How To Find Clients For Your Cleaning Business.
Updated: Sep 24, 2023
How to find clients for your cleaning business. Home Service Professionals.
Organize, Strategize & Track your cleaning business using "The Cleaner's Planner".
After you've handled the logistics of opening up your cleaning business it's time to find the key to your success....the clients. Before seeking clients you should've already applied for any needed licensing/permits, register with your city/state, purchased insurance and figured out the basics like
your target audience and niche. If you haven't or are still confused about your target audience- stop and figure that out first. It'll make your marketing strategizing so much easier.
Once you have a solid foundation and your business is "presentable"... then it's time to find the clients. When I started my cleaning business in 2018 I had no plan and no niche. So if you skipped over the first part of what I said and decided you'll do it later... who am I to argue? If you want the hard road...have at it. Lol.
When I opened in 2018 I used these Four Strategies to find clients.
Create An Online Presence.
Put My Business In Their Face.
Create an online presence for people to find/know about your business.
When customers in your area search for cleaners you should pop up. Ways to build your online presence:
Buy your domain & publish a website. I cannot stress enough the importance of including relevant keywords, call to actions, social proof, services, contact info and pictures on your website.
Create a profile on at least one social media platform. Which platform depends on your target audience. I used Facebook, Linked In & Instagram. Facebook groups were my most successful for promoting in when I was targeting move in/move outs from tenants/homeowners.
Two things I didn't do until way later but you should do because unlike you...I had no one to tell me to do it lol.
Register your business on 4-1-1.
Create a Google Business Page.
List your business on Lead Generator platforms like:
I know there are mixed reviews about Lead Generator sites like Thumbtack but when used strategically they can be great exposure without being too costly. Seven years later and I still work with some of my clients I connected with on Thumbtack. That's seven years I've been earning revenue from them thanks to Thumbtack.
I'll make a separate post explaining more about my Thumbtack strategy. The main thing is make sure you pay attention to key details when you set up your account like: The services you provide, price ranges, service areas, etc.
When I started my I created profiles on:
Other Lead Generator Sites
Angi (Formerly Angie's List)
Put your business in their face.
If your area is like my area and has a large amount of competition you have to find a way to make yourself stand out. For me (back in 2018) this meant putting my business in their face not just hoping they seen my advertising online and reached out. I did that two ways:
Went in person and dropped off cleaning proposals.
Emailed in cleaning proposals.
* To Note: I wasn't into office cleanings or car dealerships. The office spaces I did clean all found me. But if that's your target audience then that's who you would direct your marketing strategy at.
In Person Cleaning Proposals Drop Offs
I knew I wanted to do vacant homes so I researched and made a list of almost every Apartment Complex , Real Estate & Property Management Office in every city that I serviced. At the time I didn't even realized that I had created pages and pages of "leads" that would certainly pay off.
Once I had a list for each city, I mapped out the ones close to each other and spent at least a hour after or before cleanings dropping off "Cleaning Proposal Packets." Each packet included: a one page introduction about my cleaning business, list of services & starting prices, copy of business license, example COI and a business card.
I went in and spoke with whoever was at the front desk and said something like “Hey I own a cleaning company here’s our information. I just wanted to drop this off in case yall ever needed help with turnovers.” I repeated basically the same thing at every drop off. Sometimes I would talk directly to the person in charge of turnovers and sometimes they just said thank you and I walked away. Several called me days, weeks and months after I dropped off.
I also knew that I wanted to clean the beach houses in Sandbridge- the Touristy part of my area. So I went down to the Vacation Rental Management companies and applied for my business to be an Independent Contractor with them. Vacation Rental companies always need cleaners so that wasn't hard at all. I had an interview, turned in the same info I was turning in for my cleaning proposals and and a week or so later cleaning houses. I made at min. $1,000.00 every Saturday during peak season. During off season I was making $300.00-$1,000.00 per house doing deep cleanings.
Emailed in Cleaning Proposals
Before I learned about email marketing software like Get Response I was sending just regular ole emails. I cringe looking back at some of them lol but none the less....the strategy was indeed effective and I nailed a $60,000 contract like a year after I opened.
Tip: When digitally sending cleaning proposals combine them into one PDF instead of 10 attachments like I used to do. Lol. Like I said...I cringe at some of the things I put out but they did the job and now I know how to do it better.
Marketing Materials
From flyers to business cards, car magnets, pens and t-shirts my business name was everywhere and I wore it proudly. And made everyone around me make it lol. And yes the shirts and car magnet were a big hit!
Now I learned having the car magnet was a huge liability on my insurance. So tip: if you brand your car you have to get Commercial Auto Insurance.
Now in 2023, almost everything is digital and a lot of these property management companies and realtors have online Vendor Portals to apply to work with them. Networking events and Social Media have also became more popular and powerful than they were seven years ago. This doesn't mean hitting the streets marketing isn't effective anymore it's just an easier way to do it now. GO TO NETWORKING EVENTS! Lots of them and take your business cards or flyers. Narrow down places you need to visit In person based on who doesn't accept online vendor applications. Definitely still use Email Marketing and Branded Materials.
And Don't get disappointed if you don't get calls right away There were plenty of times when clients would reach out days, weeks or even months later.
I opened my cleaning company May 28th 2018. By utilizing the strategies above this is what our work calendar looked like in July 2018. This popped up as a Facebook memory from July 31, 2018.
Organize, Strategize & Track your cleaning business using "The Cleaner's Planner".
Templates include:
A monthly/weekly and day view planner to keep up upcoming jobs, inspections and appointments.
List important tasks that need to get done.
Plan & Track inventory
Track Business finances including incoming funds, expenses, business credit.
Hopefully these tips helped get your wheels spinning on how to bring in new clients.
To create the best marketing strategy you need to at least know your niche or niches, the services you're going to provide, your service areas, and your target audience.
Before actively seeking clients your business should properly registered, insured, set up business policies, etc. Learn more about setting up a business here.
Also........
Make it a habit to request and display Testimonials from past clients.
Don't forget to ask for reviews from your customers on both your Google Business Page and Social Media Pages. Integrate to show them on your website. Social Proof converts!
Register with your city (and surrounding cities as a vendor).
If you go to your cities home page like where all of the city's important info is, find the business section where you can register as a vendor. Every city page is different so you may have to play around with it. For example on Portsmouth, VA’s city page you would go under Businesses and then click “Bid Opportunities” and then from there select “Vendor Information”. From there you will find the forms to sign up as a vendor.
