To ask if you would use this company?

Oh in that case it wouldn’t bother me at all!

If you do get a website or FB, make sure it’s kept up to date and only post relevant/sensible stuff - a bad or out of date one is much worse than not having one in the first place!

I run a small business.

I started with both a website and a Facebook business page.

I also use Google business which is excellent for customers who don’t use Facebook and are searching for the service in my area.

I removed the website after about 6 months as the data was showing is wasn’t used.

You're welcome @Leena90! Hope it goes well!

As a small business owner I completely understand that you're raring to go, but if the website and Facebook page are mentioned on the leaflet, I'd hold back until they're both up and running. Otherwise interested people will look them up, find nothing there and potentially forget all about your business. There's no point in wasting time (and paper!) until you're fully set up.

Leaflet drops aren't the best way forward as they're not usually targeted enough and it's not great environmentally.

I wish you all the best with your business though!

Re your leaflet drop, don't expect to get more than 1 or 2 calls for every hundred leaflets you deliver. The "success" rate is always very low. So to create a sustainable business, you need to be delivering several hundred, if not a thousand, to get you up and running. Plus cards in shop windows, etc.

As to the original question, no, I don't think a website nor FB page is essential for any "one person" self employed business, whether it's cleaning, gardening, book-keeping, DIY, or even the trades/professions. A lot of people specifically don't want a "big" firm and would prefer a private individual for numerous reasons, even if they were wanting an accountant or solicitor or plumber. If your leaflets etc make it clear you're a "one person" business, then your prospective customers won't really expect a big glossy website or FB page as they know it's just "you" and may well prefer that!

I deleted my Facebook account many years ago, but it never ceases to irritate me when a company posts a link and I end up on Facebook being exhorted to log in or create an account.

Someone has already suggested a Wix site. You don't have to pay if you have a basic Wix site (my student DD has a free one with her portfolio on it.) However, if you want to remove the Wix name off it completely and not have the URL saying something like. wix-site.leena90.com (or something like that) but just Leena90.com you do have to upgrade to a paid package.

I think a website is useful theses days. I don't use FB personally, so not having a FB page wouldn't make a difference to me, but not being able to go to a website to look stuff up would.

Whether its facebook/website/google business you use do check your name comes up on the first page of results if they google "cleaner mytown" or "cleaner mypostcode"

As you're on Facebook, have you planned to post your business on local town pages? Ours used to (probably still does) allow advertising on Tuesdays and there are often people posting looking for recommendations for a particular service, so it'd be worth checking regularly.

Don't forget though that there are an increasing amount of people without a Facebook account. I'd imagine word of mouth will gain you the most business once you get started anyway and I'm not even sure advertising in a local paper would be worthwhile, because you might just blend in with all the other cleaner ads.

Nextdoor may be useful and also try putting an advert on gumtree.com

Specify clearly what neighborhoods you can and will work in.

I've found it very hard to track down an independent cleaner where I am in East London. I'd rather pay a good cleaner london living wage direct than via an agency who take a big cut and they are then on less than living wage. But I only ever receive leaflets from agencies.

I have used hassle/helping/taskrabbit for one off cleaners sometimes and it has worked well but it seems a shame the cleaner takes home so much less than I pay (although of course the agencies need to make money somehow).

Can you get a DBS (criminal record) check? Might help to convince people of trustworthiness etc. Agencies are supposed to background check so it means you at least match what they offer.

Ah, if it's an agency then that changes my answer. In that case I would absolutely expect a professional website; you need to be selling me your services and showing me why I should use your company.

It sounds like you might need to develop some kind of marketing plan? You may need to pay for some help with this, unless you know anyone with some expertise?

I’m with Cow in changing my answer, sorry! I thought we were talking a one-woman setup. I would expect an agency to have a proper web presence.

Op....website isnt essential. I have one. Im not on facebook. Leaflet drop is great. I get between 5-20 per hundred leaflets for a slightly different business. I havent done a leaflet drop for abit though as i cant really take anyone else on and i keep being recommended so need to get those in first. However when dd goes to nursery at 3 the first thing ill do is a leaflet drop. I do it myself as you get to see where the leaflets are going and tbh i Like the exercise and knowing leaflets are done right. Also tend to chat to people hence why think my takeup is so big.

Sorry I think you should be contactable by mobile as well as the landline.
How many potential jobs could you miss if you aren't home to answer the call?
Some people hate leaving voicemails.

Good luck with your new venture, I understand how hard it is to get back out there.

I agree that an agency is a different proposition from offering yourself as an independent cleaner Even if you are running the agency alone, from a customer perspective, it's a business, not a one women show as you are providing a middle man service, not the cleaning direct. They may not legally be your employees but from a customer perspective, the cleaners appear to be your employees.
Would expect an agency to be have a website, company registration, insurance documents etc.

If I’m contacting a small business cleaner I would prefer email or at least text. I pretty much do all I can to avoid calling people, I even book my hair appointments through the salon website.

@Leena90 whereabouts in London? I'm looking for a cleaner!

Who's going to do the cleaning?

Ahhh, I don't get why fb are asking you for a photo, when I set up my business page - also cleaning, incidentally, I didn't have to upload a photo. But that was nearly 4 years ago. My page is what has gained me a lot of customers, it really reaches so far, especially if friends and family share it for you.

Marketing person here. For services accessed locally, Facebook is much more important than a website. Invite reviews and make sure nobody could have anything to complain about. Make sure your page is categorised properly. Respond to messages and queries as quickly as possible (it helps you show up in searches etc if you have a good response time). Loads of info out there on using Facebook as a local business, take a couple of hours and do some research - it will be invaluable.