A domestic cleaner is someone who cleans in someone’s home.
Becoming a domestic cleaner is something I almost tried in the past. I cleaned for my Father in Law once a week when he was too ill to clean for himself. Sadly my father in law died, however whilst cleaning I was approached on many occasions by potential clients looking for a reliable cleaner. It is something that I may re-visit in the future.
Firstly, I would advise researching the need for cleaners in your area, then look at how much you are going to charge. Will you charge by the hour? Per job? Also it would be advisable to have a set price for one off cleans, deep cleans and end of tenancy cleans.
Insurance is a must, if you knock over a priceless vase or spill bleach on the Persian rug, you don’t want to be paying for replacement costs for years to come! Insurance is also essential if injuries occur to either yourself or the client.
Another decision to make is whether you are going to use the clients equipment and cleaning products or provide your own, this may affect the amount you charge the client. Perhaps your niche over other cleaners in your area could be that you provide an eco friendly clean? which maybe particularly attractive for people with asthma and allergies.
A domestic cleaner with a good reputation will probably gain most of their work by word of mouth. Everyone has to start somewhere though, so advertising will be a must at the start. Ideas for advertising could be putting a card advertising your cleaning business in the local shop, an advert in local paper/community magazine, leaflet delivery and social media. Carry business cards around with you to pass onto potential clients, it looks more professional than scribbling a phone number down.
Think of a catchy name for your business, that clearly states what your business is.
So, you have received a call from a potential client and you have made an appointment to visit their house in order to provide a quote. Make sure you do your homework. How many bedrooms does the house have? will the clean include ironing, cleaning windows and skirting boards? Make sure that you can realistically complete the work in the hours you agree to.
Most of all, before you embark on your cleaning business consider whether you actually enjoy cleaning!
As your business grows it may become necessary to employ other cleaners, in which case you may eventually be able to take on a supervisory role, if you wish.
In conclusion I think a domestic cleaning business has the potential to be very profitable and it has the advantage of low start up costs.
I haven’t discussed the need to register with HMRC (UK), as I’m not knowledgeable enough on the subject, however for tax purposes registering with the necessary people is a must.
