Starting and running a cleaning company involves juggling many concerns, including training employees, tracking finances, and ensuring customer satisfaction. 

The professional cleaning industry is competitive and becomes more advanced as the years press on. To be successful in this business requires determination, hard work, and skill. Growing your knowledge of your industry is also an essential part of improving your business. 

Practically every successful business owner has learned some lessons the hard way. But several practices can help put you ahead of the competition. 

At Camino Financial, our passion is helping small business owners by offering them the right tools and resources. In this article, we want to show you some of the best tips we have gathered on growing your cleaning company. 

These tips will help you set your business on a solid foundation or give it the revamp that it needs. They also hold the potential to take your cleaning company to the next level and boost your bottom line.

10 Ways to Grow Your Cleaning Company

Your business’s success means growing your bottom line and enjoying more of the fruits of your well-earned labor. These tips will help you grow your business:

1. Prioritize word-of-mouth advertising

At the end of the day, what customers tell others about your business is one of the most fundamental ad tools you have. You need to prioritize your client relationships from the get-go. 

This is about more than merely keeping customers happy. You need to ensure your clients feel they received professional and personalized treatment. 

Client feedback is of vital importance to cleaning companies. If your services are not up to par with what the clients need or request, they will hire another cleaning company. Don’t let that happen.

Be attentive to their legitimate needs and requests. Suggest proactive ways they can make your work go further or more efficiently prepare for your services. 

Open communication is the best way to build relationships with clients that last for years. These clients are far more likely to recommend you than someone who merely saw your advertisement. Best of all, they will be enthusiastic advocates for your work.

An easy way to use clients’ reviews as a very powerful marketing tool is by signing up for review sites like Yelp. There your customers will be able to rate you, and these ratings will help convince others ou are the best person for the job.

Create The Best Yelp Profile To Grow Your Business

2. Put real effort into your business’s online presence

Small businesses can be associated with a stereotype of bad digital marketing, poor website optimization, and sparse online info. You need to eliminate any appearances that your business does not have a professional digital presence. 

This means creating or updating your website to align with modern customer expectations (don’t forget to add all the cleaning services you provide). 

But most importantly, you should also download as many cleaning services apps and create a profile for your business. That way, you will be right where your clients are. Apps like Task Rabbit, or Tidy can be your best friends.

Remember, the internet is a cleaning company’s best friend.

Neglecting these tools makes your business look outdated or, even worse, illegitimate. Make sure your business has a robust online presence that showcases your work but also emphasizes what is unique about your company.

3. Accept that some clients will not be around forever

You should never let a client go for no good reason. But good business involves knowing when to cut ties. Not every client will be good for your cleaning company. Sometimes, even professionals simply do not mesh. 

Imagine that you have a life-long client that hires your cleaning service every week like clockwork. But the cleaning your employees have to make is too much, it takes them all day, and they have to use way too many cleaning products to finish the job. 

You probably end up spending more than what the client is paying you. That’s not good business.

Alternatively, some clients may not work for you as your business expands. Whatever the reason, never be afraid to let a client go if the time is right.

4. Run background checks on potential employees

Bottom line: You need to know who you are working with. Your employees will be trusted with your equipment and your reputation. They will need to be honest, reliable, and responsible. 

You’re sending employees to clean client’s houses or offices; you need to make sure that they will do an excellent job and that no problems will arise. 

Regardless of what background check processes you use, be upfront with candidates. Tell them what information you want to know and how you want to retrieve it. Make sure you stick to this process for every candidate.

5. Treat your employees well

You should expect the same level of respect from your employees that you devote to them. An old saying goes, “Respect is not given; it is earned.” You must work to respect your employees from the start of your professional relationship if you expect them to respect you. 

That means paying fair wages and offering benefits. It also means giving them the same freedom in their personal lives that you also want to enjoy. 

Never forget that when employers are invested in their workers and treat them well, they lead to much more productive businesses. When it comes to cleaning, you need to offer the best possible service, and only happy employees can prove top-notch services. And in the cleaning industry, a spotless job is the best advertising you can have.

6. Keep the drive to improve, optimize, and innovate your business

Never be afraid of new techniques and technologies. Instead, embrace them. 

Yes, this means that you will sometimes have to learn new ways of doing the same things. It means you will need to take the time to research and practice. But it also means new possibilities. 

Every day new cleaning products, tools, and machinery come out. Embrace these changes, not only will they help you offer a spotless cleaning job, but your employees will be able to work faster (and thus, servicing more clients).

Do not let your drive to improve and optimize die off. The day you do is the day your business stops growing. 

7. Invest (or reinvest) in quality equipment

Your equipment needs to be top-notch because your competitions’ will be. That means maintaining your equipment and instructing your employees on proper practices. 

If your equipment is already becoming outdated or in rough shape, you should upgrade. This will not only help you keep up with the competition, but you will be able to offer top-notch cleaning services.

This can seem daunting; after all, some of the best and most up-to-date cleaning tools can be expensive. But there are plenty of fantastic small business financing tools that make it easier than ever.

8. Make sure you have the right insurance coverage

Cleaning companies have some specific insurance needs that not all small business policies may cover. You need general liability and equipment coverage. 

Beyond this, different policies may be better suited for distinct kinds of cleaning companies. You may need additional auto insurance for company vehicles or coverage for clients’ properties. Make sure to go over your specific niche’s needs.

9. Use small business software to help you and your team stay organized, accessible, and efficient

You may think you do not need business software. Or maybe you like doing things the traditional way. 

But cleaning companies need to operate according to modern standards to keep up. That does not mean abandoning everything you do now to update recklessly. You need to work with the essential tools of the contemporary small company to succeed.

Be open to new, more efficient ways of working with technology to accomplish your tasks. Small business software is simple to learn, and once you understand it, you can use it quickly. You might be amazed at your improved productivity and communication.

▪️ You can use communication apps to inform your employees where they should go clean next.

▪️ Accounting software is excellent for managing all your finances.

▪️ You can use software that helps you keep your customer databases in order

▪️ Computer programs that allow your customers to book cleaning services will make everything easier.

▪️ You could even use a very basic inventory software to track all your cleaning products.

You should try to find industry-specific software that will help you with all your needs, such as OctopusPro.

10. Find the right niche, but never be afraid to expand 

Look around your market for a niche that you can fill. 

What area is underserved? 

Which types of businesses lack sufficient cleaning services? 

How could you better fulfill the customers’ cleaning needs? 

Beyond this, consider how you can better serve your niche by expanding. Going out beyond your niche can grow your resources and improve your cleaning services overall. You can grow at basically any rate you like if you plan and implement the right strategies. 

Some cleaning company niches are window and blind cleaning, pressure washing, ceiling, and wall cleaning, after-party/event clean up, chimney sweeping… there are a lot of them! Find whichever works better for your company and your clients.

BONUS! Get the required certifications

Getting the proper business certifications and licenses will allow your cleaning business to strengthen itself, and get more and bigger clients. And that’s not it, these documents will also help protect you, your employees, and your business. Besides, it will help you look more professional and you’ll be able to be in line with government regulations. Find out here what licenses, permits, and bonds a cleaning business needs.

Keep these tips in mind, but do not stop here. Make sure you keep expanding your knowledge base. 

Seek out information from trustworthy, proven sources. Fellow business owners are actually a great resource. Any business owner in your social circle would probably be happy to help you. They remember what it is like to be starting a business from scratch. They also know the ins and outs of running a successful business and understand where you are coming from.

#CaminoTip
Lean on your trusted employees for guidance and insight, as well as those close to you. Small business financing tools can also help you put the pedal to the metal, giving your business a head start.

Start Growing Your Cleaning Company Today!

The cleaning industry is a tough one. Cleaning companies need every edge they can get. But your drive and determination, empowered by the right small business tools, can take you far. Follow these 10 tips to grow your cleaning company to match your vision. 

Remember that successful cleaning companies genuinely do require an iron will and self-motivation. But they also involve gathering the right tools, strategies, and resources to use your skills to their fullest potential. You also need to surround yourself with partners, personal and professional, who can help you reach your goals. 

Our team lives by our motto: “No business left behind.” Camino Financial was built upon the belief that every business should have the resources it needs to thrive. We take pride in providing the know-how and financing for a whole new generation of small business owners. 

Every service we offer is designed to make plans and dreams of small business owners come to life. If small business financing can help you start or expand your company, let us be part of your journey.

Apply today for a loan that will take your cleaning business to the next level!