How to Start a Carpet Cleaning & Janitorial Business
While a maid service will typically seek out residential clients, a janitorial business will concern itself with commercial accounts such as hospitals, schools, retail stores, and manufacturing plants. Working hours for a janitorial business will often start after everyone has gone home, and employee turnover can be high. For this reason, many companies choose to outsource janitorial and carpet cleaning duties. This is can be a valuable business opportunity if you follow a few important steps.
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Things You'll Need
- Van or truck
- Mops
- Buckets
- Cleaning Supplies
- Carpet Cleaner
- Floor polisher
- Ladders
Instructions
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Learn everything you can about the janitorial and carpet cleaning business. Work for this type of company to become familiar with all the techniques and skills required. Contact owners of other janitorial businesses and ask questions.
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Create a business plan. This will act as a blueprint for your business as it grows. Include elements such as a mission statement, financial plan, competitor analysis, marketing plan, and operating plan.
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Purchase supplies for your business. Look in the Yellow Pages or online to find wholesalers and offer to buy in bulk for added savings. Contact other janitorial services and ask which suppliers they recommend. Visit local home improvement and hardware stores to look for products, and consider purchasing some of the larger pieces of equipment second-hand in the beginning.
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Find a location to act as a base for your business. Since this is the type of business where you visit the clients, it is possible to run it from your home in the beginning. Set up a separate phone line to handle calls. Consider securing a different location after you have a handful of contracts signed.
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Visit city hall to get a business license and inquire about any other permits you will need to operate your business.
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Hire employees. Due to the general high turnover rate in this industry, consider hiring part-time employees or students and give incentives and benefits to keep your workers interested and loyal.
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Promote your business to obtain new clients. Consider creating a website to show your services and rates. Visit newly opened businesses and apartment complexes and offer your services. Mail out brochures detailing your offer then follow up with phone calls. Collect testimonials from satisfied clients as you go and display them on your website and marketing materials. Create service packages for clients to purchase.
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Tips & Warnings
Offer the carpet cleaning aspect on its own as well as combined with a full janitorial service.
References
- Photo Credit broom image by L. Shat from Fotolia.com
