One of the easiest, and least expensive, offline businesses to start is a cleaning service. You can literally start with little more than a bucket of cleaning supplies, rags, and a good vacuum cleaner. And, depending upon the type of cleaning you choose to focus on, you should be able to choose what days and hours you’ll work.

Decide What Kind of Cleaning Business You Want to Start:

The first thing to consider if you want to start a cleaning service is where your primary business focus will be.  For example, you may decide you want to focus on residential cleaning, or you may choose to do construction cleans, foreclosure cleans, vacation rental cleaning (if you live in the right area), or commercial cleaning.  Each one will have different pricing, different marketing methods, and potentially very different requirements for the quality of the “finished product,” which is your service.  You may also want to consider whether you’ll clean using traditional cleaning products (like Windex, Lysol, etc.), or whether you’ll choose to “go green” and offer a clean that uses only all natural cleaning products.  The latter is becoming extremely popular with customers, even in commercial office buildings, due to the number of people with allergies, or who are sensitive to certain scents, cleaners, etc.

If your cleaning experience is limited to cleaning your own house, it is highly recommended that you start with residential cleaning, and then, as your level of knowledge, skill, and experience increases, you can begin to branch out into other, potentially more lucrative, types of cleans.  However, if you’ve worked with a cleaning service in the past, or have the experience to deliver commercial quality cleans, then you may choose to specialize right from the start.

Research the Competition:

Once you’ve decided what your target market is, the next thing to do is thoroughly research the competition. Sit down with your local phone book, your local paper, and your computer, and compile a list of every cleaning company in each.  Study the classified ads, (both the services offered and the services wanted ads), and the ads on Craig’s List, to determine how many cleaning companies there are, how big the company is, what their typical cleaning rate is, and what types of cleaning services they offer. You can also call or email them, posing as a potential customer, and gather information (don’t feel bad about doing this one, either, since 95% of businesses survey the competition the exact same way).  After you’ve researched your competition, you’ll have a much better idea of the potential pool of customers in your area, the rates you’ll most likely charge, and the types of cleaning companies you’ll be competing against for business.

Plan Your Business:

Armed with the information you’ve gleaned from the competition, you’re then ready to sit down and plan your own business. Here are some common questions (and basic answers) you’ll want to ask yourself as you plan:

• What kind of cleaning will my business do?  Residential, commercial, construction, vacation rentals, or other specialty.
• What equipment will I need to get started?  Conventional cleaning supplies, green cleaning supplies, broom, mop, vacuum, etc.
• What rate will I charge, and how will I determine that rate?  Minimum charge, charges based on square foot, number of bedrooms, type of clean, etc.  (Don’t forget to figure the cost of your cleaning products, mileage, and any other overhead into your rates!)
• How will I advertise my business?  Classified ads, Craig’s List, flyers, door hangers….
  

You get the idea.  The goal is to plan as much and as carefully as you can in advance, because this ensures a better chance for success once you actually start your business.

Don’t Forget the Legalities:

Even though you’ll most likely start as a sole proprietor, don’t forget to check your state and local governments to see what, if any, business licenses your new business may require, what taxes, if any, you may have to pay, and what insurance, if any, you may be required to carry.  

Most commercial, construction, vacation rental, and even certain residential cleaning jobs will require you to have a bond, and/or general liability insurance to cover any unintentional damage.   (Think this can’t happen to you?  It can.  Get your insurance as soon as you possibly can.)

How to Get Business:

Okay, so you’ve done all your research, you’ve got the legalities taken care of, and you’ve bought the supplies you need to clean your first house.  Now what?  How do you get that first cleaning job (and keep getting cleaning jobs)?

• Advertise your cleaning service on Craig’s List and any local classified advertising websites. 
• Advertise in your local newspaper under the “Services Offered” section. 
• Design an attractive, colorful flyer on your home computer, and then take it to Kinko’s, Office Max, etc., and have them make a couple of hundred color copies (very inexpensive).   Distribute these flyers to homes and businesses in targeted areas.
• Design and print business cards.  Leave your business card everywhere that you go.
• Let all your friends and neighbors know that you’re starting a cleaning business, and tell them that you would sincerely appreciate them recommending you to anyone that they know who is looking for a cleaning service.  (Notice that I said to let them know…and not ask them to let you clean their house?  Don’t bug your neighbors, friends, and family to use your cleaning company.  This usually ends up creating more problems than it’s worth.)
  

Once You’ve Got Your First Clean:

Once you land that first clean, make sure that you show up on time, with everything you need to do the job, and then DO A GREAT JOB!  There is no better reference for your work than doing an excellent job, every time, and if you offer an excellent service at a fair price, your business will grow.