When it comes to starting a janitor service business, don't quit your day job. Most businesses can be very risky. One of the most important things you can do when you are starting, is to be honest with yourself and have realistic expectations. You want to be optimistic, but you do not want to plan to do more work then you will actually do. Most of the time businesses work best, if you can start them part-time on the side. Also there is less risk to starting a business this way and you can actually make more money per hour.
Having a janitorial business works really well as a side business, because it is something that you can do this after regular business hours. Most of the time janitorial work is done very early in the mornings. It is fairly easy to get around paying other full-time job, at least for the first few months. After you get your business going, you can always hire people to work the night shift for you. If you start your janitorial business this way, will require less investment capital or start up capital to begin your business. You want to also plan on having enough money to cover six months worth of expenses. Not all of your customers will pay you up front. In fact most of them, will want to pay you after you have finished the service or even 1 to 2 months after you have finished it. You will need to have your money in savings, so that you can buy your equipment to begin your business, and so that you can pay your employees while you are still waiting to get your customers will. Plus it is always good to have a financial reserve, because you have to close the business down immediately, you will not be having to pay off credit card debt or business debt in this sort of a situation.
Create a business model for your janitor service business, one that will work. Decide how quickly you want to grow your business. And whether or not you want it to be a small or a large business. I have found that the two most profitable businesses to own our small and large. Medium-size businesses do not make much money as small or large business models and are not worth the investment, unless you are planning on making them a large business eventually. Small business models allow you to streamline your business and make it run as efficiently as possible. You don't want to schedule another employee for work until you absolutely need you. If you want to make the most money per hour that you work, like $60-$80 an hour, a small business model is probably just what you need. This will allow you to hire one or two employees, and always keep them busy. With a large business model, the goal is that you will not have to work in the business for more than one or two years. Then you will be able to make enough money to hire a manager, and you will be able to learn how to play golf. To make a large business successful, it takes a lot of planning, and being able to train a very competent manager. Not everyone is capable of creating a large business. Usually, more people are effective at creating small profitable businesses, and that is why so movies exist today.
Showing posts with label janitor services. Show all posts
Showing posts with label janitor services. Show all posts
Tuesday
Starting a Janitor Service: Seven Tips to Help you Get Started
Starting a janitor service is an excellent home business opportunity. It is a relatively low-tech profession with minimal overhead. All you really need to get started is a strong work-ethic and some basic cleaning supplies. However, to get your business off the ground, you will need to employ some smart business strategies. Here are seven tips to help you get started:
1. Do Your Research – Before you begin your janitorial business, you should have a thorough understanding of the services typically offered by janitor services, the tools needed to complete these services, and the going hourly rate. You should also find out how many other janitorial services there are in your area, the services they offer, and the markets they target. Try to determine if there are any markets where the demand is higher than the supply and if you could reasonably enter said markets.
2. Establish Start Up Capital – As you do your research, determine your startup costs. These should include buying supplies and tools for the job, investing in marketing materials and business cards, paying for business licenses and insurance, and hiring employees, if you plan to do so. Remember that you will not usually get paid right away, so you will need enough money to get you through at least the first month of business, possibly longer if it takes a while to establish several clients. Take the time to build up your capital before you start your business so that you have a cushion if things do not go well at the beginning. This may mean delaying the start of your business, or only operating on a part time basis at first while maintaining a full time job.
3. Start Simple – It might be tempting to offer all possible janitorial services right at the start so that you can reach the largest market. Instead, start with the basics – mopping, vacuuming, dusting, emptying garbage cans, cleaning bathrooms – and target a defined group to begin with. Choose tasks that require relatively low-cost supplies and tools that require no additional training to operate. Doing a few things really well will earn you a better reputation right from the start. You can always expand your services once your business has been established.
4. Get Liscensed, Bonded and Insured – It may seem unnecessary at first to shell out the money for a business license and for insurance, but these are critical elements to having a professional business. Not only do you protect yourself from potential liabilities, you also appear more professional to clients.
5. Invest in Quality Products – It will be tempting to buy a cheap vacuum and the cheapest cleaning products you can get your hands on to increase your margin of profit. Instead, research your options and invest in products that will offer the best results. Put some money into a high-quality, industrial vacuum. Buy a few different floor cleaners and mops and figure out which ones work best. Using high quality supplies will not only improve the work you do, it will also make you more efficient, allowing you to do more in less time.
6. Focus on your Reputation – Make your customer service a top priority. Janitorial businesses are built around repeat and long term clients so make sure that you not only do an excellent job cleaning, but that you present yourself and your employees as professional, honest, hard-working, and client-centered. Clients want to hire people they trust to be in their facilities after hours, without having to worry about things getting broken or stolen. Make your business policies client-friendly and try to resolve any disputes with future business in mind.
7. Don’t Rely on Fliers – Or newspaper adds, for that matter. Those are passive methods of advertising – you post something and wait for the clients to come to you. Instead, employ some active marketing strategies. Take note of newly opened businesses in your area and give them a call – better yet, stop by and introduce yourself. You can also offer to clean for free the first time, or offer a discounted rate for signing up for several months at a time. To encourage word of mouth referrals, offer incentives to current clients for every new client referred.
Following these easy tips will help your new janitor service find success quickly.
1. Do Your Research – Before you begin your janitorial business, you should have a thorough understanding of the services typically offered by janitor services, the tools needed to complete these services, and the going hourly rate. You should also find out how many other janitorial services there are in your area, the services they offer, and the markets they target. Try to determine if there are any markets where the demand is higher than the supply and if you could reasonably enter said markets.
2. Establish Start Up Capital – As you do your research, determine your startup costs. These should include buying supplies and tools for the job, investing in marketing materials and business cards, paying for business licenses and insurance, and hiring employees, if you plan to do so. Remember that you will not usually get paid right away, so you will need enough money to get you through at least the first month of business, possibly longer if it takes a while to establish several clients. Take the time to build up your capital before you start your business so that you have a cushion if things do not go well at the beginning. This may mean delaying the start of your business, or only operating on a part time basis at first while maintaining a full time job.
3. Start Simple – It might be tempting to offer all possible janitorial services right at the start so that you can reach the largest market. Instead, start with the basics – mopping, vacuuming, dusting, emptying garbage cans, cleaning bathrooms – and target a defined group to begin with. Choose tasks that require relatively low-cost supplies and tools that require no additional training to operate. Doing a few things really well will earn you a better reputation right from the start. You can always expand your services once your business has been established.
4. Get Liscensed, Bonded and Insured – It may seem unnecessary at first to shell out the money for a business license and for insurance, but these are critical elements to having a professional business. Not only do you protect yourself from potential liabilities, you also appear more professional to clients.
5. Invest in Quality Products – It will be tempting to buy a cheap vacuum and the cheapest cleaning products you can get your hands on to increase your margin of profit. Instead, research your options and invest in products that will offer the best results. Put some money into a high-quality, industrial vacuum. Buy a few different floor cleaners and mops and figure out which ones work best. Using high quality supplies will not only improve the work you do, it will also make you more efficient, allowing you to do more in less time.
6. Focus on your Reputation – Make your customer service a top priority. Janitorial businesses are built around repeat and long term clients so make sure that you not only do an excellent job cleaning, but that you present yourself and your employees as professional, honest, hard-working, and client-centered. Clients want to hire people they trust to be in their facilities after hours, without having to worry about things getting broken or stolen. Make your business policies client-friendly and try to resolve any disputes with future business in mind.
7. Don’t Rely on Fliers – Or newspaper adds, for that matter. Those are passive methods of advertising – you post something and wait for the clients to come to you. Instead, employ some active marketing strategies. Take note of newly opened businesses in your area and give them a call – better yet, stop by and introduce yourself. You can also offer to clean for free the first time, or offer a discounted rate for signing up for several months at a time. To encourage word of mouth referrals, offer incentives to current clients for every new client referred.
Following these easy tips will help your new janitor service find success quickly.
Friday
How to Find a Reliable Janitor Service in Your Area
When you need a local janitor service that you can count on to be timely, professional and do a quality job, it can be difficult to know where to start or how to go about it. Try these quick and easy ways to find just what you are looking and enjoy your quality service sooner than you think.
1. Word-of-Mouth. Referrals from people you know and trust are the best way to locate a good company. Try to get as much specific information as they can. Focus on details and perspectives you would have a hard time getting anywhere else. Besides letting you know about their good experience, they can also tell you about any bad ones and steer you away from unreliable services or ones with poor work performance.
2. Local businesses. Go into businesses near yours and ask about who does their cleaning. If they hire a janitor service and love how the work gets done, they will be sure to rave about them. Chances are they use a local service that will also work well for your business.
3. Google maps. If you are unable to get a good referral from a friend or local business, the internet has some great options for finding services. On the Google maps site, first put in your location, then type in “janitor service.” Up will pop a map of several locations and a list of some of the companies near you. Included will be addresses, phone numbers and websites. You can get directions will a click of the mouse. If anyone has reviewed the company, you can read that, which will let you know a little more about a company you are considering. When you find one that looks good, be sure to ask for references when you contact them in addition to discussing what services they offer and what their rates are. Go look at some of the businesses they clean to see what kind of job they are doing.
4. Yahoo local. Similar to Google maps, you just type in “janitor service” and your city and you get a map of companies with a list that includes all their information. It is a good idea to try both sites because there are usually some companies listed on one that are not on the other.
5. Yellow pages. While the phone book may seem a bit outdated now that the internet is so easy to access and has so much information, it is still a great source for finding companies. It is quick to call several services with their information all on the page. Sometimes there are coupons or special deals in their advertisements. It is a good idea to ask plenty of questions, get references and do a little research on your own, as you would regardless of how you find the business. Always check with the Better Business Bureau to determine if there are unresolved claims or a history of poor performance or customer service.
1. Word-of-Mouth. Referrals from people you know and trust are the best way to locate a good company. Try to get as much specific information as they can. Focus on details and perspectives you would have a hard time getting anywhere else. Besides letting you know about their good experience, they can also tell you about any bad ones and steer you away from unreliable services or ones with poor work performance.
2. Local businesses. Go into businesses near yours and ask about who does their cleaning. If they hire a janitor service and love how the work gets done, they will be sure to rave about them. Chances are they use a local service that will also work well for your business.
3. Google maps. If you are unable to get a good referral from a friend or local business, the internet has some great options for finding services. On the Google maps site, first put in your location, then type in “janitor service.” Up will pop a map of several locations and a list of some of the companies near you. Included will be addresses, phone numbers and websites. You can get directions will a click of the mouse. If anyone has reviewed the company, you can read that, which will let you know a little more about a company you are considering. When you find one that looks good, be sure to ask for references when you contact them in addition to discussing what services they offer and what their rates are. Go look at some of the businesses they clean to see what kind of job they are doing.
4. Yahoo local. Similar to Google maps, you just type in “janitor service” and your city and you get a map of companies with a list that includes all their information. It is a good idea to try both sites because there are usually some companies listed on one that are not on the other.
5. Yellow pages. While the phone book may seem a bit outdated now that the internet is so easy to access and has so much information, it is still a great source for finding companies. It is quick to call several services with their information all on the page. Sometimes there are coupons or special deals in their advertisements. It is a good idea to ask plenty of questions, get references and do a little research on your own, as you would regardless of how you find the business. Always check with the Better Business Bureau to determine if there are unresolved claims or a history of poor performance or customer service.
Thursday
How to Boost Janitorial Service Income in a Down Economy
The easiest ways to boost your business income for your janitor or janitorial service business in a down economy is to increase your product offering. Find out what services your current customers are already paying someone else to do and see if you can give them a competitive quote for these services.
Two of the easiest side jobs to add to any janitor service business are carpet cleaning and window washing. To start the janitorial window washing part of the business, all you need is a couple of squeegees, rags, a razor blade and a ladder. You can usually charge between 2 and 3 dollars pane and can do interior and exterior. Start up costs are 200 to 300 dollars if you have to buy a ladder.With interior and exterior window you will be making $25 to 30 dollars per hour per employee. Windows should be washed 2 to 3 times per year.
The next business add on you could do is janitor carpet cleaning. You can also do this a regular basis 2 to 3 times per year. You can charge 5 to 15 cents per foot. It will require you to invest in a carpet cleaner, but you can find a nice heavy duty portable unit used, for less then $500. Another option is to sell that job and then hire and contractor to come in and do the job and make money on the difference. Don't forget to charge extra for drapery and upholstery cleaning and spot removal when this services are also needed.
Best of luck doing these things. Hopefully they will work to increase your margins on employee per hour of labor. You may also be interested in up-selling external services like Gutter Cleaning
Visit this site, if your are interested in learning How to Make Extra Easy Money.
Two of the easiest side jobs to add to any janitor service business are carpet cleaning and window washing. To start the janitorial window washing part of the business, all you need is a couple of squeegees, rags, a razor blade and a ladder. You can usually charge between 2 and 3 dollars pane and can do interior and exterior. Start up costs are 200 to 300 dollars if you have to buy a ladder.With interior and exterior window you will be making $25 to 30 dollars per hour per employee. Windows should be washed 2 to 3 times per year.
The next business add on you could do is janitor carpet cleaning. You can also do this a regular basis 2 to 3 times per year. You can charge 5 to 15 cents per foot. It will require you to invest in a carpet cleaner, but you can find a nice heavy duty portable unit used, for less then $500. Another option is to sell that job and then hire and contractor to come in and do the job and make money on the difference. Don't forget to charge extra for drapery and upholstery cleaning and spot removal when this services are also needed.
Best of luck doing these things. Hopefully they will work to increase your margins on employee per hour of labor. You may also be interested in up-selling external services like Gutter Cleaning
Visit this site, if your are interested in learning How to Make Extra Easy Money.
Wednesday
Upgrading your Janitor Service and Upselling
Once you have established a loyal base of customers with your janitor service business and you feel confident that you know what you are doing, it is a good time to expand the number of services you offer.
Often the key to expanding you janitorial services business is services your customers already need such as carpet and drapery cleaning, heating and air conditioning, plants and landscaping, laundry, window cleaning, lighting, herbicides and pest control. Some clients will only be interested in one or two of this extra services, other will want you to do many of them. One easy way to expand is to offer these services on you business card or on your invoice. Often the easiest way to do it is to be vigilant, if you notice they need another service, such as carpet cleaning ask them if you can give them a bid.
Expanding your janitorial service base will do three things to increase you revenues or your bottom line. The first thing it will do is increase you average revenue per customer. The next thing it should do is increase the average dollar per hour you or your employees can make at a job. The third thing it will do is decrease your advertising expense since you will not need to advertise as much because you are making more money per client. If you are still in the growing phase, keep advertising the same amount. The last benefit is that the client sees you as more reputable and they know that you can help them do other things.
Janitorial Services outlook
The breakdown of large corporate America and the creation of many new smaller businesses have made outsourcing janitorial services today cheaper alternative for many companies. These companies don’t want to spend their time staffing high turn over janitor positions or providing health benefits and pension plans for these employees. They would rather let some one else take care of it. These companies wish to use their resources to do what they do best and let you do what you do best.
The janitorial business is steadily growing and according to some experts, it has recently surpassed the 100 billion dollar mark about 5 years ago and by 2008, experts predicted it to be worth about $128. (http:// www.bscai.org/about/default.asp). Industry demand they predict will continue to grow at a rate of 7%. There is a lot of room for new start ups in this industry and there are a lot of successful franchises.
Anyway you look at it now is a great time to start your next janitor service business.
Often the key to expanding you janitorial services business is services your customers already need such as carpet and drapery cleaning, heating and air conditioning, plants and landscaping, laundry, window cleaning, lighting, herbicides and pest control. Some clients will only be interested in one or two of this extra services, other will want you to do many of them. One easy way to expand is to offer these services on you business card or on your invoice. Often the easiest way to do it is to be vigilant, if you notice they need another service, such as carpet cleaning ask them if you can give them a bid.
Expanding your janitorial service base will do three things to increase you revenues or your bottom line. The first thing it will do is increase you average revenue per customer. The next thing it should do is increase the average dollar per hour you or your employees can make at a job. The third thing it will do is decrease your advertising expense since you will not need to advertise as much because you are making more money per client. If you are still in the growing phase, keep advertising the same amount. The last benefit is that the client sees you as more reputable and they know that you can help them do other things.
Janitorial Services outlook
The breakdown of large corporate America and the creation of many new smaller businesses have made outsourcing janitorial services today cheaper alternative for many companies. These companies don’t want to spend their time staffing high turn over janitor positions or providing health benefits and pension plans for these employees. They would rather let some one else take care of it. These companies wish to use their resources to do what they do best and let you do what you do best.
The janitorial business is steadily growing and according to some experts, it has recently surpassed the 100 billion dollar mark about 5 years ago and by 2008, experts predicted it to be worth about $128. (http:// www.bscai.org/about/default.asp). Industry demand they predict will continue to grow at a rate of 7%. There is a lot of room for new start ups in this industry and there are a lot of successful franchises.
Anyway you look at it now is a great time to start your next janitor service business.
Thursday
Janitor Service Welcome
Interested in starting your own janitor service? We will go over all janitor services. Everything you need to know to start your own janitor service plus tons of marketing ideas for janitors. Please comment if you have any ideas or questions. Good luck on your new janitor service business!
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