Starting a Janitorial Service from Home

An office cleaning service can be extremely profitable. It can be started part-time as a home-based business and built at your own pace. There are several basis steps you will need to make. Here are some 'tips' to help you overcome common start-up and expansion problem.

I.  Overview

What Can I Expect?

Commercial cleaning has built-in job security. Every occupied building in every city has to be cleaned by someone. Why can’t that someone be you? Even though large national and franchise operations are definite competitors, small, independent janitorial companies account for 70% of the cleaning contractors.

When starting a cleaning business, you can begin part time, working from home with a fairly small investment. Once you have your own contracts, the income is steady and the profits can be substantial. According to the Bureau of Labor Standards janitorial services is one of the fastest growing segments of the commercial market.

Some contractors set an initial goal of earning over $5,000 a month by the end of their first year. Keep in mind that the first three to six months can be spent in building the business before actual profits are earned. As some would say, “don’t give up your day job” until your income is established.

More businesses are outsourcing their cleaning needs than ever before. Cleaning services protect a customer’s assets including floor coverings, rest room fixtures, and general furnishings. A professional cleaning service meets a valuable need by extending the normal life of a facility and its contents.

Is it right for you?
Self employment is not for everyone. You should decide if you have the management and entrepreneurial skills to start and run your own business. Here are a few traits that are required of successful business owners:

1. Determination – You will need lots of drive to handle business demands including sales rejection, setbacks, and startup obstacles. 
2. Salesmanship - You need to master the art of closing deals. Also, be ready to promote your business everywhere you go. 
3. Organization - You must plan your work and work your plan. Landing new accounts requires constant attention. You must stay focused on your priorities and avoid distractions. 
4. Performance – You must ensure consistent results on a daily basis. You need a team that is detail oriented and disciplined. 
5. Astuteness – You must attain the business skills to accurately weigh the pros and cons affecting every decision.

If you are investigating the purchase of a cleaning franchise, make sure you can live with the monthly royalty that is deducted from your income. Check to see if you can terminate relations if you become dissatisfied with the franchise control and rules. Check out litigation filed against the franchise and demand a full disclosure.


An alternative to buying a franchise is starting your own business and learn as you grow. It is possible to learn from the experts how to avoid the common startup mistakes. For more information on starting your own business, go here.

Self-Employment: Is It A Business or a J-O-B?

The latest employment figures showed that about three-quarters of the jobs created were part-time (30 hours per week or less). Now, more than ever, your financial success may depend on whether or not YOU control your earning potential.

‘Successful and unsuccessful people do not vary greatly in their abilities. They vary in their desires to reach their potential.’ -        John Maxwell

I often ask people: ‘Why do you want to be in business? Why on earth would you leave the security of a job (no matter how unpleasant) with regular pay and benefits to start your own business, with all the uncertainty this holds?’

I usually get similar answers. Mostly, people say they:

• don’t want to work for someone else,
• don’t want to be told how a job should be done,
• are tired of having their income potential limited.

They do want:

• flexible schedules to spend time with their families,
• to do something they really love or gives life ‘meaning’,
• unlimited income potential or to build a valuable asset for their families.

These are all valid reasons for starting a business. But, ironically, many business owner-operators end up with the complete opposite. They find themselves with little control. They discover their clients will often demand they work longer hours than they ever did when working for someone else. Most small business owners pay themselves less than they would be paid working for another company.

If you pay yourself too little, work long hours, and don’t take a vacation, you can wear yourself out. A high percentage of businesses fail within five years of start-up. Disillusionment gets the better of them. They go into business to set themselves free and find themselves with a virtual chain around their ankle. Not surprisingly, they decide they don’t want to do it anymore.

 Here’s the problem: most people who fail to achieve financial freedom through their business do not have the right mindset.

Let me tell you about two friends of mine. One, we’ll call Jeff; the other, Richard.

Jeff and Richard opened businesses at the same time. Jeff opened up a small carpet cleaning service in the town where he lived. Fourteen years later he still had that small business and was still cleaning residential carpets 5 days a week and office carpets on weekends. Jeff was no better off financially and he still had to do all the work himself.  But what worries me most is that Jeff, like so many other owner-operators, will wake up one day and won’t want to do it anymore. As much as he loves his work and his customers, something will happen that changes his ability to live off its income, for health reasons or, more likely, because he’s lost the passion for it.

Richard started an office cleaning business, got a few accounts, then hired a neighbor to help him a couple night a week. Over the years he’s gotten more accounts, hired a couple managers and several employees. He mostly spends his time ‘selling’ his company’s services, then turns the new accounts over to his managers. When he’s ready to retire, he’ll have a valuable asset to sell.

Let’s look at the situations of these two friends. Why did Jeff go one route and Richard go another? The key difference was the mindset. Jeff chose to employ himself in a job he enjoyed. He did not choose to build a business. Richard knew he wanted a business and created a lifestyle where he never had to worry about money again.

They both made their choice; probably without even realizing they had done so.

We make choices every day. The most important choice is one you may not have given much thought to – until now. Are you choosing to build a business that will pay you back or are you choosing to work for a living?

If you want to build a business with unlimited potential, subscribe to my FREE newsletter here. Take charge of your life!

Getting Your 1st Client

How Do You Get Your 1^st Client When You Have A New Cleaning Business?

Often I get this question asked of me. One subscriber had a prospective ‘account’ manager that said, "I like what you seem to offer, but I don't know if I dare take a chance on a new company. If you could get a few clients first, then come back and I’ll take your proposal to the building owner.”

That was pretty discouraging to my reader and he didn't know how to handle the situation. Without having any customers, he had no testimonials or letters of recommendation. What should a new business owner do?

Here is an approach I used when starting my business.

"No, I don't have any clients yet, so if you’ll give me the account I have to work harder than anyone else! I can’t afford to lose you as a client because I need your recommendation to get my next account. Here’s the best part; if you ever have a problem with the work being done, you call me, not some office manager or route supervisor.”

By-the-way – the statement that “If you ever have a problem with the account, you can call me.” still holds true today.  Yes, I have account managers and route supervisors, and most of the day-to-day communication occurs between them and the building owners/managers; but every building owner/manager has my phone# and email address.

Does this approach work? After nearly 2 decades in business, I still have my 1^st cleaning account, and our client retention rate is nearly 100% in an industry where client turnover is reported to be 40% annually. Yes, it works! 

For more ideas on starting your own business, go here.