I am looking forward to getting set up in starting my own janitorial /cleaning service and I am not sure who I need to talk to at this time. This is very new to me starting for the first time. I am very experienced in janitorial/cleaning service from past experience as well as present. I am very excited about the business that is about to take place. I look forward in receiving a response.

HI Blessed how are you?

I am glad that you are excited about starting a Jan service, keep that excitement and it will go a long way towards your being successful.

Do you have any actual management experience and if so, is it in the cleaning business; supervisor, higher management, etc?

Do you have any sales experience?

Are you looking to go into the residential or commercial end of the business?

What have you done already in preparation for this venture?

If in the US, what part of the country are you starting your business?

I have been doing this for some time and I would like to help if I can. Please respond to my initial questions to give me a starting point.

Thanks,

Stringer

Hi Blesssed Beyond! Welcome to AMHD! :)

HI Blessed how are you?

I am glad that you are excited about starting a Jan service, keep that excitement and it will go a long way towards your being successful.

Do you have any actual management experience and if so, is it in the cleaning business; supervisor, higher management, etc?

Do you have any sales experience?

Are you looking to go into the residential or commercial end of the business?

What have you done already in preparation for this venture?

If in the US, what part of the country are you starting your business?

I have been doing this for some time and I would like to help if I can. Please respond to my initial questions to give me a starting point.

Thanks,

Stringer

Hello Mr. Stringer thank you for taking the time out to respond to my email. As far as sales experience I do not have but I have been in the cleaning business for at least 15 years or more. I have never been in the position to supervise anyone, but I have cleaned both residential and commercial cleaning. I really enjoy the cleaning business and pray that it will get off to a great start soon. All cleaning business has been done here in Tallahassee Florida. I look forward to going into both commercial and residential but I am more so aiming at commercial. You asked the question about what have I done in preparation for this venture, I am licensed and stocked with supplies if something comes open. I have been looking to start my own business for quiet sometime now but just not knowing where or how to get started. Your help is greatly appreciated.

Hi Blessed,

Please go to the 'Home Page' at the top of this thread here and start a new thread and ask your question there. This thread is for introductions only. If you will do this (as is required) I will be happy to answer any questions that I can and we can proceed further... Ok? Thanks. Then 'Private Message' me with the title of your new thread and I will find it and get back to you.

Ben, Rick or Clough... I cannot find the 'button' on the bottom of this thread to move it to the proper category... would one of you please move this for me so we may move forward with this?

Thanks,
Stringer

Hi, blessed beyond!

Greetings and WELCOME to the site! I just moved your question that you had posted in Introductions to this forum topic area so that it will get the most exposure to those who are best able to answer it. Introductions is for people to introduce themselves and we try to not ask questions there.

It can be a little confusing when first learning how to use this site! Your question will get noticed much more in this forum topic area.

We would appreciate it if you would return to Introductions sometime to tell us a little about yourself though, if you would be willing to do that.

I do note, that you already received some responses while your question was in Introductions.

Thanks!

I am still excited about getting started in my cleaning business but do not have the know how on where to look or to who to help me to get up and running. I am in the process of getting fliers posted, but maybe you can give me more tips on what I need to do.:)

Hi, blessed beyond!

Haven't we communicated on here previously? I'm going to take a look at your other posts and I'll be right back.

Thanks!

Okay, I can see where you communicated with Stringer on the following thread that I had moved from Introductions.

https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/business-plans/getting-started-janitorial-service-355018.html

Would you like for me to merge this thread with the other one. It would seem to be the logical thing to do.

I'm not sure where Stringer is right now, but I should be able to help you some. I'm sure that Stringer will come along eventually to wherever the thread is.

His information about cleaning/janitorial services of any kind as like gold and is second to none.

Thanks!

Are you still there, blessed beyond?

Yes I would love for you to help me, at this point I am thankful for whatever help I can get. I would love for you to help me anyway that you can thank you so much for the offer.

Okay, then I'm going to merge the two threads together because this one really is a continuation of the other one.

I'll two do it slow enough so that you don't get dizzy or fall off this thread as we fly though the air with the greatest of ease! :D

But, you might want to hold on to something, just in case! ;)

Okay, the threads have been successfully merged together! I always get a little nervous doing that because sometimes, something's can get lost along the way.

My particular expertise with what you're wanting to do, is in the advertising and promotion end of it.

Would you like to discuss advertising and promotion?

Thanks!

Hi, blessed beyond!

I'm waiting here for you! I couldn't send you a private message to let you know that I'm here because you don't have enough posts yet to be able to do that.

Thanks!

Yes I would love to discuss advertising as well as promotion by all means get me started.

Do you have a website?

No not at this time

I'm sorry, but my Internet connection was just getting really slow!

Okay then, let's get at least one website going. It won't cost you anything. None of what I help you with concerning the Internet will cost you anything.

Now, if you want me to fly down to where you are to help you clean, that WILL cost you something! :D

Please open up another browser window, and go to the following site.

Webs - Make a free website, get free hosting (http://www.webs.com/)

Please let me know here when you are on that site.

Thanks!

Are you still there, blessed beyond? It looks like you've logged off from the site.

Thanks!

I am on the site

Okay then! I'm going to walk you through how to do things there. It doesn't have to be all completed tonight. Just started...

First, we need to think of a title for the site. That will also be what you'll use for your login name.

I believe that you mentioned that you want to clean in the Fort Lauderdale, FL area.

Is that correct?

Thanks!

No I apologize if I said Fort Lauderdale it is Tallahassee Florida

Perhaps I misunderstood, then. Sorry!

Okay, people are going to be looking for what you do and where you're located. Not by your really business name.

Here's what I would suggest that you type in for the Pick a Site Address box.

Tallahassee-florida-cleaning-service

You can probably copy and paste what I just typed above for the name.

For reference, here is a link to one of my sites on webs.com

Please click HERE. (http://quad-cities-piano-tuner.webs.com/)

Thanks!

Did you put in tallahassee-florida-cleaning-service in that box, blessed beyond?

Thanks!

Yes I am ahead of you

Are you saying that you've joined the site?

Thanks!

Yes but I will resume on tomorrow. Thanks!

Okay. Here are a few other sites that are essentials to join at the onset of doing your advertising.

craigslist: san francisco bay area classifieds for jobs, apartments, personals, for sale, services, community, and events (http://www.craigslist.org/)

(To use Craigslist, you just find and post on the one that is near you.)

http://www.hoobly.com/

http://www.merchantcircle.com/corporate/

How you word your ads is very important.

Please click http://www.google.com/#hl=en&q=Craig+Clough+Quad+Cities&fp=Li-R6mbKWrc http://www.google.com/#hl=en&q=Quad+Cities+Piano+Tuning&fp=Li-R6mbKWrc HERE (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&q=Craig+Clough+Quad+Cities&fp=Li-R6mbKWrc), HERE (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&q=Piano+Tuner+Quad+Cities&fp=Li-R6mbKWrc) and HERE (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&q=Quad+Cities+Furniture+Refinishing&fp=Li-R6mbKWrc).http://www.google.com/#hl=en&q=Quad+Cities+Furniture+Refinishing&fp=Li-R6mbKWrc
(http://www.google.com/#hl=en&q=Quad+Cities+Furniture+Refinishing&fp=Li-R6mbKWrc)
Almost everything that you see for the first several pages will be about my businesses. If I didn't word the ads correctly, then I wouldn't be showing up in the first several pages of the searches.

I'll look forward to working with you later, then. It's been a pleasure! Good and sweet dreams to you! :)

Thanks!

Can I get a little more help with direction as to how to get started with trying to start with commercial cleaning?

I'm here right now, blessed beyond!

How and what direction to I need to take in trying to start with a commercial building.

Let me see if Stringer is around. Okay?

Thanks!

Thank You!

Hi guys, Clough thanks for calling me.

Blessed, I need some info;

What type of building; bank, warehouse, office, medical..

Size of building? (square footage... cleanable)

How many floors?

How many days per week?

Are there janitorial closets? On each floor with slop sinks?

How much carpet, how much VCT, how much ceramic tile (bathrooms and entry? Square footage)?

I have to get to bed, if you can get back to me in a about 5 minutes I can at least get you started and finish with it tomorrow.

Stringer

EDIT::: I have to get to sleep Blessed...I talk to you tomorrow.

Okay. Great! Stringer did show up! I was having some Internet connection problems. But, it looks like he did get my "calling" to him!

Please do answer the questions that he has asked.

Thanks!

Blessed, in order to bed this or any job properly and with confidence that your costs are covered and that you will make a profit you really need to know these things at least.

Then you can go about figuring your labor other costs and profit.

Please respond if you are still interested.

Stringer

Hello Stringer, just now getting back to you. As for as the information that you are looking for I prefer to start with cleaning an office/bank building from 15000-23000 square footage. Also I would like to start with at least 3 to 4 floors working 5 days a week and possibly weekends. Yes I would prefer to have janitorial closets with slop sinks.

HI Blessed, I am sorry, I am a bit confused, I somehow got the impression that you had a specific building that you were going to bid very shortly. I don't know where I got that from... sorry.

Please set me straight, is there a specific building to bid now? Or are you looking for just info at this point?

I will be out of town tomorrow and probably won't be back on until tomorrow evening some time, I post here when I return.

Thanks,

Stringer

I apologize for the confusion not at this time I do not have a building to bid on I am looking for info at this point.

I apologize for the confusion not at this time i do not have a building to bid on i am looking for info at this point.

Ok, got it...

But I need you to be more specific and go back to the questions I ask before. Answer each one very carefully and be as detailed as you can please.

I will be back tomorrow evening, please try to have your answers on here by then. Need that, and then we can get started on all this. :)

Thanks,

Stringer

Okay I do not have a building to start with in the beginning but I am looking into finding one so that I can bid on it. The only thing is now is that I am not sure on where to start looking. I have given you the square footage of what I possibly can start with as far as a bank/office building. Again I have years of experience in the cleaning industry but all of this is new to me in getting started. My husband is self employed in the construction business and could help in some areas but I need an expert advice on exactly how to get things set up and who do I need to talk to about trying to get a building to bid on. I will be out of town until Sunday but I will respond when I return. Thanks!

If your husband has a construction business.. I would ask him for his contacts that he has and spread out form there...

Hello cleaningman23 it would be so nice to take a step into that direction, but at this time even he my husband is out of work and has been for quite sometime now. And the people whom he worked for at this point is in need of work. We are talking about (FRAMING). At this point the work is just not there in the construction industry with the type of work that he does.

Hi again, blessed beyond!

I do hope that you return to here! It seems like we just get going with dialogue and then it stops.

Thanks!

Hello Clough look like things are at a stand still point. I am now officially out of work from my state job after 20 years. Now I am really ready to step into janitorial /cleaning service.

Hello Clough look like things are at a stand still point. I am now officially out of work from my state job after 20 years. Now i am really ready to step into janitorial /cleaning service.

Hi Blessed,

Clough and I will be very happy to help where we can, that is why we are here:). But you need to be more readily responsive to our questions please.

Let's start over, please tell me exactly what training and experience you have in the cleaning business, please be very detailed.

Okay I have at least 16 + years in the cleaning business. I do windows, floors, bathrooms, beds, vac, dust, mop, baseboards, laundry, anything pretty that a maid would do I have that type of experience. At this point I have been applying for cleaning jobs but have not been able to receive any responses so far.

Whoops excuse me I meant to say anything pretty much that a maid would do I can do it.

Okay i have at least 16 + years in the cleaning business. I do windows, floors, bathrooms, beds, vac, dust, mop, baseboards, laundry, anything pretty that a maid would do i have that type of experience. At this point i have been applying for cleaning jobs but have not been able to receive any responses so far.

Ok, that is good, do you have any management experience blessed?. Actually this is most important.

No I have always worked for hotels as well as in private homes but never had the opportunity to become a manager so far. I would love to.

No i have always worked for hotels as well as in private homes but never had the opportunity to become a manager so far. I would love to.

Have you taken any business courses?

No I have always worked with hotels as well as private homes until I was hired with the State in 1989.

No i have always worked with hotels as well as private homes until i was hired with the State in 1989.

Ok, then I suggest that you start very small, nothing obviously that require employees for now.

Possibly you and a friend go after some residential homes and possibly a few small offices, etc.

Running a janitorial company is not as simple as a lot of people seem to think Blessed. It involves many, many different skills and experiences.

Okay thank you Stringer I will do just that. I know that it will be better for me and a whole lot less stressful. Once again thanks for your help.

Okay thank you Stringer i will do just that. I know that it will be better for me and a whole lot less stressful. Once again thanks for your help.

That's it Blessed? Do you know how to price these up? Do you know that you need insurance? How are you going to go about getting this new business?

Thanks for asking. I do have insurance but not real sure as to how I will price anything up. I do have a couple of friends who I have been talking to who are already cleaning private homes who gave me insight on how I would go about setting up prices with the size of the home and what is required to be done in the home. It would be nice if you could help me out with this. Yes I do need guidance in what I need to do. Not everyone can give expert advice.

Thanks for asking. I do have insurance but not real sure as to how i will price anything up. I do have a couple of friends who i have been talking to who are already cleaning private homes who gave me insight on how i would go about setting up prices with the size of the home and what is required to be done in the home. It would be nice if you could help me out with this. Yes i do need guidance in what i need to do. Not everyone can give expert advice.

Please tell me what you have learned so far and then we can start from there... ok?

Be detailed please, what have they told you already?

Okay I was told to make sure that I find out from the home owner what all are they requiring me to do in the home. Depending upon the size of the home I was to charge a particular price especially if they only wanted light house cleaning such as cleaning bathrooms and dusting and light mopping. Deep cleaning would be a different price. It has been so long since I have had to go back to cleaning not that I forgot how to do it I just don't have prices figured out as far as knowing how much to charge. Do not want to over charge but at the same time I do not want to under charge either. Can you help?

Okay i was told to make sure that i find out from the home owner what all are they requiring me to do in the home. Depending upon the size of the home i was to charge a particular price especially if they only wanted light house cleaning such as cleaning bathrooms and dusting and light mopping. Deep cleaning would be a different price. It has been so long since i have had to go back to cleaning not that i forgot how to do it i just don't have prices figured out as far as knowing how much to charge. Do not want to over charge but at the same time i do not want to under charge either. Can you help?

Pricing varies all over the country Blessed and you will have to determine in the end what you want to charge.

Most residential cleaning is done by the hour, with set total hours to do the house so that each time you clean the price sill remain the same. Unless there are additional or special things that they require done on occasion.

My wife stated her own home cleaning business about 4 years ago, built it up to about 75 homes and sold it last year for a nice profit. She started with no homes and only a friend and in the end had over 15 women working for her.

She put together a contract that listed exactly what was to be completed each time they cleaned so as to not have any confusion with what she did and what the client wanted above and beyond that. That would be extra.

She was charging $15 to $16,50 per hour, even if there were two girls cleaning. It is the linear hour that is charged. Because if you use two or more girls, it gets done faster.

For example; If you decide that 4 hours are needed to properly clean the home that doesn't mean that you have to actually stay those 4 hours. When you use two people to clean you can have them there for two hours. The client is still getting the 4 hours that were needed.

Being in the commercial cleaning business for over 30 years I helped her to get started and helped guide the business along. We went every day to all the areas that we felt were the types of homes that would want a service and put flyers in every mailbox. We did this every 3 to 4 weeks to the same homes and additional homes too. She provided very good work/service and began also to get more business from 'word of mouth.' She was always on time and always did a great job. She offered her clients a small commission if they got her new business too. Which she paid right away.

Put together the information (keep it short and simple) and take it to Kinko's or somewhere like that and have them print up a thousand or so and start putting them out.

Also, if you do get to talk to a potential customer AND you don't hear back, call them, follow up and ask if there was any more information that they might need or if there is anyway that you might help them. This works... follow up always!

And take pride in the service that you provide, it will show.. always remember, you bring the professionalism to the job.

Good luck, please keep me informed and let me know how you are doing or if you have any additional questions.

Thanks,

Stringer

Thank you Stringer I will keep in touch.

Thank you Stringer i will keep in touch.

You are welcome Blessed, if any of this helped you please rate my answers, thanks.

EDIT: Ooops, that may not be possible as I see that you only have 30 posts, you need more I believe... to rate an answer.

Hi, blessed beyond and Stringer!

Now, this is good! It looks like the two of you have been having quite a dialogue and exchange of productive information here.

If you need help with the advertising/promotion end of things blessed beyond, please let me know on this thread.

The only drawback for tonight, is that I need to get up early to play for church tomorrow.

Thanks!

Hi, blessed beyond and Stringer!

Now, this is good! It looks like the two of you have been having quite a dialogue and exchange of productive information here.

If you need help with the advertising/promotion end of things blessed beyond, please let me know on this thread.

The only drawback for tonight, is that I need to get up early to play for church tomorrow.

Thanks!

HI Clough,

Blessed I really believe that you should get together with Clough, he can help you advertise on the internet and get top billing and at no expense...