I want to start a cleaning service. (Banks, Small Businesses, etc.)?

Question

1. What is the 1st thing, and I mean 1st thing, I should do?
2. What is estimated start-up cost?
3. What licensing will I need?
4. What equipment should I have to start?
5. Do I need to be bonded? What "is" bonded?
6. Any recommended reading?
7. If I use my personal vehicle, Jeep Grand Cherokee, will
I need to claim it as a business vehicle? How do I go about
doing that?
8. Where should I start looking for contracts?
Any recommendations and information will be greatly appreciated.

Answer 1

1. Write a business plan
2. Can't answer online - Consider both fixed and variable costs
3. Depends on your state
4. The cost of your equiptment/supplies should directly correlate to how you are looking to position yourself in the marketplace. Are you looking to be the cheapest, or the best?
5. Yes. Bonding is basically an insurance policy against yourself and your staff ensuring you will not steal. Visit an insurance broker (not agent) to help you find the right policy for you.
6. The Complete Idiots Guide to Starting Your Own Business by Ed Paulson (availabe at Amazon.com)
7. Yes, you will need to insure your vehicle for business use. Find an insurance broker (not agent) to help you find the right insurance for your needs.
8. Start with your friends and family. Word of mouth will be your best way to expand your business. Consider investing in a reward system for your clients to refer you business rather than advertising.

Best of Luck!

Answer 2

Hope that this information is helpful to you.
1. Come up with a name for your business and find out if the name is taken or not.
2. Well that all depends on you for cleaning services you need to get all the cleaning products such as glass cleaner, 409 or what ever use. Plus there is also advertising fees and reg. the name of your company. You also need to get insurance. I would say it's safe to say about $3000. Again it all depends on you.
3. Call the city hall and find out if you need to be licensed or not.
4. You would need to get cleaning products.
5. You also need to get a bond.
6. No I don't thinks so.
7. You can use it for work that' should be ok. You can also include all the expenses in your taxes which is a good thing.
8. Grab the yellow pages and start calling people and see if they are interested in working with you.
Good Luck and let me now if you would like more information.

Answer 3

1 Get a business license.
2 You can start with as little as $100.
3 A simple business license will do.
4 Basic cleaning supplies.
5 You may want to consider getting bonded especially if you land contracts from companies. They want to make sure your not going to rob them blind.
6 Get anything on business management and also some books on how to run a cleaning service.
7 You will have to record business milage on your taxes. If it is a personal car you are not going to be able to claim all of your milage so just record any milage you use for business purposes. Also save your gas receipts.
8 You may need to start with residential contracts as they are the easiest to obtain.

Good luck.

Answer 4

Low or No Cost Ways to Market Your Cleaning Business
By: Steve Hanson

Here are some tips that you can use....

Answer 5

I have owned my own cleaning service for almost 3 years. Contact me through my profile for more info. Be sure to include your email so I can contact you and I will help.