Are you tired of your job working overtime and can't figure out how to make enough money to live a decent life and have a couple of vacations with your kids and family?
In this blog steps to start a commercial cleaning business in 2024. I will talk about how you can start a side business and create financial freedom, making more money than your job.
If you read this blog till the end, you will learn how to successfully start a commercial cleaning business and create financial freedom for your kids and your family.
7 Steps to start a commercial cleaning business in 2024
Here are the 7 steps to start a commercial cleaning business in 2024. These steps maybe be not followed by the order I put them but these steps are necessary.
If you are already a business owner or already offering these services try to catch up
Steps to start a commercial cleaning business
1. Get Legal
The reason to get a legal business is to fully benefit from your business and also avoid getting yourself in trouble.
Creditors can garnish your wages from your employment and go after all your assets and earning incomes.
When you have an LLC your business is separated from your personal asset. If someone trying to sue your business then your personal asset is safe and if the debt collectors trying to go after you your business is protected.
One more thing about business is the government gives a lot of advantages to business owners but when operating under your name you automatically become liable which means in case of a lawsuit you can lose everything.
That is why it is important to have a legal business.
a) Get an LLC name
Think about how you will call your business, this is one of the most important steps, but most people don't really think about that. A couple of months ago I talked about how to start a cleaning business in Florida learn more here
In 2020 I started my business and my coach suggested that I get an LLC, but I didn't know what I wanted to do, because like most people I need to start a business but have no idea what I'm going to sell.
I end up pick a name that's not means nothing and the worst thing it is a name that I hated.
The easiest way to think about it is to get a name that is not attached to any market. why I'm saying that, in case you decide not to stick to your first business you can just change the market but not the LLC name.
Jazy says in an interview "I'm not a businessman, I'm a business man". This statement is so true, sometimes people focus on building a brand while the first important person in the business is you.
People do business with people not with a brand, most people should brand themself, like Trump, Jazy, 50 Cent, Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates, etc.
You want to get legal because especially when you provide cleaning services, the business owner or the homeowner wants to be safe, and also you want to be safe.
In case something bad happens, you won't lose any of your personnel assets, the business is completely reliable not the business owner.
b) EIN number
After deciding which name you going after go to your local authority in your state check if the name is available and buy the name. That will cost around $150 depending on which state you at.
Some states are higher and some states are lower. Just google how to get an LLC in your state and google will take you to your state website. Check if your chosen name is available here!
After getting the name go to the IRS website and request Your free EIN, EIN is your business personal identification number, which works just like a social security number.
After getting your LLC and your Employer Identification Number(EIN), now you are ready to get your business bank account
c) Business Bank Account
The reason you need a bank account first is for tracking purposes, after opening your bank account, they will give you a debit card and you can put all your business expenses in your debit card, that way it is easier to track.
Again before heading to the bank, google what you will need to open a bank account. One other importance of a business bank account, in case you want to go after small business grants or some of your customers will want you to do transactions only with someone with a business bank account for tax purposes.
Because only someone with a business can open a business bank account.
2. BookKeeping or Getting your accountant software set up
This step is important but after you start getting some business and make some money. For tax purpose you will need to keep your book updated, but don't go get a paid software like quicbook with no business revenues.
I made that mistake in 2020, my expenses was over a $1000 a month while my business earning was not even $500 a month, that a stupid idea, because your business has to be able to cover some expenses when you first started.
A free website that can help you with that is waveapps.com check it out.
3) Get your supplies
This is one of the most important steps after getting an LLC, a lot of people get an LLC and never end up using it but in this case, you are on your way to success but don't get excited yet.
Try to by the basic and when you start getting some clients then go buy heavy equipments, for cleaning business when we get start the first thing we do we google cleaning supply supplies store near me.
When we get there we ask questions, and tell the owner we are trying to start a cleaning business what does he recommend us to start.
Surprisingly that guy gave us all the advice and all the basic supplies that we need to start, and one thing that he recommended was a cleaning kit.
Don't go crazy in buying equipment and have no customer to sell your service to yet. One of my friends that I met on Facebook started her cleaning business and already spent $15k in equipment, and has no clients.
This is the most fun part but it could be also costly. Buying supplies means your are already in business.
One more thing don't get too cheap also, being cheap will cost you more money.
How do I start my cleaning business
Jun 2023, when I decided to start a cleaning service business, to tell you the truth I started getting legal after 3 months. Well, I had an LLC name since 2020 but it was for an online business niche.
When I started getting requests for cleaning, I created a DBA Roenter Janitorial Services so I could buy insurance, etc.
4) Marketing Materials
This is the lifeblood of any business, marketing! no business can survive without a marketing plan.
The purpose of this blog is to help you in a way so you don't make the mistake I made in 2020. If don't know how marketing works, always take time to learn the basics and be conscious of the risk.
At the beginning of my online business, I spent $36k in advertisement and did not even brake even on my advertising campaign.
Lack of knowledge can be costly sometimes, if you don't have the knowledge and you have money leverage someone with the knowledge.
Check my blog about postcard marketing to learn more about what mistakes to avoid in your business.
a) Business card and Flyers
I have not created any flyers yet but I do have a lot of business cards. business cards are great when meeting with people on the street, at stores, even in offices you can pass on your business card.
It is important to have a business card and most of your customers will ask you for your business cards when providing the service.
b) T-shirt with your logo on it
This is an other type of promotion and also that make your business look more professional when show up with your team and everyone is on uniform .
Investing in equipment, tools, and marketing materials for your business is good, and very beneficial as well.
c) Get your social media presence ready
Social media now a day plays a fundamental role in all business life. Most people before soliciting your services will go a least on google to check if you are legit or what other people says about you.
That why, having a Facebook, YouTube, tweeter, Tiktok, Instagram and google my business profile set up is plus for your new business.
Especially when you don't have a big marketing budget yet, free traffic from social media will help you a lot.
5) Promotion
Promotion takes the leads and turns them into customers, promotion is the last of marketing, aftermarket to someone and get that person's attention and interest then it is time to close the sale and start making some money.
6) Get insurance
7) Start Cleaning
If you don't have any experience in commercial cleaning and want to get start in this business, there 2 possibilities. Either you go and work for someone to get the experience which is something that I don't recommended.
Or, hire a subcontractor to execute for you and assist them while they're doing the job and that way you can learn on how to do it.
However, don't try to be smart because most people who start a business just create a job for themself without knowing it.
Business is when your business can earn income without you doing the work, or even if you are on vacation, your business can generate income for you. Now if you are serious about business skills I have some recommendations for you.
Go and purchase these books using the links below, by the way, to succeed in business you will need to read a lot, like 12 to 25 books a year.
My recommendation B.O.S.S Move from Myron Golden, this book is a $50k coaching book that he turned into a book and sale to those who do not have 50k to buy his coaching
second is also from Myron Golden's "From The Trash Man To The Cash Man"
The third one is from my coach Jeff Lerner Click here to learn more about this offer
Conclusion
Since you have the 7 Steps to start a commercial cleaning business in 2024, the only thing that can stop you right now is your decision.
Most smart people, when I say smart it is people who thing that the have all the knowledge an looking for blog post to prove that it is bad to have a business or not the best time to start a business.
However, if you are really into business, the bad news is there is no best time to start. The only secret is to start and make mistakes correct your mistakes and rinse and repeat.
In case you want to learn more about market techniques to scale your business to 6 or 7 figures in 2024. Click here to learn more.
Business Book reommendation
- B.O.S.S Move
- From the Trash man to the cash
- Cashflow Quadrant
- Great CEO's Are Lazy
Disclaimer: Some links in this blog are affiliate links, I might get a small compensation when using my link to buy something.