Running A Business

5 Ways to Grow Your Cleaning Business

May 14, 2020 • 3 min read
Person holding a bucket of cleaning supplies
Table of Contents

      While the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has battered and brutalized many small businesses, a select few are benefitting from this crisis. Contactless payment providers, telehealth services, and delivery systems are doing incredibly well, but there’s also another niche industry on the rise: cleaning companies.

      Due to the increased need for sanitization, small businesses that provide cleaning services have and continue to experience an uptick in popularity. How then, if you own one of these small businesses, do you take advantage of the situation and grow your operations into an industry powerhouse?

      Great question. Every company, location, and situation are different, but this list of 5 ways to grow your cleaning business is sure to put you on the right path.

      Steps to Success

      1. Find a Niche Within Your Industry

      Cleaning companies come in all shapes and sizes. Whether it’s graffiti, windows, carpets, or sanitation, you need to identify your niche and stick to it. Put your efforts into an area of specialty. Like certain stores that make and sell a single type of product, focus on a specialty and become the best at it.

      2. Be Unique

      As a small business, you want to find some way to stand out and above your competition. Identify and emphasize your individuality. Whether it’s the specialized sanitization equipment your business boasts or the superhero costumes you wear when cleaning windows at children’s hospitals, make your business unique and memorable. 

      3. Expand to Match Demand

      With the continued growth in the industry, you need to step up to keep up. If your business was getting by with a single fleet vehicle and some slightly-outdated cleaning equipment, that might no longer be enough. Continuing as you were before the pandemic could put your competition in a place to outpace you and steal your client base. Innovate and expand to keep up with demand. Buy another fleet vehicle, some specialized sanitizing equipment, or whatever tools are most relevant for your business to add value to your operations and stand out. If you don’t have the money up front, consider getting some equipment financing to cover the initial costs. Just don’t overreach. 

      4. Nail Your Marketing Approach

      If nobody knows about your business, nobody will use your business. Word of mouth is a powerful tool within this industry, so find a way to reward it. Get people talking about you and incentivize those conversations. Additionally, consider hiring marketing professionals to help you up your game. Your website could be outdated and hard to use. Your messaging might be stale. Invest in people who can elevate your business identity and expand its reach. Find ways to acquire and allocate some capital for marketing purposes—even if that comes in the form of a startup loan or a short term loan at the beginning.

      5. Live Up to the Hype

      The last and (probably) most important tip is to ensure your business meets or exceeds expectations. If you are trying to expand your client base, boost your reach, and bring in more money, nothing will clog up your progress more than failing to deliver. Bad reviews spread like wildfire—especially if you’re supposed to be trusted to enter and sanitize someone’s house. Make sure you hire hardworking and trustworthy employees, treat your clients and their property with respect, and actually provide the services you promise you will.

      About the author
      Lendio Editorial Team

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