Setting up a home cleaning service any tips please?

[JenC1973]

Hi,
I'm a mum of 3, 2 grown up and 1 in secondary school. I've just left my job in the corporate sector and following several knock backs by prospective employers (usually for younger persons) I'm now seriously looking into starting my own home cleaning/ironing/decluttering service.

I'm thinking £8 to £10 per hour with maybe a extra £5 an hour for Ironing, also an option for a seperate ironing service.
A de-cluttering service is also an idea, albeit a little trickier, the idea of de-cluttering a persons house may not appeal to some, but if it did then obviously that would be priced per job.

I'm looking for hints and tips and any pointers on how to step this idea up.

Any help appreciated, thanking you! :)

I'm just in the process of getting my cleaning business up and running but I must say that it's taken time and a lot of my customers have been through recommendations.

I would say be careful about charging an hourly rate. Peoples expectations of what you can achieve in an hour can be somewhat unrealistic and I would advise to price the job as a whole, you're also then not under pressure if it takes you that extra time.

I don't know what area you're in but £8 an hour is certainly cheap, I'd definitely be more inclined to charge more.

All the best, it certainly can be done.

Thanks :) I'll bear that in mind

£10ph is acceptable as long as your work is consistant, you are relaible and you are knowledgable on the right tool for the job. I have had numerous cleaners come and go and only seem to last 3 - 9 months. Some a bleach mad and have ruined some of my funiture and used strong cleaners on fine oak!!! Dont vacuum properly - start off well but as the weeks go on get very lax. For £10ph owners would expect you to carry a good insurance policy and bring your own products. Bear in mind that you may only be able to do one job per day so that would be £30pd - hence £150pw which is taxable on your self earnings. Could work very well but watch out for time off - your not earning and not on a regular basis otherwise the client could get peed off. Also if the clients have holidays then they may not want a clean either. Make sure you get paid as you go - no credit!!! I'm having a break from cleaners at mo as they never last even on £10ph. Its a hard job and takes a lot of enthauiasm and think this is the pitfall. Perhaps 3 jobs a week would suffice.

Totally agreed Bacon. Most of my customers have had their fare share of cleaners, some with established professional companies prior to me and it is through being consistant, thorough and reliable that has given me the recommendations with other customers and of course providing the same high service a year later that I did the first day.

I have been very lucky that my customers have still paid me even whilst on holiday but I also have arranged a back up cleaner for the times that I've taken off, an absolute must as is building up the trust and listening to your customers feedback and requirements.

I provide all cleaning products and although I initially charged £10 an hour, I know charge £12, still cheap for the area I'm in.

I also think I would use as a USP is to position yourself as a cleaner that uses initiative. It seems to be seriously lacking in most I've used. Just because someone doesn't tell you to wipe finger prints off light switches, surely if you see them you'd do them? This rarely happens.

I reckon a toy sorting out service would be appreciated by most parents. I go through my kids toys once a quarter and it tends to take me a full evening (washed down with wine)