December 19, 2024
The cleaning industry covers a wide range of services and different types, something we’re very familiar with as Birmingham cleaners; the common one everyone is familiar with is domestic homes. This includes ongoing regular visits every week or two, to one-off cleans, such as the end of tenancies and extra carpet and window cleaning.
However, there is a whole different world of commercial and business cleaning.
It’s not until you enter the cleaning industry that you realise how vast this is and how attractive it can be to develop a business with perceived higher returns and larger contracts.
This is true in many respects, although it can work the other way. If you’re heavily dependent on these, they can also be harder to absorb when they disappear.
This might be due to external circumstances, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, or internal decisions within the business to bring in internal resources or retender to see savings.
However, this can pay off correctly with suitable systems and balance, therefore here are five core issues to be aware of when developing a commercial cleaning business—whether this is your first venture or a domestic cleaning business you want to expand.
If you’re in the business-to-business sector, you must demonstrate your skills and experience in that area.
Knowing the proper cleaning specifications and demonstrating that you have experience in such areas will often be essential (as well as the ability to use specialist subcontractors).
Focusing on a specific niche may be better than spreading it too thin. Office cleaning is a popular example, but even then, there are different types, from large city centre office blocks on commercial contracts to more complex serviced offices, to smaller ad hoc offices in unusual places like out building.
Other sectors include retail shops and leisure outlets, which often require strict compliance and specialists. Another is industrial units and workshops.
This is a must do, upfront, before you start looking for work rather than an afterthought afterwards.
Not only do the usual insurance coverage and health and safety procedures need to be updated for this type of cleaning, but specific accreditation schemes, such as Safe Contractor, are also worth considering.
And don’t forget helpful reviews and testimonials from happy customers of similar commercial premises.
Once completed, make sure they’re easy to hand and being able to show potential customers, including an online portal. You will change these to match the specific instructions.
Linked to the first point, make sure you target your marketing for new work to specific geographical areas and sectors to make it as productive as possible.
You may need to start with basic networking and leaflet dropping to get the ball rolling, but then stick with that area, including literal next-door office blocks, for example, and ask for recommendations.
The same principle applies to online advertising, whether focused SEO of the website for certain keywords or paid advertising.
Once you secure work, ensure you get the detail right – as it will count.
Agree on the exact cleaning specification and clarify issues such as who provides the PPE and cleaning substances, how access is arranged, what happens in emergencies, and additional cleaning requirements.
Then, regularly review, ideally with an Operations Manager, and keep the client updated. Make sure problems are quickly solved, as they can often develop into more significant issues that fly under the radar of Senior Management within a business.
Finally, remember your existing (and growing) client base is your best asset for future and additional work.
Provide excellent service, and don’t be ashamed to ask for additional cleaning services as needed, and helpful feedback.
Ask for reviews and testimonials, and be aware that you may need to contact multiple clients for different reasons, such as a separate Accounts and Procurement team.
These above points will hopefully help clarify whether a commercial cleaning business is worth developing.
Above all, you need to be prepared and focus more on this than with domestic cleans, which can be more ad hoc and word-of-mouth.
But it can pay off if you do this and keep on track and stay patient.
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