[Anthony Heagney]

Hello everyone

Just looking for a wee bit advice........

Ive been looking into starting my own cleaning business and i have been looking at all of my options. At the mo Domestic/Commercial Cleaning and Window cleaning would be my entry point, due to extreme lack of funds!!

I would, ideally, like to start a commecial cleaning business but the problem is that i have no previous cleaning 'experience' and the business would be very new. Any ideas how customers (businesses) would view this? Do customers usually query when the business started, previous experience etc?? Obv it varies between jobs. Just trying to work out if im best trying Domestics first.

Sorry for the long post......ive been looking into this for a while and its time to make a move....

[Matt Gibson]

Hi Anthony,

I only recently started my first business, but i had years of experience in the industry working for other ppl. Dont tell your prospective clients that you have no experience. But i havent found a problem with ppl knowing my business is just a new start. aslong as they know you have experience, then thats all that counts from what ive noticed..

[Anthony Heagney]

The thing is i really like cleaning and im good at its just i dont have actual cleaning experience, as in working for a company. I know im more than able to do the job i just wouldnt want to centre my business around commercial cleaning to find out that people dont want me because of my lack of experience.

Where abouts are you based? How are you finding it just now?

Im hoping to start part time because im still working at the mo. Ive got a couple of guys that are able to do the work for me which is a bonus.

[Pristine Clean]

Hi Anthony,

I only recently started my first business, but i had years of experience in the industry working for other ppl. Dont tell your prospective clients that you have no experience. But i havent found a problem with ppl knowing my business is just a new start. aslong as they know you have experience, then thats all that counts from what ive noticed..

That's good Matt, However he has no actual cleaning experience either. So he has a different issue.

Matt is right in that the issue sometimes is that they know the business is "new". However my advice is don't go out of your way and say you are a "startup".

There are many ways to win business and attract new customers. Fro offering free trail or no contract tie in to say the least.

You don't always need a new idea to become successful just a different approach.

Where are you based? Maybe some helpful members may let you go out and work with them and see "sites in progress" and actually clean different environments and use different machines like floor polishers, WFP, CARPET CLEANING MACHINES etc.

One thing I would is concentrate on one thing. Not to go into too many angles all at once. Say market commercial. Then market some more... and when you think you have had enough of it all and want to jack it all in market some more.

Get your pricing structure right from the first time, don't market your services too low. I understand new companies do it and great. But when you grow you will not be able sustain growth. Eventually you may grow and need to employ staff. If you go in to cheap or for marketing purposes "Value" you will not get enough to pay your staff and earn a profit. Running a company big or small is about profit not a wage.

  

[Matt Gibson]

Im based in Glasgow, and im finding that work is sporadic, to say the least. But then again, i work outside and most of my work comes in the summertime.. or leading up to the summer time.. The general cleaning industry is year round, which is great for you.

As for experience, well it sounds like you have experience of cleaning, just no experience of actually running a business. I was exactly the same, as was probably everyone on this site at some stage.

The trick for me was, be confident. Confident in your abilities and confident of yourself. Customers are like sharks, they can smell a wounded animal..lol

If you think you can clean a house to a good enough standard to get paid for it, then i say go for it, flyers, advertise, tell all your friends, and their friends, as pristine sais, MARKETING...get out there and do as much as you can, and aslong as you stay confdent, ppl will trust in your abilities..

[Anthony Heagney]

Thanks again guys for all of the advice. I do realise that you need to plan for the future and i would be looking to expand at some point so pricing is key.
Marketing is the key to any business so i will make sure that i keep a good part of my very low budget for marketing. A good old knock on the door with a smiley face should help me there!
Pressure washing was my first choice followed by carpet cleaning but i just dont have the money for the tools so decided on cleaning and window cleaning as my entry level, hopefully branching out into the others once im established and if the work is there.

Im based in Fife/Stirlingshire. Work in Fife, live in Stirlingshire.

[Kev Martin]

The important thing is knowing exactly how to approach each cleaning job and using the correct products.  A small analogy for you is " You have oil on your hands"  You try to wash it off with cold water and some comes off.  You then change to warm water and more comes off.  You then add fairy liquid or Swarfega and it all comes off!  Does this make sense?  Water was correct but when changed to warm water and a degreasing product was added that's when it worked.  ALWAYS DO A TEST AREA IF YOU ARE UNSURE  This proves to the client you are up to the task and more importantly tells you what products you will need and how long it will take you.  Then you can price the job accurately with labour and products.  TEST, TEST, and TEST.  Hope that helps a little

Kev Martin
Tiling Logistics
Marble Life Ltd

[Matt Gibson]

Pressure washing is a hard market to crack in scotland as ive found recently. alot of, shall we say...travellers, going round offering the cheapest service and usually gettin the jobs, as in the current climate, noone wants to spend too much cash on someone who, effectively is just hosing their drive..

Work has picked up for me slowly, though i have soent some money on flyers and hit the pavement hard delivering them myself...doing every quote that comes in and pricing low''ish'' just to get some cash flow.

Ive never thought about domestic cleaning, as i dont think i could give enough of a good standard to get paid, but i think you could make more of a go of domestic cleaning in the current climate in scotland, than you could of pressure cleaning, especially with no experience...

Good luck though, and if you get any enquiries for pressure cleaning, give me a bell, and we can sort something out..

keep on pushing mate and im sure youll get to where you want to be...