| Your
cleaning service business plan is built on one premise: It
doesn't much matter if you are the next Merry Maid or a large
commercial cleaner, it is still the same. The dirt remains.
KEY CONSIDERATION
There is an assumption in many
quarters that cleaning services flourish on the backs of illegal
immigrants. True or not, it is hard to shake that belief. And
whether or not your business will employ illegal immigrants,
your business plan must assume they are all qualified workers
with all employee taxes in place.
STRONGEST ADVANTAGE
... and the dirt goes on. This
is one business that will not be replaced by a computer. Even
those handy dandy little household robots don't come near to
replacing a real cleaning service or janitorial service.
STRONGEST DISADVANTAGE
While at first glance a
cleaning service seems like an easy business to establish, in
truth there are a lot of rules and regs to know. For instance,
the chemicals that are used in cleaning may be considered
hazardous waste, especially in some biotech or commercial
buildings. Damage to flooring, carpets, fancy desks and plants
means heavy insurance coverage. Not to mention the issue with
employees.
This is not a business for
beginners. Make sure that you have served your apprenticeship
under pros who know what they are doing, pros who have shared
their knowledge with you.
OVERCOMING THE DISADVANTAGES
WITH YOUR CLEANING SERVICE BUSINESS PLAN
Your industry experience is
important.
You can't just "know" stuff.
That knowledge came from somewhere, and it must be kept up to
date in a reasonable manner. In your cleaning service business
plan, detail your path through the industry. List the
organizations you belong to that will keep your knowledge of the
janitorial business current. Cover all your bases -- marketing,
legal, and financial -- either through your own experience, or
with key employees and associates.
Use your business plan for a
cleaning service to outline your marketing background.
Simply put, how are you going
to get clients? If you are working in private homes, how will
they learn about you? Are these homes in the income bracket that
uses cleaning services? If yours is a commercial cleaning
service, what contracts do you have in place now, and where will
the rest of them come from?
Note, too, what particular
skills you bring to this business. If, for instance, you are
experienced in "clean rooms" in the biotech industry, this is
very important. If there are no biotech companies in your area,
it is useless.
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
FOR YOUR CLEANING SERVICE BUSINESS PLAN AND A MARKETING PLAN FOR
A CLEANING SERVICE
There are two types of
statistical information that you will need for your business
plan for a cleaning service: one set detailing the growth of the
cleaning service industry, and one set detailing the client base
in your area. Both can come from one source.
For statistical information for
your cleaning service marketing plan, you should go to
BizMiner.
At the home page, look for the
keyword search box. In the blank box, enter the term "cleaning".
You will get a list of a number of different types of cleaning
companies, such as
- Office cleaning or charring
- Building and office cleaning
services
- Service station cleaning and
degreasing
- Rest room cleaning service
- Air duct cleaning
- Chimney cleaning service
- Cleaning service, industrial
or commercial
- Window cleaning
- Home cleaning and
maintenance equipment rental services
- Cleaning building exteriors
- Dry cleaning plant
construction
- Shore cleaning and
maintenance
- Specialty cleaning
If you enter "janitor" into the
search box, you will discover
- Janitors' carts
- Aircraft cleaning and
janitorial service
- Janitors' supplies
- Janitorial service
This is a long list. As you
look through it, make sure you are looking at "Service"
businesses, not "Manufacturing" businesses. Choose the option
that best describes your business.
You will need both Financial
Analysis and Marketing Research reports for the industries,
because this is the information that your lender will review to
determine if your business is in the acceptable range of
financing, income, etc.
For demographic information for
your area, be sure to check in the left hand navigation bar of
BizMiner for "VIEW ALL REPORTS", then "AREA VITALITY REPORTS".
This will likely provide the statistics you need to prove that
your market is there.
YOUR ONLINE PRESENCE
Few business can start today
without a web presence. Make yours short, sweet and effective.
Let prospective clients find out everything that you want them
to know about you and your business. The most powerful
client-generating system we know is
my website host.
And if you need help setting up your website, do contact the
SBI Coach.
YOUR LIKELY LENDER/INVESTOR
The
SBA
is a strong lender in the service field. Also, if you are
purchasing much equipment, seriously consider leasing this
equipment rather than buying it.
YOUR BUSINESS PLAN FOR
CLEANING SERVICE
This is certainly a business
where you can start small and grow very, very big. Give good
service, and your company will be in demand for many years to
come.
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