Starting a janitorial cleaning business is pretty easy, right? Although it is true that the startup costs are low, it’s a bit of a saturated market, so you’re going to need to do something different to stand out from your competitors. There are many initial assumptions you can make when it comes to starting your own janitorial business, so we’re here to debunk a few myths about it.
MYTH #1: ANYONE CAN CLEAN
Although many people can clean and make things look nice, cleaning professionally is different and requires more skills. Before starting your own janitorial business, you’ll need to do some research about cleaning supplies and chemicals, especially any that could be harmful on certain surfaces. Learning the chemistry behind cleaning will help you understand which cleaning products are useful for what services you’re providing. You’ll also need to stay up to date on current industry standards and become familiar with OSHA laws and regulations and EPA guidelines for cleaning and disinfection.
MYTH #2: I CAN HIRE OUT EMPLOYEES
Most janitorial businesses start out small. Unless you have a lot of money to employ people right off the bat, you’ll need to do some of the initial cleaning yourself. This may not be the most enjoyable step because perhaps you just want to handle running the business. However, this will be beneficial for you in understanding the best practices to help you train your employees more effectively. This will also help you know the reality of what your staff does every day.
Also remember that hiring employees requires workers comp insurance. Thinking you can avoid that by hiring independent contractors? Make sure you learn the differences in roles and expectations to make sure you are legally compliant before you do any additions on your team.
MYTH #3: I CAN CUT COSTS BY DOING MY OWN MARKETING
From purchasing your equipment to hiring full-time employees, you may consider putting your marketing on the back burner, or trying to do it all by yourself to save on costs. However, in the long run, it will pay off to invest in marketing your business with a professional. Remember how we mentioned that the janitorial industry can be highly saturated? You’ll need to market your business well enough that you can get clients that will stick around, and have enough clients to keep your business thriving.
You’re the cleaning professional, not the marketing professional. (Kudos to you if you’re both!) You’ll need to have a specific marketing strategy to help get the word out about your business. Will you use Facebook ads? What about email marketing? Maybe you’ll hang fliers around town. There are many things that you can do to market your business, so use the expertise of a professional marketer to really boost your business. We’ve also written a blog about how to expand your cleaning clientele, so feel free to take a look!
MYTH #4: I SHOULD TAKE ON ALL SIZES OF JOBS
You may be thinking that any business is good business, which may be true. However, if your business has the bandwidth, you should take on as many large jobs as possible. Try not to focus too much time, energy, and resources doing several small jobs. Of course, when you’re just starting out, you will most likely take any job you can get. As your business grows, focus on the jobs that will be more profitable for your business.
MYTH #5: I WILL BE OKAY WITHOUT INSURANCE
Many trained and experienced professionals think, “I know what I’m doing, I will be fine without insurance.” We know you do all you can to avoid accidents, but you face several risks every day on the job. Maybe one of your employees spills a harmful chemical and damages your client’s hardwood desk. Perhaps your client slips and falls on a freshly mopped floor. Your business could be held liable for any harm or damage done to your client or their property. Insurance Canopy provides janitorial insurance at the affordable price of $35 per month. With an insurance policy in place, you can clean and do what you love with peace of mind.
Learn more about cleaning insurance.
TAKE THE LEAP
Having your own business is exciting and sometimes stressful, but definitely rewarding! Make sure that you learn the chemistry of cleaning, be okay with doing some cleaning yourself, hire out your marketing efforts, take on big jobs, and get your business insured. This will pay off in the end to help you run a successful janitorial business. We wish you the best of luck in your cleaning endeavors!
