Every person that goes into business for themselves starts with a dream of making millions of dollars and being incredibly successful. With an increase of 5.7% over the last year, there is a demand for cleaning services. However, with 1,063,988 cleaning and janitorial businesses in the United States as of 2021, the cleaning and janitorial industry have had over a million people who have had the same dream, according to Ibis World. With the market being oversaturated with cleaning services, this begs the question, “Is it possible to start a million-dollar cleaning business?”
Owning a million-dollar cleaning business is possible, but there are a few things that will factor into how successful your cleaning business will be. Those factors include the following:
- You must have to have the right mindset.
- Be sure that you implement the right systems.
- Make the right choice when hiring your team.
What Is the Right Mindset for a Million Dollar Cleaning Business?
The key to owning a successful cleaning business starts with having the right mindset. If you want your business to be a million-dollar business, you must have a million-dollar mindset. According to the website The Maid Coach, two factors contribute to this mindset more than anything else. These two factors are time and money. One thing that you should keep in mind is that you can always make more money, but you can never make more time. This is why your mine said should be centered around money.
If you are afraid to invest more money into your business, that is typically the manifestation of a fear that your business will not be able to generate more revenue. Falling into the mindset that you will never be able to make enough money can lead to a vicious cycle of always spending everything that you make because you fear that there won’t be any money to be made later. This is what is known as a “scarcity mindset,” and it is the worst possible mindset that you can have in any business.
On the other hand, when you have a mindset where you consider the best possible outcome, your work is known as an abundance mindset. People with this type of mindset think differently than others. Their thoughts are typically preoccupied with ways to make improvements to their cleaning business, such as organizing their schedules to retain more customers or to make time for sales, marketing, and promotions. Remember, you can always make more money, but you can never make more time.
There is another mindset that is often associated with successful business people, and it has nothing to do with money. This mindset is based entirely on time. One of the main problems with many people is that they often think of time as a commodity, where there is plenty of time, and there will always be more time. However, this could not be further from the truth. Most successful business owners will tell you that the key to success is to value your time. If you must spend the majority of your time cleaning houses, be sure to place an appropriate value on your time because you will never get it back.
Check out this article to learn some of the unique names for your cleaning business.
What Systems Should Be In Place for a Million Dollar Cleaning Business?
Now that we have gotten you in the right mindset concerning time and money, it’s time to make sure that you have the right systems in place to run a million-dollar cleaning business. There are three categories in the right system that needs to implement into your cleaning business to make it successful, per the website Cleaning Business Today. The three categories of this system include employee acquisition, client acquisition, and management, and support systems. Once you have implemented each category of this system, you will be on your way to a million-dollar cleaning business.
The first category in this system is employee acquisition, which also includes the process of recruiting employees. This facet of employee acquisition is often overlooked but should be considered to be just as important as any other aspect of acquiring valuable employees for your cleaning business. The key to successfully recruiting and hiring your employees lies in which system you choose for the recruiting and hiring process. One thing that you should keep in mind is that you need to find something that is the right fit for you, rather than just taking suggestions from anywhere you can get them.
Next, you need to turn your focus towards client acquisition and management. If you want to run a million-dollar cleaning business, the acquisition and management of clients will determine how successful your cleaning business can be. If it wasn’t for your ability to acquire clients, you would not be in business for very long. However, acquiring new clients is just one step. You must also be able to maintain your customer base, which is done by offering exemplary customer service. Keeping the clients you have is every bit as important as getting new clients. Repeat business is guaranteed income. Keep that in mind.
The third and final aspect of a successful system for your cleaning business is support systems, which primarily deal with issues such as vehicle management and accounting. If you are not going to be in charge of this, be sure that you place somebody in this role that you trust and is dependable. Bookkeeping and accounting are the backbone of your business and will show you exactly how successful your cleaning service currently is. Every business decision you make is based on your accounting. Make sure that you have the right person in charge of your books.
If your cleaning service has company vehicles, you need to have somebody in charge of making sure that the vehicles are in good mechanical condition. If you are going to build a million-dollar cleaning business, one of the most important aspects none of your business pertains to is the ability to get your employees to your respective clients on time. Whether you decide to keep a mechanic on your staff, or if you choose to use outside help to keep your vehicles in good running condition, somebody needs to be in charge of making sure that your employees can get to your clients.
What Type of Team Should You Hire for a Million Dollar Cleaning Business?
Your employees are the backbone of your cleaning business, and your business will only be as good as your employees. Ensuring that you are making the right decisions when hiring employees is one of the most essential decisions that you will make. If your goal is to have a million-dollar cleaning business, you need to be sure that you are hiring people that will get you there. You want your candidates to be hardworking, honest, and dependable. Hiring the type of candidate, you need all starts with making sure that you are recruiting the right people for your cleaning business.
First, let’s talk about what type of recruiting you are doing for your cleaning service. There are many different options from which you can choose we you are recruiting potential candidates to be employed by your cleaning business. One of the most popular options for recruiting is to participate in local job fairs. When you are recruiting potential employees for your cleaning business, you need to be sure that whoever is representing your cleaning service is professional, likable, honest, and sincere. You can’t afford to have anybody that will portray your cleaning business in a negative light.
Once the recruiting process is done, you need to focus on which candidates are the best fit for your cleaning business. You will need to have a million-dollar mindset when hiring employees if you want to have a million-dollar cleaning business. This is the part of the hiring process in which you need to do your homework on your candidates. Past job performance will usually be a good indicator of how an employee will perform for your cleaning business. Ask for references during the interview, and do not shy away from calling these references.
Here’s a checklist of what you need in starting a cleaning business.
Should You Consider Buying Into an Existing Franchise?
While building a business from the ground up is part of the American dream, sometimes you may need to pursue other avenues if you want your business to be as successful as it can be. Sometimes, one of these avenues may include buying into an existing cleaning franchise. While this may not be exactly what you envisioned when you were dreaming of starting your own cleaning business, there are several benefits to buying into an existing franchise as opposed to building a business from the ground up.
Perhaps the biggest advantage to buying into an existing cleaning franchise is that they have done all of the research and all of the hard work for you. While the initial franchise fee can be anywhere from $10,000 to $50,000, according to Coverall, you have to consider what you are paying for., keep in mind that you are compensating the cleaning franchise for the experience, training, marketing, and brand name rights that the franchise is providing in exchange for a one-time fee.
When you are buying into a cleaning franchise, you are paying them to do all of the hard work for you. Cleaning franchises have the knowledge and the experience you know what works best. They are taking all of the guesswork out of starting your own business. Just think of all of the time you are saving yourself by not having to do market research; deciding on uniforms: creating, implementing a menu, deciding on a prime location for your business. I’m sure that you are familiar with the saying that time is money. By saving you time, franchise fees are not only justified but can also be considered a bargain to some.
Summary
I cannot stress enough how important it is to have a million-dollar mindset when your goal is to have a million-dollar cleaning business. You need to be sure that you are balancing both a money mindset and a time mindset. I have said it twice already, but I will say it again. You can always make more money, but you can never make more time. Always maintain an abundance mindset, and never a scarcity mindset. Implementing and maintaining the right systems can also help you to achieve your dream of owning a million-dollar business. Remember that recruiting and hiring the right candidates for the job will also determine whether or not you have a million-dollar cleaning service.
Before you start the interviewing process, do your homework on all of the potential candidates to fill open positions you may have. Do not be afraid to ask potential employees for past job references, and do not shy away from calling these references. They can provide you with information that is crucial to hiring the right candidate. If you decide that you do not want to build a business from the ground up, there is always the option of buying into a franchise. They will do all of the research for you, for a one-time franchising fee. Whatever you decide to do, I wish you the best of luck and establishing your million-dollar business. Here’s to you, and the American Dream!
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the top-ranked cleaning franchises in the United States?
If you want to start your own cleaning business, there is always the option of buying into a cleaning franchise. Franchises will do all of the research for you in exchange for a fee. According to the website Franchise Chatter, here are the top 5 cleaning franchises in the United States:
- JAN-PRO.l
- Coverall
- ServiceMaster Clean
- Vanguard Cleaning Systems
- Stratus Building Solutions
What type of equipment do you need to start a commercial cleaning business?
If you are considering starting a commercial cleaning business, there are certain types of equipment you will need that are not necessary when you are starting a residential cleaning business. Some of this equipment will include a commercial-grade mop and bucket; a commercial-grade vacuum cleaner with a good filtration system; a commercial-grade carpet cleaner; industrial cleaning products and microfiber cleaning cloths, and a few company vehicles to get your cleaners to each job.
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.
About the author. Entrepreneur and Cleaning Business Fan.
Hi! I am Shawn and I am a happy individual who happens to be an entrepreneur. I have owned several types of businesses in my life from a coffee shop to an import and export business to an online review business plus a few more and now I create online cleaning business resources for those interested in starting new ventures. It’s demanding work but I love it. I do it for those passionate about their business and their goals. That’s why when I meet a cleaning business owner, I see myself. I know how hard the struggle is to retain clients, find good employees and keep the business growing all while trying to stay competitive.
That’s why I created Cleaning Business Boss: I want to help cleaning business owners like you build a thriving business that brings you endless joy and supports your ideal lifestyle.
