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I am tryint to start my own cleaning business. Please help with any advice you may have.

If any of you ladies out there have or have had your own cleaning business please help me with a few tips to get started and not look like I have no clue what I am doing. I have an ad posted right now that I will clean for $17 an hour. I have my own cleaning products but I posted that I will use their's if they prefer. Is $17 too much to ask for? What should I expect to clean and what sort of things should I decline cleaning? I do not have a ladder or anything like that so should I tell people that I don't do windows that I can not reach or will they assume that? Help with names for it would be awesome also. My name is Ashley and my daughter's name is Kyler, I was thinking of using one of our names in the name of my business. Please help with any advice you can, I don't want to work in a regular business anymore and I want to have more time with my daughter at home so this is why I want to start my own cleaning business.

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ashlrenee

Asked by ashlrenee at 2:18 AM on Mar. 24, 2009 in Money & Work

488 Level 10
Answers (4)
  • ask this question again in the daytime and more people will respond to it. :o)
    The best way to start is by word of mouth as people generally hire cleaning help that way mostly. I know I would never go thru an agency unless I knew the person, as I have had people steal from me before. I finally asked my friends who used people and found a great lady that way. good luck.
    Bearsjen

    Answer by Bearsjen at 2:38 AM on Mar. 24, 2009

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  • Have you ever worked for a cleaning business before? I own a small service company, and I think the BEST way to go about starting your own business is to make sure that you have worked in that field before. Then you will have all the general knowledge you need to know, as far as what to clean, what normal charges are, how to handle certain situations, etc. It will offer you a FAR greater chance at success than if you try to go into business without knowing your industry inside and out, trust me. Aside from that, if you aren't willing to work at a cleaning service for 6 months before diving into your own, I suggest checking out books from the library. There's an endless amount of small business start up/entrepreneurial books, and probably even some specific to this type of business. The more you know, the more likely you are to succeed, so I suggest you get busy learning before trying this!
    Anonymous

    Answer by Anonymous at 7:27 AM on Mar. 24, 2009

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  • Well, for one, I wouldnt charge by hour. That doesnt work in your best interest. Say you have a 1500 sq. ft. house, and its really dirty, hasnt been cleaned well in a while. You go in the first time, clean it real good, takes 4 hours. Then the next time you come back, it may only take you 3 hours, then the next time 2 hours... so on a so forth because you are just maintaing your work from the previous weeks. You need one price per house. I did a 3500 sq.ft. house, it wasnt THAT dirty, considering it had just been built. I charged $75/per cleaning. The first time it took me a few hours, then I got to where I could clean it in about 1.5 hours. A 1500 sq. ft. house, I would charge around $40-50 depending on the cleanliness of the people. You need to get a ladder or step stool. Windows are extra. Windows alone could take you all day.
    Auntiemom410

    Answer by Auntiemom410 at 9:46 AM on Mar. 24, 2009

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  • Try new home construction. It is hard work but you can contract and set your own hours and it pays well. As long as the job gets done in time, you can clean only during school hours or in the middle of the night if you want to. I would invest in a ladder. Windows are something most people want done and will pay for. If you don't do them, you won't get as many jobs. I bought a 6 foot ladder at Lowes for about $60. It will pay for itself in no time. Make sure you get a lightweight fiberglass type. They are sturdy and easy to move around.
    FlyMom07

    Answer by FlyMom07 at 9:54 AM on Mar. 24, 2009

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