There are lots of reasons people start a cleaning business, but no matter what the reasons, you won't be able to stay in business long unless you are making a profit. With more and more people going into the cleaning field each year, how do you stay competitive, yet earn enough to make a living?
So how do you get your profits back up? Following are several ways you can increase the money coming into your cleaning business.
1. Don't just sell your day-to-day cleaning services. When bidding a new job include routine carpet spotting, carpet cleaning, hard floor care, and window washing. Encourage your cleaning customer to have these services done on regular intervals, such as every 3 or 6 months. This will help their building stay cleaner as well as bringing in more profits to your business. Just keep in mind that these are specialty services so you'll need to educate yourself on the proper procedures.
2. Don't just provide cleaning services. Also sell the items that your customers need regularly. Every building needs trash can liners, toilet paper, hand towels, and soap. Depending on the building they may also need facial tissue, urinal mats, and air fresheners. Offer to manage their supplies and then bill back the cost of the products to the customer, adding in a small profit of up to 15% for your company.
3. Bundle your services together in a package. You don't even have to provide a discount on services -- if your customer knows they can have one company do everything (carpet cleaning, window washing, floor stripping), they will save time and money by not having to go elsewhere.
4. Don't compete on price. Make sure that your customers know you are providing a quality and dependable service.
5. Develop strategic alliances with non-competing businesses who also sell to your niche clients. Partner up with ultrasonic blind cleaning companies, carpet cleaning companies, duct cleaning companies and fire restoration companies.
6. If you have a website trade links with other non-competing businesses. If you are selling products on your site you can develop an affiliate sales program where other businesses receive a commission when they refer paying customers to your site.
7. Consider hiring an independent salesperson to sell your services. Pay a commission on the services and products they sell. There might be a slight drop in the profit you realize on each sale, but overall your profits will grow.
8. Encourage repeat business and add-on services with your current customers. When sending out invoices include a flyer on the extra services that you offer.
9. Add more cleaning services. You can make a tidy profit off cleaning microwaves and refrigerators. You can also put these on a regular schedule, such as the first Friday of every month.
10. Do you have equipment and vehicles that you no longer use? Sell them or consider renting them out instead of having the items sit around collecting dust.
How to Sell Your Cleaning Services With a Marketing Kit
Even though a brochure is a convenient marketing piece and might be a good way to first approach new cleaning clients, a complete marketing kit is a much better way to let your prospective clients know who you are, what you do and what you have to offer.
Floor Stripper and Floor Finish Basics
If you'd like to offer floor care services for resilient tile in your cleaning business, you need to know some of the terminology in order to understand how the chemicals work. It's also important to know the differences between floor strippers and floor finishes.
How to Raise the Prices You Charge to Your Cleaning Customers
Are you finding that the prices you charge your cleaning customers are not high enough to cover your costs and make a profit? It's never an easy decision, but it might be time to raise the price of your cleaning services. So how do you raise your prices and not lose customers?
