How to Open a Janitor Business
Since all businesses need janitorial services, you can supply personnel to do cleaning during business hours and after hours. It's easier to build a business if you have responsible and well-trained employees, or temporary workers, to assist you. Obtaining clients is usually not that difficult, but serving those clients is difficult when people don't show up for work. Spend time enlisting the right help so you can take on more clients and expand the business. Obtain a business license early on.
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Things You'll Need
- Business license
- Commercial mops and brooms
- Commercial water buckets
- Cleaners, waxes and other supplies
- Storage and office space
- Van or truck
- Employees or temp workers
- Insurance coverage
- Business cards
- Business directory
- Client contract
Instructions
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Obtain some office space to start your business and find storage space for your supplies. You must obtain capital funding to buy certain commercial equipment such as buffers and stand-alone fans to dry wet flooring. Make a list of cleaners, waxes, cleaning cloths and other items you will need. Interview people who own janitor businesses in cities that are some distance from where you live. Since they will not be in competition with you, ask if they would be willing to offer advice.
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Talk with local businesses to assess the need for your services. Start with one or two accounts and a couple of part-time workers. Sit down with your insurance agent before you begin actual work to ensure you have adequate coverage for your liability issues.
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Write a client contract that explains your services. Ask an attorney to review it and offer input on the document. Go over the contract with any workers you hire as well. Engage a client by having him or her sign the contract and review details of what you will offer for a certain price.
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Devise a system to work by the job versus by the hour in the beginning. It's difficult to evaluate how long cleaning a building will take until you are experienced. Supervise all steps of the janitor business to ensure workers are really doing what you hired them to do. Monitor how they spend their time to develop ways to improve efficiency. Listen to feedback from your staff to see whether they perceive ways to improve services or save time.
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Gain continual feedback from clients you serve. Ask them to report any issues they don't find satisfactory. Use their testimonials to create business brochures and advertising to obtain new clients as you can accommodate them. Put your phone number and ad on a van or truck using magnetic signs once you feel comfortable in taking on additional work.
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Tips & Warnings
Go to local business meetings to obtain clients. Treat yourself as a business person and rub elbows with others at civic meetings and seminars to explain your services. Use a business directory to call business owners and offer your janitorial services. Build relationships so others will pass on the word about your business and vouch for your professionalism.
Don't get discouraged in the beginning. You may have to fire workers or use your personal time to take up slack in the business. The first year will be a learning experience in any type of business. Designate a per-hour fee that you must acquire personally in order to run this type of business. Avoid working for less than your desired salary by changing what isn't working.
