How to Start a Cleaning Business UK

Setting up a cleaning business may be an attractive business move for those looking to start their own business.  The cleaning industry is a particularly safe industry to invest in due to the ongoing demand for cleaning services all around the world. Unlike many industries, the cleaning industry doesn't have trends, and its services are always required across every sector, so there will always be job and partnership opportunities. You will also reap the benefits of being self employed, as having your own business let's you:

• Be your own boss
• Have full control of who you hire
• Make key business decisions
• Acquire and practice essential transferable skill such as time keeping, budgeting, responsibility and leadership

We'll look at how you can start a cleaning business and provide you with some useful steps to make the process easier.

Step by step guide to starting your own cleaning business

1. Identify your market

You should start by deciding what type of cleaner you are going to be and identifying the market you plan to serve. Your choice of market will likely depend on your experience and skillset, whilst also taking into consideration the size of the market in your local area.

This step will help you to decide the type of cleaner you want to be, whether it's commercial, domestic or specialist:

Domestic cleaning business

A domestic cleaning business (otherwise known as a residential cleaning business) involves work around cleaning houses typically involves dusting, cleaning, vacuuming and disinfecting. A team of domestic cleaners is typically much smaller than that of commercial cleaning. Some types of cleaning in this sector include:

• Window cleaning
• Carpet cleaning
• Household appliance cleaning
• External cleaning (brick/pavement/stone)

Commercial cleaning business

A commercial cleaning business involves working with businesses such as schools and universities, retail stores and gyms to ensure a hygienic and clean environment. A key benefit of commercial cleaning is that it has a much larger scale than domestic cleaning. It covers many sectors and each of these have a wide selection of businesses, so no matter where you're based, you can always find work!

2. Research your market

You should then undertake key market research to learn how you can break into the sector and how to market your business so that it stands out amongst the crowd. As the cleaning industry is so widespread, naturally it has a lot of competition. But with more and more businesses being started that require your services, you can always find work.

3. Consider your training and qualifications

Next, you should consider your options for training and qualifications. Domestic cleaners for example don't typically require any previous qualifications. However, you may need this if you are considering the commercial cleaning route, as you may be required to work with specialist equipment and harmful chemicals.

Whatever you're looking to get into, it's worth researching what is required and abide by these rules.

4. Set your investment budget

Setting a budget is extremely important if you want to start a cleaning business. You must have a plan on how much you can afford to spend on your business, which includes start up costs and equipment pricing.

Besides the start up costs, which may not be cheap, also consider the cost of commercial cleaning equipment as this can be pricier than that of an average household job. It's worth doing some background research and finding a number that's realistic and appropriate for you.

5. Write a business plan

Before you get too far ahead in the process, you should formulate a business plan. This will help you build a strong foundation for your business moving forward and allow you to stick to a structure.

Within this business plan, you can include budget information, how you plan to hire staff, the sectors you're most likely to work for etc.

6. Decide how much you will charge

Next you should consider how much you plan to charge customers for cleaning services. You may choose to have an hourly rate, day rate or even regular monthly contracts. Typically, a flat fee is preferred by clients as it's easier for them to budget in advance.

Researching what other cleaning businesses are charging in your area can give you an idea on what is suitable for your business.

7. Create a brand for your business

As a business owner, you will also want to create a brand image. Creating a brand is an important way for cleaning businesses to reach wider audiences and be recognised across the nation. You can start by creating a unique business logo that stands out, as well as equipping all staff with custom business clothing that acts as advertisement to people walking by during these cleaning services.

After creating a brand, consider your unique selling points (USPs) to separate yourself from the competition and show this to potential customers to entice them.

8. Market your cleaning business

The next step will be for domestic and commercial cleaning businesses to market themselves to clients.

If you're a domestic cleaning business owner, this can be as simple as door to door marketing and trying to entice clients through one-to-one conversation. Additionally, you can post on local forums or Facebook pages advertising your work and any pricing you may have to get them interested.

If you're a commercial cleaning business owner, you will benefit more from shifting your marketing strategy online as you will be able to reach the right audience more easily. You can work on composing enticing emails with appropriate calls to action to improve your chances of getting investment from these clients.

9. Plan for growth

Once you have worked on all the previous steps, you should then plan for growth. You may want to keep your business smaller if that's more suitable for your lifestyle and workload and there's nothing wrong with that. However, for the businesses that wish to steadily expand over the years, planning is the best way to go about it.

Consider what size you wish to get your team to, how you will facilitate them, the income you expect to receive based on the number of clients you have. Keeping your thinking structured and sensible will prevent you from going bust like a lot of new companies have over the years.

10. Consider becoming a franchisee

What if there was a way to start a cleaning business but without all the hassle and with an expert team behind you to support you along the way? Fortunately, there is that option!

By starting a cleaning business through a franchise, you can thrive in an industry you may be unfamiliar with and still have all the support and guidance you need.

Benefits of starting a cleaning business with a franchise

There are many benefits of starting a cleaning business as a franchisee, including:

Guaranteed business promise

Some franchise companies will have a guaranteed business promise, where they will tell you what you can expect in return for your investment so that you know you've got the best support available.

Help with setup and ongoing training

Starting a business in a new industry can be daunting, particularly if you are also a first time business owner. Fortunately, if you choose to become a franchisee, professionals will help setup your business with you and provide you with ongoing training, support and guidance to ensure you see success.

Pre established brand

Being a franchisee comes with the benefit of having a pre established brand, which will likely already be a largely successful cleaning company. This can save you a lot of time worrying about creating your brand and forking out on unnecessary copyright costs and more. Efficiency is key when you're a part of a franchise, where you can save lots of time and money.

Start your commercial cleaning business with Jani-King

Jani-King are the leaders of commercial cleaning, delivering expert cleaning solutions to a variety of businesses in many sectors. Our continued success has allowed us to provide excellent franchise opportunities for those wishing to get involved in the industry, whilst having a team of professionals to help.

Starting a commercial cleaning business in the UK can seem daunting, but we're here to help. Discover Jani-King's franchise opportunities here today!