One of the great things about the cleaning industry is the low start up costs involved. With only a little investment or even no money at all, you can quickly be set up and running a basic cleaning operation. Once you have some cash flow coming in you can then look at getting licensed (do this as quickly as possible) and becoming a more professional company. So let's look at some ways that you can get started in the cleaning business on a shoestring budget.
One major expense is the equipment and cleaning products that you will need. The budget-friendly solution here is to only take cleaning jobs if you are able to use the customer's equipment and supplies.
The other major expense involved is having a vehicle to get between cleaning jobs. Traveling around on public transportation can take up large parts of your day and is sometimes not an option. Look at targeting the market around where you live. If your customers are close by you can walk or even ride a bicycle to get to their homes.
If you are desperate to get into the business but don't have the budget for some serious marketing then you have to be a little creative. A good set of business cards can be printed quite cheaply and can go a long way towards giving you a little credibility and something to hand around.
One good option for gaining some customers with no advertising spend is networking. By letting friends and family know that you are interested in cleaning you should be able to secure some nearby work. Take a walk around your neighborhood and chat to people who happen to be outside their houses in their gardens or on their driveways and ask them if they currently hire a cleaner and let them know that you are available.
Consider offering people in your community a free house clean. They will be surprised by the offer and may reward you by giving you permanent work or letting others know about you.
The cost of customer acquisition in any service business is typically quite high so you should not expect customers to come easy. But once you get your first few clients and start servicing them well then word will soon spread and you will get referrals that won't cost you a dime.
For those who would like to start a business and keep using their lack of funding as an excuse, give cleaning a try. Making a start is the hardest part and while it would be extremely difficult to start a cleaning business with no money it should be reasonably easy to start with only a little money.
