The cleaning business attracts entrepreneurs with its simplicity, growing demand for the services of this business, prospects and high profitability. A company can be successfully organized both in a metropolis and a small town. If you don’t know where to start opening a cleaning company from scratch, a business plan is the first step in planning the strategy of a future enterprise.

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Business Description

Cleaning business belongs to the service sector, and the provision of services is one of the most profitable types of commerce in the whole world. The success of entrepreneurial activity largely depends on demand, and in this area of ​​​​activity there is no need to worry about its absence. The business idea itself is transparent and understandable even for dummies. Organizing a cleaning company does not require a large amount of investment and time.

Commercial cleaning services are highly competitive in big cities. However, this niche is practically free in small settlements and towns. To properly organize a cleaning company from scratch, a business plan should be written simply and clearly. A sample of a good business plan with detailed calculations can be found for free on the Internet.

Services

The entire range of cleaning services can be divided into two groups:

• services provided to legal entities;
• services provided to individuals.

Searching for clients in the first category is more preferable, since here you can immediately conclude a contract for a large amount of work. But we should not write off the work of providing services to individuals. It should also be noted that in the first case you will be required to invest more funds than in the second. Working in the B2B sector involves the purchase of a large amount of equipment, the acquisition of specialized and professional equipment.

All cleaning services can be divided into areas:

1. General cleaning is usually done once. Most often it is ordered in apartments after renovation, industrial facilities, offices, warehouses, etc.
2. Regular cleaning of private and commercial properties.
3. Specialized services. These include: window washing, carpet dry cleaning, etc.

It is recommended for a novice entrepreneur to choose one area of ​​​​cleaning activity. An option is possible when a company opens to work with a specific client. The client will be one large company with a large volume of work. As a result, the cleaning company will gain invaluable work experience, and less money will be required to organize the company. After the company gets on its feet, it can be developed and expanded the range of services provided.

The range of services should be determined taking into account potential demand. To do this, you need to identify and study your target audience in advance.

Standard services:

• wet cleaning;
• spring-cleaning;
• cleaning upholstered furniture;
• textile cleaning;
• window cleaning;
• cleaning after renovation;
• cleaning of entrances;
• washing of facades;
• cleaning areas near houses and premises.

Cleaning the premises after renovation Wet cleaning of the apartment Cleaning the entrance

Additional services:

• waste disposal;
• cleaning windows of apartments and offices at height;
• cleaning dishes and interior items;
• disinfection of premises;
• getting rid of mold;
• washing clothes and other textiles;
• ventilation cleaning;
• washing the kitchen stove and other household appliances.

Window cleaning at height Disinfection of the premises Ventilation cleaning

Relevance

In developed countries of the world, the cleaning industry is a structure with billions of dollars in turnover and is represented by hundreds of thousands of firms. The cleaning business is a new and promising area of ​​commercial activity for Russian entrepreneurs; just 20 years ago in the Russian Federation no one knew about such companies. At the moment, the market for cleaning services remains a vacant niche. Even in large cities, where there are a fairly large number of cleaning companies, they do not satisfy the demand one hundred percent.

Important points of work

It is important to understand that the strategy for its development depends on the conditions in which the company is expected to operate. Cleaning as a business has its pitfalls, which the owner of the company should be aware of. In order to succeed in the cleaning business, an entrepreneur will need to not only carry out daily work responsibly, but also gain the respect of his clients. This is achieved due to the high level of professionalism of workers, friendly service, flexible prices, etc.

In a highly competitive environment

Today, the largest number of representatives of the cleaning industry are located in large cities with a population of more than one million people. This is explained by the fact that many potential consumers are concentrated here. The highest density of cleaning firms is observed in the capital of Russia and St. Petersburg. At the same time, the “cleanliness” market in these cities does not fully satisfy demand.

It is especially difficult for a young cleaning company to survive in a competitive market. This is due to the fact that it will be more difficult for an entrepreneur to find clients. In such a market, as a rule, there are already well-known and positively proven companies. With a high degree of probability, we can assume that large clients will decide to use their services. In a situation of high competition, it is important to immediately receive a good order or competently organize an advertising campaign.

In a small town

In small towns there is minimal competition, but you will have to fight for survival. It is important that you carefully study the market and decide on your target audience. If you have found clients, then you can open a company without hesitation.

Potential customers can be shopping centers, offices, enterprises, apartment buildings, etc. In order to attract them you will need advertising, a loyal pricing policy and good reviews about you from your first clients. Future clients should find out what services your company will provide. Advertising in print publications, on local television and on the Internet is suitable for this.

Franchise work

A cleaning company franchise will help you organize your business correctly from the very beginning. The franchisor will provide you with all the information you need to create a successful business. From the first days of the company's work, you will receive applications from clients. The big name and reputation of the franchisor, as well as well-placed marketing, will help with this.

Take a look at the following franchise offers:

• "The Chistov Brothers";
• City Shine;
• "Expert Cleaning";
• "Empire of Services";
• "Clean house";
• "Mr. Glitter";
• Cleaning alliance;
• Primex.

The presented franchises pay for themselves in about one year. The size of the required investments is from 300 thousand to 1.5 million rubles. To minimize business risk, businessmen are recommended to open a franchise business, since the business has high profitability.

You can get acquainted with the “Clean House” franchise from the presentation. Filmed by the channel: Clean House Cleaning franchise.

Description and analysis of the sales market

It is advisable to find your first clients at the business planning stage. The reputation you earn will determine how your business will develop tomorrow. At the first stage of the company’s functioning, you work for your image, and then the image works for you. Thanks to positive reviews of your work, you will easily find new clients.

Potential clients can be found in different ways:

• through friends;
• make phone calls to various organizations and offer them your services;
• send commercial offers.

Ideally, you should find repeat customers rather than one-time customers. Since instability in income generation may lead to you not being able to cover your current expenses.

Your client base may include:

• private apartments, cottages, houses;
• entrances of apartment buildings and surrounding areas;
• company offices;
• parking;
• shopping and entertainment centers;
• warehouses;
• public catering places;
• professional kitchens;
• industrial premises;
• territory of industrial production;
• various premises after renovation or construction.

The target audience

The main consumers of cleaning company services are legal entities. The management of modern enterprises and various organizations understands that ensuring the cleanliness of the premises must be ensured by professionals. And these professionals today are cleaning companies. A competent manager, having analyzed the situation, comes to the conclusion that it is more profitable to outsource cleaning of premises.

Benefits from outsourcing:

• savings on wages, purchase of equipment, inventory, etc.;
• high quality cleaning;
• efficiency in cleaning;
• use of modern equipment;
• Ideally cleaned premises have a positive impact on the image of the customer’s company.

Along with legal entities, the company's services can also be aimed at individuals. It should be noted that such clients are more difficult to find. Since not every person is ready to let an unfamiliar worker into their home to clean. If you manage to find such clients, then these are mainly people with high incomes.

In addition to them, we can highlight:

• single men;
• old people;
• busy people;
• people with disabilities, etc.

Competitive advantages

If you decide to open a company in a large city where competition is quite strong, then you should carefully study the local market. You must clearly understand who you are competing with. To do this, it is important to know what exactly your competitors are doing, their strengths and weaknesses. Based on the data obtained, you should correctly formulate a company development strategy, determine the range of services, pricing policy, advertising campaign, etc. The volume of your future orders will depend on how carefully you think through your business strategy.

What you need to know about competitors:

• range of services;
• price level;
• target clients;
• customer reviews;
• image;
• experience;
• quality of services.

The high level of competition obliges you to provide only high-quality services. Because only in this case will you be able to attract new customers and retain old ones.

To increase competitiveness, you need to focus on factors such as:

• use modern high-tech equipment and inventory;
• qualified, cultured and honest workers;
• environmental friendliness of the products used;
• wide range of services provided;
• the presence of a unique service that your competitors do not yet offer.

Operating in a competitive market will not allow you to relax even for a minute. You need to keep control of everything that happens in the market and closely monitor the needs of customers, trying to satisfy them as much as possible.

Advertising campaign

An ideal advertising campaign should be organized in such a way that as a result, as many long-term contracts as possible are concluded with clients. To do this, it is not enough to offer your services by phone or email. You need to organize a set of accessible activities to win customers.

To promote a cleaning company you need to:

1. Actively use available advertising tools: create a corporate website; distribute booklets and leaflets; publish advertisements in local media.
2. Self-critically analyze your activities and add new areas of work.
3. Meet the requirements of key clients.
4. You need to be open to communication.
5. Conduct free consultations.
6. Sew a uniform for workers and place a company logo on it.
7. Improve staff qualifications, conduct trainings, briefings, etc.
8. Special treatment for regular customers. For example, congratulations on the holidays.
9. Develop a loyalty program.

A modern cleaning company simply must have its own corporate website. It should provide a complete description of the services provided, contact information, loyalty program, and describe the strengths of the company. The function of online ordering services through the website can distinguish you favorably from your competitors.

What do you need to open?

To open your own cleaning company, you need to take into account many nuances. By strictly following the instructions and rules, organizing a business is not difficult. An entrepreneur should start by preparing a package of documents and registering a company.

Documentation

Your primary task is to determine the organizational and legal form for the business. Traditionally, the choice is between an LLC and an individual entrepreneur. If you plan to organize large-scale activities and work with large clients (organizations, enterprises, shopping malls, etc.), then it is better to immediately register an LLC. This organizational form also provides for the possibility of using a simplified taxation system.

If you plan to work primarily with individuals and perform a small amount of work, then an individual entrepreneur organization is suitable for you. In this case, choose UTII as the form of taxation.

OKVED codes that are suitable for the business being described:

• 74.70.1 – “Cleaning of residential and industrial premises, equipment”;
• 74.70.2 – “Cleaning of vehicles”;
• 74.70.3 – “Performance of activities for disinfestation, disinfection and deratization work”;
• 90.00.3 – “Cleaning the territory and performing similar activities.”

At the next stage, you need to register with funds (pension, health insurance, social insurance, accidents), tax office, etc. You will be required to thoroughly study GOST R 51870 2002, it talks about the provision of household cleaning services for structures and buildings.

Search for premises

At the stage of establishing a company, you can save on rent and organize an office at home. Necessary equipment and inventory will be stored in a storage room or garage. But this is only temporary; ideally, the company needs a separate premises. It should be divided into an office and a warehouse.

Requirements

There are no strict requirements for the premises, since clients will rarely visit the office. Mostly, the company’s specialists will travel to the customer’s site for cleaning.

The premises are required to:

• low cost;
• availability of communications: heating, water, electricity, sewerage;
• security, etc.

Purchase of equipment and inventory

The quality of services provided and their range depend on the company’s equipment. This is the main cost item for starting a business. The purchase of equipment must be approached individually, since its selection depends on the specifics and scale of the company’s activities.

A universal set of necessary equipment, inventory and household chemicals (in rubles):

• professional vacuum cleaner: 35,000;
• floor washing machine: 150,000;
• machines for cleaning carpets, furniture, floor coverings, etc.: 100,000;
• window cleaning equipment: 50,000;
• professional washing machine: 50,000;
• car: 400,000;
• set of brushes, rags, napkins, etc.: 30,000;
• hair dryer: 25,000;
• special form: 30,000;
• household chemicals and detergents: 50,000;
• computer, printer, office furniture: 100,000;
• other equipment, inventory and household chemicals: 30,000.

Carpet and floor cleaning machine Professional vacuum cleaner Window cleaning equipment

Having made the calculations, for an average cleaning company it is necessary to purchase equipment, inventory and detergents in the amount of 1,050,000 rubles. You can save on buying a car and hire a driver with personal transport. The quality of purchased household chemicals must be first-class. Highly specialized additional equipment may also be required. The size of its customer base directly depends on how rich the company’s arsenal is with various equipment.

Staff

You will need to assemble several groups of workers who specialize in performing a specific set of operations. To clean offices, entrances, kitchens and other premises, it is better to form a team of three to four women aged 20-40 years. And take a man as a foreman. He will be able to manage the cleaning process, solve organizational issues and help lift or bring heavy objects.

The head of the company can be the entrepreneur himself or a hired specialist. The sales manager will take orders from customers. One driver for the minibus is also required. Accounting is best outsourced.

During the recruitment process, you will most likely encounter the problem of employee turnover. This is largely due to the fact that the work of a cleaner is not presentable, and young women will try to find a better job. It is very important that workers do not steal from customers. You should pay special attention to their criminal record, level of education, appearance, etc.

Step-by-step instruction

Summarizing the above, let's look at the sequence of your actions step by step:

1. Search for clients.
2. Studying competitors.
3. Defining the business concept.
4. Create a ready-made business plan with calculations.
5. Company registration.
6. Advertising campaign.
7. Personnel selection.
8. Selection of premises.
9. Purchase of equipment and inventory.
10. Opening a company and starting work.

Financial plan

To calculate a financial plan, you need to determine a general list of costs for organizing a business. And how much money is needed to start a business.

The amount of initial investment in a business consists of (in rubles):

• company registration: 30,000;
• purchase of equipment, inventory, household chemicals: 1,050,000;
• marketing expenses: 50,000;
• rent: 40,000;
• other costs: 30,000.

As a result, it turns out that organizing a business will require 1,200,000 rubles.

Regular expenses

Current costs (rubles/month):

• premises rental: 20,000;
• wages of main workers with accruals (per five people): 130,000;
• salary of administrative staff with accruals (per two people): 70,000;
• purchase of household chemicals and detergents: 10,000;
• marketing costs: 20,000;
• utility costs: 10,000;
• other costs: 20,000.

As a result, it turns out that regular expenses amount to 280,000 rubles per month.

Opening dates

The work schedule is individual in each specific case. It should be compiled very carefully, without missing a single important point. On average, from the moment of developing a business plan to the start of the company’s work, two to three months pass.

Risks and payback

Main business risks:

• lack of regular customers;
• strong competitors;
• seasonal nature of ordering a number of services;
• staff turnover;
• low level of education and training of workers;
• the risk that workers will steal from the company's customers.

To prevent the listed risks from turning into disadvantages, a competent manager is needed. A business can be made profitable, since its payback directly depends on the workload of existing capacities and the number of regular customers. The average payback period for a cleaning company is 8-12 months.

Cleaning has established itself as one of the most successful options for doing business with maximum profitability with minimal initial capital. With these advantages, the cleaning business has a variety of niches that can be chosen by both the cleaner and the cleaning organization.

Stages of starting a business

Initially, you should decide whether you will be a single cleaner or immediately want to open a cleaning company with a minimum staff of 10 people. Although there are cases where a cleaner started on his own and gradually expanded his business, having learned all the secrets of cleaning from experience.

Choosing a niche is an interesting question! If you are thinking about your own company, then the niche is of decisive importance and depends on your initial capital:

• Window cleaning is one of the main parts of the cleaning business. To clean façade windows, for example in office buildings, owners often seek professional help. Washing them requires climbers and special equipment.
• Carpet cleaning and dry cleaning are the most popular methods of making money in the cleaning industry.
• Cleaning the premises after renovation or construction work.
• Cleaning work in private premises.
• Cleaning of offices and large industrial premises.

If you decide to seriously start a cleaning business, there is good news: no special permits or licenses are required.

To open a cleaning company, you need to go through the following steps:

1. You will need to undergo state registration to register as a legal entity.
2. On the legal side, it is necessary to draw up job descriptions for your employees; agreement on the provision of cleaning services; flexible price list (so as not to shock clients with exorbitant prices or, conversely, not to lower their “self-esteem”); commercial offer and business cards (advertising is the engine of progress); technological map for cleaning the facility.
3. Document flow necessary for maintaining the accounting records of your organization: estimate, invoice, invoice, approved procedure for paying wages and, accordingly, filing tax and accounting reports.

How to recruit staff?

You calculate the staffing depending on the objects for work: if the plans include small office premises and private houses, then 10 people, in addition to the director, are enough to start with:

• Accountant. Here, it is desirable to have one employee who will handle both personnel and accounting; it is even better to hire him as a part-time employee.
• Lawyer. Again, depending on the company’s staff and the scope of services it provides.
• Manager for working with documents and attracting potential clients.
• Cleaners, who ideally should have an appropriate uniform with the company logo.

Cleaning company clientele

At the dawn of opening your own organization in the field of cleanliness, you need to think not only about documentation and personnel, but also about the clientele. To start a business well, you must have potential clients or at least know about their consent to cooperate together.

You can start looking for clients by taking a comprehensive approach:

• If you have a fax, you can send it to companies that may especially urgently need your professional help: restaurants and cafes, shops, medical institutions.
• Your manager can call potential clients.
• Business cards can be left in establishments that are attractive for business, for example, in a cafe or at the reception of private clinics.
• Advertise your establishment in institutions where companies turn to recruit staff, for example, an employment center or recruitment agencies.
• If an organization is being created quite large or plans to further increase turnover and sales, it makes sense to create a website and subsequently order advertising in search engines.
• Promotion can be organized on thematic forums, in groups of popular social networks.

Relatively recently, a fairly new line of business appeared in Russia, which has been dynamically developing in the West for decades and has received recognition from numerous clients. We are talking about companies providing cleaning services. An example of such activity is the cleaning service for private and corporate premises. Gradually, cleaning services are becoming more and more in demand in our country. After all, cleanliness of an office or apartment is a prerequisite for normal business or living.

Cleaning concept

The first companies engaged in high-quality cleaning appeared in the markets of America and Europe. They quickly took the place of unprofessional services.

In simple terms? The very word denoting this service appeared in our country relatively recently. It comes from the English word cleaning, which broadly translated means taking a set of measures to ensure the cleanliness of shopping malls and offices, hotels and apartments, cottages, etc. This action means work, the result of which is the absence of any dirt or stains , garbage and unpleasant odors on both horizontal and vertical surfaces of premises.

Why is cleanliness necessary? The answer to this question is clear to everyone without any unnecessary explanation. First of all, this is the health of the people in the room. However, if we take, for example, office cleaning, then cleanliness here also has another, image side.

Often, the appearance of an office that has been cleaned to a shine can play an important role in making the right decision for the company, since it will gradually be associated with purity of intentions.

What is included in cleaning?

Professional cleaning is not just washing. This is a rather complex process, which involves taking comprehensive measures to promote cleanliness of the premises. Of course, windows and other glass items are washed with water. But at the same time, the cleaning company provides its service using a fairly wide range of equipment and devices. This includes special equipment that allows you to clean surfaces under pressure, and special products necessary to remove specific stains.

For example, chewing gum from pile coverings can only be removed by freezing. Cleaning companies use a temperature-reducing spray for this purpose. And there are a great many similar solutions.

Main list of services

What does a cleaning company do? When it comes to cleaning residential premises, owners of private houses and apartments can count on the following:

1. rooms. This professional work includes washing floors and furniture, bathrooms and kitchens, chairs, carpets, etc.
2. General cleaning. In this case, moving cabinets and other furniture, washing windows, and cleaning baseboards is added to the standard list of services.
3. Cleaning premises after repair work. Cleaning companies take on a lot. This is not only a complete cleaning of an apartment or house. They provide services for the removal of construction waste, as well as for cleaning up contaminants created when working with plaster and paint.
4. Cleaning premises after a fire. These are cleaning services for burning and soot. After the work performed by the cleaning company, the premises will be completely free from the consequences of this disaster.

In addition to apartments and private houses, offices need professional cleaning. In such cases, a cleaning company can provide its daily cleaning services. It is worth keeping in mind that all employees of such a company are pre-instructed on how to properly care for the office equipment located on the premises.

Additionally, the cleaning company offers the following services:

• Washing façade windows. If these are stained glass windows of multi-story buildings, then industrial climbers who have sufficient experience and skills to work in such conditions work to complete the task.
• Caring for the external territory located outside the building. This means washing facades, as well as maintaining landscaping and storm drains.
• Warehouse cleaning, which involves complete cleaning of premises from contamination.

Business idea

Many people working in conventional organizations are often dissatisfied with the sense of stability that is impossible without performing the same duties every day. This routine does not lead to financial satisfaction either. There is no significant change in living conditions even during periods when the employer slightly increases wages. Someone who is not satisfied with their life sometimes decides to open their own business. From the implementation of a planned project, a novice entrepreneur can receive 3-4 thousand dollars a month, depending on the direction he chooses. And here it is worth considering the question of how to open a cleaning company, since this event is quite promising, not complicated and does not require large financial costs.

This kind of entrepreneurial idea is quite simple. A cleaning company takes money from companies and individuals for providing services that they are unable to perform themselves.

Selecting a locality

Many aspiring entrepreneurs invariably face the question of how to open a cleaning company from scratch. And for this you will need to develop a project for this event, which is a business plan for the future company. It should begin with a description of this industry and the situation that has developed in the locality chosen for work.

To date, the cleaning sector has not yet been fully developed. That is why the level of competition here is not too high. However, everything will depend on the city. And in this case, it is worth considering the rating of cleaning companies offering their services in a given locality.

Thus, in megacities the competition rate sometimes rises to 80%. And if we move on to considering the question of how to open a cleaning company in a small town, then there are no such problems here. However, other obstacles may stand in the way of an entrepreneur. After all, in a small locality it is unlikely that there will be a massive demand for such services. And this will also deprive the company of profits, even in the absence of competitors.

Registration of the case

How to open a cleaning company from scratch? To do this, you will need to go through some stages of organizing your own business. First of all, the company must register with the INFS authorities. When choosing an organizational form, the best options are the simplified tax system or joint stock company. However, you will have to ensure that certain conditions are met. Thus, when attracting investors, the share of capital invested by them should not exceed 25%. In addition, you will need to plan the annual total revenue within 60 million rubles. The staff should consist of no more than one hundred employees.

Only if these conditions are met will registration with the tax authorities be successful. After this, you will need to register with the Pension Fund.

Selecting a room

The business plan of a cleaning company should consider the issue of renting the building necessary for the operation. A novice entrepreneur should keep in mind that for such a company a classic office look would be clearly inappropriate. The room must be selected so that specialized equipment can be stored in it. There should also be an office for the manager and accountant. There must also be a shower room in the room. The entrepreneur does not need a separate room to meet with clients. After all, the assessment of the scope of work will be given directly on site.

Anyone who is deciding for the first time how to open a cleaning company should keep in mind that the layout of the rented building should include a hall and a dressing room, a bathroom and shower room, an office and a storage room. Based on the specifics of the work, you can not pay attention to the location of the office. This will allow you to save on rent and choose a suitable building for yourself somewhere on the outskirts or in industrial areas. The main thing is that it has all the necessary communications and is equipped with a good entrance.

What to do next in order to solve the question of how to open a cleaning company? For rented premises, you will need to conclude agreements with organizations involved in the maintenance of ventilation ducts and waste removal. The office will require a fire alarm.

It is worth remembering that all of the above procedures are a very lengthy process, so you should not delay them.

Purchase of equipment

What do you need to open a cleaning company? At the initial stage, this business is not very expensive. The main financial investments go to the purchase of equipment. However, you should not purchase it until the first orders have been received. After all, cleaning is a rather specific business. Depending on the services chosen by the customer, a variety of tools may be needed. That is why, first, it is worth talking with potential clients, deciding on the range of necessary equipment and its cost.

Thus, washing the glass of a business center, as well as other high-altitude work, will require more than one hundred thousand rubles for the necessary equipment. But to provide staff with equipment for cleaning office premises and other buildings, a much smaller amount will be required, in the range of several tens of thousands.

The business plan of a cleaning company should consider a list of the most necessary equipment that will be needed to provide services in the first place. This list includes:

• two window cleaning kits;
• two two-bucket trolleys with wringer;
• small equipment such as mops and buckets, sponges and dustpans;
• two scrubber dryers;
• rotary single-disc cleaning device;
• polisher;
• device for industrial carpet drying.

The above list can be slightly adjusted by the entrepreneur himself. In addition, equipment can be acquired gradually. However, for those who plan to accept large corporate orders without the above equipment, it will simply be impossible to provide such services.

How to open a cleaning company? To do this, you will need to remember some details in the business plan. Thus, it is important to consider the costs required to purchase professional cleaning products produced by well-known companies. Their list should include both universal household chemicals and substances with a narrow spectrum of action. In general, an entrepreneur should count on 150-200 thousand rubles. investments.

You will need to find a driver with a personal minibus. After all, for work it will be necessary to transport a floor scrubber and industrial vacuum cleaners, and other equipment.

When purchasing equipment, don’t forget about office equipment. It will consist of two computers, a multifunction printer and a mini-PBX. The list of additional equipment will need to include desks for the accountant and director, kitchen equipment, several chairs and cabinets for the locker room.

Recruitment

How to open a cleaning company? The business plan of the planned project will also need to reflect those nuances that must be taken into account when forming a staff. In this case, it is worth taking into account the specifics that the work will have, as well as the format of the company’s activities. Thus, to perform only routine and general cleaning of private homes and offices, only women can be considered among candidates for employee vacancies. If the company’s plans include seasonal landscaping or cleaning of premises after repair work, then men will be needed. Moreover, there should be as many of them as there are women.

The staff of a company that will offer clients a wide range of services should include:

• two cleaners;
• two assistants;
• a foreman who simultaneously performs the work of a driver;
• accountant.

At first, the entrepreneur must take over the general management of the company and communication with clients. Over time, it will be possible to include two managers on the staff.

Considering the specifics of the company, preference should be given to people under 45 years of age. The only exceptions are the foreman and accountant. Candidates must be polite, sociable and responsible. It is also important that they are capable of learning quickly. This will allow the company to apply new products that are constantly appearing on the cleaning services market.

Business promotion

Under what conditions can you expect a cleaning company to operate effectively? In addition to taking into account all upcoming expenses, you will need to pay great attention to advertising. Only a large-scale campaign can significantly increase the rating of cleaning companies. It may include the production and distribution of flyers in transport and on city streets, as well as in business centers. Pylons and boards located on the city streets will help attract private individuals. Information about the company can also be posted by reference agencies. It would also be appropriate to create a website.

It will take a lot of effort to attract regular large customers. It will be necessary to consider potential clients among megamarkets and large enterprises. At the same time, it will be necessary to periodically conduct negotiations with each of them regarding ongoing cooperation. However, it is worth keeping in mind that not every manager of a large company will make a decision in your favor. To do this you will need to achieve a certain fame. At first, it is worth considering cooperation with small offices. And after that, gradually expand the circle of customers. Good luck!

Cleaning is a service in demand. Over the past 10 years, the number of companies wishing to develop this niche has only grown. Clients can include owners of apartments and houses who do not have the time or desire to do housework, or legal entities who want to outsource the work of cleaning offices, retail, and industrial areas to third parties and organizations. The threshold for entering this business can be zero, or it can start from 500,000 rubles - this will depend on your specialization and the form of doing business.

Working on the principle of a “single artisan” has its pros and cons. The first includes minimal costs and the ability to keep all aspects under personal control. The disadvantages are the inability to cover “everything at once”, a small flow of orders that you are able to service.

Organizing a cleaning company carries the threat of problems with personnel, financial investments, risks, while at the same time providing the opportunity to expand, increasing the number of facilities and clients.

Starting with a zero budget means working in small areas with one or two employees, interacting mainly with individuals. Since competition is quite high in this type of business, in most cases it is possible to win serious customers by resorting to price dumping.

When opening a cleaning company, orders are sought by distributing leaflets and posting advertisements in multi-storey residential buildings and cottage communities, posting advertisements on the Internet and social networks, among friends, through direct calls.

Infographic: 6 steps to start a cleaning business from scratch:

In the infographic, we will consider the opening of a cleaning company with a sufficient number of employees capable of serving large facilities (cafes, restaurants, offices, several cottages, production bases, etc.).

After you have officially registered, start looking for clients: advertising, direct sales over the phone, participating in thematic events, etc. and at the same time, recruiting staff. The best option is to select workers for a specific object. If you find the cleaners early, you will either have to pay them to wait, or they will run away.

How to open a cleaning company with minimal investment

A limited budget for starting a business or its actual absence should not become an obstacle to the realization of your goal.

What format of work should I choose if there is no money to promote my business?

In this case, feel free to choose the “single” format - act as the main employee and manager. When you find a client who requires services that you are not able to provide yourself, look for an additional employee.

The most important thing to starting a business is determination and action. There will never be anything perfect in this world. The main thing is to take actions every day that, according to your calculations, will bring financial results.

Steps to start a cleaning company with a zero start-up budget:

1. Registration of individual entrepreneurs. The main OKVED code is 74.70 - Cleaning and cleaning of industrial and residential premises, equipment and vehicles.
2. Searching for orders: placing ads on Avito, other resources, groups on social networks, calling companies to make an appointment.
3. Conclusion of an agreement (a standard agreement for the provision of cleaning services can be downloaded here).
4. Prepaid expense.
5. Execution of work.
6. Final payment under the contract.

Try to always take either the full amount or an advance.

But in fact, in real business conditions this is quite difficult, since most cleaning companies offer payment for services upon completion of work. And clients are afraid that you will “dump them” or do the cleaning poorly.

At the same time, remember that paying after the fact will be risky - you may simply not get paid. Which solution to choose is a matter of your internal willingness to take risks and the market situation.

Working aspects: registration, personnel, equipment, uniforms and facilities

Once you decide to start, register your business. You can choose the LLC or Individual Entrepreneur form (the latter option is preferable for beginner businessmen). Your OKVED codes are 74.70 (cleaning and cleaning of industrial and residential premises, equipment and vehicles) and additional ones.

You can register an individual entrepreneur without leaving your home, through the government services portal.

The purchase of work uniforms and professional chemicals will require small expenses - in general, about 10,000 - 20,000 rubles.

The list of equipment you will need for the job will depend on your specific needs. So, if you plan to start with cleaning houses and apartments, then the following household devices are suitable for you:

• rotor;
• water/mud/vacuum cleaner;
• extractor;
• polishing machine;
• stepladder, buckets, sponges, couplers, professional chemicals.

Personnel should be recruited for a specific facility. Those. You and your client have agreed to clean a cottage with an area of ​​400 sq.m. with furniture dry cleaning - immediately look for specialists who can help you. They look for similar workers on Avito, regional portals where similar resumes are posted, in the VKontakte and Odnoklassniki groups, and by posting job advertisements on neighborhood bulletin boards. Recently, unfortunately, access to applicant data on Avito has become paid.

If migrant workers contact you, pay attention to the presence of a work permit, otherwise you may face fines.

List of cleaning company services for cleaning apartments, cottages and non-residential premises

Differentiated services are understandable to customers and satisfy their needs, and allow cleaning businessmen to make a good profit.

Standard gradation of residential cleaning services and their cost:

• express cleaning on an area up to 70 sq.m. (1.5 -2 thousand rubles);
• general cleaning in a residential area up to 70 sq.m (3-5 thousand rubles, includes dry and wet cleaning, furniture polishing, kitchen degreasing);
• cleaning after renovation (from 5 thousand rubles);
• cleaning after a fire (from 10,000 rubles);
• additional services at different rates (garbage removal, dry cleaning, etc.)

Providing cleaning services for legal entities may include the following services:

• industrial mountaineering (washing display cases, windows, glass facades);
• cleaning the area in front of the building;
• cleaning toilets,
• cleaning of industrial and kitchen premises for cafes, restaurants, canteens;
• cleaning pools, baths.

Apartment cleaning and work equipment

When working with professional chemicals, you should have a good understanding of the peculiarities of the action of a highly alkaline substance on a particular material in order to avoid damage to property and related problems. For example, laminate flooring is not polished. Instead, protective coatings such as SMART-PROFI, Clean & Buff “Premiere Clean&Buff” are applied. To work with floor coverings, it is recommended to use a rotary polishing machine, a polishing machine (you can use a household one from Karcher).

Minimum for cleaning apartments and cottages you will need the following equipment:

• rotor for washing floors and dry cleaning carpets;
• water/mud/vacuum cleaner;
• extractor;
• stepladder for working with chandeliers, ceilings, high furniture;
• buckets, ties, fur coats, professional chemicals.

Cleaning of premises after renovation

After construction work, we need effective acidic agents that can quickly remove traces of cement, plaster, lime, mixtures, rusty and salt stains.

Contamination can be removed manually or using foam generators or high-pressure apparatus.

Prices for work start from 140 rubles/sq.m. (in rooms up to 50 sq.m.). In an apartment or cottage with an area of ​​up to 200 sq.m. (this is the most frequently ordered option) the price starts from 120 rubles/sq.m.

Cleaning products after renovation

Highly concentrated Shine No. 5.

Designed for work on internal and external surfaces with stains of building mixtures, cement, etc. Cost for 5 liters - from 300 rubles.

Used for manual and mechanized cleaning. The solution is applied to the surface with a brush, sponge, brush or spray method, after 5-10 minutes the surface is washed with water.

Consumption for light pollution is 10 ml per 1 liter of water, for heavy pollution it is 1:1.

Alkaline cleaner for oil and oil stains Power No. 8.

Suitable for metal surfaces, tiles, marble, artificial stone, self-leveling floors. Using this product you can remove carbon deposits, soot, oil stains, fuels and lubricants. Cost for 5 liters – from 300 rubles.

Try to purchase professional cleaning products for residential and non-residential premises from wholesale suppliers - this will allow you to save a lot, since the consumption of chemicals for daily orders will be significant.

Dry cleaning of upholstered furniture, carpets, chairs

Dry cleaning is the second most popular cleaning service. It is often ordered for residential and office premises in order to remove grease, stains from blood, food, ink, markers, paints from mattresses, sofas, carpets, chairs.

Approximate prices:

Chair – from 200 rubles/piece.

Chair – from 400 rubles/piece.

Sofa 2-seater – from 1300 rubles/piece.

Corner sofa – from 2400 rubles/piece.

Window cleaning, industrial mountaineering

This service is also very often ordered from cleaning companies. The price for cleaning a window with two sashes and plastic starts from 500 rubles on average. A professional will spend about 15-20 minutes on this type of work. These services are seasonal: most often they are ordered in spring and autumn.

Cleaning windows, facades, balconies, and shop windows from the outside at height is considered dangerous work and requires licensing. Employees performing this work must be provided with the necessary equipment and undergo specialized training. Otherwise, you will not be able to provide such a service.

Important! To perform high-altitude work (industrial mountaineering), a license is required. This means that your organization must join the SRO at its location and pay the entrance fee (300,000 -700,000 rubles). Workers must have permits and certificates as a high-altitude fitter; work permits must be issued with instructions.

Industrial mountaineering is an expensive service (standard cleaning of windows from the inside and in one-story houses is not taken into account - the prices here are low). The salary of an installer in the regions is on average 50,000 - 60,000 rubles; in Moscow it is usually 2 times higher.

Cleaning up after a fire

It is very difficult to remove the burning smell due to the release of resins and phenols at high temperatures and their ability to penetrate deeply into materials, so owners of residential premises where smoke has occurred often turn to specialized cleaning companies. Therefore, this service should definitely be on your list of options, especially since the price for it starts from 200 rubles per square meter.

Equipment and tools necessary for working with a room with traces of soot, soot, burning:

• high pressure apparatus;
• foam generator;
• detergents (concentrate);
• dust extractor;
• nozzles

Diluted concentrates from the Karcher series and Kiehl HODRUPA A soot remover are often used as detergents. The latter is used undiluted for manual cleaning of fire-damaged objects and in certain proportions if high-pressure apparatuses are used.

The sequence of actions when cleaning premises in which there is a fire or smoke:

1. Application of foam.
2. Interaction of chemistry with surface.
3. Flushing the chemical with an AED.
4. Removing water with a vacuum cleaner.
5. The final stage can be aromatization of the room with professional air fresheners: the unpleasant smell in the room is eliminated with the help of disinfectants and neutralizing agents.

Pool cleaning

To clean swimming pools you will need separate specialized equipment, chemicals and trained personnel. The standard set of cleaning services includes:

1. Draining water and collecting garbage.
2. Cleaning the floor and walls of the pool, including algae removal, and disinfection.
3. Wiping and disinfection of sun loungers, handles, rugs.
4. Cleaning plaque and polishing tiles and other surfaces.
5. Cleaning and disinfection of showers and locker rooms.

Your clients can be private owners of cottages, as well as baths, saunas, sports and fitness centers, and swimming pools. Average price per 1 sq.m. - from 200 rubles. The cost may be higher if the pool is deep and heavily soiled.

Cleaning of cafes, restaurants, industrial facilities

Industrial premises require constant monitoring of cleanliness. While daily cleaning is carried out by permanent staff, specialists from cleaning companies can be invited for general cleaning.

If this is a public catering facility, then you should use special products against traces of fat, oil, and burning.

Subtleties of cleaning work: do not offer sex!

Apartment cleaning is usually done by women aged 25 to 45 years. They come to someone else's house, completely unaware of who will meet them. Cleaning staff periodically receive offers of an intimate nature, so working alone may be unsafe.

Your safety or how to defend yourself against theft charges

Accusations of employees of cleaning companies of theft and damage to property are a nuisance that those who open a business cleaning cottages and apartments very often face. This is also a common fear of new business owners.

How can such accusations be prevented and avoided?

There are several options here.

If you work independently or with trusted persons, then the risk of theft is minimal. If the company employs several people and their number is growing, then sooner or later you will encounter such a problem.

A way out of this situation may be to insure civil liability of employees. Any damage caused by cleaners to the customer (theft, damage, etc.) is covered by the insurance company. Purchasing such an insurance policy will not only minimize unpleasant situations, but also increase customer loyalty, and this is a definite plus.

Problem customers and accounts receivable

One of the most common problems that cleaning companies face is late payments and non-repayment of debts.

Be prepared for the fact that 1 in 10 of your clients will delay paying their bills. In difficult cases, you will have to “knock out” debts in court. To do this, you must have a lawyer on your staff (or outsource) who will deal with claims and litigation on accounts receivable.

In practice, the “risk zone” is legal entities that have recently been operating on the market (so-called fly-by-night companies), clients who are already acting as defendants in court in similar cases. Having ordered services, dishonest companies begin to delay payment, citing financial problems, and it can be difficult to achieve payments even through the courts, since they do not keep funds in bank accounts.

In order to insure against non-payment, you must always conclude an agreement and sign a work acceptance certificate. Even if you know the client well and have worked with him many times, always try to protect yourself from such problems by preparing the documents correctly.

What to do if the client refuses to pay or starts feeding him “breakfast”?

In this case, a claim letter is first drawn up and sent to the client by registered mail. If the money is still not transferred to your account, go to court and seek a court decision in an administrative case. If the amount of debt is more than 350 thousand rubles, you can try to initiate a bankruptcy case for the debtor legal entity.

Search for orders and promotion of services

Tenders

Competitions for the provision of cleaning services are held quite often. They are organized by large retailers (Magnit, Auchan, Pyaterochka, etc.), management companies of business centers, regional and municipal authorities, and industrial enterprises.

Such tenders require significant budgets (from 500,000 rubles to several tens of millions of rubles), however, the requirements here are strict: the number of employees, price category, availability of equipment and tools, work experience, financial security, etc.

If your clients are individuals, do not refuse to constantly post information about your services on specialized Internet resources (“Avito”, “From Hand to Hand”, etc.) Additional orders can come from publications in groups on social networks, forums, stock exchanges freelancing, resources for finding orders and performers (“Professionals ru”, “Repairman ru”, etc.)

Post advertisements in city neighborhoods, drop advertising leaflets in mailboxes - this can give, albeit a small, but positive effect.

Create a website that will represent your company in the Internet space. Develop it and look for clients using contextual advertising and SEO.

Direct access to clients through telephone conversations

If your business employs several dozen people, you cannot do without direct sales. You or your sales manager should call a certain number of potential customers every day in search of a real order.

Your advantages over competitors can be:

• lower price;
• employees with Russian citizenship or a work permit if the backbone of your staff consists of labor migrants;
• customer focus;

Thematic events, competitions, etc.

From time to time, exhibitions, master classes and other events are held in the cleaning industry where you can offer your services. It is not necessary to wait for “cleaning” events. At exhibitions dedicated to design and cottages, your target audience may also be present - use every opportunity to introduce yourself and your business.