How to start a domestic cleaning business in the UK

Is it a good time to start a domestic cleaning business in the UK?

Setting up a cleaning business is a low-cost business idea and can be started fairly quickly with little financial commitment. But bear in mind, due to the low entry barrier (low financial commitment) a lot of people will think the same way and there are lot of small businesses offering cleaning services.

Does the market need another cleaning business?

A simple Google search can show you the number of competing businesses in your area. If you live in a busy area with lots of business centres, office buildings, businesses etc. there will also be a lot of cleaning businesses available. Or maybe you are located in a remote area and there are only 2 or 3 competitors nearby - which presents a chance for you to set up your own business and provide another option, or massively improve on the service provided by the competition - even if there are a lot of competitors!

This article is aimed at people looking to start a residential cleaning business in the UK.

Things to consider before starting a domestic cleaning business in the UK

What is a residential cleaning business?

Residential cleaners clean customers’ homes on regular intervals, usually while their customers are at work. The cleaning can be done by yourself or your staff as you grow your business.

Look at your local market and see if the population is affluent enough to afford a cleaner for their home. Also check how much people are willing to pay and how much competing businesses charge for a service similar to yours.

Can you offer specialised cleaning services?

Some cleaning companies specialise in a certain area of cleaning, such as carpet cleaning, soffit cleaning window cleaning, car wash / car valet, roof cleaning, festival. Have you considered starting a specialised cleaning business?

Why become a specialised cleaner?

Not every household, even if they can afford it, may want a cleaner. But many households need a special cleaning service for different things, such as carpets, windows, soffits etc. If you specialise in one thing, you will become the specialist in this area of domestic cleaning, such as domestic soffit cleaning. People will start to know you as the soffit cleaner, or the carpet cleaning service. You may need specialised equipment, but can provide a much better service than a general cleaning company that does not have access to specialised equipment. Also, people often search for a specialist on Google, such “steam carpet cleaner Edinburgh”.

What are people’s fears finding a domestic cleaner?

For many households, finding a domestic cleaner is a difficult task. The main issue people need to overcome is that a stranger is coming into their house and sees the family's possessions, and that there is a risk of things being stolen or damaged. If you think about creative ways to help people with their fears, it will make it easier for you to pick up clients. A criminal record check can be a first start proving to your potential customers that they are dealing with a business that cares about and recognises the fears of their customers.

What is your capacity?

Think about how many hours per week you do you want and can actually work cleaning, how many hours you need to for travelling and admin. This then determines how many customers you need to look for.

How to find out what the competition charges to gauge the market

Research the competitors websites. Make a list of questions you would ask. Make up a typical cleaning scenario and start calling. A call could look like this: I am looking for a cleaner to have my house cleaned. I have a 4 bedroom house. I need the living area, all bedrooms cleaned, the conservatory and playroom too. Here are a few questions you could ask:

• How often would you suggest I need a cleaner?
• What do your services include?
• Do I need to provide any cleaning materials or tools?
• How long will it take?
• How do you want me to pay you?

You can ask a lot more questions of course and vary the scenario for different cleaners so you get a bigger picture what people offer and charge. If you are too nervous to speak to your competition, ask a friend to call around for you.

What are your long term business plans for your cleaning company?

Do you want to work on your own, or are you planning on taking on staff? There are also franchising businesses you can consider buying into, however, they tend to have a start-up costs of several thousands of pounds, and you would be following the franchise rules and provide their services and products. The benefits of a franchise are that they provide a trusted service, they will have insurance, materials, uniforms, and sometimes marketing in place for you to step in and start the business straight away.

What equipment do you need to start a domestic cleaning business?

There are many companies offering commercial cleaning equipment, and the cost varies. Domestic cleaners do not need to invest in heavy equipment, as mostly the tools are provided by the households themselves. Have a look at our housekeeping page to get an overview of commercial cleaning products you might want to consider.

Marketing ideas for your cleaning business

You need to think about ideas on building up a client list. There are many different ways to do this, here are some ideas:

• traditional advertising in either local papers, or regularly distributed magazines to households
• online advertising such as google pay-per-click
• flyer distribution (you need to design a flyer and then either distribute it yourself or use a service such as Royal Mail or flyer commercially available flyer distribution services)
• business networking is also a great opportunity to meet local people and spread the word
• Facebook advertising and setting up a Facebook page

Develop a reputation

Think about ways to differentiate yourself as a cleaner. You can come up with creative ideas so that people start talking about you and keep recommending you. You could work with a cleaning product manufacturer such as Trichem and use one of our scented air fresheners which our customers love. You could have a bottle rebranded for your own business and leave a small bottle with your clients, leaving a memorable impression after you cleaned their house.

Having a good reputation will help with your marketing. Word of mouth marketing and personal recommendation costs nothing and is the best way of gaining new customers.

Do you need a uniform?

If you only work yourself, you may not need a uniform, as this is an additional expense. However, if you employ staff, a uniform with clear branding on it might be a good idea. Also, instilling trust in your customers, you may want to get a Police Disclosure from your staff ensuring your customers that they are dealing with a reputable company that values their customers.

How should you get paid?

The most important thing is that your customers need to find it very easy to deal with you. If you insist on cash payment, and they forget to leave the cash for you at their home, you might end up chasing the payments. A business account is not expensive, and you can ask your customers to pay you by direct debit or standing order. Direct Debit - you ask for the money from their bank account through a direct debit provider such as Gocardless.com. Standing Order - you ask the client to push money into your account on a monthly basis. With Gocardless, you can set up cleaning plans for your business. You could even have one cleaning plan per customer. Say Mr & Mrs Smith have their house cleaned twice a week, 3 hours each. That’s 6 hours per week at £18 per hour. That equals £108 per week for this particular client. You can set up Gocardless to collect the payment for you automatically, cutting down admin time and locking your clients in in a friendly way and committing to your service.

How can you get paid:

• Cash
• Cheque - potentially more work for you, having to go to the bank or mailing cheques to the bank
• Card Machines - monthly rental costs and a percentage per sale, you also need to person present to make the payment or call you at night - meaning more admin time for you
• BACS - you need to send an invoice, they need to act and pay. If they don’t pay, you need to chase them - more Admin time for you
• Direct Debit - see above. Very cheap, very convenient for everyone. The money is collected automatically.

Find a payment system that works for you and your customers, but don’t let your client determine how they pay, especially if that does not suit you.

You need to get business insurance and public liability insurance

Do you need any training for starting a domestic cleaning business?

In the UK, you don’t need a licence to run or start a residential cleaning business. You may want your staff to have a Criminal Records Check to improve your business image that you employ a team of trusted professionals.

Training is not required, but there organisations available, such as NVQ or Cleaning Operatives Proficiency Certificate which could give your business more credibility.