setting up to clean

TitchTori

I don't know how to give you a proper link but if you search under forums this is the title of the thread i was reading last week

Start an ironing service... official MoneySavingExpert.com discussion


Hope that helps

cazi

Good morning all

To answer a few of your questions, I have just (2 weeks ago) started my own ironing business.

You need to look up anyone doing the same thing in yur area, and offer a better/cheap/more reliable service etc etc.

Look in the yellow pages, yell, gumtree, netmums etc (anywhere that you can advertise for free) and then call all of your competitors and get some info from them (pretend to be a new customer if you need too)

I did all of this, and it has paid off, I used the information I gathered to create something better. I have a website, Im listed in yell, gumtree and netmums to name but a few, and I already have orders.

We have also made leaflets and have done a huge leaflet drop in my local area.

I did all of this for about £20!

I hope this helps, good luck xx

mumo5

Hi All
I also was fed up working full time and started working for myself as a cleaner. I charge slightly less than the big cleaning companies.I have been cleaning for 6years now as have a few of my friends.Although some charged higher rates they seemed to be looking for work more often as when clients make cut backs, the first thing to go is the cleaner especially if their rates are high.

I charge £8 per hour and work all day Tues,Wed & Thurs.
Mon & Fri I leave clear for 1 off cleans as a lot of the school hols are long weekends(which I don't work). Two of my clients also give me their ironing to take home so I earn a little a night as well.
Once you have 1 or 2 clients, word of mouth brings in the extra work. I have always had regular clients and the tips I recieve are great.At xmas I got over £200 worth of gift cards for m&s,boots and debenhams. It's the perfect job for me but getting to the stage where I'll clean anyones house except my own!
I did leaflet drops to start and ask local schools if you can put cards in staff rooms.Teachers sometimes only need cleaners term time which is ideal if you have kids.
Good Luck All

suexxx

I do cleaning inbetween my other jobs(no choice i'm afraid)
i charge £7.50 an hour,ive got a few regulars mostly 3 hrs each.
I use there products as i find they all like to use different things anyway.i advertised in shop windows only 50p aweek !
I do a bit of ironing but not alot as i HATE IT !

Trouble is though like someone said before,last thing you want to do is get home and start cleaning again !

good luck

chrisandanne

Cuba_Cat wrote: »

I currently work full time and am sick of being on the treadmill and never getting to spend any time with my child. I've been thinking about either working part time in my current job, plus doing a few hours in a second job from home to make up the money I'd lose, or jacking in the full time job and starting up my own business. Having had a good think about what I'm good at and also what I could do either at home or based from home with little start up costs, I've come up with ironing and/or cleaning. I quite like ironing and I'm good at cleaning, plus I've cleaned before (for money I mean, as opposed to just at home!). Does anyone do this for a living, or employ anyone to do this? If so, would you mind answering the following:

If you do this, how did you get started? Do you work for an agency or for yourself? Are you insured? What materials do you provide? How much do you charge, and how did you work out how much to charge? What hours do you work? How/where do you advertise? Are you glad you do it?

If you employ someone to do this, how did you find your cleaner or ironer? What did you look for in the person you employed? Are they with an agency or independent? How many hours do they work and how much do they charge? What do you like/dislike about having them?

Thank you so much if you've managed to read this far!

Hello Cuba Cat
I was in the same position as you 25 years ago... after much thinking about what I could do I decided to set up a carpet and suite cleaning business, the start up costs are higher but now the rate works out at £30 per hour... then I was earning £10 per hour. You can leaflet drop and only book jobs in when it suits, so I never worked school holidays or after 3p.m. I did this for ten years while my children were young. I then went back to work in offices, I loved working for myself though so in 2000 started my own domestic cleaning business. There are 2 ways you can do this...either get loads of jobs and employ your own team of cleaners..I did this to start with but a lot of the cleaners were very unreliable and after three episodes of theft I gave this up and cut down to the work I could do myself. I provide my own cloths, cleaning materials and Vacuum, I do the same houses on the same days either weekly, fortnightly or monthly and charge £15 per hour, you have to be very reliable, honest and efficient and there is a system of cleaning which enables you to do a 3 bed house in about 3 hours. I have had the same customers for years and most of them are recommendations, to start off with a good leaflet will bring in work. You have to take into consideration when setting your prices that you have to travel to and from each house during the day, provide materials, Insurance and pay tax and Ni. Do not undercharge you will always find people who will pay what you ask and the ones that don't can go somewhere else, when you have an enquiry go to the house with a clip board, list the rooms and how long each room will take and add up the total time x your rate, make it clear what you do and don't do (I don't do washing up) explain what you will be doing in detail to the householder i.e. light switches, skirting boards, all dusting, light fittings,vacuuming,windows. Be in charge of the situation...none of this 'I want you to do this and that and that' those days are gone !! I don't do ironing but if I did most of my customers would want me to. You can make a very good living cleaning in very part time hours and no one telling you what to do (most of my customers are at work and I have a key) you can take holidays when you decide to and if you do need childcare sometimes it is only for a few hours,at much less than you are earning, so you can afford it. Good luck with whatever you decide, it can be done and I think you may wonder why you didn't do it sooner.

moanymoany

I was wondering about doing this. What would I charge though?

geordie_joe

moanymoany wrote: »

I was wondering about doing this. What would I charge though?

Look in your local papers and see what others are charging.

Also don't take the fact that others are advertising cleaning services as an indication there is a market for it in your area.

Ring some up and pretend you want a cleaner. If they say "yes, I can fit you in any hours you want" it's an indication that they haven't got any work.

On the other hand, if they say "Sorry, there's no way I could fit you in" means they have plenty of work.

Penny-Pincher!!

I have paid between £8-£15per hour for a decent cleaner before. A good, reliable and efficient cleaner could easily charge £8ph, but aim closer to £10 if I was you.

Good Luck

PP
xx

Sue-UU

I agree with Penny P. Do an excellent job of all you're given/asked to do and charge between £8 & £10, word of mouth will soon get you your best customers.

Good luck and enjoy it as it can be such rewarding work.

Sue

PasturesNew

It depends where you live. I was living at the coast and caravan cleaners on a Saturday morning were essential. If you have 3000 caravans that need cleaning between 10am and 2pm, you can see how vital it is to pay the right, extra high price, to get and keep good cleaners. . . so you might be surprised to see they still only pay about £7/hour.

http://www.jobsite.co.uk/cgi-bin/vacdetails.pl?selection=927352356

It is all area dependent. Like everything.