Cleaning Business

Fresh_Start_5

Hello,

I am fairly new here (this is my first post!) and I wanting advice from anyone who runs their own cleaning business.

My husband was made redundant today and despite having known for a while that it was coming and spending a lot of time looking he has been unable to find another job (He is a HGV driver). As we have debt (I must post on the debt free wannabe board too as i have such a lightbulb moment this week!)I decided that I would try to find a way to make some money myself. It has to be something that will fit round caring for my grandma which is what I do now each day (I dont get carers allowance for this as she doesn't receive attendance allowance, she did apply but despite being 83 and being born with spina bifida and house bound they tuned her down and she was too distressed by the whole process to appeal) So I thought about cleaning work.

In the past I have cleaned privately for friends but nothing major and so I decided to ask around if anyone knew of anyone needing cleaning and in the three days since I asked I have now got four definate customers and a few more interested! I wasn't expecting to get such a good response and I am really excited and would like to make the best possible start to this that I can.

Basically I would like to make domestic cleaning a viable business and I would like advice from anyone who has done the same thing. I have had a look at some information available from business link and am starting to think about things like insurance (not sure what type I need though) and courses in cleaning and am wondering what else is worth considering. I am already registered with tax as I did Avon a few years ago and when I stopped I asked to be taken off tax returns but they still send them so that part is ok. I would also like advice on what to charge. I cleaned today for a lady who paid me £20 for 3 hours work but I don't know if this is too much or too little and I am not sure how to research this.

Thank you for reading my post and I hope someone can give me some advice soon,

Heather

max2009

I know someone who had 5,000 printed leaflets made up and she targeted middle class areas as she thought they were more than likely to have professional full time working singles and couples who would be in great need of this.
She has been inundated with business since when she started the business 12 months ago.I do not know what she charges so i would look at cleaning websites on the net.

Tosh1

Heather, I run a window cleaning business and I'm a member of a cleaning forum that has a general cleaning section in it.

It's a friendly and helpful place; I'm not sure if site rules will allow me to post a link to it, but I will anyway, because I can't see what the harm could be.

It's www.cleanitup.co.uk.

As a general rule though, don't price by hour, price by job.

Remember the money you get is not your wage; it's your turnover and you will have overheads (cleaning equipment/materials, insurance, travel costs, stationery, marketing costs); and let's not forget you need to put money aside for the tax man. You also won't get sick or holiday pay; so you need to charge as much as you can get.

Professional leaflets can be had for £100 for 5000 of them (A5 sized - do a google search for 'cheapleaflets') and you can find local companies that'll deliver them for £25 to £30 per thousand; if you don't want to post them yourself.

But the biggest mistake people entering the cleaning business is pricing too cheaply; they then get diseartend from grafting hard and earning little; then they pack it in.

I hope I've been some help, but get yourself over to the cleaning forum and have a look around. I promise you it's the best place to get the information you're after.

Tosh1

Oh, and with regards to pricing, like window cleaning, it will depend on what part of the country you live in and where you target. In Scotland £3 per house for window cleaning isn't unknown, but where I live many window cleaners have a minimum charge of £10 before they'll touch your window with a pole.

Fresh_Start_5

Thanks everyone for your replies and thank you for the link to the forum - I am going to go there now and have a look. I realy appreciate geting some help - I enjoy cleaning and don't mind the hard work (I like the satisfaction at the end when I see what I have acheived!) but I want to make sure the business is viable and can last.

Does anyone know anything about benefits too? My husband was made redundant yesterday and so we have to phone the job center Monday to register as unemployed. I have obviously only just started cleaning this week and don't yet know how sucessful it will be so what should we do? Should we go for income based job seekers where they will take off any money I earn or should we go for contribution based which is lower each week but if this business works then what I make (after costs and tax etc) is unaffected? We have never been on benefits before and the whole thing is so confusing and scary.

Thank you again, it is much appreciated ,

Heather