How to Build an Office Cleaning Business
Offer services such as trash removal, window cleaning, carpet cleaning and regular maintenance tasks to local companies and build a profitable business cleaning offices. Opportunities are growing in the janitorial services industry, according to the 2010-2011 occupational Outlook Handbook. Starting an office cleaning business requires little capital and can be done on a full- or part-time basis, making it an attractive option to many people.
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Instructions
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Compete effectively with other local janitorial services as you build your office cleaning business by researching the competition. Find out who these companies are, how customers perceive them, how they market, the services they offer and their pricing. Find out all you can about your competitors and then use this information when making decisions from set-up and pricing structures to office hours and the cleaning you will provide.
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Encourage business growth through word-of-mouth advertising. This is often the best and easiest method of marketing when dealing with commercial accounts. Testimonials from friends, acquaintances and business associates carry more weight than general advertising and is totally cost free to you.
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Consider cold calling at local offices to effectively reach your target audience with a positive and lasting impression. Prepare to provide office managers with a quick explanation of who you are, what you offer and the advantages of choosing your company over competitors. Keep your speech to a couple minutes, leaving time to answer questions. Provide testimonials or references and leave some information on your business including a business card. Make a follow-up call or send a letter a few days later thanking the office manager for her time.
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Use every opportunity you get to network and spread the word about your office cleaning business. Get some business cards made up and start handing them out to everyone you meet. Ask to set some out at local businesses as well. Attend events in your area developed for business owners and those operating businesses in the cleaning services industry. Speak with local residential cleaning companies about the possibility of referring customers to one another.
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Offer excellent customer service. Aim to exceed customer expectation by checking your work or that of your employees before leaving an office, calling customers on a monthly basis to gauge satisfaction and solving problems in a calm, professional manner. Train employees well before sending them out to clean without direct supervision. Most of all, customers must trust you and your employees to do the best possible job in an honest, ethical manner. Losing good communication with customers presents a real concern to janitorial cleaning services who may not regularly see customers on the job due to cleaning in the evenings or on weekends when businesses are closed. Customers notice and appreciate companies who encourage communication through phone calls, emails and feedback forms.
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Project a professional image to customers. This issue is somewhat unique to the area of janitorial service providers. Some people believe that if they are going to be cleaning and getting dirty anyway, it doesn't especially matter how they look. Nothing could be further from the truth. You or your employees work in professional offices and you should look just as professional as those around you. Wear uniforms, carry clean and well-maintained equipment and drive company cars or vans to project such an image.
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References
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- Photo Credit floor cleaning #6 image by stassad from Fotolia.com
