How to open a cleaning company. Clean business, or how to open a cleaning company

Many large companies, shopping and business centers are increasingly turning to professionals to perform such an important task as ensuring cleanliness in their premises. To clean large areas, it is necessary to employ a whole staff of cleaners, purchase household chemicals and special equipment. In addition, business personnel, as a rule, are subject to high turnover, and working with such employees can become a real headache for the organization's personnel services. Transferring all these functions to outsourcing allows the company to receive a full range of cleaning services without being distracted by ensuring uninterrupted cleaning of the premises. If cleaning interests you as your own business, read the instructions on how to open a cleaning company.

Competition in the cleaning market is quite high, so entering this business relying only on a flow of one-time orders is a very reckless decision. It’s good if you have a large object in mind with which you can agree on cooperation.

Without a solid foundation in the form of regular large clients, working on small orders does not make much sense. Such an enterprise is unlikely to stay afloat for long. Small offices still prefer to use the services of their own retired cleaners, and individuals are not yet accustomed to inviting cleaning specialists to their apartments. Although putting things in order after moves and renovations, washing windows and other labor-intensive cleaning jobs are gradually becoming more and more in demand among the population. Specialization in such services can take place when the level of competition is low in regional cities.

Where to begin?

If you have already identified potential clients, you can start organizing your business. No licenses are required to clean premises. However, the quality of work performed by a cleaning company must comply with GOST. The main regulatory document for your personnel will be state standard R 51870-2002: “Household services. Cleaning services for buildings and structures."

To officially register your business, select an organizational form and tax regime. To work with large customers, it is preferable to open an LLC using the simplified tax system or the general taxation system.

After registering the organization and registering it with the tax office and extra-budgetary funds, you can take care of the office, personnel and equipment. The number of employees and choice of equipment will largely depend on the requirements of your main customers.

As for the office, it is nominal in a start-up cleaning company and is a small room (about 20 sq. m.) with rooms for storing equipment and chemicals. It is not worth equipping a representative office with offices and good repairs at first; you can save money on this. Meetings with clients can be held on their premises. If things go well, the office can be expanded, offices can be allocated to managers, and a meeting room can be created.

Recruitment

An employee of a cleaning company is not the usual grandmother waving a mop, but a professional cleaner capable of quickly and efficiently performing a fairly large amount of physical work. Modern cleaning is a high-tech process, and it is carried out using special chemicals and equipment. Cleaners must have the appropriate knowledge, so training must be organized for them before starting work. Employees need to be trained to operate cleaning machines and select chemicals depending on the type of contamination and the characteristics of the surface being cleaned.

The number of cleaners hired directly depends on the volume of work. One cleaner should have from 500 to 900 sq.m of cleaned area in large offices or retail areas. Personnel must be provided with special clothing with the symbols of your company.

When starting a cleaning business, you must understand that high staff turnover in this area is inevitable. It is not easy to recruit workers for low-skilled work. It is better if a separate person does this from the very beginning. Find a smart HR manager who will take on the most difficult part of the job. If you plan to staff your staff of cleaners using migrants, do not forget to settle all formalities with the Federal Migration Service: fines and problems with government agencies are of no use to you.

Cleaners can work either on a salary basis or on a piece-rate wage system. When hiring, everyone must sign a liability agreement, since cleaners have access to premises with goods and other valuables of the customer.

Particular attention must be paid to personnel safety training, since cleaning is an activity with a high risk of injury.

When the business gets back on its feet, hire an account manager who will look for additional orders and develop your company. Then it will be possible to transfer the incoming accountant to the staff.

Purchase of equipment

Cleaning as a business requires a responsible approach to purchasing equipment. The quality of cleaning and the speed of work of your employees largely depend on its choice.

You need to purchase professional cleaning equipment:

dry vacuum cleaner;
disc machine for cleaning carpets;
scrubber dryer;
washing machine for washing uniforms and cloth napkins;
cleaning carts with bucket, garbage bag holder and wringer;
mops, buckets, napkins and rags, other equipment;
detergents for floors, carpets and textiles, glass, plumbing; stain removers; protective coatings.

If you service one or two large facilities, the equipment can be stored on their territory, otherwise you need to think about transporting equipment and inventory to customers.

How much does it cost to open a cleaning company?

The costs of opening a cleaning company, depending on the volume of work and services provided, range from 500 thousand rubles. up to 1.7 million rubles, including:

State registration and office rental - 30 - 40 thousand rubles.
Purchase of cleaning equipment, inventory, detergents – 500 – 1000 thousand rubles.
Additionally, if necessary: office equipment (100 – 150 thousand rubles), purchase of transport (300 – 500 thousand rubles)

Monthly costs (from 260 thousand rubles):

for staff salaries, taking into account social contributions - 200-250 thousand rubles;
for rent and utility bills - 20-30 thousand rubles;
for the purchase of consumables and chemicals - from 5 thousand rubles;
advertising and other expenses – from 30 thousand rubles.

If you manage to get an 8 thousand square meter facility for maintenance (the area of an average hypermarket), your investment in the business will be returned in about 6 months. These calculations were made based on the average cost of cleaning - 40 rubles per 1 sq. m. m. To work on such an area you will need 9-10 cleaners. Under other conditions, the payback period for a cleaning company can range from 6 months to 2 years.

When drawing up a business plan for a cleaning company, keep in mind that the wider range of services you provide, the faster your investment will pay off. This is due to the fact that long-term cooperation with a large customer, as the basis of business, provides your company with daily employment, but it is also the cheapest. One-time services bring more income due to their high cost, but they are irregular in nature. The same applies to highly specialized work: carpet cleaning, window washing, seasonal cleaning. Therefore, over time, it is advisable for your company to cover all these services.

Cleaning is the provision of cleaning services at a professional level. Cleanliness is needed always and everywhere - in an apartment, in a factory or in an office. But not everyone has the time and opportunity to fully and regularly manage it. That’s why starting a cleaning company from scratch is always promising and profitable.

Cleaning company. Business from scratch

Like any enterprise, this also requires preliminary preparation. So, how to start a cleaning company? A business plan, drawn up competently and in detail, will help calculate all costs, payback periods and profit margins. And also avoid unnecessary expenses and unnecessary hassle.

I have my own specificity as it relates to a business plan for a cleaning company. The points that must be studied and taken into account are the following:

type of activity - that is, what kind of premises you are going to clean and how often;
goal: will you work on order with already known clients or search for them spontaneously with the help of advertising;
selection of employees: you already have a team, and if not, then where will you look for it;
purchase or rental of necessary equipment and auxiliary means;
rental of premises;
methods and types of advertising, as well as competition.

All these points require detailed consideration and explanation.

Live in a small town? Do you want to start your own business, but are not sure whether it will pay off? Ours will help you navigate and choose the right direction for your business!

Demand and competition

In the list above, this item is in last place. But in fact, it’s worth thinking about this even before you start working in a given direction. There is no doubt that cleaning services are in demand. For example, a lot of large companies are registered in the USA, providing a wide range of services in this area. Their annual turnover is about 30 billion dollars, and that's saying something! Russia is not America, that’s clear. However, the demand is still quite high, as is the competition.

Problems with competing firms arise mainly in megacities. It would seem that there is room to expand here: there are a huge number of commercial enterprises, factories, cafes, clubs, shopping centers, and just private apartments that require regular cleaning. But there are also plenty of people who want to do this; look at reality soberly.

Therefore, in order to cope with the competition and make a profit from your endeavor, you must be aware from the very beginning: everything must be at the highest level. If the staff is experienced, polite and qualified, if the equipment is modern and reliable, if the detergents are high-quality and environmentally friendly.

Figuratively speaking, Aunt Masha from the next door with a rag, mop and bucket will not be able to provide you with the required level.

Another thing is remote regions and small towns, where cleaning companies are few and far between. This is not a plowed field on which, if you want to work and earn money, it is quite possible to grow your own golden tree.

Where and how to organize a cleaning business?

Choosing a room

So, you have monitored the market and possible competitors, you have not changed your decision and are starting your own business. First, you need a room - at least so that the staff has a place to change clothes, and you have a place to store equipment. You can accept orders anywhere via telephone and the Internet; renting an office for this purpose alone is pointless.

Your first the office must have at least three rooms:

staff room with locker room and rest area;
small warehouse;
your office.

You also cannot do without a bathroom with a shower and, preferably, a small kitchen. The office can be located in any part of the city. As practice shows, customers rarely visit the company - on the contrary, you will go to them to assess the facility and the scale of work required on it.

Equipment for a cleaning company

There is an office - now we need cleaning equipment and inventory. It is assumed that you will start small - major cleaning of offices and apartments.

For this you need:

window cleaning kit - about $200;
professional vacuum cleaner - $500-600;
a cart on which a bucket with a wringer is placed, a set of necessary detergents, a garbage bag, and other small tools - $200-250;
unit for deep cleaning of carpets - $200-270;
mop and broom - modern, about 50 dollars;
various disinfectant solutions and detergents.

A washing machine would also come in handy to tidy up staff uniforms and other fabric materials – covers for chairs, armchairs, curtains, etc. It will cost an additional 500-600 dollars. That, in fact, is all you need to provide to start a cleaning business from scratch.

The total amount will depend on what brand of equipment you will purchase, new or used. Don’t forget also that you can save additional money at first by renting expensive equipment - but this is only at first.

How to recruit a good team?

Qualified personnel are the key to the success of your company. You need to approach this issue very carefully, because reputation in your case is one of the main guarantors of the influx of regular, profitable customers. It needs to be supported from the very beginning. You need to hire:

two or three efficient, neat, experienced and polite cleaners. They should know their business and not be rude to clients;
a driver who would take them to sites and pick them up from there;
in the future - assistant secretary, helping to negotiate with clients, monitor inventory purchases, etc.

What else do you need to consider? The driver must either bring his own vehicle, or you will have to hire a car - usually a minibus is required, there is no saving here. Good companies often organize seminars and master classes for staff on how to learn how to work with new equipment and cleaning products. Keep an eye on this if you don't want to fall behind your competitors.

You can select personnel through friends or on the Internet by arranging interviews. Don’t be afraid to assign a probationary period to strangers - this is your business and your money that you invest in it.

How much do you need to invest to start a cleaning business?

If you are starting from scratch and have practically nothing, you will need at least 150 thousand rubles. This should be enough to rent a small room (15-17 thousand rubles), purchase equipment and detergents (approximately 100-120 thousand rubles), and advertising.

At first, you will only be able to clean small rooms and apartments. But over time, you will be able to expand the range of your work, staff, and raise the level of services.

However, these are only one-time costs that you will not be limited to. Don't forget also about:

monthly taxes, from which it is better not to evade (depending on the region and type of activity, method of registration);
payment for rent of premises (also depends on the region and area);
payment for Internet, telephone and advertising (at least 1000 rubles);
staff salaries (about 15 thousand for cleaners and at least 20 thousand for drivers);
purchase of necessary equipment and materials (about 7 thousand rubles);
other small expenses, for example, coffee and water, soap and paper for the office, etc. (from 2 to 4 thousand rubles).

All together this will amount to approximately another 150 thousand rubles per month, no less. This is how you calculate your profit - subtract the amount spent from the amount of concluded and paid contracts, the remainder is an indicator of the profitability of your activities. Based on this, set the price for your services.

As a rule, cleaning one square meter in an office or apartment costs from 40 to 170 rubles, depending on the region and the client’s requirements. Thus, if you clean premises with a total area of 5 thousand square meters per month at the minimum price, your net profit should be approximately 50 thousand rubles.

What are the payback periods?

With proper business management and the presence of regular customers, they will range from six months to twelve. Why from six, if according to the above calculations only three are obtained, subject to minimal investment? Because it won’t be long before you can sign contracts for cleaning as many as five thousand square meters. This still needs to be achieved.

To speed up these deadlines and increase your income, it is important to acquire a good client base as quickly as possible and enter large facilities - restaurants, gyms, large enterprises. And this can only be done with the help of high-quality advertising.

How to advertise your company?

You need to start carrying out advertising campaigns even before opening a company. People should know that very soon a company will appear in their city that will bring cleanliness and comfort to their apartment, bar, cinema, bank, store, etc. To do this, you can use the radio network, the Internet, and distributing leaflets in public places. Don't forget about discounts and bonuses in honor of the opening!

Next, you should take care of constant advertising on billboards throughout the city. You should be everywhere, you should be remembered and recommended to others. Also conduct demonstration campaigns when visiting potential clients. But don’t get too carried away—it’s not worth cleaning half the city for free just to attract customers. As well as promising something that you cannot fulfill.

In general, this is a really profitable and promising business with a lot of advantages - you can start without an office or staff at all, taking on all the main chores and involving your relatives in this business. Over time, you will certainly achieve success, and no one will reproach you that cleaning is not prestigious.

The main two questions you need to answer when starting a cleaning business are: “What will my cleaners be like?” and “How to find clients?” It depends on who will work for you and who will order whether your business will “take off” or “fail to take off.” Everything else is secondary.

Since the commercial real estate cleaning market (offices, retail premises) has long been occupied by large players, place your bet on cleaning residential premises. There are higher requirements for the quality of work performed, which means you will need more qualified personnel. However, there is a strong belief that cleaning comes down to “waving a rag”, and everyone can do it. Therefore, any advertisement of yours looking for cleaners will receive hundreds of responses, but the proportion of people willing to work to high quality standards will be minimal. Personnel selection, training, knowledge testing - all this will take you a lot of time.

Out of hundreds of responses there will be, at best, 1-2 worthy candidates.

Investment size

The amount of investment varies depending on whether you want to open a business in a large or small city.

In any case, it consists of several mandatory points:

Renting premises. A room of about 50 m2 will be enough, maybe even less. The main thing is to separate the warehouse from the office part and ensure good ventilation of the room. The option of renting an apartment is possible, but undesirable, because the cleaners will constantly come and go, and the landlord will not like it. It’s best to take inexpensive, free-use premises somewhere away from the red line or in a large office center. The location of the building does not matter. Renting an office will cost you 10-20 thousand rubles per month.

Purchase of chemicals and equipment. If a client orders house cleaning, he expects a specialist to do it better than himself. Do not use household products (and especially the client’s personal funds); purchase professional equipment and chemicals. Floors, glass, plumbing fixtures, kitchen appliances - all of this is washed with different chemicals, so take an assortment of chemicals for all types of dirt that you are going to work with. The minimum initial cost is 10,000 rubles, this is if you are not going to provide additional services, for example, dry cleaning of upholstered furniture.

Remember that the main marketing of your business is cleaning done well.

Step-by-step instruction

First of all, select a room and, if necessary, make repairs to it.

Purchase furniture, office equipment and install them.

Purchase all necessary equipment and chemicals.

As stated earlier, the location of your office does not matter. The main thing is to choose the format of your interaction with the cleaners. If, for example, they will travel to orders on public transport, look for a place near bus stops. If by personal transport or taxi, the location will not be so important.

Documentation

To open your own cleaning business, you must first decide on the legal form. IP would be the best option. As for the taxation system, the best option would be UTII (provision of household services). If UTII is not valid in your region, then choose the simplified tax system (6% of income).

When registering with the tax office, indicate OKVED code 74.70.1 (“Cleaning and cleaning of residential and industrial premises and equipment”) and OKPD-2 81.29.19.000 (“Other cleaning and cleaning services not included in the selected groups”).

The activities of cleaning companies are not subject to licensing, but compliance with GOST R 51870-2014 “Professional cleaning services - cleaning services” is mandatory. Please read this document carefully - it describes all the standards for the provision of these services.

In addition, each cleaner must have a medical certificate. The list of tests is similar to the list for household workers (for example, a beauty salon).

Opening checklist

Is it profitable to open

According to our calculations, a company engaged in cleaning residential premises, even in a small city (population of 50 thousand or more), after six months of operation, can achieve a stable profit of about 70,000 rubles. In a million-plus population, this number will reach 250 thousand per month after the same six months of work. But this is only possible if the company is hired and promoted competently.

In this material:

A cleaning company, whose business plan from scratch involves certain investments at the start, is in demand in today's services market. The increasing division of labor and concern for their own health is forcing office plankton to turn to the services provided by a cleaning company. And this is correct, because professional staff, using special tools and devices, will do in a short period of time what office workers will not be able to do.

Why is the demand for these services increasing?

Skeptics will believe that in the office, employees can clean themselves if necessary. But it often happens that there are staff in the room, the management forces them to clean up after themselves, but very quickly the carpet becomes covered with dirt, dust, dirt and cobwebs under the table, cabinet and radiators are not cleaned, and a persistent unpleasant smell appears in the room. It only takes a week of not cleaning a room before it becomes unpleasant to enter.

The management has faced this problem more than once, so it tries to allocate funds for the services provided by the cleaning company. Moreover, a poorly cleaned room becomes a source of pathogenic bacteria, especially if strangers constantly enter the room. Therefore, a regularly cleaned office reduces staff illness and production losses. Finally, when the room smells fresh, it’s pleasant and easy to breathe, the staff’s productivity increases. The agency does not so much provide services to restore order, but is directly involved in increasing the efficiency of labor at the enterprise and, as a result, increasing its profitability.

Where to begin?

How to open a cleaning company from scratch? We will have to purchase equipment, equipment, hire and train personnel.

The first thing you need to decide is the need for an office. Potential clients will not go to the company's office. They dial a phone number, inquire about the type of services and their cost, and place an order.

To do this, you can put an operator on your home phone. But you will need a room to dry equipment, a floor scrubber, and store all these products for production. This could be some small office of 15 square meters. m, the rental of which will cost 10-12 thousand rubles. per month.

Organizing a business from scratch is not easy; it will require a lot of effort and financial investment. Reception of personnel can also be carried out on neutral territory.

To do this, you can advertise for a job, collect applications from applicants over the phone, set one day for an interview and conduct it in one of the offices of the business center, which is rented for half a day.

If you can somehow manage without a good office and if you have a good garage, that will be enough, then without professional cleaning equipment for this project it will be impossible to get positive reviews and regular customers.

Office workers can also wipe off the dust with a rag, but it doesn’t make it much cleaner. The cleaning equipment set includes:

professional vacuum cleaner - 14-20 thousand rubles;
a flat mop, a modern analogue of a mop and broom, costing 1.2-1.7 thousand rubles;
a trolley with a wringer, equipped with a net for containers with solutions and a bag for collecting garbage, costing about 6-7 thousand rubles;
window cleaning kit - 2.3-2.7 thousand rubles;
scraper for removing adhered dirt - 420-480 rubles;
napkins for wiping dust - 180-250 rubles.

The cleaning business requires that every cleaner be equipped with this kit, costing 24-32 thousand rubles.

If you plan to clean shopping centers or other large premises, you need to plan in your business plan the purchase of a floor scrubber, which will cost at least 80 thousand rubles. The cost of good models reaches 450-500 thousand rubles. But such equipment replaces the work of several employees of a cleaning agency, speeds up the cleaning process, while improving its quality.

The initial expenses don't end there. The staff still needs to be trained and this must be done without fail. Training is carried out by large cleaning companies, the cost of which ranges from 5 to 20 thousand rubles. Choose a training format in which you would teach:

what types of pollution are there;
how to select chemicals;
cleaning technologies.

Based on the results of the courses, the cleaner must understand the composition of chemicals, the degree of their concentration in order to clean dirt from a particular surface, and clearly determine what is suitable.

In addition to equipped personnel, you will need a vehicle that will deliver personnel to and from sites.

A passenger GAZelle is suitable, which can be purchased with mileage for 250-400 thousand rubles, or leased. You can get by with a car. The main thing is that cleaners with a cleaning kit do not travel on public transport. The company must maintain a certain brand and be reputable.

At first, you can add to the business plan that 3 employees will work simultaneously. Work schedule: week to week. Total you will need:

3 cleaning kits - 72-96 thousand rubles;
training for 6 people - 30-120 thousand rubles;
scrubber dryer - 80 thousand rubles.

Training can be made diverse. For example, 2 people will take expensive courses for 20 thousand rubles, and 4 - for 5 thousand rubles. As a result, the total training will cost 60 thousand rubles. You can choose the cheapest scrubber dryer, and you need to buy it when you already have a suitable client. For the first time, you can do without it. In this case, the total start-up costs will be 132-156 thousand rubles, excluding a car and office rental. But this is a ready-made enterprise that is ready to provide services and earn money.

Promotion, expenses and income

It is better to promote your cleaning company through the Internet by creating a one-page website and promoting it through contextual and targeted advertising. This is the cheapest, fastest way to get targeted clients for your cleaning business.

The pricing policy for providing services is 25-40 rubles. for cleaning 1 sq. m. At this price, it is cost-effective to clean a room of 5 thousand square meters. m. Finding one such premises can be difficult, but if you take floors with retail outlets or offices for service, then it is quite possible to collect orders in one building at such a price that it would be profitable for the company to deliver cleaners there.

If we are talking about one-time trips, then the cost of cleaning should cover the trip, the expense of funds, the work of staff and also generate profit.

It is believed that the normal gross income of such a company ranges from 140-200 thousand rubles. The costs are:

rent - 12 thousand rubles;.
telephone expenses - 1 thousand rubles;
accounting support - 6-8 thousand rubles;
operator's salary - 12 thousand rubles;
staff salary - 50-70 thousand rubles;
chemicals - 2-3 thousand rubles;
delivery costs - 12 thousand. rub.
unforeseen expenses - 5 thousand rubles.

Expenses amount to 95-118 thousand rubles. Less taxes - 8.4-12 thousand rubles. — the enterprise’s profit is 36.6-70 thousand rubles. per month.

You can develop a business plan for a project with the purchase of just 2 cleaning kits and training of just 4 employees. This approach will further reduce the required investments at the start of this project. Additionally, you can purchase everything you need as soon as you realize that the hired staff cannot cope with orders.

At first, the project owner himself will have to take on the responsibilities of the operator, driver, and promotion manager. Subsequently, when there are no problems with orders, you will have to work on the business, and not in it.

In this case, the cleaning business will have to expand: hire more staff and increase the number of regular customers.

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The cleaning business attracts entrepreneurs with its simplicity, growing demand for the services of this business, prospects and high profitability. A company can be successfully organized both in a metropolis and a small town. If you don’t know where to start opening a cleaning company from scratch, a business plan is the first step in planning the strategy of a future enterprise.

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Business Description

Cleaning business belongs to the service sector, and the provision of services is one of the most profitable types of commerce in the whole world. The success of entrepreneurial activity largely depends on demand, and in this area of activity there is no need to worry about its absence. The business idea itself is transparent and understandable even for dummies. Organizing a cleaning company does not require a large amount of investment and time.

Commercial cleaning services are highly competitive in big cities. However, this niche is practically free in small settlements and towns. To properly organize a cleaning company from scratch, a business plan should be written simply and clearly. A sample of a good business plan with detailed calculations can be found for free on the Internet.

Services

The entire range of cleaning services can be divided into two groups:

services provided to legal entities;
services provided to individuals.

Searching for clients in the first category is more preferable, since here you can immediately conclude a contract for a large amount of work. But we should not write off the work of providing services to individuals. It should also be noted that in the first case you will be required to invest more funds than in the second. Working in the B2B sector involves the purchase of a large amount of equipment, the acquisition of specialized and professional equipment.

All cleaning services can be divided into areas:

General cleaning is usually done once. Most often it is ordered in apartments after renovation, industrial facilities, offices, warehouses, etc.
Regular cleaning of private and commercial properties.
Specialized services. These include: window washing, carpet dry cleaning, etc.

It is recommended for a novice entrepreneur to choose one area of cleaning activity. An option is possible when a company opens to work with a specific client. The client will be one large company with a large volume of work. As a result, the cleaning company will gain invaluable work experience, and less money will be required to organize the company. After the company gets on its feet, it can be developed and expanded the range of services provided.

The range of services should be determined taking into account potential demand. To do this, you need to identify and study your target audience in advance.

Standard services:

wet cleaning;
spring-cleaning;
cleaning upholstered furniture;
textile cleaning;
window cleaning;
cleaning after renovation;
cleaning of entrances;
washing of facades;
cleaning areas near houses and premises.

Cleaning the premises after renovation Wet cleaning of the apartment Cleaning the entrance

Additional services:

waste disposal;
cleaning windows of apartments and offices at height;
cleaning dishes and interior items;
disinfection of premises;
getting rid of mold;
washing clothes and other textiles;
ventilation cleaning;
washing the kitchen stove and other household appliances.

Window cleaning at height Disinfection of the premises Ventilation cleaning

Relevance

In developed countries of the world, the cleaning industry is a structure with billions of dollars in turnover and is represented by hundreds of thousands of firms. The cleaning business is a new and promising area of commercial activity for Russian entrepreneurs; just 20 years ago in the Russian Federation no one knew about such companies. At the moment, the market for cleaning services remains a vacant niche. Even in large cities, where there are a fairly large number of cleaning companies, they do not satisfy the demand one hundred percent.

Important points of work

It is important to understand that the strategy for its development depends on the conditions in which the company is expected to operate. Cleaning as a business has its pitfalls, which the owner of the company should be aware of. In order to succeed in the cleaning business, an entrepreneur will need to not only carry out daily work responsibly, but also gain the respect of his clients. This is achieved due to the high level of professionalism of workers, friendly service, flexible prices, etc.

In a highly competitive environment

Today, the largest number of representatives of the cleaning industry are located in large cities with a population of more than one million people. This is explained by the fact that many potential consumers are concentrated here. The highest density of cleaning firms is observed in the capital of Russia and St. Petersburg. At the same time, the “cleanliness” market in these cities does not fully satisfy demand.

It is especially difficult for a young cleaning company to survive in a competitive market. This is due to the fact that it will be more difficult for an entrepreneur to find clients. In such a market, as a rule, there are already well-known and positively proven companies. With a high degree of probability, we can assume that large clients will decide to use their services. In a situation of high competition, it is important to immediately receive a good order or competently organize an advertising campaign.

In a small town

In small towns there is minimal competition, but you will have to fight for survival. It is important that you carefully study the market and decide on your target audience. If you have found clients, then you can open a company without hesitation.

Potential customers can be shopping centers, offices, enterprises, apartment buildings, etc. In order to attract them you will need advertising, a loyal pricing policy and good reviews about you from your first customers. Future clients should find out what services your company will provide. Advertising in print publications, on local television and on the Internet is suitable for this.

Franchise work

A cleaning company franchise will help you organize your business correctly from the very beginning. The franchisor will provide you with all the information you need to create a successful business. From the first days of the company's work, you will receive applications from clients. The big name and reputation of the franchisor, as well as well-placed marketing, will help with this.

Take a look at the following franchise offers:

"The Chistov Brothers";
City Shine;
"Expert Cleaning";
"Empire of Services";
"Clean house";
"Mr. Glitter";
Cleaning alliance;
Primex.

The presented franchises pay for themselves in about one year. The size of the required investments is from 300 thousand to 1.5 million rubles. To minimize business risk, businessmen are recommended to open a franchise business, since the business has high profitability.

You can get acquainted with the “Clean House” franchise from the presentation. Filmed by the channel: Clean House Cleaning franchise.

Description and analysis of the sales market

It is advisable to find your first clients at the business planning stage. The reputation you earn will determine how your business will develop tomorrow. At the first stage of the company’s functioning, you work for your image, and then the image works for you. Thanks to positive reviews of your work, you will easily find new clients.

Potential clients can be found in different ways:

through friends;
make phone calls to various organizations and offer them your services;
send commercial offers.

Ideally, you should find repeat customers rather than one-time customers. Since instability in income generation may lead to you not being able to cover your current expenses.

Your client base may include:

private apartments, cottages, houses;
entrances of apartment buildings and surrounding areas;
company offices;
parking;
shopping and entertainment centers;
warehouses;
public catering places;
professional kitchens;
industrial premises;
territory of industrial production;
various premises after renovation or construction.

The target audience

The main consumers of cleaning company services are legal entities. The management of modern enterprises and various organizations understands that ensuring the cleanliness of the premises must be ensured by professionals. And these professionals today are cleaning companies. A competent manager, having analyzed the situation, comes to the conclusion that it is more profitable to outsource cleaning of premises.

Benefits from outsourcing:

savings on wages, purchase of equipment, inventory, etc.;
high quality cleaning;
efficiency in cleaning;
use of modern equipment;
Ideally cleaned premises have a positive impact on the image of the customer’s company.

Along with legal entities, the company's services can also be aimed at individuals. It should be noted that such clients are more difficult to find. Since not every person is ready to let an unfamiliar worker into their home to clean. If you manage to find such clients, then they are mainly people with high incomes.

In addition to them, we can highlight:

single men;
old people;
busy people;
people with disabilities, etc.

Competitive advantages

If you decide to open a company in a large city where competition is quite strong, then you should carefully study the local market. You must clearly understand who you are competing with. To do this, it is important to know what exactly your competitors are doing, their strengths and weaknesses. Based on the data obtained, you should correctly formulate a company development strategy, determine the range of services, pricing policy, advertising campaign, etc. The volume of your future orders will depend on how carefully you think through your business strategy.

What you need to know about competitors:

range of services;
price level;
target clients;
customer reviews;
image;
experience;
quality of services.

The high level of competition obliges you to provide only high-quality services. Because only in this case will you be able to attract new customers and retain old ones.

To increase competitiveness, you need to focus on factors such as:

use modern high-tech equipment and inventory;
qualified, cultured and honest workers;
environmental friendliness of the products used;
wide range of services provided;
the presence of a unique service that your competitors do not yet offer.

Operating in a competitive market will not allow you to relax even for a minute. You need to keep control of everything that happens in the market and closely monitor the needs of customers, trying to satisfy them as much as possible.

Advertising campaign

An ideal advertising campaign should be organized in such a way that as a result, as many long-term contracts as possible are concluded with clients. To do this, it is not enough to offer your services by phone or email. You need to organize a set of accessible activities to win customers.

To promote a cleaning company you need to:

Actively use available advertising tools: create a corporate website; distribute booklets and leaflets; publish advertisements in local media.
Self-critically analyze your activities and add new areas of work.
Meet the requirements of key clients.
You need to be open to communication.
Conduct free consultations.
Sew a uniform for workers and place a company logo on it.
Improve staff qualifications, conduct trainings, briefings, etc.
Special treatment for regular customers. For example, congratulations on the holidays.
Develop a loyalty program.

A modern cleaning company simply must have its own corporate website. It should provide a complete description of the services provided, contact information, loyalty program, and describe the strengths of the company. The function of online ordering services through the website can distinguish you favorably from your competitors.

What do you need to open?

To open your own cleaning company, you need to take into account many nuances. By strictly following the instructions and rules, organizing a business is not difficult. An entrepreneur should start by preparing a package of documents and registering a company.

Documentation

Your primary task is to determine the organizational and legal form for the business. Traditionally, the choice is between an LLC and an individual entrepreneur. If you plan to organize large-scale activities and work with large clients (organizations, enterprises, shopping malls, etc.), then it is better to immediately register an LLC. This organizational form also provides for the possibility of using a simplified taxation system.

If you plan to work primarily with individuals and perform a small amount of work, then an individual entrepreneur organization is suitable for you. In this case, choose UTII as the form of taxation.

OKVED codes that are suitable for the business being described:

74.70.1 – “Cleaning of residential and industrial premises, equipment”;
74.70.2 – “Cleaning of vehicles”;
74.70.3 – “Performance of activities for disinfestation, disinfection and deratization work”;
90.00.3 – “Cleaning the territory and performing similar activities.”

At the next stage, you need to register with funds (pension, health insurance, social insurance, accidents), tax office, etc. You will be required to thoroughly study GOST R 51870 2002, it talks about the provision of household cleaning services for structures and buildings.

Search for premises

At the stage of establishing a company, you can save on rent and organize an office at home. Necessary equipment and inventory will be stored in a storage room or garage. But this is only temporary; ideally, the company needs a separate premises. It should be divided into an office and a warehouse.

Requirements

There are no strict requirements for the premises, since clients will rarely visit the office. Mostly, the company’s specialists will travel to the customer’s site for cleaning.

The premises are required to:

low cost;
availability of communications: heating, water, electricity, sewerage;
security, etc.

Purchase of equipment and inventory

The quality of services provided and their range depend on the company’s equipment. This is the main cost item for starting a business. The purchase of equipment must be approached individually, since its selection depends on the specifics and scale of the company’s activities.

A universal set of necessary equipment, inventory and household chemicals (in rubles):

professional vacuum cleaner: 35,000;
floor washing machine: 150,000;
machines for cleaning carpets, furniture, floor coverings, etc.: 100,000;
window cleaning equipment: 50,000;
professional washing machine: 50,000;
car: 400,000;
set of brushes, rags, napkins, etc.: 30,000;
hair dryer: 25,000;
special form: 30,000;
household chemicals and detergents: 50,000;
computer, printer, office furniture: 100,000;
other equipment, inventory and household chemicals: 30,000.

Carpet and floor cleaning machine Professional vacuum cleaner Window cleaning equipment

Having made the calculations, for an average cleaning company it is necessary to purchase equipment, inventory and detergents in the amount of 1,050,000 rubles. You can save on buying a car and hire a driver with personal transport. The quality of purchased household chemicals must be first-class. Highly specialized additional equipment may also be required. The size of its customer base directly depends on how rich the company’s arsenal is with various equipment.

Staff

You will need to assemble several groups of workers who specialize in performing a specific set of operations. To clean offices, entrances, kitchens and other premises, it is better to form a team of three to four women aged 20-40 years. And take a man as a foreman. He will be able to manage the cleaning process, solve organizational issues and help lift or bring heavy objects.

The head of the company can be the entrepreneur himself or a hired specialist. The sales manager will take orders from customers. One driver for the minibus is also required. Accounting is best outsourced.

During the recruitment process, you will most likely encounter the problem of employee turnover. This is largely due to the fact that the work of a cleaner is not presentable, and young women will try to find a better job. It is very important that workers do not steal from customers. You should pay special attention to their criminal record, level of education, appearance, etc.

Step-by-step instruction

Summarizing the above, let's look at the sequence of your actions step by step:

Search for clients.
Studying competitors.
Defining the business concept.
Create a ready-made business plan with calculations.
Company registration.
Advertising campaign.
Personnel selection.
Selection of premises.
Purchase of equipment and inventory.
Opening a company and starting work.

Financial plan

To calculate a financial plan, you need to determine a general list of costs for organizing a business. And how much money is needed to start a business.

The amount of initial investment in a business consists of (in rubles):

company registration: 30,000;
purchase of equipment, inventory, household chemicals: 1,050,000;
marketing expenses: 50,000;
rent: 40,000;
other costs: 30,000.

As a result, it turns out that organizing a business will require 1,200,000 rubles.

Regular expenses

Current costs (rubles/month):

premises rental: 20,000;
wages of main workers with accruals (per five people): 130,000;
salary of administrative staff with accruals (per two people): 70,000;
purchase of household chemicals and detergents: 10,000;
marketing costs: 20,000;
utility costs: 10,000;
other costs: 20,000.

As a result, it turns out that regular expenses amount to 280,000 rubles per month.

Opening dates

The work schedule is individual in each specific case. It should be compiled very carefully, without missing a single important point. On average, from the moment of developing a business plan to the start of the company’s work, two to three months pass.

Risks and payback

Main business risks:

lack of regular customers;
strong competitors;
seasonal nature of ordering a number of services;
staff turnover;
low level of education and training of workers;
the risk that workers will steal from the company's customers.

To prevent the listed risks from turning into disadvantages, a competent manager is needed. A business can be made profitable, since its payback directly depends on the workload of existing capacities and the number of regular customers. The average payback period for a cleaning company is 8-12 months.