How to Start a Cleaning Business in New Jersey

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Start a cleaning business in New Jersey. Asking yourself how do I start a cleaning business near me?

No matter where you decide to start a cleaning business, if there are houses in the area, someone will want to hire a cleaning company.

The majority of cleaning companies are made up of small businesses. There can be little start up cost involved and as you grow your cleaning business, you can add on the fancy tools.

Start Your Company for $0 Plus State Filing Fees with Incfile.com!

How to start a Cleaning Business in NJ

This guide includes resources for starting a cleaning business in New Jersey. Visit the states Business Portal to learn more about running a business in New Jersey.

Decide what type of cleaning service you will offer

There are many different types of cleaning business you can start.

Recurring House Cleaning
Foreclosure cleaning
Office cleaning
Move out cleaning service
Restaurant Cleaning

Choose a name for your cleaning business

When choosing a name, you will want to consider SEO (search engine optimization, how new clients will find you on the internet) and the name should represent what your business does. This way when someone hears your business’s name, they know your are in the business of cleaning houses.

To brainstorm a name for your cleaning business, start with the words Maid, Cleaning and Service. Put these words at the top of a sheet of paper. Then start writing as many adjectives and adverbs that match your company. This will help you to create a list of possible business names for you to choose from.

Verify your name is available in New Jersey by searching the Businesses on the DORES of NJ. If your business name is not already registered in New Jersey then you are ready to register your business.

Choose a Business Structure for your Cleaning Business

Before registering your new cleaning business, you will need to know the legal structure for your business. This structure will determine how your cleaning business will file its tax returns and how you as the owner will be taxed on your earnings as well.

It’s extremely important that you become familiar with and understand the different structures and how taxes are paid and filed with each. When choosing your business structure, consult with your tax professional. They can also help you file all the necessary paperwork.

The different structures include

Sole-proprietor
Partnership
Corporation
S-Corporation
Limited Liability Corporation

You can learn more about each business structure here.

File your business with the state of New Jersey

The state of New Jersey requires that all businesses register with the Division of Revenue within 15 days of starting your cleaning business to allow time for paperwork to be completed.

You can file your business with New Jersey 1 of 2 ways:

Online directly with the Division of Revenue Business Registration in New Jersey. Depending on which legal structure you choose, you will have to file the appropriate paperwork to register your business. You can find the forms to register your new cleaning business in New Jersey online here at .

Through a 3rd party who takes care of the filling for you. IncFile.com offers free filing service for LLC’s. You’ll just have to pay the state filing fees. There is a small fee for filing Corporations.

Using a filing service will ensure your filing is done correctly the first time which will help ensure no delays.

Business licensing needs in New Jersey

At the time this article was written, there is no business licensing needed for general house cleaning businesses. I recommend checking with the states licensing need when registering a new business. Click here to check to see if your business needs a business license in the state of New Jersey.

Apply for an EIN (Employer Identification Number)

Getting an EIN for your cleaning business is a must if you will be hiring employees.

If you will be operating as a sole-proprietor and not hiring employees, you may be able to use your personal social security number when filing taxes and such for your business. But it is always best to talk to your tax professional to see which you will need.

To apply for an EIN you will file a SS-4 with the IRS. It is free and you can do so on the IRS website. If you file online you will get your number right away. If you don’t feel comfortable filing the form yourself, you can use a company like IncFile.com who can file for your EIN.

You can also apply by snail mail, but it will take much longer to get your number. Read more about your filing options on the IRS website.

Get Business Insurance

Insurance protects you and your business’s assets, or money in the event of a accident or other unplanned event.

Types of insurance your cleaning business may need include liability insurance, bonding insurance and commercial car insurance.

The easiest way to shop for business insurance is to start with an insurance broker and they will do the shopping around for you to find the best deal.

This article goes more in depth on what types of insurance are best for cleaning businesses along with some FAQ’s.

Additional Resources for starting a cleaning business in New Jersey

The Small Business Development Center has lots of resources for small businesses in New Jersey. They offer online training, new and existing business counseling, as well as business training and events.

The state offers Small Business Workshops to help you in the process of how to register your business in New Jersey. How to report business income in the state. If you have employees, they also provide workshops on employer responsibilities in New Jersey.

Next Steps to start your cleaning business.

Now that you have taken care of the boring (but oh so necessary) legal steps to getting your cleaning business official, you can now start with the Cleaning!

Below are resources on how to operate a cleaning business successfully.

Purchase cleaning supplies and equipment

You’ll need to get all the needed supplies to start cleaning your first client homes. I have that taken care of for you.

Visit my page to get a complete list of cleaning supplies and equipment needed to run a Professional Cleaning Business.

If you need help purchasing a vacuum visit my page on purchasing a vacuum for your cleaning business

Marketing your cleaning service

You can’t start cleaning houses if you don’t tell people you have a cleaning business.

Your first step to marketing will be to tell all your friends, family and contacts in your phone and email that you have started a house cleaning business and you are currently taken new clients.

Next get your business online. Most homeowners now search for services online before hiring a business. Make sure your business is visible online when a homeowner searches for cleaning services in your area.

Claim your My Business google profile. By claiming your My Business google profile your business will show up in searches when someone searches Cleaning Businesses in Town Name.

Start a website. You can start a website using this link for just $2.97/ month. Use your business name as your domain name. Once you are registered, apply a free Word Press template. You are now ready to enter in your business information.

Make sure to add your contact information, a list of your services, and a an about me page where you introduce your self. Include high quality before and after images of your cleaning.

Activate a Facebook Business Profile.

Price your cleaning services

Decide whether you are going to price your cleaning services by the hour or by a flat fee. Most cleaning businesses make between $25 – $75 an hour.

Charging by the hour for house cleaning services:

It is best to charge by the hour when you are offering services that will take longer to complete and when the tasks can vary each time you clean a house. When your cleaning times vary it becomes much more difficult to charge a flat fee per clean.

It is best to charge by the hour if you plan to offer the following tasks similar to the following:

laundry
dishes
picking up clutter/toys
organizing spaces
personalizing cleaning service to each client

Charging a Flat Fee

Charging a flat fee is the best way to streamline your business and start building more profits. But a HUGE disclaimer: Only charge a flat fee if you are completing the same cleaning service for each client.

This means you define the checklist and tasks that you will complete at the home. If you do not follow the same cleaning checklist for each client and each time you clean, DO NOT charge a flat fee to clean.

Check out the following articles for more information on Pricing Cleaning service:

Hire employees

If you plan to hire employees you will need to make sure you have filed for an EIN (Review step #4) and have proper insurance (Review step #7).

You will also want to have a training plan in place. In my experience it is best to have a 3 step training plan in place.

Have your new employee read through or watch a video that you have put together on how to clean your way.
Next, have the new employee follow you while you clean. Talk through all the steps they should be taking for each task and room in a home.
Now, you shadow the new employee for a few houses. It is important to correct a any movements that do not fit into your cleaning strategy. For this step you are helping your new employee to develop the same habits to clean a home your way.

Well Kept Clutter helps aspiring entrepreneurs to start their own cleaning business and start making money right away.

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