startinghomebiz.com

What will I be doing ?
It’s a busy world ! Two-income families don’t have time to clean house. With all the cleaning needing to be done in this country, it’s no wonder there are 28,000 full-time housecleaning services in the U.S.!
There are many reasons why people need a housecleaning service. If you have skills to efficiently clean house-or are willing to learn them-you can set up a home-based housecleaning service for extra cash.
A housecleaning service cleans windows, vacuums carpets, washes floors and counters, dusts furniture and drapes and does other general cleaning. These services typically do not “pick up” after clients or do laundry or dishes. Some cleaning services specialize in homes, others do apartments, and a few specialize in cleaning offices and other businesses.

What will I need to start ?
You may have all the basic cleaning equipment you need in your home right now. You may also have supplies, but maybe not in economical quantities. If not, shop the discount warehouse stores or wholesale janitorial supply stores for them. The janitorial suppliers may even recommend supplies better for the task or offer techniques for using them more efficiently.
Make sure you have efficient cleaning skills. To earn the highest hourly rate you will need to develop skills tahe help you get the jobs done quickly and well. Books like Clutter’s Last Stand (Betterway Books) are helpful to the entrepreneurial house cleaner.

Who will my customers be ?
Customers for your housecleaning service are homeowners, apartment dwellers and even businesses. For efficiency, you may prefer to specialize in homes within a limited geographic area to limit between jobs. Your customers may also be home buyers or renters referred to you by real estate agents in your area.
You can reach potential clients with a flier taken door-to-door and to local real estate offices. As you give the flier out, ask if there are any jobs you can bid on while you’re there. You may get a job on the spot.

How much should I charge ?
The typical hourly rate for a housecleaning services is $25 to $45 depending on your location and competition. The higher rate goes to experienced cleaners who have developed shortcuts and lots of referral business. Until then, establish your rate on the lower end of the scale.
As with other home-based businesses, you probably won’t quote your hourly rate to the customer. Instead, you will give a single price for the job. However, you will set that price by multiplying the estimated time (based on your experience) times your hourly rate.
“I can vacuum the entire house, dust furniture and drapes, clean floors and counters, wash all windows inside and out and clean bathrooms and kitchens for just $95 per visit.” You’ve calculated that you can do the jobs in three hours at $30 an hour and use about $5 in supplies. (The customer is thinking all that work would take him or her an entire day !)

How much will I make ?
Once established, your housecleaning service will market itself in repeat and referral business. Allow about six months to get it going. Untill then, plan on spending up to half of your time promoting your business and bidding on jobs.
Your overhead expenses will range from 25 to 50 percent of gross income, depending on the cost of your equipment and supplies. Taxes are included as well, though they vary depending on where you live.

How can I get started ?
Start your housecleaning service by getting yourself organized for efficient cleaning. Gather the tools and materials you will need and learn how to use them efficiently. Next, produce a flier that tells what you do, how much you charge and how to contact you. Circulate it to potential customers.
Finally, look for ways to promote your business. Take your flier to area home shows. Offer cleaning services to offices and small businesses. Give your brochures to friends and neighbors. Talk to someone at your local newspaper, giving them tips on cleaning that they can pass on to readers.
The SIC code for house and office cleaning is 7349-02.

From the book of Dan Ramsey, Title : 101 Best Home Businesses, CAREER PRESS, 3 Tice Road, P.O. Box 687, Franklin Lakes, NJ 07417, 1-800-CAREER-1, 201-848-0310 (NJ and outside U.S.), FAX : 201-848-1727

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