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Digg it UP - Start a Cleaning Business and Keep it Growing
Earlier in my career, I worked for a training and technical assistance service provider with significant revenue from foundations and corporations. What was the key to success? It was targeted fundraising based on the needs of the donors.Unfortunately, many organizations take another approach. They send a shower of requests hoping one might land in the right spot. As a board member of a grantmaking organization with no paid staff, I review requests that are based on this "shower" approach. They have little chance of being funded. Why? In most cases, the requests either do not relate to our grantmaking initiatives or the amount of money requested is well above our capabilities.In the current fundraising environment of fewer dollars and more nonprofits, you can't afford to waste your time and resources. There are four keys to more successful fundraising.Be clear about who you areYou must be clear about:The community need you are addressingHow your mission addresses that needThe precise activities or services for which you are seeking supportWho will benefit from these activities or servicesYour expected outcomesYour measures of successThe type and amount of resources you need to achieve your desired resultsInvest in prospect researchOnce you are clear about your needs, shift your focus to the needs of your potenti
The name and logo for your cleaning business require thought. Your cleaning service business should have a polished and professional image to compete in the m
This week I had the opportunity to launch a new product at the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association’s annual trade show in Orlando. This is an annual fair that brings together the manufacturers of all size to present and introduce new wares for the youth market. As in all industries, the competition is fierce, the innovations many and the marketing strategies are endlessly varied.During lulls in the action I walked the floor and did a bit of networking. I had the good fortune to meet a woman, standing at the smallest, most sparsely merchandised booth in the show. As we chatted she opened up to me about what her goals were for her product, at this time and at this expensive, high-end show.Her display consisted solely of a single prototype of her invention. She had no packaging, no graphics, no branding, none of the elements present in glowing abundance at every other booth on the trading floor. She was also scared. Her expressed fear was that she would be dismissed as a dreamer for attending such an event with no bullets in her gun.Despite all of her perceived disadvantages, this lady had a really great product concept. Her invention was novel, a true product improvement over the existing universe of competitive brands currently being marketed. I thought she had an excellent chance to find a partner, a license or sell her patented concept and told her so.Each day I wo
How to start a cleaning business with minimal investment and maximum return.
The article "Are You Ready” at MaidDocs.com tells you what to expect during your first year of running your own cleaning business. After reading the article if you are certain that you still want to start your own house cleaning business, then visit all of the websites listed at the end of this article to learn about government regulations, taxes and licensing, and professional cleaning business forms. You will also find information about how to establish ownership of your cleaning business (corporation, LLC, or sole proprietor.)
Decide on the fee you will charge for your cleaning services. Research the local market to determine what your competitors charge. You must remain within the local standards, and you can undercut your competition slightly; however, if you charge significantly less than the competition you may end up with low profits and a heavy workload -- defeating your business goals. Keep your prices within local standards so that as you add employees you will not need to raise prices and thereby lose customers. If you want to offer significantly lower cleaning fees than your competitors you should advertise time-sensitive discounts (i.e. $50 off a deep cleaning until the end of next month.)
The name and logo for your cleaning business require thought. Your cleaning service business should have a polished and professional image to compete in the m
Non custom trade show displays manufacturers (pop up booths) have pidgeon-holed everyone into cookie cutter booths. Custom trade show displays to be effective should be unique. Now create custom trade show displays that are unique and memorable. Design modular trade show display booths that are not cookie cutter curve popups. Custom trade show displays can create a unique image for your company. Don't settle for exhibits that are all alike--- now you can stand out by designing a custom trade show display. Design you own booth, it is simple. Start with a rough sketch what you want then any reputable display dealer can put together a CAD rendering of your booth. If they can't, then I wouldn't trust them to be able to provide your booth. The custom built booth is almost a thing of the past. Using modular components pre-made in almost any size and shape, you can now create a unique look that doesn't require every booth to be built from scratch. A reputable display company work out your design on computer from that point. Your idea slowly becomes a detailed CAD. Then you can add graphics to it; try different colors or textures; add shapes, counters, kiosks, back lighted boxes, shelves or banners. Without wasting money on hardware!! We can usually come up will a design that is VIRTUAL in a few days, saving you a huge amount of time.Custom Modular displays are a very attractive alternative to
How to start a cleaning business with minimal investment and maximum return.
The article "Are You Ready” at MaidDocs.com tells you what to expect during your first year of running your own cleaning business. After reading the article if you are certain that you still want to start your own house cleaning business, then visit all of the websites listed at the end of this article to learn about government regulations, taxes and licensing, and professional cleaning business forms. You will also find information about how to establish ownership of your cleaning business (corporation, LLC, or sole proprietor.)
Decide on the fee you will charge for your cleaning services. Research the local market to determine what your competitors charge. You must remain within the local standards, and you can undercut your competition slightly; however, if you charge significantly less than the competition you may end up with low profits and a heavy workload -- defeating your business goals. Keep your prices within local standards so that as you add employees you will not need to raise prices and thereby lose customers. If you want to offer significantly lower cleaning fees than your competitors you should advertise time-sensitive discounts (i.e. $50 off a deep cleaning until the end of next month.)
The name and logo for your cleaning business require thought. Your cleaning service business should have a polished and professional image to compete in the m
Opening the door and stepping inside a store, is like the curtain going up on stage. Shopping is a play we all participate in. Even those who say they don't like it. Great stores entertain us, share new ideas, make political statements, express our values, and then send us home with more stuff than we intended to buy. A great play starts out with a great story. Just reading that story on stage doesn't make great theatre. There are many other elements that make a story into a dramatic production. In retail, the story is the product.You might have the best product since the ipod, but just putting it on a shelf doesn't mean people will buy it. To successfully sell a product today you need to create a shopping experience for consumers that they enjoy. If they don't like it, they'll go somewhere else. In theater and retail, drama and entertainment are created with the same elements. You need: a great setting, great lighting and great talent.Setting A great setting creates a mood, an image. A place for the action to happen. The setting is integral to the story.A setting can be created on stage with all the trimmings and details - a complete re-creation of another place. Or it can be a mere suggestion of a place - a single chair, painted backdrops. The audience still gets the picture. Their imagination fills in the rest.The same is true in retail. Some stores are
Decide on the fee you will charge for your cleaning services. Research the local market to determine what your competitors charge. You must remain within the local standards, and you can undercut your competition slightly; however, if you charge significantly less than the competition you may end up with low profits and a heavy workload -- defeating your business goals. Keep your prices within local standards so that as you add employees you will not need to raise prices and thereby lose customers. If you want to offer significantly lower cleaning fees than your competitors you should advertise time-sensitive discounts (i.e. $50 off a deep cleaning until the end of next month.)
The name and logo for your cleaning business require thought. Your cleaning service business should have a polished and professional image to compete in the m
More and more people are calling it quits to successful careers to create some personal leisure time or to pursue another career. This trend is becoming more popular and common. Years ago few people voluntarily quit a job midway through their careers, no matter how unhappy they were. It was not acceptable to leave one job without having another job to go to. There was a stigma present that you were damaged goods if you did so.I think that what has caused executives taking time off more common and acceptable is corporate restructuring which has lead to burnout. Corporate jobs are not as straight forward as once were. These factors have caused employees to bail out for a few months or longer without knowing exactly where or how they will land. Making a decision like this takes planning and it is not something you decide to do overnight. Without some planning it could be a disaster. Before quitting a job that you are financially dependent upon, you should have done some financial planning ahead of time. Decreasing debt and having enough dollars saved up to support yourself for however long you intend to be off is a must. You also need to think about what you are going to do with your time. Are you going to spend more time developing a hobby, do volunteer work, get in physical shape, rest, go back to school, pursue another career, spend more time with family, etc. Have a plan because fi
Decide on the fee you will charge for your cleaning services. Research the local market to determine what your competitors charge. You must remain within the local standards, and you can undercut your competition slightly; however, if you charge significantly less than the competition you may end up with low profits and a heavy workload -- defeating your business goals. Keep your prices within local standards so that as you add employees you will not need to raise prices and thereby lose customers. If you want to offer significantly lower cleaning fees than your competitors you should advertise time-sensitive discounts (i.e. $50 off a deep cleaning until the end of next month.)
The name and logo for your cleaning business require thought. Your cleaning service business should have a polished and professional image to compete in the m
1. Stay in contact with customers on a regular basis. Offer them a free e-zine subscription. Ask customers if they want to be updated by e-mail when you make changes to your Web site. After every sale, follow-up with the customer to see if they are satisfied with their purchase.2. Create a customer focus group. Invite ten to twenty of your most loyal customers to meet regularly. They will give you ideas and input on how to improve your customer service. You could pay them, take them out to dinner or give them free products.3. Make it easy for your customers to navigate on your web site. Have a "FAQ" page on your Web site to explain anything that might confuse your customers. Ask them to fill out an electronic survey to find out how make your web site more customer friendly.4. Resolve your customers complaints quickly and successfully. Answer all e-mail and phone calls within an hour. If possible, you the owner of the business, personally take care of the problem. This will show your customers you really care about them.5. Make it easy for your customers to contact you. Offer as many contact methods as possible. Allow customers to contact you by e-mail. Hyperlink your e-mail address so customers won't have to type it. Offer toll free numbers for phone and fax contacts.6. Make sure employees know and use your customer service policy. Give your empl
The name and logo for your cleaning business require thought. Your cleaning service business should have a polished and professional image to compete in the marketplace. A professionally designed logo will help to brand your company in the public's mind. Your logo will be printed on business cards, marketing pieces, letterhead, car signs, etc., so carefully consider the image you want to present, and then choose a name and artwork which will best reflect that image. Be certain that the business name you’ve chosen is not already in use. At LogoYes.com you can create a logo online for only $99.
Before you start your own cleaning business be prepared with customized, professionally written cleaning business forms and letters. You should have: a sales script memorized to perfection whether you do in-home estimates or estimates by phone; cleaning fee estimate calculator; fee estimate letters; follow-up letters for quotes not booked; new customer letters stating hourly fees for cleaning services and payment policies; a customer database and accounting system set up and ready to accept information; customer information sheets listing vital details for account; cleaning service checklist form to leave with customers at every service; customer survey forms for every new customer to complete and return; and complaint response letters and forms ready for mailing just in case a customer is dissatisfied.
To obtain your first customers you can advertise under "services" in the classified section of your local newspapers. Keep it short and ad your logo if you can afford to. Your ad might read “Quality housecleaning with integrity. Call ###-#### for a free estimate.” $25 - $100 should cover running your ad for 2 weeks depending upon your location and size of the ad.
It is of utmost importance that you have a voice-mail system with a professional message which reflects your business image. Also, your phone system should captur
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