It’s a good time to be in the cleaning business. The industry is already worth more than $400 billion, and it’s expected that, between now and 2030, it will experience a CAGR of nearly 7%. That’s another way of saying that there’s plenty of money to be made from cleaning both and in the future.
Still, while there may be plenty of profit opportunities, that doesn’t mean that running a cleaning business will automatically be straightforward. The industry, like all others, faces challenges, and it’s only the businesses that are run efficiently that can expect to get ahead. In this post, we’ll run through a few handy tips that should, when put together, increase productivity and profitability.
Develop a Standardized Cleaning Process
The adage ‘time is money’ is particularly relevant to the cleaning industry. To be profitable, jobs must not only be completed to a high standard but also on time. One way to ensure that all your jobs meet this criteria is to develop a standardized cleaning process that both you and your team of employees follow. By consistently using the same methods — methods that deliver excellent results, no less — you can ensure that your team works as quickly as possible without sacrificing quality.
Managing Admin
Even cleaning businesses that only employ a small number of employees can find managing administrative tasks difficult. Wrestling with admin tasks is not only time-consuming but can also lead to results that impact business success if they’re not managed correctly. For example, failing to have a firm grip on scheduling can lead to no-shows or double bookings that impact client satisfaction and employee morale. You can get a handle on all your cleaning business admin tasks by using Janitorial Manager’s cleaning business management software, with which you can manage schedules, keep track of equipment, assign checklists, and much more. Once you’ve got your administrative duties under control, you’ll find that it’s much easier to focus on the tasks that help to grow your business.
Make Client Acquisition More Straightforward
There’s no shortage of ways for cleaning businesses to get more clients and grow their business, but not all methods are created equal. You can make client acquisition more straightforward by utilizing the most effective strategies for earning more clients.
These include online marketing and referrals. For online marketing, focus on developing an SEO-friendly website that clearly outlines who you are, who you serve, and why they should hire you. Referrals work by offering a discount (or even free deep cleaning) to any customers who refer your business to a new client. These two methods are recommended because they don’t require much proactive work; once they’re up and running, you can just let them do their thing and wait for clients to get in touch.
Hire Reliable People
Employee turnover rate in the cleaning industry can be high. Anything you can do to minimize this turnover will impact your bottom line. Beyond looking at experience, trust your gut: is this person reliable? Will they stay if they’re happy here?