August Focus: Domestic Cleaning Service

Pondering your new Business

Questions to Ask Yourself Prior to Commencing

In considering whether you know enough about professional cleaning and the business you are thinking of starting, ask yourself these questions:

• How many homes have I lived in and cleaned in my lifetime?
• How many homes have I been paid to clean in my career?
• What knowledge do I have about how to clean the 50 – 80 different surfaces that I will come in contact with as a business owner in the Cleaning Industry, and do I know what types of products should be used on these surfaces?
• How many different products have I used in the course of my cleaning experience, and can I read and understand the labels on the containers that these products are packaged in so that I don’t damage my client’s property?
• Am I aware of the fastest and most efficient forms of cleaning these 50 – 80 different surfaces?
• Can I organise myself and my time, and do I have the energy and/or the desire to make order out of other people’s chaos?

Now, you may think that cleaning homes is a cinch, but you will know – if you are experienced – that it is far from easy. It is only once you have been fully trained, or when you have had years of experience doing this kind of cleaning, that the work becomes a breeze. You could say that in order to provide a truly PROFESSIONAL level of service you need to be familiar with every possible combination of surfaces and products, as well as be able to handle your client and their personal requirements and demands.

When it comes to the client and providing personalised, caring service, can you honestly say that:

• You always arrive on time, and if not you telephone ahead to inform your client that you will be late.
• You are friendly and helpful in your dealings with clients in your care.
• Your communication skills are strong enough that you can both understand and be understood by your client, both face-to-face and over the telephone.
• You can be corrected if your work is not up to the high standard that your clients will expect from you.
• You are trustworthy and reliable, and the kind of person that you would allow into your home to do your cleaning.
• That you will take pride in your work and enjoy leaving the client’s home looking sparkling and clean.

Now, you don’t have to love housework and cleaning to start up in this business, but if you do that’s an added bonus. If you can answer yes to most of the above questions, even though it’s a hard job people will appreciate you doing their cleaning for them and will pay you well for doing so.

If you are going to succeed in your cleaning service, you’ve got to be able to deal with your clients. This can be a demanding service that relies on repeat clients, and if they don’t like what you do they will quickly let you know. If you can’t provide what they want they will go elsewhere. You may find it all too difficult in the early stages of being in business to juggle all that is required of you. Can you do the cleaning, and handle the client’s complaints and concerns, as well as be the person who follows up and makes sure the bills get paid? There is far more to this business than you might realize.

If you would really like to succeed in this business, consider working for an agency at first so that you can concentrate on learning how to succeed by getting some home-cleaning experience under your belt before branching out on your own. However, do the right thing by the agency and give them back their clients before you leave. They too have to feed their kids and put a roof over their head, and if you take their clients when you go you will be robbing them of income that is theirs, not yours. Find your own clients. After all, that is what you are reading this article to learn how to do, isn’t it?