How to Start a Home Cleaning Business

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Starting a business means managing details. This holds true when you want to start a home cleaning business. It’s not just about getting clients and cleaning homes. There are steps to take to help insure your success.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

Business cards
A business license
Plenty of clean rags
A vacuum cleaner (optional)
Cleaning products you like
References
Insurance
Good record keeping

Step1

You want to be seen as a professional. Start by selecting a DBA (“doing business as”), a fictitious name other than your own that you do business under. Come up with something catchy that people can remember.

Step2

Next, you need a business license. Apply at city hall. There’s a fee, so come prepared.

Step3

Now you’ll need to run this in a newspaper. State requirements may vary on how long it must run. Shop around before choosing a newspaper. They all charge different fees for doing the same thing.

Step4

You’ll want to place advertisements in the local paper. Your DBA helps you look more professional, by the way. Have at least two references before advertising. This helps you look more professional.

Step5

Get business cards. Select a professional design with a distinct logo. You can design your own or have them done professionally.

Step6

Most people have vacuum cleaners but many need repair (or will soon). You may want to bring your own. There’s a downside of this. That’s the wear and tear to your vacuum.

Step7

Choose a partner wisely. Consider the person, how you’ll divide the work, etc. It may not be a good idea, especially starting out.

Step8

Consider having liability insurance. It’s costly, but you’ll definitely want this if you’re going to have employees. They may not be as careful as you, so the added security is helpful.

Step9

Keep track of everything! You’re going to have tax deductions and you’ll need good records to get them. Some important things to track include: mileage (to clients and to & from the store), products you purchase, cleaning products you use at home to clean your rags. You can deduct a percentage of your car for business use and a certain percentage of your phone bills (both land & cell) as work expenses, as well as phone equipment you buy. The key is good record keeping. Keep those receipts!

Tips & Warnings

People have to trust you. Encourage them to check your references for credibility.
You have to be physically able to do this. “It’s a lot of work,” said Arasmith. Start small, with 1 or 2 clients at most, to get used to the physical demands. “It can wear you out if you bite off too much at once.”