Use this guide to help garner some inspiration while also following some key best practices in naming a local cleaning business to optimize SEO, marketing, and name recognition in the future.
What makes a good business name
A good business name is recognizable, relatable, and memorable. You want customers to be able to see your name and immediately think of your cleaning service.
Your business will show up in local Google searches
Gone are the days of Yellow phone books. Now we look for services online.
A good business name will help you appear in more relevant searches. Local keywords can be helpful in achieving this, as they allow customers to quickly connect your business with its location. For example, a business called “Bay Area Maids” is likely to be more successful in San Francisco than one called “Cleaning House”.
Easy to pronounce and spell
Try to stay away from clever puns that not all will understand. This will help customers remember your name and recommend it to others.
It should reflect the type of business you have
For example, a home-based pet-sitting business called “Gone to the Dogs” would be appropriate, but a law firm called the same thing would not.
Make sure your name is relevant to what you’re selling. If you’re a bakery, for example, you might want to include the word “cake” or “bake” in your name. You will also want to consider your local city when choosing a name. For instance, if you’re opening a shop in San Francisco, you might want to include the word “Bay” in your name.
Be unique
A good business name should be unique. It should avoid being confused with other businesses or products, and it should be easy to differentiate your business from others.
How to come up with a good business name
Brainstorm business names
Start brainstorming name variations for your cleaning service.
On a sheet of paper write the core keywords of Maid, Cleaning, Service, and Your City Name. Then below, write as many adjectives and adverbs that you can think of that describe your company and what makes your company stand out.
Next, mix and match by combining words together to brainstorm a good name. This will help you create a list of possible names for you to choose from. Remember something short and sweet is always best.
Verify your name is available in your state
After you have your business name, you will want to register it with your state. So before you settle on a business name you will have to verify that no one else is using the name in your state and that it is available for you to register.
After you have come up with a handful of names you like, check that the domain name is available. Even though you may not create a website for your cleaning business your first week, you want to make sure it is available.
Type in the business name that you have decided on and add .com. It will let you know if the domain is available and will even provide some tips.
As soon as you are able, you will want to secure the domain name by purchasing the domain. If you can’t get the .com version of your name, try other top-level domains like .net or .biz.
Run the names by your friends and family.
Once you have chosen a few names, and you know the domain is available, ask your family and friends for feedback. It is easy to have tunnel vision and what makes sense to you, won’t always make sense to others.
Ask your friends/family to provide honest feedback. When they first hear the name, what are their reactions? Are they able to get what service your business will offer, what your value proposition is, or where it’s located?
Scratch any names that don’t make sense to your friends or may not be clear. Can the business name be offensive to any group, if so, it’s best not to use it.
When friends/family hear the name, is it awkward or clunky? Your business name should come out easily and not be hard to say or remember.
Examples of how your business name can reflect your business goals
House cleaning and maid service are perennial favorites when it comes to naming local service businesses. And for good reason – these names clearly describe what the business does, and they’re easy to remember.
Don’t be afraid to get creative, (but simple) it will help to set your business apart from the competition. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
“The Clean House”: This name communicates that your business is all about providing clean homes for your clients.
“Maids on a Mission”: A play on words that highlights your commitment to providing excellent service.
“The Housekeepers”: A simple, yet effective name, that tells potential customers exactly what you do.
“Home Sweet Home Cleaning Co.”: A warm and inviting name that conveys the idea that your business will make their home sweet and clean.
“Tidy House Cleaning Services”: A concise and straightforward name that describes exactly what you do.
Whichever name you choose, make sure it is reflective of the quality of service you provide. After all, the best local service businesses are those that deliver on their promises.
10 Examples of real House Cleaning Businesses with great names:
Use this list to draw inspiration for your business name.
There are plenty of great local House Cleaning service businesses with catchy names and excellent services – you just have to find the one that’s right for you!
Tips for choosing the right business name for your company
Keep these tips in mind when choosing your business name
Brainstorm a list of words that describe your business, product, or service.
Select words that are positive and have a good connotation.
Don’t choose a name that can be offensive to any population.
Run a Google search on your list of words to see if any businesses are already using them.
Check to see if the domain name for your chosen words is available.
Make sure the name you choose is easy to pronounce and spell.
Consider how the name will look on letterhead, business cards, and a website.
Choose a name that can be used as a trademark.
Above all, make sure you are happy with the name you choose. It’s going to be the face of your business, so you want to make sure you are comfortable with it.
A great business name is one step in the right direction of starting your own House Cleaning company. If you put in the time to make sure it’s a good name, you’ll reap the benefits for years to come. If you need more inspiration, be sure to check out our list of 75+ cleaning service names for more ideas.
Spinning your wheels trying to get clients for your house cleaning business? Have you bugged your family and friends to the point they don’t answer your calls anymore? Are you watching your dream of running a cleaning business fade because you can’t find any clients?
You can jump off that merry-go-round, this post will help you find clients for your cleaning service.
House cleaning is a great business to start. It’s relatively low cost, there is a lot of demand for it, and it’s something that most people need regularly. However, the one thing that can hold many people back from starting their own cleaning business is how to get clients.
How do you go about finding people who need your services? How do you market yourself in a way that stands out from the competition?
In this article, we will discuss some tips and strategies for getting more clients for your house cleaning business! I also want to add that I do have a marketing power pack where I have these ideas and more along with a tracking tool to help you get more clients consistently.
How to Get Cleaning Clients
Start by creating a list of potential clients, such as busy moms, working professionals, or retirees
Depending on what your target market is (the types of clients you want to serve) start making a list of people you know who will fall into these groups. This can be people you know living in a certain neighborhood, busy moms, working professionals, apartment complexes, etc.
Once you have your list, draft an email letting them know that you have started a cleaning service, and write a small blurb about what you offer (like 2 – 3 sentences at most). Let them know that you are currently taking new clients and ask for their help by passing your name on to anyone they know who may be looking for a reliable cleaning service.
Tips for creating a list of potential clients.
Once you send an email to this list, STOP. If they are interested they will reach out. One sure way to lose a friend is by constantly trying to sell to them.
If you get a referral be sure to thank your friend. You can do this by offering a free cleaning service or giving them a $50 gift card. This will go a long way and they may even refer more people your way.
Offer the best service to any clients that are referred to you by a friend. If a friend refers a relative to your service and you show up late, forget to clean the shower, and show up with beat-up supplies it will surely make it back to your friend. You can bet they will never refer anyone to your service again.
Contact your local chamber of commerce and ask to be added to their business directory.
The chamber of commerce is a great place to start when looking for new clients. They are always looking to promote local businesses and what better way to show that you are invested in the community than by being a part of their directory.
Tips for getting added to your local chamber of commerce business directory
When you contact them, let them know that you are starting a cleaning business and would like to be added to their directory. They will most likely have you fill out a form with your business information and then add you to their website.
Once you are added, be sure to keep your information up-to-date, as this will be one of the first places potential clients will look when they are searching for a new cleaning service.
To claim your profile, simply go to Google My Business and create an account with your business information. Once you have verified your account, you will be able to start adding photos, your business hours, and other important information that potential clients will be looking for.
Tips for Claiming your Google My Business profile
Make sure your business information is accurate and up-to-date, as this is what will show up in search results.
Add photos of your work, as this will help you stand out from the competition.
Fill out your profile completely.
Start building your reviews, each time you clean a client’s home ask them to leave a review on Google Reviews
Create social media profiles for your cleaning business and post photos of your previous work.
Social media is a great way to attract new clients and show off your work. Be sure to create profiles on the most popular platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Once you have created your profiles, start posting photos of your previous work. You can also post special offers, coupons, and other information that potential clients
Tips for creating social media profiles for your cleaning business.
Make sure your business contact information is up to date and is consistent on all platforms. This will help your rankings on Google.
Use high-quality photos. This is your chance to show off your work, so make sure the photos are clear and professional looking.
Post regularly, but don’t spam your followers with too many posts. Once or twice a week is plenty.
Engage with your followers by responding to comments and questions quickly.
Create a website for your cleaning business.
A website is a great way to attract new clients and show off your work. Be sure to include your contact information and business hours, and list the services you offer.
Many people searching online want instant information so include a list of what is cleaned with each cleaning and a pricing range for your service. Use your website for online quotes by adding an integrated quote form this is a great way to book a client online.
Tips for creating a website for your cleaning business
Make sure your website is mobile-friendly, as more and more people are using their phones to search for businesses.
Use high-quality photos and videos of your work.
Include testimonials from satisfied customers.
Include lots of ‘call to action’s, and make it easy for potential clients to reach you by including your phone number, a contact form or request for quote form.
Attend community events where homeowners and renters might be looking for a cleaner.
There are always community events going on, such as block parties, garage sales, and festivals. Attend these events by setting up a table and hand out business cards or flyers to potential clients.
You can also offer a discount for anyone who mentions that they saw you at the event. Or even have a drawing for a free house cleaning. This is a great way to get your name out there, attract new clients and start collecting email addresses to start email marketing.
Tips for attending community events
Be sure to dress professionally and have plenty of business cards or flyers on hand. If you have a shirt with your business logo that is even better.
Engage with potential clients, but don’t be too pushy. Engage in authentic communication getting to know them.
Have a special offer or discount available for anyone who mentions the event.
Join online forums or groups related to house cleaning or other home services.
There are many online forums and groups where homeowners and renters can post about their cleaning needs. Join these groups and offer your services.
You can also use these groups to network with other businesses in the home services industry. This is a great way to get referrals from other businesses as well.
Tips for joining online forums and groups
Be sure to read the rules of the group before posting. You don’t want to get kicked out for breaking a rule.
Professionally introduce yourself and your business. Any communication in these groups should always be professional. If you wouldn’t say it in front of a customer, then don’t say it in online group discussions.
Offer your services clearly and concisely and be consistent with your pricing and service. Don’t offer one person a lower rate than another. You never know who knows who.
Be sure to follow up with potential clients as soon as possible after they’ve posted about their cleaning needs. The early bird gets the worm here!
Maintain good communication with clients and provide quality service so that they will recommend you to others.
The best way to get new clients is by providing quality service and maintaining good communication with your current clients. They will be the ones to recommend you to others.
Tips for maintaining good communication and providing quality service to clients.
Always be professional and courteous when communicating with clients.
Provide quality service by being on time, efficient, and thorough. Offering a 100% guarantee on quality and keeping that promise goes a long way.
Keep your clients updated on any changes to your business, such as new services or prices.
Send a follow-up message after each job to thank the client and ask if they were happy with the service. If they were not happy, respond by asking how you can fix it.
Have a stellar referral program and reward clients for referring their neighbors and friends.
A great way to get new clients is by offering a referral program. Clients can earn rewards, such as discounts or free services, for referring their friends and neighbors. This is a win-win situation because the client gets a discount and you get a new customer.
Be sure to offer an incentive that is valuable to your clients.
Make it easy for clients to refer their friends by providing them with referral cards or a unique referral code.
Track referrals so that you can properly reward your clients.
Network with local businesses to offer a small discount to their clients if they sign up for your services.
Many businesses are always looking for ways to save their clients’ money. Contact local businesses and offer a small discount to their clients if they sign up for your services. This is a great way to get new customers and build relationships with other businesses in your community.
Tips for networking with other businesses:
Reach out to businesses that are in a similar industry as you. For example, if you offer house cleaning services, you could reach out to real estate agents, property management companies, and home improvement stores.
Offer a discount that is valuable to the business but does not eat into your profits too much.
Be sure to have a contract in place that outlines the terms of the discount agreement.
By following these tips, you will be on your way to getting new clients for your house cleaning business.
Just remember to be professional, provide quality service, and maintain good communication with your clients. These are the key ingredients for a successful business.
Frequently asked questions
How to get your first cleaning client?
For aspiring entrepreneurs, the biggest obstacle to achieving their dream is finding that first client. Most cleaning services get their first client from someone in their personal network. So the best way to get your first client is by emailing all you know.
Let them know you have started a cleaning business and that you are taking on new clients. Tell them about their service Let them know if they need a quality cleaning service you would be happy to give them a quote.
Or if they currently don’t need a cleaning service you would appreciate it if they keep you in mind next time they hear about someone needing a cleaning service.
If you have the money and no network, another option is to start running paid ads online through either Google, Facebook, Instagram, or another online channel. Most homeowners now purchase home services via the internet.
How to keep cleaning clients?
When you get a new client for your cleaning business it’s exciting and encouraging. But when you lose a client it just plain sucks! So how do you keep your cleaning clients?
By providing quality service–showing up on time, delivering the services you promised, dressing professionally, and using professional language–you’re making sure your customers are happy.
It’s important to always show up on time and deliver the services that you promised. This type of reliability will build trust and keep clients coming back.
Dress professionally when cleaning or representing your business. Don’t wear clothes with stains and tares. This will create a positive impression and help to build rapport.
Good communication is also key. If there are any changes to your schedule or a problem with a service, be sure to let your client know as soon as possible. That way, they won’t be left in the dark and can make alternative arrangements if need be.
By following these simple tips, you can ensure that you’ll be keeping your house cleaning clients for years to come.
How to get cleaning clients fast?
There is no one magical way to get lots of cleaning clients quickly. The best marketing strategy is one that diversifies and is consistent. Don’t get discouraged and don’t give up.
Track how clients are finding you, this will tell you what marketing strategy will work best for your business. Once you know where most of your clients come from, focus and invest in that strategy.
Where can I advertise my cleaning business for free?
There are many ways to advertise your cleaning business for free. You can start by claiming you’re My Google Business account so that your business starts showing up in Google Searches for cleaning services in your area.
You can also create free social media accounts, using local keywords so that your accounts will show up in online searches. You can also post on online classified websites and social media platforms.
Email past clients and offer a 1 time special to come back and hire you (make sure the 1-time discount is only on 1 house cleaning service and not for recurring services. I did this regularly and it helped me fill in gaps in my schedule. When a client had to cancel a cleaning, I would send an email to my list saying the first person to get back to me can get their house cleaned that day for a discount.
What do customers want from a cleaning company?
When it comes to choosing a cleaning company, customers want one that is reliable and can provide consistent results.
They want to be able to trust the cleaning company to show up on time and get the job done without any drama. And of course, they want a cleaning company that will keep its promises.
A cleaning company that can provide all of these things is sure to be successful. When customers feel confident in the cleaning company they’ve chosen, they’ll be more likely to continue using its services. This is why it’s so important for cleaning companies to focus on providing quality service that customers can depend on.
How to advertise cleaning services on Facebook?
There are a few things to keep in mind when you’re advertising your cleaning company on Facebook. First, make sure your page is up-to-date and looks professional. This means having a profile picture, cover photo, and bio that accurately represent your business.
Run ads and take advantage of Facebook’s targeting options to ensure that your ads are being seen by your ideal clientele. You can target people based on location, age, gender, interests, and more.
Make sure your ads are creative and attention-grabbing. Use high-quality images and persuasive copy to stand out from the competition. By following these tips, you can get consistent leads for new cleaning clients from Facebook.
Here are some tips on how to get started:
Start by creating a Facebook page for your cleaning company. Make sure to include lots of information about your services, rates, and operating hours.
2. Once you have your page set up, start promoting it to your friends and family. Encourage them to like and share your page so that more people will see it.
3. Pay attention to the times of day when your page gets the most traffic. This is likely when potential customers are searching for cleaning services. Make sure to post during these times so that you have a better chance of being seen.
4. Use relevant keywords in your posts so that people who are searching for cleaning services will be more likely to find your page.
5. Offer special deals and discounts on your cleaning services from time to time. This will help to attract new customers and keep existing ones coming back for more.
How to sell cleaning services?
The cleaning industry is a competitive one, but there are ways to make your cleaning company stand out from the rest.
Focus on quality. potential clients should be impressed with the level of cleanliness your company provides.
Make sure your prices are competitive. potential clients will be comparing cleaning companies, and you want to make sure yours is in the mix.
Focus on customer service. potential clients should feel like they are your top priority.
If you can provide a great cleaning experience from start to finish, you’re sure to win over new business.
When you want to purchase a new gadget, where do you go to start your search? I bet you go to the internet, am I right?
Your first search may be, what is the best ….. ? Or maybe you search how much does ….. cost? Then once you get a little more information you may search the terms, where to buy ….. ?
Guess what, this process is no different to how potential clients are searching for someone to clean their houses. If you do not have a website or not marketing online for your cleaning business, you are leaving high quality leads on the table.
Please note, this article may include affiliate links. You can read the full disclosure at the bottom of the page.
Benefits for having a website for your cleaning business
Website’s provide High Quality Leads who are looking to buy
Online shoppers are high quality leads. If they are searching the terms Cleaning Services near me then that means they are in the market to purchase house cleaning services.
These leads will be way easier to convert to sales than if you tried to sell to 25 people who were not in the market to buy cleaning services.
I did some key word research and found that 15,000 people search the words Cleaning Services near me a month. That does not include searches for Cleaning services <town name>
Book clients when you’re sleeping or cleaning houses
If built right, your website will sell your cleaning services without you being present. Build a clean, organized site with calls to action and you will be able to get leads calling you.
You’ll be able to sell your cleaning services when you are taking care of other tasks in your business. If your still cleaning houses, you don’t have time to make cold calls or network. You’re website will help you put your business in front of ready to buy clients.
Having a website is a great tool for you to drive potential clients to learn more about your services. Your website works to book more clients while you are working on other aspects of your business.
Use it as a tool to send potential leads to learn more about your business. If your shopping in the grocery store and start a conversation with someone who maybe interested in your services. Tell them to visit your website for more information.
Your website will be a one stop shop where you can send potential clients to see what you offer, what kind of clean they can expect each visit, learn about you and your team, what pricing to expect, and even book an appointment if.
What to Include on you Cleaning Business Website
When first starting out, you may not have a large budget for custom webpages. Your long-term goal should be to incorporate online booking, your short-term goal is to create a page where local customers can find your business, get to know you and the services you offer.
Call to Actions
Most importantly your cleaning business website needs a call to action. Add your phone number in bold lettering and bright colors. Add a Request a quote form button.
You can add a free webform using google forms for your request form.
This is where you can create a connection with your potential clients. Be real and tell your story. What are you passionate about? What will your customer get if they choose you?
Think about when you shop for services online. Do you visit the About Me page to get to know the people behind the business? You’re looking for some sort of connection.
Include a photo of yourself. If you have employees, add them here as well. It provides an opportunity for potential clients to make a connection with you as a person and not just a webpage.
Listing of Services
This area of your webpage is really important. This is where potential customers learn about the services you offer and if your business is what they need. Include a copy of your cleaning check list.
Don’t have a cleaning checklist? Stop here and create one NOW (this is so important to keep consistency and maintain efficiency).
Ok, now that you have a complete cleaning checklist, post it to your website. Use bullet points for easy to read. Stay away from long paragraphs when listing your services. Users are more interested in what will be cleaned for each service
Add cleaning checklists for each of the cleaning services you may offer.
Maintenance cleaning services (where you visit the home weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly on a recurring schedule).
Deep cleanings
Move out
Here are some samples of cleaning services checklist on other Websites.
There is some debate of whether or not you should include your prices. My recommendation is to include a range of prices. Your house cleaning prices will be different depending on the size of the home, how frequent you clean and whether or not you are doing a deep clean or just a maintenance clean.
When I had my cleaning business I provided a range here for the different services we offered. Here is a sample of what I included.
Maintenance Cleaning services
Weekly Cleanings – Starting at $75
Bi-weekly Cleanings – Starting at $85
Monthly Cleanings – Starting at $105
Deep Cleanings – Starting at $150
Move out cleaning services – Starting at $200
Each of the services listed should have a link to a page that tells them what is included. You want to make your website as user friendly and easy to find information.
Contact Page
On your Contact page, include a few options on how to get in contact with you.
At minimum include a phone number and your Email address. You can even create an easy webform for someone to fill out with their information to request more information.
If you have Instagram, Facebook or some other social media account you can include it here as well.
The easier you make it for a potential client to get a hold of you the more likely they will book with you and not some other business.
I love this contact page. It has 4 options for people to get ahold of them and includes links to their social media platform, which is great for engagement.
If you’re not ready to add a book now button on your website that is ok. The programs that run booking applications on webpages cost money and have to be maintained. When you are new and starting out it is ok if you do not add one.
Instead you can create a Request a Quote or Booking page using a webform. Some website templates will offer an easy webform that you can create write on your website.
I like to use Google Forms (it’s Free). They are easy to create write in your google account and link onto your website. You can set up notifications so that you get emailed when someone submits a response.
It is easy to build a web form on your website that will collect pertinent information from a potential client so that you can contact them to either provide a quote or call them back.
Here are some sample webforms.
What to do with your website once it is published:
Once you have your website up and functioning it is important that you add it to ALL of your marketing materials as well.
Here is a checklist of where to add your cleaning business website:
If you love to clean, and you have a strong attention to detail, then you may have what it takes to be a housekeeper. You can make anywhere from $12 – $50 an hour depending on who you work for. This post will take you through how to find house cleaning jobs.
Please note, this article may include affiliate links. You can read the full disclosure at the bottom of the page.
Visit websites of local cleaning businesses in your area
Do a google search for house cleaning services in your area. Find a cleaning business you want to work for and go to their website. The large cleaning businesses such as Molly Maid, The Maids, The Cleaning Authority have employment applications directly on their website that you can apply to.
Working for these types of companies you can expect to make about $450 – $500, these include entry level jobs. Some companies will pay you by the hour, while others will pay you a percentage of the cleaning fee.
Search on Indeed.com for house cleaning jobs
Indeed is a general job posting website and is one of the most popular sites to post and find jobs. Type in the words house cleaning jobs in the search bar at the top of the site and it will provide you with a list of cleaning jobs near you. Just doing a search for house cleaning jobs near me, I was able to find 107 similar jobs within a 25 mile radius.
When you find a job that best meets your availability and skill set you can apply to it directly on Indeed’s website. It is easier to create a profile directly on Indeed. This way you can quickly apply for multiple cleaning jobs without having to type in your information multiple times.
Search HouseKeeper.com for house cleaning jobs
HouseKeeper.com is a job posting site for House keeping jobs. The majority of the job postings are by homeowners looking to find a house keeper for their home. You can expect to find daily or weekly housekeeping jobs, rental cleaning jobs or even caretaker cleaning services.
Most of the jobs pay by the hour anywhere from $15 – $40 an hour, with most being on the lower end of that. The number of hours you work a week will depend on the needs of the job and how many jobs you get hired for. Most of these jobs are looking for housekeeping tasks that include general cleaning, dishes, laundry, changing of linens, organization, and keeping the house tidy.
With these housekeeping jobs you will most likely not receive training and many jobs require that you have experience. Have a few references of other houses you have cleaned ready to provide to the homeowners when applying for a job.
Benefits to working with a large company
Low Risk
When you work for another company, they are responsible for having the insurance. They carry the risk of the cleaning that you perform. For example, if the company, has you clean with a certain cleaner, and it ruins a clients floors or surface. The company is on the hook for replacing or repairing the damage, not you.
One thing to note here is to make sure you check with the company’s policies on damage and breakage. Some cleaning companies will require their employees to reimburse for breakage or damage. They may do this in reducing your pay or putting you on probation.
You will receive training
When you are hired on with a cleaning company, they will offer you training on how to clean houses using their systems. This is great training to learn how to clean quickly and efficiently. You will learn how to use different types of cleaning equipment and different types of cleaning products. The more houses you clean, the more you will become familiar with how different cleaning products and which products work best.
After working for a cleaning company for a while you will develop the skills to branch off on your own and start your own cleaning business. You will get lots of practice cleaning and learn what customers like and don’t like.
Though before you break out on your own, check with your companies’ policies. You may have had to sign a no compete contract meaning you agree not to start a cleaning business for a certain amount of time after leaving the company.
What to look for when searching for House cleaning jobs
Does the company provide workers comp insurance?
Cleaning houses does pose some safety risks such as chemical burns/irritations, slipping and falling on wet floor. You may have to step on a ladder to reach high areas and could risk falling. It is important to ask your employer if they have workers comp insurance. Insurance will protect you if you get hurt on the job. If you get hurt and the company does not have the proper insurance, you will have to pay for all medical fees and you will not get paid for your time not worked.
Does the company offer training?
Everyone cleans their own houses. But cleaning another person’s home takes some trained skills. Reputable cleaning services provide thorough training to their cleaning technicians. In your interview ask what their training looks like. You should expect to have a few days of working with a lead or trainer.
Does the company provide uniforms, or do you have to purchase your own?
Most reputable house cleaning services provide uniforms to their house cleaners. You should expect to be provided with a t-shirt and cleaning apron. I would shy away from a company that expects its house cleaners to purchase their own uniforms. There is no need for you to buy your own.
Do they reimburse mileage?
Driving from house-to-house costs money. If you are driving your own car you will be putting wear and tear on your vehicle and paying for the gas. Make sure the company reimburses your mileage if your expected to drive your own car. The company should reimburse you a certain amount per mile that you drive.
Do they pay by the hour or by the job?
Before starting any job it is important to know how you will be getting paid. House cleaning services either pay their employees either by the hour or by a percentage of a job. If you are paid by a percentage of the job, the more houses you can clean, the more money you will make.
Start your own house cleaning business.
This is my favorite house cleaning job. By starting your own business, you control your own schedule, how you clean, and you get all the profits. It does take more effort starting your own house cleaning business or maid service, but the rewards are totally worth it.
You can expect to make $25 – $50/ an hour cleaning houses if you own your own business. That is a lot more than if you were working for another cleaning business. If you cleaned 2 houses a day by yourself at 3 hours each, you could make $150 – $300/ per day!
The great thing about starting a cleaning business is, it does not take a lot of money to do so. As long as you have some cleaning supplies and a car you can get started. Once you start getting more clients, you can then start spending some money on advertising, promotions and some fancier tools.
The easiest way to find cleaning jobs when you own your own business is to create a website and claim your cleaning business on Google. Many homeowners look for cleaning services online, it is the new yellow pages. By claiming your business on Google you will show up for local search results for cleaning businesses in your area.
Other ways to find house cleaning jobs is to let your family and friends know you are looking for cleaning jobs. If they are not in need of house cleaning, maybe they know some one who is.
If you scrolled to the bottom, here is a quick list of how to find house cleaning jobs:
Visit local cleaning business website for job postings
Types of cleaning services entrepreneurs can easily start with little money. Check out this list of different types of cleaning services you can offer. Choose the right types of cleaning services for your newest business venture.
In this article:
Foreclosure Cleaning Services
Post Construction Cleaning Services
Move-Out Cleaning Services
Residential House Cleaning Services
Vacation Rental Cleaning Services
Different Types of Cleaning Services to offer:
Please note, this article may include affiliate links. You can read the full disclosure at the bottom of the page.
Starting a Foreclosure Cleaning Business
When deciding on the types of cleaning services to offer, keep in mind that foreclosure cleanings will be one of the most labor-intensive cleaning services you can offer. Many foreclosed homes have been abandoned and left in ruins.
What to expect when cleaning foreclosure cleanings
Cleaning foreclosures will not be a glamorous job by any means. A foreclosure is where homeowners default on their mortgage and are forced to move out. When a homeowner is past due with their mortgage banks take legal proceedings to take back the home.
To give some perspective, when I was in College my grandmother bought and sold foreclosures. She hired me to help with the cleaning. We cleaned houses where families left all their belongings. When I say all belongings, I mean furniture, closets full of clothes, and even albums filled with family photos. We had to rent large dumpsters and haul all the belongings out of the home.
Some homes we cleaned had been broken into and trashed. There would be graffitied walls and items left behind were scattered everywhere. We would find broken bottles and at one home we even found a pile of human feces….YUCK! So as I said, these types of cleanings will not be glamorous and will require heavy-duty cleaning.
These reasons are why you can charge hundreds/thousands of dollars to clean foreclosures.
Equipment/Supplies needed to clean foreclosures.
As you can imagine from the picture I created above, foreclosure cleanings require heavy-duty supplies and equipment to help clean up the mess. Equipment you will want to get will include a heavy-duty shop vac to vacuum up debris, a heavy-duty steam cleaner to disinfect and clean walls and surfaces to remove built-up grime, and a truck or trailer to help haul away furniture and garbage.
As far as cleaning supplies, foreclosure cleanings will require a heavy-duty degreaser, mildew remover, lime, and rust remover. When cleaning with these cleaners, make sure to have good ventilation and wear a mask to lessen the amount you will inhale.
How much you can make cleaning foreclosure
You can charge $100s or $1,000’s to clean a foreclosed home. the amount you charge will depend on how dirty a home is, how much you will need to haul away, and the size of the home.
It can take a week or longer to clean a foreclosure. When first starting out, it is best to estimate the number of hours it will take to clean and charge an hourly rate. Then add a disclaimer, letting the owner know that your price is an estimate and can vary.
Before pricing a foreclosure clean, make sure to do a thorough walk-a-round to avoid many surprises. Take note of any equipment rentals you may need and add the cost of the equipment rental to the cleaning service price. For example, if you have to rent a large dumpster bin to haul junk add the cost of the dumpster to the cost of the cleaning service.
How to market foreclosure cleaning services
With foreclosure cleanings, you will not be marketing to homeowners. Instead, you will want to market to banks and realtors. Look for local realtors who specialize in foreclosures and begin building relationships with them. Contact banks and speak with their foreclosure departments, find the person in charge of cleaning contracts, and start building a relationship.
It is also helpful to attend local networking events with your chamber of commerce. Realtors and banking professionals almost always attend these types of events to network with local businesses. Find your local professional realtor associations and attend their networking events. You can even develop a training presentation on property cleaning restoration.
Starting a Post Construction Cleaning Service
With Post Construction cleaning you will be cleaning homes just after they have been built or renovated. You will be cleaning up after the construction crews have left.
If you specialize in construction cleaning, you can offer to clean both the inside and the outside of the home. Many contractors will also hire cleaners to clean the home in 2 phases.
The first clean would be after all the carpentry is completed and just before finishes like the flooring go in. The second clean would be the final detail clean, just before the homeowner moves in.
What to expect when cleaning post-construction homes
Cleaning post-construction homes require hard work and detailed work. If you choose this type of cleaning service to offer, you will be cleaning up construction debris. This may require hauling the debris off the site as well.
To give you an idea of the cleaning think about when you last hung a picture. When you put the hole in the wall, you probably noticed the drywall dust just from drilling that one hole. Well, after a construction crew leaves, the home is covered in that drywall dust and it will be your job to clean it up.
Your job will be to remove the sawdust, paint or glue from all surfaces including walls, doors, baseboards, appliances, cabinetry, windows and windowsills, light fixtures, and of course the flooring. Things like excess grout may need to be removed from tiles, paint splatters may need to be removed from cabinetry, the glue may need to be removed from laying wood floors, and factory stickers may need to be removed from newly installed windows.
Equipment/Supplies needed to clean foreclosures
Post-construction cleaning will require heavy-duty equipment to help you to haul the debris away and clean up the construction residue. A good quality shop vac that can pick up the construction dust with a good filter will be needed. Make sure the shop vac has attachments so you can vacuum inside cabinet drawers, window sills, and other hard-to-reach areas.
Bring cleaning supplies that can remove leftover glue, grout, or other finishing residues without ruining the surfaces. Make sure you know what surfaces the cleaning supplies are safe to use on. When I first started, I cleaned cabinets with a cleaner that scratched the cabinetry. Some of the doors had to be replaced, it was not a fun situation to be in.
Having a truck and trailer will be useful if you have to haul large debris from the construction site. Bring a tall ladder to reach light fixtures or tall windows.
How much you can make cleaning new home/post-construction cleaning
As you can see, cleaning a post-construction home can involve several man-hours due to the tedious tasks of cleaning construction dust and chemicals left behind by construction crews. It can take more than 1 day to clean depending on the size of the home and would require more than 1 cleaner. Because of this, you will be able to charge more for these types of cleanings.
According to Home Advisor, the national average for these types of cleaning services is $445.00. Your price will of course vary on the size of the home and the scope of work that will be expected. You can also add additional tasks such as exterior cleaning of windows, yard waste, or pressure washing.
How to market new home/construction cleaning services
For new home/construction cleaning services you will want to market to construction firms, general contractors, handyman services, and other construction-related businesses. These businesses will contract directly with you to clean homes that they have built or renovated. You will rarely get hired by the homeowner for these types of cleans.
To market to construction-related businesses, it is helpful to make calls or visit in person to meet with either the contractor or whoever oversees hiring subcontractors. The idea is to build a solid relationship with these businesses so that you can service all of their projects that they finish.
It is also very beneficial to visit local chamber events to network and make connections with local contractors. It may be easier to start with smaller firms if you do not have the crew to service multiple projects a week. As your reputation builds you can land larger clients and hire more employees.
Starting a Move-In/Move-Out Cleaning Service
Move-In/Move-Out will be less manual labor than foreclosure cleanings and construction cleaning businesses. Homeowners generally leave the home voluntarily whether they are selling the home or if they are ending a lease/renting agreement.
In each case, there is an incentive to leave the home in good condition. But these types of cleanings do take longer to clean than a regular cleaning service where you come in every 2 weeks to clean.
The homes will be empty or should be when go in to clean a move-in/move-out clean. They will take longer to clean than a recurring house cleaning service would take. You’ll be expected to clean out cabinets/drawers, and remove smudges off walls, doorways, and trim. Dust and clean high-to-reach areas such as vents, ceilings, and ceiling fans. Expect to clean windowsills and window tracks.
Equipment/Supplies needed to clean Move-In/Move-Out Cleanings
Move-In/Move-Out Cleanings require some heavier tools. For your cleaning supplies make sure you have a heavy-duty all-purpose cleaner, mildew remover, and rust stain remover.
For tools and equipment, you’ll need a razor blade (a professional tip: this is a great way to remove years of built-up soap scum). Shop vac with hose attachments. This will come in handy when needing to vacuum out cabinets and heavy-duty debris that you don’t want to ruin a residential vacuum with.
A quality high-powered steam cleaner that can help clean surfaces and floors quickly and efficiently. If you get one that has some pressure behind it, you can blast out grim in crevices like faucets, drains, and toilet seats. A carpet cleaner is not necessary but would be a great upsell if you have a machine to clean carpets with.
How much you can make cleaning move-in/move-out cleaning services?
According to Home Advisor, a move-out clean can start at $110 for a small apartment and up to $650 for a larger 3,500-square-foot home. The larger the home, the longer the cleaning service will cost. You can also do upsells such as carpet cleaning, baseboard painting, and small handyman work such as filling in holes in the wall, replacing doorknobs, fixing cabinet doors, etc.
How to market Move-In/Move-Out Cleaning
For Move-In/Move-Out Cleanings you will want to market to Realtors, property management firms and apartment complexes. These businesses will be the ones handling most move-ins and out transactions. For apartment complexes do research on their unit sizes. Start by sending in a letter introducing your business and quoting a price per unit.
Property management firms manage rentals of single-family homes, and reach out to them to service their rental properties. Relators are either buying or selling homes. Visit local chamber events to network and make connections with local realtors to service their home listings.
Starting a Residential House Cleaning Service
Recurring house cleaning services will be the easiest homes to clean. For the most part, there won’t be many surprises, or heavy-duty cleaning. You will clean the home either on a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly basis. Therefore, the cleaning will be regular and will not require a lot of heavy-duty cleaning supplies and labor.
This type of house cleaning business is the easier to build a consistent income. When a customer signs up for weekly cleaning at $90/week, you can count on that income each week. That one client will make you $4,680/ year. With each new client that you bring on, your business will continue to grow.
Instead of building relationships with other businesses, you will build relationships with each of the homeowners. Provide a quality, trustworthy and friendly service and you will be able to exponentially grow your business with each new client.
Equipment/Supplies needed to clean recurring house cleaning services.
The great thing about only cleaning recurring house cleaning jobs is you will not need to invest in expensive equipment since you will not be cleaning heavy-duty jobs. Therefore, a residential vacuum and a steam mop are all you will need in the way of equipment. For cleaning supplies, a good all-purpose cleaner and microfiber towels will go a long way for these types of cleans.
You’ll want to get good quality dusters one that will reach high places such as ceiling fans and a small hand duster for surfaces. Because you will be cleaning the home frequently, there will be little need for heavy-duty dusting with wet clothes and cleaners.
How much you can make cleaning recurring house cleaning services?
Each cleaning service will bring in anywhere from You will make less money with each cleaning service. $65 – $200 a cleaning service. The less frequently you clean, the more you will charge, and the larger the home the more you will charge.
To scale this type of business, it is best to develop a cleaning checklist that you will perform at each visit. This will make it easier to set your cleaning prices. Any services outside of that checklist you would charge more for. This way too, you can charge a flat fee based on the size of the home and charge the same rate for each cleaning service.
How to market for residential house cleaning services
To market your recurring house cleaning business, you will target homeowners. Networking events that are more focused on homeowners and working professionals will be your target. Local online marketing will be beneficial. Creating a website and linking to local review sites will be great exposure to the market to homeowners looking for recurring house cleaning.
You can also target and network with large employers. Reaching out to HR departments to create a relationship and possibly offering free cleaning service to the employee of the year.
Starting a Vacation Rental Cleaning Service
Vacation rental types of cleaning services are more common in high tourism areas. Where I live on the coast of Florida, most of the homes lining the beaches are vacation rentals. So, cleaning businesses can focus solely on cleaning vacation rentals.
Vacation rentals generally have to be cleaned in a very tight timeframe. If you think of a hotel, they have check out at 10 am and by 3 pm the new renters are checking in. Therefore, with these types of cleaning services, you have to clean all areas of the home, plus change out linens and make beds. In addition to cleaning, you may be asked to stock supplies such as soap and paper products.
To save time, some cleaning services will bring clean linens with them and bring back the used linens and wash them after the cleaning. This way they are not doing laundry on top of cleaning.
For the most part, these types of cleaning services are predictable and don’t require heavy-duty cleaning. Most renters want to get their deposit back so, the home is generally left in a clean manner. There may be the occasional mess, we once cleaned after a 4th of July weekend. There were bottles left everywhere and smudges on walls and surfaces. We had to do a thorough deep clean, and there was so much trash we had to haul bags and bags away.
Equipment/Supplies needed to clean recurring house cleaning services
With vacation rental cleanings you will not normally have to use heavy-duty cleaning materials. Most supplies used for recurring house cleaning will suffice for vacation rental cleanings. If you clean in an area where most floorings are tile, it would be a good idea to invest in a good steam-cleaning mop. Not like the upright steam cleaners, but those that use steam vapor. These types of steamers cut your mopping time drastically.
A larger industrial broom is also helpful if you have to keep outside patios or garages swept.
How much you can make cleaning vacation rental cleaning services
Vacation rentals do take longer to clean than recurring residential house cleaning does. Not because the cleaning is harder, but because of the time to replace the linens and restock supplies.
Because of this, the cleaning services will cost slightly more than what can be charged for recurring house cleaning services. Vacation rental cleaning fees can range from $75 – $200 per clean. This depends on the size of the home and the scope of the cleaning. If you are expected to stock paper products and soups, you will add the cost of the restocking to your cleaning price. It is normal to charge a flat fee for this. For example, $10 to restock toilet paper, and $5 to restock soap.
How to market for residential house cleaning services
To market your vacation rental cleaning business, you will target realtors who specialize in managing vacation rentals. Like move-in/move-out cleanings, you will be working more with realtors than with homeowners.
To find individual rental owners, such as those listed on Airbnb you can list your business on a listing site such as TurnOverBnB.
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I get this question a lot; How do I get my 1st Cleaning Clients??? While there are several ways, I wanted to share how you can build your cleaning business with GROUPON! This is the exact steps I took within the first few months of starting my Business. I was able to build my business by increasing my regularly scheduled clients quickly.
UPDATE: Recently LivingSocial and GROUPON have merged, so I the remainder of the post I will refer to GROUPON.
Before I go into this post I wanted to provide a Disclaimer:
Since I am upfront with my reviews, I do want to point out that you will NOT PROFIT from a coupon campaign. You are selling services below cost, plus GROUPON will get a percentage of the sale which usually starts at 50% (though this can be negotiated).
Yes, not all users will redeem their coupon, but even not servicing all your coupon purchasers you will not make profit off of the cleanings you perform for your GROUPON and LivingSocial customers.
Who should use GROUPON:
I recommend using GROUPON or LivingSocial to:
Newly established Cleaning Companies
Established Cleaning Companies during slow periods
Provide ZERO cost marketing. There are no upfront costs to you. Utilizing these sites is 100% free. You only pay a percentage of each sale. That means GROUPON does not make any money unless your service sells.
Put your Cleaning Service in front of users in your local community who are interested in Cleaning Services. Thousands of users use GROUPON daily and search and buy local services. Listing on these sites will put you in front of people living in your community who are interested in YOUR Services.
Perfect your cleaning system. You will gain practice cleaning several different types of homes. This will benefit your service by ensuring you develop a cleaning system that is efficient in all different levels of cleanliness and surfaces.
With proper planning and execution, you will build your Cleaning Business with GROUPON!
How much can you make selling cleaning services on GROUPON?
Remember you will not be making a profit off your GROUPON sales. The goal is to build your cleaning business with GROUPON.
What you make off your campaign will vary based on the cost of your coupon, how many you sell and GROUPON’s fee’s. Here is an analysis of the campaign I ran:
Coupon sold: 3 hour cleaning discounted to $59. # of coupons sold: 113.
$6,667 in total sales. 50% of the sales went to LivingSocial and that left me with just over $3,000.
About 80% of those that purchased the coupon actually redeemed their coupon, so we were able to service about 85 BRAND NEW clients. 8 of those clients became weekly or bi-weekly clients. Just in 1 years’ time I made $20,000 off those new clients I gained from my LivingSocial campaign.
To me this was a win!
Disclosure: Some of the links below are Affiliate Links. What that means is I may earn a small commission if you click on one. This comes at no additional cost to you as the buyer. All of these products are products that I used exclusively in my Cleaning Business. I only recommend products or services which I have used, tested and highly respect. When you order through my link it helps to provide you free content. I greatly appreciate your support!
How to build your Cleaning Business with GROUPON
Running a Successful GROUPON campaign
Now that you have decided that a GROUPON campaign is right for building your Cleaning Business, lets get into how to be successful in your first campaign. Remember your goal is to increase your customer base, it is not to profit off of the GROUPON sales.
Plan
Have a Plan in place. Without a plan it will be VERY difficult to build your cleaning business with GROUPON.
When running your campaign expect to get a majority of your calls in the first 2 weeks of running the campaign. You will be performing the majority of the cleaning services within the first 4 weeks your campaign runs.
This mean you will be cleaning a lot of homes in a shorter among of time. This takes adequate man power and supplies and equipment. Taking the time to make sure you have the time and resources to complete these cleanings will be crucial to your success.
Not planning your time and resources can lead to failure. You will not want to disrupt your current cleaning clients by servicing your GROUPON clients. Make sure you are not moving around your current cleaning clients so that you can make room for your GROUPON clients. Ensure you have enough cleaning supplies and proper equipment.
I remember cleaning for one of our Coupon clients and they were so impressed with the high level of professionalism and cleaning quality. She said she had bought a GROUPON from another cleaning company and they brought a broom in place of a vacuum! Needless to say the cleaning was not quality. DON’T be like that Cleaning Company.
When you run your campaign you will be working with an account representative who will help you build your campaign. When defining your service, be sure to be specific with what is and what is not included in the cleaning services. This will improve communication and expectations.
The flip side to this is, if you have listed a service task that you complete it at every cleaning, make sure your are doing it with every cleaning. If not, you will quickly build distrust with the client and completely ruin your chances for gaining a repeat client.
Answer your phone
When you are first starting out it can be difficult to always be available to answer your phone. This is especially true when you are cleaning homes yourself.
Answering the phone will be the first impression to the new client. Your business will not look professional if a client has to call several times to book their cleaning.
What I did during my LivingSocial launch is coaxed my sister into answering my phone for me. She had just had a baby and was a stay at home mom. So we traded services. I set her up with my calendar and trained her in how to book a client.
This worked out really well and I had received great feedback.
If you do not have a friend or family member to help you answer phones, there are answering services available. There are variations in how these services charge. I personally have never used one, so I can not review the different services out there, but have heard of other cleaning businesses having great success with them. Here is an in depth review article you can reference. Best answering services of 2019.
Provide a high quality service
Don’t fall prey to treating coupon customers differently than regular, full paying customers. You will have 1 shot to make a first impression, don’t blow it. This will only push these new customers away and tarnish your business name.
When cleaning for a coupon customer, you will need to pull out the red carpet and wow with your quality service. Give them a glimpse of what it would be like if they hired your cleaning service on a regular basis.
By providing exemptional and quality service, you will increase your chance of gaining a repeat customer or receiving a referral, which is the goal of the campaign! These customers may not be ready to commit to full time cleaning services at the moment, but they are at least interested and may be ready at a later date.
Collect information about the home. Similar to quoting for cleaning services, collect details about the home so that you will know what to expect and what equipment will be needed to clean the home. Fill out a customer data sheet for them so that you have their information to clean the home AND to follow up with them after the clean.
Follow up after the Cleaning Service
Don’t let the day of the cleaning service be the only time that customer ever hears from you. The goal of the Coupon campaign is to increase your customer base. To do that you will need to follow up so that your business name stays fresh in their mind. This way when they need their home cleaned, they will think to call your business.
Developing a communication plan for your GROUPON campaign:
The night of the cleaning service, mail the customer a hand written thank you letter and information about your company. The packet should included a thank you letter, a quote and marketing material.
The thank you letter should say thank you for allowing you to service their house cleaning needs. At the bottom of the letter is where you could include a quote for cleaning their home weekly, every other week and monthly.
To learn about what you should be charging for cleaning services and sign up to get my FREE price calculator, click here … What to Charge for Cleaning Services
Marketing materials, such as a brochure, should describing your business mission and services. Include at least 5 business cards for the client to share with their friends and family. Providing this information helps to set the stage for a continued relationship.
The next day after the Cleaning Service, send an email asking how their experience was and to rate your cleaning service. Provide a link to any directory you may be listed on (YELP etc.). This will help you to build a rating in these sites and increase your referrals!
At the time of booking the cleaning service, you should have collected the clients email. And so you will want to add them to your email list. This way you can email them periodically with promotions and news about your Cleaning Business.
3 months after the cleaning service was completed, if you have not heard from the client since, sent an email with a 10% off of their next cleaning service coupon. This puts your business name back in front of the client.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Interrupting a current clients schedule to clean for a New Client.
It takes hard work to score a recurring cleaning client. Don’t jeopardize your relationships and your reputation with your regularly scheduled clients to book your GROUPON cleans. This is why planning your resources in the beginning is so important.
Trying to up sell cleaning services to your GROUPON clients.
Don’t come off as a pushy sales person. Provide the cleaning the customer purchased at your high quality and follow up later. Remember the goal is not to make a profit on your GROUPON cleanings. It is to increase your client base. You will increase your client base if you provide an exceptional customer experience.
Cutting Corners.
It may be tempting to cut corners with the cleaning service because of the little bit of money you have collected for it. Again, the goal is to not make a profit on these cleanings. Provide a quality service and you will increase your regular customer base.
How to Sign up for a GROUPON Campaign:
Once you have decided that a GROUPON campaign is best for your Cleaning Business you can create an account with GROUPON. When you first Get Started you will apply to become a Merchant. This may take a few weeks. It goes through GROUPONS approval process and they check to see if your campaign is a good fit for the site.
Here is a step by step process for Getting Started:
Visit GROUPON Merchant Center and click GET STARTED
Choose Local Deals
Type in your Business Name to get started.
Choose a business Type
Within 2 weeks you will receive a call from a Merchant representative.
That’s it!
Now you will wait to hear back from GROUPON. You will receive a phone call or an email. When the merchant representative calls, they will get information about your business, help you to build and schedule your first campaign. You will choose what services you want to offer and at what price point.
Don’t forget to Negotiate Your FEEs
I highly recommend you try and negotiate your fee’s. Generally, you will start with a 50% fee of all sales plus about 2.9% for credit card processing fees. All of this is negotiable.
This is something I wish I knew going into my LivingSocial campaign. I did not negotiate my rates. I have heard of small businesses negotiating down to 40% and removing the credit card fees and having GROUPON pay those. So if this is the route you go, try to negotiate!
RECAP: To build your Cleaning Business with GROUPON follow these steps …
Plan
Define what is included in your services
Answer your phone
Provide a high quality service
Follow up after the Cleaning Service to land more cleanings!
Well that is it. Tell me about your experience with running a GROUPON campaign. Were you able to build your business with GROUPON? I would love to hear!
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Roberta Reed is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
