Cleaning Service Operation as a Business

Professional cleaning is one of the most sought after service professions. A good cleaning service has no problem keeping booked and asking premium prices. Even if you don't like to clean yourself, draw up a business plan and hire good employees. Cleaning services clean everything from personal homes to offices and buildings. The trick is to be professional in how you manage the business. Providing contracts that spell out precisely what you will do and making certain that quality standards are met will make a major difference in the quality of customer that you attract. Below are a list of references that will help you set up a service that can be a solid income source in any economy.

Cleaning Services have the NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) code of 561720. The NAICS definition of cleaning services is establishments primarily engaged in cleaning building interiors, interiors of transportation equipment (e.g., aircraft, rail cars, ships), and/or windows.

Closely related are:

Cleaning building exteriors (except sandblasting and window cleaning) or chimneys - classified in Industry 561790, Other Services to Buildings and Dwellings; and
Sandblasting building exteriors - classified in Industry 238990, All Other Specialty Trade Contractors.

Books

Cleaning Service
Step-by-step guide from Entrepreneur Magazine that teaches you who your customers and competitors are, the ins and outs of finding clients, what equipment and supplies you need to get started, how to hire and train employees, and where to find startup funds and how to set prices.

Cleaning Services Bid Estimation
Provides practical charts, tables and worksheets that can be used to determine cleaning times, production rates, price per square foot, work loading and other cost accounting endpoints, needed to establish cleaning services pricing or bid estimates. These tools, if used properly and consistently, can greatly enhance the profitability and competitive edge of cleaning services businesses. This guide comes complete with examples, supporting formulas, concise explanations and worksheet forms.

Cleaning Up for a Living
Everything you need to know to become a successful building service contractor.

Commercial & Residential Cleaning Services
A resource guide to developing and maintaining a janitorial or home cleaning business.

Construction Cleanup
Cleaning and preparing facilities after the builders leave and before the tenants move in.

The Janitorial Contractors Bible No longer in print, but can sometimes be found used. It is considered to be a very useful book.

The Professional Cleaner's Personal Handbook
Cleaning skills and how to organize your crew.

Sales and Marketing for Janitorial Service Businesses
Strategies for promoting, estimating, and bidding cleaning services.

Science of Professional Cleaning
Manual covering all aspects of professional cleaning.

Speed Cleaning
Clean an entire house in 42 minutes with the Clean Team's unbeatable system that makes every move count.

Speed Cleaning 101
Offers techniques used by pros to clean better and more efficiently - how to clean smarter not harder.

Start and Run a Professional Cleaning Business
Target your market and assess competition; get started and keep organized; polish both your business and cleaning techniques.

Magazines

Cm Cleaning & Maintenance Management
Edited for end-user managers and supervisors directly responsible for building maintenance and housekeeping operations in all types of buildings and institutions.

Cleaning and Maintenance
Cleaning & Maintenance Management contains tips, product and equipment reports, articles on industry trends and business issues, ideas for soliciting new business, training and employee relations advice, a listing of manufacturers, and more.

Consumer Reports
Presents articles on health, public safety, marketplace economics and the judicial & regulatory actions that affect consumers.

Entrepreneur Magazine
Articles, interviews, business profiles, financing, marketing, advertising and legislative news of note aimed at the small business owner or those planning to start a new or additional business.

Executive Housekeeping Today
Geared toward professionals in the housekeeping field; covers management, floor care, personnel staffing, design and much more.

Real Simple
Systems for reducing clutter, saving time, and reducing stress.

Small Business Opportunities
Ideas for small businesses.

Professional Resources

The Association of Residential Cleaning Services International (ARCSI)
A member-based professional trade association. It was established to provide business owners in the residential cleaning industry opportunities to come together to share ideas, information, and experience.

Association of Specialists in Cleaning and Restoration
The oldest and largest trade association for the cleaning and restoration industry. ASCR offers an array of benefits to its members and strives to keep them informed of the latest technology and industry trends.

Building Service Contractors Association International
The trade association of the building service industry, representing a worldwide network of more than 2,000 member companies from across the U.S. and 30 other countries, who provide cleaning, facility maintenance, and other related services to building owners and managers. The association provides educational programs, publications, video training programs, seminars, and networking opportunities, all developed specifically for the building service contracting industry.

The Clean Team>
Quantity discounts and marketing materials for professionals.

Don Aslett's Cleaning Center
Articles and newsletters about cleaning, plus discounts on supplies.

House Cleaning Alliance
HCA was founded on the principles that independent house cleaning companies can compete more effectively by cooperating. Franchises offer services which could benefit independents, but such services typically have not been available because no single independent maid service has the resources or clout with suppliers to independently develop or purchase services on the same advantageous terms. We offer entrepreneurs an alternative to purchasing a franchise. Our offerings represent a collection of services and goods which might typically be offered by a franchisor, but by purchasing from HCA, business entrepreneurs can retain their independence and purchase only those services which they require and only for so long as they derive an ongoing economic benefit from doing so.

International Window Cleaning Association
A non-profit trade 501(c)(6) association committed to raising the standards of professionalism and safety within the window cleaning industry. The IWCA Represents all facets of the window cleaning industry, from commercial high rise to route and residential work.

Sample Cleaning Service Business Plan
Software program that provides a business plan for a cleaning service that you can edit to fit your particular circumstances.

Operating a Cleaning Service as a Business