Cleaning Business Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

You’ve decided to start a cleaning business.  You are excited, ready to go, and know you are going to do amazing work.  You register your business, get insurance, and have business cards printed.  You know that you have what it takes to start a cleaning business.  However, there are several mistakes that can be made that can hinder the success of your business.  Knowing them now will help save your reputation, time, and money.  There is no need for a trial-and-error method of finding out what works when you can know potential mistakes before you ever start cleaning your first house or business professionally.

The biggest mistakes you can make in your cleaning business are not having a business and marketing plan, not setting up a professional website, not taking notes on each job, cleaning inconsistently, undercharging your customers, and failing to diversify your services. However, with careful consideration and planning, you can avoid these mistakes that new cleaning businesses often make and increase your chances of success.

Common Mistakes When Starting a Cleaning Business

Not having a business and marketing plan.

Cleaning businesses need more than a willingness to work, and ability to clean, and a highly motivated owner. Many small businesses fail within the first three years, and a key factor in failure is a failure to plan.  We’ve all heard the old phrase, “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.” This phrase was spoken centuries ago by Benjamin Franklin and it has lasted the test of time because it is absolutely true.

Begin small by first coming up with a mission statement. This mission statement will guide you and help you clarify your purpose, focus, and goals. When you have that done, you are ready to write your business plan.

A business plan should include an overview of your business, a plan for operations, a market analysis, products and services, an analysis of the competition, and plans for sales and marketing. This may seem like a lot to do, but you’ll be happy, in the long run, that you took the time to give your business the thought and attention it deserves. 

While it may seem overwhelming, the business plan will guide you in everything you want to accomplish.  It will serve as a road map for your business so that you can focus on achieving your goals instead of always wondering what to do next or how to improve your business. 

Not having a professional website.

Your cleaning business website is a key part of growing your business.  A website works hard for you and can be accessed 24/7.  Your website can capture leads, provide valuable information to potential clients, and add a sense of professionalism and authority to your business. 

Your website should include your business information, a contact form, any special deals or coupons, and a blog. Frequent, high-quality posts will help your website rank high in Google. Most people only look at the first page of Google results, so having a strong internet presence can help you reach more customers and beat your competition.

Don’t forget to be consistent. Answer each person who contacts you through your website promptly and courteously. This is the first impression many potential clients will have of you and your business, so make it a good one.

Learn how to create and design your cleaning business estimate form by checking out this article here first.

Failing to keep meticulous notes.

Every estimate you give and job you complete should include meticulous notes. Whether you use a smartphone or a regular old notebook, make notes. You may think you can remember everything, but odds are something will fall through the cracks without meticulous note-taking. 

For instance, you go to your regular cleaning appointment, and Mrs. Thompson asks you to please come one hour earlier next time and asks you to do a deep clean of the stove. You promise her you would, but then you go off to your next appointment, get home, and promptly forget about it.

This is an avoidable mistake. Simply write it down and then put it into whatever customer service relationship management tool you use, whether that is a spreadsheet or just a page in a file folder.  Whatever it is, choose a system that works for you so you can reference your notes often and when necessary. If you forget you wrote a note down, it will do you no good, so create a system that works for you and then make it a habit. 

This will make sure that Mrs. Thompson and every other client you work with is satisfied with your work. Failure to take notes could mean that Mrs. Thompson finds a business cleaning service that remembers what she needs, thus looking out for valuable money from her and from potential clients she might have otherwise referred to you.

Many other factors go into the pricing model, including supply and demand and market conditions. These include what other companies charge for similar services, how much time you spend cleaning, what you want to make per hour, and your profit goals.

Cleaning Inconsistently.

This is another area where a lot of businesses make the same mistake, especially if they have multiple people on payroll working for them. However, the way you clean is part of your brand and must be taken seriously.

I once hired a cleaning business that had certain cleaning practices that really set her business apart from others. The smell of her cleaning products was always the same, she cleaned everything the same way each time so I knew what to expect, and there was always a toilet paper rose she and her employees made on the toilet paper roll. This was such an interesting touch that I always appreciated. It may seem like a small thing, but my expectations would be the same for each time, and I was never disappointed.

How clients perceive your work is such an important thing, especially since word-of-mouth is essentially free advertising and how many cleaning businesses get new clients.

Not charging enough for cleaning services.

One of the most common mistakes that new cleaning business owners make is not charging enough. It can be tempting in the beginning to undercharge your prices to sway potential customers to choose you over the competition, but you will not be doing yourself any favors. This mistake can cost you your business and your livelihood by cutting into your profits.

To figure out your pricing, you must sit down and figure out what you need to charge based on the numbers, not pulling a number out of thin air or pricing lower than your competition. The formula to figure this out should be:

Revenue (sales) – Expenses (supplies, gas, payroll, advertising, insurance, etc) = profit.  If your revenue does not exceed your expenses, you won’t make a profit. 

When you have a professional cleaning service, you may charge more than a solo entrepreneur who doesn’t have the same expenses. However, most of your clients will see you as more professional. Bonding, insurance, and training add value to your business, and while not everyone will want to pay for it, a good amount of potential clients will.

Check out this article how to create a cleaning business bid template.

Not Diversifying your services.

Commercial cleaning is a competitive industry. There are plenty of companies for potential clients to choose from. Many cleaning businesses choose to offer only certain services, like deep cleaning and maintenance cleaning on a regular basis. However, this can be a big mistake that can cost you money and clients.

One way to ensure that you have a leg up on your competitors is to offer a variety of cleaning services. This will allow you to meet all of your customers’ needs by being the go-to company. You can do this by diversifying your revenue stream and offering more than day-to-day cleaning services. 

Consider added services such as floor care, window washing, power washing, and carpet cleaning. This will allow you to provide highly needed and profitable services so you can better meet your clients’ needs. This will help make you more desirable, have a leg up on the competition, and make your business the go-to company for your clients. 

Summary

To review what we have learned:

1. You must create a business and marketing plan before you begin.
2. Keep a professional website to capture leads, look more professional, and allow customers to easily contact you, 24/7.
3. Take and refer to meticulous notes to ensure client satisfaction 
4. Clean consistently. It is your brand and will help you exceed client expectations. 
5. Charge enough to make a profit and pay yourself.   
6. Diversify your revenue stream to increase revenue and have a leg up on the competition

Many cleaning business owners started out with their supplies, a great attitude, and a willingness to work and have failed due to failing to consider possible mistakes. However, you can use this list to learn from the mistakes of business owners past to really get your cleaning business off the ground. It is no small task to start and maintain a successful cleaning business, but when you consider and avoid these mistakes before you begin, you can exponentially increase your success.

Frequently Asked Questions

What services should my cleaning business offer?

Cleaning businesses often offer deep cleaning services and regular ongoing services as a form of maintenance cleaning. Consider added services such as floor care, window washing, power washing, and carpet cleaning. This will allow you to provide highly needed and profitable services so you can better meet your clients’ needs. This will help make you more desirable, have a leg up on the competition, and make your business the go-to company for your clients.

What should my cleaning business plan consist of?

At a minimum, your cleaning business plan should include an overview of your business, a plan for operations, a market analysis, products and services, an analysis of the competition and plans for sales and marketing. This may seem like a lot to do, but you’ll be happy in the long run that you took the time to give your business the thought and attention it deserves.

Do I need a cleaning business website?

Your cleaning business website is a key part of growing your business. A website works hard for you and can be accessed 24/7. Your website can capture leads, provide valuable information to potential clients, and add a sense of professionalism and authority to your business.

To learn more on how to start your own cleaning business, check out my startup documents here.

Please note that the contents of this blog are for informational and entertainment purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice. Any action taken based on the information provided in this blog is solely at your own risk. Additionally, all images used in this blog are generated under the CC0 license of Creative Commons, which means they are free to use for any purpose without attribution.