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Questions Regarding the Last Few Articles

Aug9

August focus: Domestic Cleaning Service

Questions Regarding the Last Few Articles

Answer these Questions and Test your own Preparedness

What factors that are within your control will determine the length of time that it will take to build your client base?

At what time during your business will you find that you do the most number of Special Cleans?

Why should you accept these requests?

When you are doing the quote and have given the client your version of the ’Terms of Business’ and ‘Service and Commitment’ form, what specific points should you explain to the client about your service? How do you think this will influence the client? What do you need to watch out for and how will these forms protect you?

After a job is completed there is something that is recommended that you do in order to retain the booking. What is it and how would you ensure that your client was happy before you leave the house?

Some clients are not at home when you do their work. If you discovered that your client was unhappy with your work after you had been there, when and how would you offer to solve the problem?

Why is it important to write down your list of services?

What is the benefit of separating the services, both for you and for the client?

At what point in your business could you go from charging by the hour to by the job, if at all?

What factors would influence whether or not you can charge by the job?

What is required of you to do when you clean a Bathroom at a Maintenance clean? (List in logical order)

What is required of you to do when you clean a Kitchen at a Maintenance clean? (List in logical order)

When should you provide your own products and equipment?

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You can read in next article about: Making Your Business Profitable

Service and Commitment

Aug9

August focus: Domestic Cleaning Service

 Service and Commitment

Service and Commitment Form

The form you see below will assist you in communicating how you operate your business to your client. You can either send this form out in the mail with your terms of business, or hand it to your client at the time that you do the estimate while in their home. Take whatever information you need to from what you see below to assist in the prevention of problems arising with your clients. They were used in my business, and helped clarify the boundaries that needed to be put in place to make sure everyone played by the rules. You may want to make yours sound less legal and more conversational though, as some people found the wording on my documents too harsh. Continue reading →

Terms of Business

Aug9

August focus: Domestic Cleaning Service

 Terms of Business

Wording for your Terms of Business Forms

Written below is the wording that you can use on your terms of business forms.  You should only use whatever reference to yourself is appropriate though i.e. if you work on your own then you say ”I”, ”me” or ”my” wherever you see a choice between that and “We”, “our” or “ours”, but if you work as a couple then you would use the latter reference to yourselves.

This form came into being from years of having run a domestic cleaning business, and contains all the points that you will need to include when you do the same. Obviously, you’ll need to create your own logo and letterhead on which to put this text, but feel free to copy what I have written below.  You will also need to look up correct costs for the insurance mentioned in the wording below if you don’t live in Australia, as well as the correct phone number to call in your own country for your clients to get in touch with insurance companies that provide Domestic Workers Compensation insurance.

Here is the wording: Continue reading →

The Build-up Period – Part II

Aug8

August focus: Domestic Cleaning Service

  The Build-up Period - Part II

Keep Good Records!

If you give an estimate over the phone remember to write it down next to the client’s name, address and phone number. If you forget what you said when you were on the phone, the client may try to argue with you about your fees, so make sure that you write down everything that was said by both of you. You can then correctly remind them of how the conversation went, and you will have an assurance that will be lacking if you can’t remember what was said. Continue reading →

The Build-up Period – Part I

Aug8

August focus: Domestic Cleaning Service

 The Build-up Period - Part I

Have Patience!

Now that you have begun your new small business there are a few things that you need to be aware of at the beginning. Your business will build gradually over a few weeks, and whilever you are following these guidelines there will be a constant flow of new work from clients that will respond to your various forms of marketing. However, if you do not follow these guidelines then you may not be as successful as is possible in this industry. You may lose those clients that you neglect or handle badly, which means that not only will they not become Regular clients but you will not be able to offer those clients other services from which you will earn more money. So if you find that the number of repeat bookings has slowed down you can more or less be sure that it is due to your own contributing actions or behaviours. Continue reading →

Handling the Inquries Whilst Working

Aug8

August focus: Domestic Cleaning Service

 Handling the Inquries Whilst Working

Handling the Inquiries Whilst Working

When a client calls you their inquiry and booking is usually made during office hours – the same hours that you are out working. It is not wise to be taking calls from new clients while cleaning for others, so it is better to let your messagebank service take your calls if the client that you are cleaning for is present while you are working. If not you can quickly take the new inquirer’s number and call them back in between bookings. Continue reading →

Questions and Exercises

Aug7

August focus: Domestic Cleaning Service

 Questions and Exercises

Questions

Here are some questions and exercises for you to do to test your preparedness for running your own home cleaning business. Answer them without going back to check for the answers in the previous articles. Once you have answered them, then check. Continue reading →

Acceptable Rates to Charge in Sydney

Aug7

August focus: Domestic Cleaning Service

 Acceptable Rates to Charge in Sydney

Sydney: Home Cleaning Rates

The rates chart below outlines fees that are acceptable in most areas of Sydney. However, there are some areas that you will not be able to charge these rates and others where you can charge more. Basically, the areas of Sydney where these rates are acceptable are: Continue reading →

Formulas for Giving Estimates

Aug7

August focus: Domestic Cleaning Service

 Formulas for Giving Estimates

How Long Will It Take?

This table is a guideline to use when estimating over the phone how long it will take to do the work involved at a person’s home. You will need to confirm the estimate once you arrive at the job. Continue reading →

Giving Estimates over the Phone

Aug7

August focus: Domestic Cleaning Service

 Giving Estimates over the Phone

Phrases to Use

Believe it or not there are some simple psychological terms and phrases that if used correctly can lead your potential client into a booking that they were only thinking of making, not necessarily intent on doing. Please learn these phrases and use them, as they will definitely influence your callers’ decision to use your service. Continue reading →