning businesses. That's something you can determine as you get more comfortable with the general house cleaning business.

Valuable skills/Requirements

You need to be an honest person and always personable. You're as much a sales person as anything, and people will need to trust you to be in their homes.

You should also be thorough and at the same time move quickly because your time is money. If you can handle a few larger homes in one day -- you can work a three day week and take in a full time income.

As with running any company, you need basic business skills.

Knowing how to treat and service your customers is essential. Being on time and doing what you say you will do is important to homeowners.

Word of mouth marketing will quickly come into play if you're above and beyond other house cleaning businesses.

How much you can make?

Some home cleaning services charge around $75 to $100 per home, and some charge much less (which is a bad idea...never undervalue your service.)

But to bump-up a standard fee, you can and should always use add-ons for your cleaning service.

For example, add-on oven cleaning for $25.

Clean the fridge for another $25.

That's how you get higher per-home rates.