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While cleaning is tough, some of us find solace in dusting and vacuuming surfaces. And if you are one of those people, then a cleaning business might be a good choice for you. But how to start a cleaning business with no money? With inflation being ever so high, this question is pretty normal to ask. However, cleaning services tend to have lower upfront costs anyways.
Cleaning services is one of the few businesses you can start operating quickly with little capital. Regardless, you have to be willing to work hard for moderate profit and gradual gains. This article will give you all the details on how to start a cleaning business with no money in 9 simple steps. So, let’s begin.
How to Start a Cleaning Business with No Money?
Running a cleaning business is no simple task. And starting a business when you don’t have the financial means seems even more daunting. That is why we’ve listed a few simple steps below that can help you get started.
1. Fund Your Business
The most difficult part of starting a new cleaning business from scratch is financing a new venture.
So, how to start a cleaning business with no money?
That’s a serious concern for many people who want to start a business, but can’t, even though they have the necessary expertise. For instance, to start a cleaning business, one would need to buy – supplies, cleaning equipment, vehicle etc.
But the good news is – you can get funding if you don’t have the money for the startup.
How to Obtain Funding for Your Cleaning Business?
Here are a few ways to fund your cleaning business.
Financing a new venture often requires entrepreneurs to borrow money. You can take out a business loan or spend on credit. Additionally, you can borrow from friends and family. But remember to be professional and put everything in writing.
You can also look for a partner who’s willing to invest in the business. Another way to go about this is to apply for funding from the small business administration and other government programs. There might be special financing options available for women, veterans, and minorities.
Startup costs for cleaning services can be comparatively low, depending on the scale of the business. It means you can keep debt to a minimum when first planning a cleaning business from scratch. Later on, you can expand operations and spending as you generate revenue.
In general, the costs associated with starting a cleaning business include the price of cleaning supplies and products. Business insurance, advertising, business licence, and permits all should be included in the cost of the cleaning business.
2. Choose Your Focus and the Cleaning Services You will Offer
The next step in how to start a cleaning business with no money is to choose your cleaning focus and the services you are willing to offer. You can either choose a residential cleaning business or a commercial cleaning service. For residential or domestic cleaning, you will be cleaning people’s homes or their oven racks.
You can undertake this kind of business as soon as you secure some clients. Eventually, you may take on staff as your client base builds.
In contrast, to clean commercial properties, you will need a team of people since the properties will be large office buildings. Additionally, your business could offer specialised types of cleaning services. Deep cleaning, spring-cleaning, construction cleaning, window cleaning, car wash, etc., are potentially valuable niches to explore.
While building out your list of services, look at your competitors’ websites to see what they are offering. This way, you can see which services are missing in the market and which ones you can offer to stand out. After you’ve decided the type of service you will offer, you can choose whether you want to run a solo operation from home. You could also go for larger business with other employees or something in between.
3. Create a Business Plan
The business plan is the document that explains what your business is, the service you offer, and how much it costs. Your business plan should focus on how you plan to grow it. Not to mention, having a business plan is really useful. You could focus your thinking and build your company systematically with it. You should have an executive summary of your business plan in the document.
Keep a business overview explaining what your business does and its USP. You also need to do proper market research that describes the demand for your services. Make time to look into your competitors properly. Your business plan should include a sales and marketing plan. You should also have an overview of the cleaning services you offer. A business plan should also include pricing expenses and the amount of money needed to start the business.
4. Register and Get Your Business Licence
How to start a cleaning business with no money, you ask? Before you get to clean your first home, there are a few legal and financial details you need to iron out. It will help you establish a trustworthy cleaning business that your client will want to work with. You have to register your cleaning company’s name.
In the UK, set up as a sole trader or business partnership. Next up, search for your trademark and register your company’s name and business. Getting a business licence is necessary to run your business. There’s an upfront cost for a licence, depending on where you live. You can find more information about applying for the licence on your city or state website.
You also need to get business insurance, as cleaning your home without insurance is a high-risk game. Having insurance is a must when it comes to protecting your business and your future employees. Accidentally causing damage to a client’s home as a brand-new entrepreneur is the last thing you want.
Not having insurance will put you in debt when you cover the property damage out of your pocket. Insurance is essential to running your cleaning business as it provides a safety net. Next, set up a business bank account where you can accept payments and monitor cash flow separately from your personal assets.
One of the most significant expenses is your paycheque. You have to track all of your income and expenses carefully so that you can report accurately during tax filing.
5. Plan the Business Budget
Transportation and supplies are two major expenses of basic cleaning services. Your cleaning expenses will vary depending on the services you offer. Expenses will be very low for an individual cleaner or considerably high for a business with a multi-person team. You can estimate the cost of business once you establish transportation and a backup plan.
You have to get a job before starting it. Hence, transportation is essential to mobile businesses like cleaning services. Most of the cleaning services assume the responsibility of getting to and from cleaning jobs. So, the transportation arrangement responsibility will most likely be yours.
Consequently, the cost and amount of supplies you need will depend on the services you offer and how many clients you have. You might be cleaning a handful of private residences each week. In that case, you can buy supplies in bulk at retailers like Costco.
While transportation and cleaning supplies are the main expenses of a cleaning business, equipment and other rentals will add up. Equipment or special machines like cleaning agents for carpets, flooring, and exteriors can be costly rentals.
6. Learn How to Estimate Jobs and Price Your Cleaning Services
Previously, you’ve got a brief idea about how to start a cleaning business with no money. Now, it’s time for you to decide how much you want to charge for cleaning. Firstly, choose your pricing structure. Cleaning companies can charge for services by hourly rate, room rate, or square foot rate.
You can also charge extra for special services. Whichever structure rate you prefer, figure out how much a job will cost using that structure. Calculate your labour hours, labour cost with workers, payroll expenses, overhead, and other fees.
You should also factor in profit margin and add any required taxes. You can create cleaning service packages based on services that make sense to be grouped together. For instance, a full deep clean package. Keep a professional-looking cleaning estimate template and cleaning invoice template. This will put the power back in your hand as it tells your clients the prices are non-negotiable for a better deal.
Additionally, digital quotes and invoices save you a lot of time. Your clients can view the invoice or quotes, send it to their E-mail inbox and approve it online.
7. Consider some Extra Training and Qualifications
Learning how to start a cleaning business with no money might seem easy now.
However, having some knowledge regarding proper cleaning is a must. Usually, you don’t need qualifications in this sector, especially if you are starting a home cleaning business. That being said, doing a little training can be useful. Knowing exactly which chemicals to use on which surfaces or how to clean electricals can always come in handy.
Additionally, it can be useful to learn about health and safety. Since cleaning is a physical job, it’s worth learning about correct posture and how to protect your skin and hair from chemicals. If you’re offering specialised services or cleaning industrial spaces, then you will definitely need professional qualifications.
There are a lot of free training available online, but for professional recognition and high-quality training, you have to go for a paid course. You can find professional cleaning courses on our website.
Enrol in our Level 5 Commercial Cleaning Management – CPD Certified course today and develop an expert level of knowledge on cleaning.
8. Find Clientele and Maintain Your Business
Service platforms and online forums connect individuals with local cleaning businesses. However, word of mouth still plays a big part in the cleaning services industry. You can ask clients who’re pleased with your service for a shoutout on social media. You can also give them your business card to pass on to friends and family.
You can even ask pleased customers to provide a written referral on your website. House cleaners can often find new business through current clients. Additionally, an important part of finding and maintaining clients is having set rates that you can provide. No matter which pricing model you choose, it would be a good idea to do some market research to ensure your rates are competitive.
9. Advertise and Expand
Once you establish yourself, you will want to grow further and, hopefully, bring on more people. In this case, the more you advertise your business, the better! And that is the final step on how to start a cleaning business with no money. For instance, offers are always a great idea to advertise on social media. Package offers will always intrigue your clients to find out more about your business.
Providing a budget on the website can be even better. Moreover, having a booking system or contact page will allow them to find out whatever they need. You can create a business Facebook page and keep your contact information up to date.
With Facebook, you can target your audience and let as many people as possible learn about your business. It is great for paid advertising if you want to target a certain area. You can also target specific gender and age groups, which is helpful for your home cleaning business.
Summary
Here’s a short summary of ‘how to start a cleaning business with no money’ in the form of a downloadable infographic.
You now know how to start a cleaning business with no money. While cleaning may seem like a simple business, it requires quite a lot of hard work. So, before you make the cleaning business your full-time career, it’s worthwhile to spend a few days on the job. This will ensure if you are cut out for the work or not. But remember, with a cleaning business, it’s easy to start earning revenue right away.
Regardless, the benefits of having your own cleaning business are many. Not to mention, you get to be your own boss and set your own standards. And the work that you do will make a real difference for your clients and community.
