Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

I`ve been a lurker on Startupnation for a while now, and I am looking to start my own business, but I need to start it up on a shoestring and I admit, it is a bit scary. I`m giving serious thought to a home cleaning business. One, I don`t mind the work and I am a perfectionist. I realize it is different cleaning homes for someone else, but I have complete confidence that I not only can do it, but do it better. My late Mom had me clean house since the age of 10 and she was a perfectionist. Nonetheless, I`ve done some preliminary research but my knowledge of marketing is very limited. I know of flyers, a website which would be no problem (I spent 29 years in IT - software developer) and word of mouth, but I obviously would appreciate other ideas and thoughts in this area as well. Beyond the marketing, I`m looking for ideas on how to differentiate myself from the others locally in my area. How or what can I offer that makes my service a better value?  I appreciate anyone taking time to offer ideas or constructive criticism. Thanks all!

Hi Mitch :-)

I think you`re going to find that nobody cares at all if it`s a man or a woman cleaning the place. In fact, from my own experience the more important thing is whether or not you speak English.

People often have really specific instructions about what should or shouldn`t be touched and how they want things cleaned. Many corporate offices use services with people who don`t yet speak the language all that well, and it leads to a lot of frustration.

Beyond that, if you`re still bothered about being a guy and offering a cleaning service, consider it a competitive advantage. On your flyers and brochures, you can focus on cleaning homes, but you can provide full service.

For example, you might also "organize" garages, basements and attics.

You may want to take a look at local ordinances to see if you need any sort of permit or bonding. More and more communities are asking for that sort of thing with handymen and anyone else who enters a home.

To start on a shoestring, maybe you could put up a simple flyer in some local stores, even on utility poles. Ask around, and talk with people. Get some inexpensive cards printed, then hand them out to anyone and everyone. :-) Word-of-mouth will be your main pathway, I think.

Sure why not, I agree with Craig, go for it!  Also once you have a company name, add yourself to Google Maps so that you will be listed locally.

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Hi, Mitch.

I think it is a great idea! And I completely agree with Molly about the real estate industry. You may also want to find local interior designers who "stage" house for realtors by preparing the interior of the house for sale. A professional stager may want to partner with you so that they can do the design and you can do the cleaning.

I hope this helps.

Good Luck!

 

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Sue Fenwick
The Success Collaborative
Creating Space for Businesses to Grow
http://www.successcollaborative.com

I thank all of you for the information and the advice - great advice. This is a bit of a scary notion, but I feel I will go through with it and look forward to the adventure. Another question, if I may, how do you determine a good business name? I don`t want to spend only 5 minutes thinking about a business name, but I don`t want to labor over it for a week. A professional sounding name? A cute name? What to do here? Again, thanks for the advice!

I clean, and I`m a man.  I do clean with my wife though.  I`m the one that started the business almost a decade ago.  I`m the one that taught my wife how to clean.  I`m the detail guy, and I notice everything.  I do the marketing, and often get the jobs.  BUT, when people talk to us, they almost always address my wife.  There is definitely a perception that men don`t know how to clean, nor do they care about cleaning.  My dad worked for us at one point, and people really looked harder at the work he did than they would have if a woman did it, and that was apartment cleaning for new tenants, so that type of cleaning isn`t as detailed, or shouldn`t have been expected to be.  He could do the same exact job that my wife and I would do, and they would pick at what he did.

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Michael Shemwell
www.mymobilecarcare.com
www.evercleancleaningservices.com

A friend of mine in Winnemuca (that`s in Nevada) ran his own cleaning service.  He retired a few years ago after twenty years in the business.  And, as mentioned above, nobody cared if  he was a man or woman.  They just wanted him to follow their instructions to the letter.   My friend received most of his new clients from work of mouth referrals.

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The older we get, the more excuses we make for not chasing after our dreams. But truth is, goals are attainable at any age.