As a business owner in the cleaning industry, you’ll get your hands dirty. And no, it won’t be from cleaning alone. From budgets, scheduling, scouting for clients, and marketing plans, to developing a well-trained staff — you’ll wear many hats to get the ground running.
It takes a lot of growing pains to find out how to scale a cleaning business, but it’s not impossible. Find out how to grow a cleaning business fast with our guide, and become more profitable, get more clients, and avoid pitfalls.
When Is the Right Time to Grow a Cleaning Business?
Starting a cleaning business can be a great idea if you’re prepared.
Research the local market to ensure there’s a demand for cleaning services. Ensure you have enough capital to cover startup costs, such as cleaning supplies, equipment, insurance, and marketing. It’s also wise to have some funds set aside for unexpected expenses.
Develop a solid business plan that outlines your services, target market, pricing, and marketing strategies to help you navigate the early stages of your business and attract clients.
Assess the level of competition in your area. If the market is saturated, you’ll need to find ways to differentiate your services and offer something unique.
If you’re confident in these areas, it might be a great time to start your cleaning business. If not, take the time to address any gaps before diving in.
7 Proven Strategies to Elevate Your Cleaning Business
These seven proven strategies will show you how to grow a cleaning business fast, attract more clients, and elevate your cleaning business to new heights.
1. Craft a Killer Marketing Plan
A killer marketing plan can be your wayfinder in knowing who to talk to and how to do it right.
Know Your Ideal Clients
Your ideal clients might be right in your neighborhood. Almost anyone needs cleaning. From moms who need more help around the house to a small business, it’s all about finding out who needs your services to begin with.
Pay attention to places in town that might need your cleaning services. Are there new office buildings being built? An apartment building that needs maintenance? A neighbor you’ve befriended struggling to keep a clean home? Make those connections. Speak to managers, homeowners, and landlords. You may find that your next customer is right around the corner.
Build an Awesome Online Presence
Let’s face it – most people live online nowadays. If you want to know how to scale a cleaning business, you would be remiss not to leverage a killer online presence that builds your credibility and attracts the right audience. Our recommendations for a great start?
⭐ Create a Professional Website
Choose a memorable and relevant domain name for your business for people to look you up easily. Opt for a clean, user-friendly design. Ensure it’s mobile-responsive, as many users will visit your site on their phones.
⭐ Leverage Social Media
Look into where your customers hang out so you can garner the reach you’re looking for. That might be Google reviews, Yelp, Instagram, Facebook, or even at local restaurants and coffee shops.
The good news is a cleaning business is visual in nature. Posts like before-and-after photos, client testimonials, and quick cleaning hacks can give potential customers a reason to believe you should be the cleaning business they hire.
Engage with your community by promptly responding to comments and messages. Post positive client reviews and address any negative reviews calmly and professionally.
Master Online Ads
Consider using targeted ads to reach a larger audience and target specific demographics. You can use Google Ads to target potential customers searching for cleaning services in your area. You may also run targeted ads on platforms like Facebook and Instagram to reach your ideal audience.
2. Offer Exceptional Customer Service
Exceptional customer service is crucial to build trust and credibility. Here are some things you can do:
Train Your Dream Team
Training your dream team starts at the recruiting stage. Make sure your job posting has a detailed description of responsibilities. Hold interviews to ensure it’s the right fit. If necessary, hold paid auditions for applicants and see firsthand how they clean.
Once hired, mentor your team, and don’t expect them to know how you would like the job done. Create standard operating procedures and mentor them in making the customer service experience more seamless from beginning to end.
If you’re using software, ensure your team is properly trained on how to use it. Offer resources or workshops to help them become familiar with its features.
Get Feedback and Improve
Your customer feedback is your ally in scaling a cleaning business fast. Incentivize customer reviews by providing discounts and promotions, and receive feedback sooner rather than later. If you receive negative reviews, take them in stride, respond professionally, and adjust your process if necessary.
3. Tech Up Your Operations
Let’s be honest. Focusing on the small deets can get you looking at the trees and missing the forest. Automate your operations instead!
Use Smart Cleaning Software
Using smart cleaning software can significantly streamline operations and improve efficiency for your cleaning business. Look for features that match your business needs, such as scheduling, invoicing, customer management, and real-time tracking.
Automate the Boring Stuff
Boring stuff like scheduling, inventory management, and scheduling can take a huge chunk of your time. Automate the boring stuff using smart cleaning software so you can focus on big-picture goals for scaling your cleaning business.
Keep Inventory in Check
Certain software helps you stay ahead of supply needs and customize minimum supply levels. You can even monitor your cleaning team’s supply use over time to help manage costs.
4. Diversify Your Services
Having specialized services may require you to secure additional certification, but it’s one of the surefire ways to ensure a niche clientele that trusts you.
Add Cool Specialized Services
Offering cool, specialized cleaning services can help your business stand out from the competition and attract a diverse range of clients. Things like eco-friendly cleaning services that only use eco-friendly products and resource-conscious practices can appeal to the more eco-conscious customer. Think niche cleaning services like upholstery cleaning, carpet cleaning, or even event-specific needs. Think post-construction cleaning or a holiday cleanups pre and post-event.
Offer Handy Maintenance Packages
Offer routine maintenance services to homeowners, offices, restaurants, schools, and other businesses. Some tasks for your cleaners include cleaning the bathrooms, kitchens, floors, and windows.
5. Build a Standout Brand
Any successful business starts with a strong name and brand. Here’s how to build a standout brand for your cleaning business:
Create a Catchy Logo and Tagline
A logo and tagline are what a new customer will see. An effective brand logo and tagline can help keep your business top of mind for potential and existing customers. Consider this part of your business investment. You might want to hire a professional brand consultant to provide you with a bespoke logo and tagline.
Find Your Unique Edge
Does your business give a portion of its proceeds to a charity in need? Do you use only eco-friendly products? Do you specialize in cleaning for certain industries or people? Find your unique edge to stand out from your competition.
Keep Your Brand Message Consistent
A brand message is crucial to keeping any business grounded as they scale up. A consistent brand message will become more integral as you grow your cleaning business.
Consider your mission and vision, brand voice and tone, content standards, communication templates, and ensure your brand message is consistent across marketing channels.
6. Network and Partner Up
Build a network and start marketing your services. Effective marketing can help you reach potential clients and establish your brand.
Join Local Business Groups
Joining even one local business group can get you the connections you need for the most in-demand cleaning jobs around town. Build your network by joining local business groups in several industries. From restaurants to office spaces, most businesses will need cleaning services at one point or another. Set goals and intentions before you join business groups to have an idea of what to prioritize as you build connections.
Team Up with Realtors
Partnering with realtors is an effective way to network because they often need reliable cleaning services for homes that are about to be listed, shown, or after a sale.
Have a unique value proposition for realtors. Emphasize how your cleaning services can enhance the presentation of homes, potentially leading to faster sales and higher offers. Address common pain points for realtors, such as quick turnaround times and flexible scheduling.
You can also attend real estate networking events, open houses, or industry conferences to connect with realtors in person.
Lastly, incentivize realtors by creating a referral program that offers discounts for realtors who refer clients to your cleaning business or provides special rates or packages exclusively for realtors and their clients.
7. Grow Your Team
Growing your team will become necessary as you gain more clients. But, finding, hiring, and retaining stellar employees are some of the most challenging aspects of running a cleaning business. Here are some of our tips:
Hire and Keep Great Staff
⭐ Attracting Great Staff
Publish job postings on online job sites and use your network for any referrals. Your job description should have a detailed list of responsibilities, offer competitive compensation, and emphasize what makes your company a great place to work and attract the best applicants.
During the interview process, conduct behavioral questions that require candidates to express their approach to real-life scenarios, such as handling challenging customer requests or working with tight schedules. Here, you can also assess whether they would be a good fit for the company’s values and culture.
You may also conduct background checks to ensure candidates have a clean record and are trustworthy. Contact previous employers to verify work history and gather insights into the candidate’s work ethic and performance.
⭐ Keeping Great Staff
A positive work environment is a key factor in keeping great staff. Create a supportive and respectful work culture where employees feel valued and appreciated. Team building activities can also be a great way to strengthen relationships and boost morale. Regularly acknowledge and praise your staff for their small and big accomplishments.
Offer competitive benefits like health insurance and other benefits if possible. Offer paid time off to support work-life balance.
Maintain open communication to resolve issues promptly. Have regular check-ins with your staff and create anonymous feedback channels to foster a culture of honesty among your employees.
Lastly, offer opportunities for career advancement and skill development through promotions or additional training. Provide mentorship programs or professional development workshops to help employees grow.
FAQs on How to Grow Your Cleaning Business Fast
How do cleaning businesses attract customers?
Cleaning businesses can attract customers by having solid marketing plans, reaching out to the right network of people, and ensuring consistent, high-quality customer service.
What type of cleaning is the most profitable?
Some of the most profitable cleaning services cater to commercial businesses. Think schools, factories, warehouses, hospitals, and more. These types of clients tend to have larger budgets, and the demand is consistent.
How can I make my cleaning business grow faster?
Check in with your finances regularly, use effective marketing channels, leverage and grow your network, hire and retain trustworthy and skilled staff, develop positive client testimonials, and maintain high-quality, consistent customer service.
Grow Your Cleaning Business Fast—Get Insured and Go Big!
Congratulations! You’ve got the tools and tips to take your cleaning business to the next level. Implement these strategies to attract more clients, streamline your operations, and build a standout brand. Remember, growth comes with new responsibilities and risks. Protect your hard work and investments with the right insurance coverage.
Ensure your business stays spotless and secure with comprehensive cleaning business insurance. Get covered today and experience how our tailored plans can help you shine even brighter.
