My family and I have just opened a cleaning company, but we are stuck. We have no idea how much to charge or even how to place bids. I've tried looking on the Internet, and have found some useful stuff, but you can never be to sure about how reliable the information is.

If anyone can help us out, I'd greatly appreciate it.

We are in the Detroit area and we are looking to just do commercial cleaning.

Thank you so much!

May I first ask a few questions so I know exactly where we start?

Do you have any experience at all in the cleaning business; residential or commercial?

If so which and for how long? And is this experience as a worker, supervisor or higher management?

Stringer

Sure, you can.

We do all have experience in both residential and commercial cleaning. We have been working for a friend's cleaning company for a few years now.

Thank you.

I only have a few moments presently but I suggest that in the 'search' box above you enter janitorial, janitorial bids/proposals. And janitorial pricing. This will give you a lot of info already posted that may help you.

Should you have any questions let me know.

Stringer

To know how to place bids, feel free to ask the place asking for bids.
To learn how to estimate is a huge, huge part of any bid business, and people drop by the wayside all the time when they don't learn. It takes a lot of math and grunt work which you have to do by making lists of supply costs, labor costs, and time any job will take. Then factor in taxes on the income and wages. Decide how much profit you want while also competing with others.

You can look into estimating software. It exists for just about any type of business although I haven't seen any for cleaning. You still have to know what all your costs are or you can't plug them in anyway.