how to start a commercial cleaning business
Starting up a commercial cleaning business can be exciting and fulfilling; however, before following through
with this idea, there are certain things you need to know such as your goals for your business. Decisions will need
to be made such as making your cleaning business small or large or hiring employees or running the business by
yourself.
In addition, you need to give thought on what kinds of businesses you want to clean such as day care centers,
convenience stores, banks, schools, condos or private property. It is also important to consider what kinds of
cleaning you will be doing such as dusting, washing floors, sanitizing, general cleaning and vacuuming. Maybe you
will want to focus on certain aspects of cleaning such as commercial carpet cleaning, janitorial services or
cleaning windows. With you new business, you need to ask yourself, will I be the only one doing the cleaning or
will I need to employ one or more others to help me?
The next order of business will be to decide on a business name. It is important to choose a name that looks and
sounds professional and a name that grabs the attention of prospective customers. Then, you need to consider
getting a business license and a checking account. There are some banks that offer free checks and free
transactions. So, do some research to find out which will serve you the best.
Once you have your business name, your business license and checking account, it will be time to get some
liability insurance. Commercial liability insurance can be found locally or by going to http://www.netquote.com. In
addition, if you find that you will probably have to hire an employee or employees, you will need to get a bond.
Getting a bond will give you protection if an employee steals from you. In most cases, bonds are affordable. You
should be able to get a bond from your local agent.
Another important aspect of starting up a commercial cleaning service is how much you will have to pay for
cleaning tools such as polishers, sanitizers, rags, buckets, sponges, a vacuum cleaner and general cleaning
products. Also, you will probably need extension cords, paper towels and carpet cleaning equipment.
One of the last steps in getting your business going is figuring out your rates. One way to decide what rates to
charge is to think about your hourly rate in accordance to the kind of profit you desire to make. Items to factor
in when deciding on your rate are license, gas, supplies, insurance and other necessities. When you have decided on
your rates, think about how many hours you will need to finish a certain cleaning job. After figuring how many
hours are needed to complete a job, multiply your hourly rate to the how long it took to finish a particular
job.
There are several effective ways to advertise your cleaning business such as using direct mail and sending
flyers or coupons, calling local business owners of commercial office spaces and letting them know about your
business, using business cards and buying an advertisement in the yellow pages of your phone book. In addition, you
can also set up a website to advertise your services.
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