Oh Please help! Help!!!! Please!!!!?

Question

I'm a female who has started a commercial cleaning service.

I'm good with operating the business. I have every single thing I need. The only thing I have no clue on is, HOW DO I GET COMMERCIAL CLIENTS!

I know about proposals and estimates. But where do I go to look for potential clients? Who really needs my services?

Please help. I'm a single mother just trying to make a living. ;(

Answer 1

Are you talking about something like a janitorial service?
Have some well-planned flyers made up and printed. Distribute them to as many businesses as you can in your area. Be sure you have a business ad in the local phone book. When you see a business that looks like it needs your service, go in and contact them. Leave a business card and flyer. When you have clients who are very satisfied with your work, ask them for a letter of recommendation and keep it on file for future use with prospective clients. Good luck!

Answer 2

You could always advertise in the yellow pages of your phone book, on the radio, or in local restaurant menus, but getting commercial clients using those methods takes a little more time. So look into to that, and to get more immediate clients the following will help:

First, get business cards. Get quite a few. Put them on the counters of all local restaurants near cash registers and any place that will let you put a stack of cards.
Flyers can be helpful too.
Sending postcards to advertise your service to all of your local businesses can be helpful as well.

Check out Vistaprint.com. They have excellent prices on business products & you can design your own logo. At times they even offer free samples. I just ordered invitations from there and I think they have free postcard samples right now. Go to the Spring 07 specials page.

Next is one of the most important things that you can do. Go to some of your local businesses (start with the ones that you do business at so you are more comfortable - such as your bank, your dentist office, etc) and personally talk to the person in charge of hiring a cleaning service. Tell them what you are doing and give them your card. You might or might not get immediate results with this, but if you have a good personal reputation they will surely keep you in mind.

Also, word of mouth can be extremely helpful when you are starting a new business, so tell everyone - your family, friends, neighbors - everyone! When word spreads you will start to get more business -especially if there are businesses that are not happy with their current cleaning service.

Hope this helps - Good Luck!

Answer 3

Most business with offices require cleaning services however you may also want to contact apartment buildings and property owners who have several properties as well a businesses who offer vacation rentals. These types of potential clients are more likely to need your services in between tenants. Also, law offices might need your services.
Many industrial type of companies, government offices, schools and the like often have their own cleaning employees.
Good luck.

Answer 4

1. Get some business cards and brochures made up (easy and inexpensive at www.vistaprint.com or www.designhergals.com).
2. Then you personally take them to every business in town.
3. Follow-up with a phone call requesting the opportunity to qive them a quote.
4. If they let you give them a quote, send it with a "I look forward to hearing from you soon" letter.
5. Follow that up with a note thanking them for the opportunity to serve them.
6. If, by that time you don't have the contract, send them one more letter saying to please keep you in mind in the event they would need your service in the future. Add a sentence that says you would appreciate if if they could send referrals to you.
7. You might also offer a one-time cleaning or a $50 referral fee for everyone they refer to you who offers you a cleaning contract (that you accept).

Hope these ideas help.

Answer 5

HOW CAN ONE BE GOOD OPERATING A BUSINESS AND DON'T HAVE A CLUE ABOUT HOW TO GET CUSTOMERS?

ADVERTISE.....NEWSPAPERS....BUSINESS CARDS, HAND THEM OUT AND POST THEM EVERYWHERE.
HAVE SIGNS MADE UP.....PUT THEM ON YOUR VEHICLES DOORS/REAR/BUMPERS/ RADIO SPOTS....
WORD OF MOUTHS....

AND CANVAS COLD--MEANING HIT IT ON FOOT AND BY PHONE TO BUSINESSES AND OFFERING A DISCOUNT FOR THE FIRST TIME SERVICE TO SHOW OFF YOUR SUPER BEST OF THE BEST CLEANING SERVICE....
AND HAVE SIGNS TO LEAVE IN THE PARKING LOTS ECT... CLEANED BY XYX INCORP CALL XXXXXX

IF YOU CAN CLEAN COMM YOU CAN CLEAN HOMES---CALL REALTY COMPANIES..........

Answer 6

You can try putting an advertisement out in the newspapers?
Print out flyers.. Hand them out to retail stores/homes etc.