How to Open a Small Janitorial Business with Little to No Money
Great desire, a vehicle and a small amount of equipment such as a vacuum cleaner may be all that you need to start a janitorial service. You can get started with almost no money by building a business that grows over time. Your business could eventually be lucrative. According to the book "101 Best Businesses To Start," first-year revenue for a janitorial business could exceed $40,000, with the business becoming profitable in less than six months.
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Instructions
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Start your business part-time. Starting small and working out of your home is about the only way to get into the business at little or no cost, according to entrepreneur.com. By working out of your home instead of an office you save on rent, electricity and insurance as well as the deposits or payments needed to start those services. Working part-time while holding another job will allow you to build the business slowly without spending a lot of money up-front on marketing and advertising.
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Rent equipment, such as commercial-grade vacuum cleaners, instead of buying at start-up. Time the equipment rentals so that you have the equipment only when you have scheduled jobs. Renting equipment will be less convenient than having your own, but it will allow you to start without investing a lot of money. Look for equipment to buy as your business and cash flow starts to grow.
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Advertise your business using free marketing, including social networking. Open free accounts on social networking sites such as Facebook, Linkedin and Plaxo. Use those sites and others to find potential customers in your area. Consider writing a blog on industrial cleaning. Make the subject matter appealing to business owners looking to save money on their cleaning services, or choose a related topic. While focusing on social networking, don't forget older ways of marketing, such as placing hand-written notes on community bulletin boards in grocery stores or coffee shops. Also invest time in cold-calling potential customers.
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Pay your workers and helpers by the job. Maintain a list of people you can call when you need help. Hiring help only when you need it will help you keep your start-up costs low.
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Invest in your business as your revenues increase.
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