How to Start a Successful Janitorial Business in 2019

Does the mere sight of dust get your blood boiling? Do you enjoy getting floors so clean that people could literally eat off of them? Have you considered getting the words “Cleanliness is next to godliness” tattooed on your body at some point?

If you answered “yes” to one or, better yet, all of these questions, you would be the perfect person to start a janitorial business. There are tons of office buildings, schools, retail stores, and other commercial establishments that would love to have you come and clean for them.

The janitorial services industry can be very competitive, though. There are more than 800,000 companies providing janitorial services at this time—and that number has continued to grow over the course of the last five years.

Here are six steps you can take to get your janitorial business off to a strong start.

Come Up With a Name and Logo for Your Business

Technically, you can create a name and logo for your janitorial business at any point during this process. You don’t have to hurry to come up with the perfect name and logo right away.

But until you have a name and logo in place, your business isn’t going to feel real to you.  So it’s a good idea to brainstorm some ideas and generate a name and logo as soon as you can.

Your name should be something that people will remember once they hear it. It should set the tone for your business and make your company stand out in the crowd.

Your logo, meanwhile, should look very professional so that you can use it to build up your company’s brand recognition. Work with a graphic designer in your area to come up with a great logo that represents your company well.

Find the Funding You’ll Need to Get Your Business Off the Ground

If you’re planning on starting small when you first launch your janitorial business, you won’t need too much funding to get things going. But you will need to find some funding to jumpstart your company.

You’re going to need to have money to pay for things like:

• Registering your business
• Obtaining the right business insurance policy
• Purchasing cleaning equipment and supplies (more on this in a minute!)
• Hiring people to work for you
• Launching advertising campaigns in your community

You can fund your janitorial operation by digging into your own savings account. You can also work with a lender willing to provide you with the money you need in the form of a loan. You can even ask family members and friends to consider investing in your business.

Decide Which Janitorial Services You’ll Offer to Customers

Which janitorial services are you going to offer to your customers once your business is up and running? The more services you can provide, the more likely they are to call on you to take care of all their cleaning needs.

Sit down and assemble a list of services that you’re going to extend to your customers. Your company should be capable of doing things like:

• Vacuuming carpeted floors
• Cleaning and polishing other types of flooring
• Washing windows
• Cleaning and sanitizing bathrooms
• Performing trash removal

When you’re done compiling your list, there should be dozens of services on it. Check out what your potential competitors are offering and try to go above and beyond their services to set your business apart.

Purchase the Right Cleaning Equipment and Supplies

In order to clean commercial establishments in your community, you’re going to need all kinds of cleaning equipment and supplies. From vacuum cleaners and mops to window cleaners and sponges, you’ll need to spend at least a few thousand dollars on equipment and supplies.

You might also want to take your janitorial business to the next level by investing in CleanTelligent software. It’ll help you keep tabs on the services you’re providing for your customers and allow your company to stay more organized.

Set Up a Website That Lists Your Services and Prices

Can you believe that up to 40% of small businesses are operating without a website right now? That’s insane when you consider how important a website is when it comes to marketing a business to the masses.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking your janitorial business doesn’t need a website. Set one up as soon as you can so that you can list all of your services on it and provide your customers with prices for them.

Make sure your website has a contact page, too, so that it’s easy for customers to get in touch with you about obtaining your services.

Begin Marketing Your Services to Those in Your Community

You can come up with an amazing name for your janitorial business, offer an extensive list of janitorial services, and provide people with the best prices in town. But if they don’t have any idea that your business even exists, what good will all of that do?

Marketing your business is of the utmost importance. You can market your business to those in your community by:

• Running ads in local newspapers and on local radio and TV stations
• Setting up social media accounts and connecting with as many local businesses as you can
• Sponsoring different events in your city or town

By marketing your business, you’ll be able to get your name and your logo out there into the world. It’ll lead to more people reaching out to you about obtaining your services.

Start a Successful Janitorial Business Today

As we mentioned earlier, there are already hundreds of thousands of janitorial companies throughout the country. But there is always room for one more.

If you’ve been thinking about starting a janitorial business for a while now, follow the steps listed here to kickstart your operation. Within just a few months, you can have your business humming along and providing great cleaning services to those in your community.

Looking to learn more about starting a small business? Browse through the rest of our blog to get more great advice on doing it.