Services that improve life at home and working conditions in offices or commercial premises have become particularly relevant at this time.
One of these services is cleaning - professional cleaning. The key conditions and features of opening a cleaning company, as well as the investments required to organize this service, are described below.
Cleaning: essence and range of services
Professional cleaners are engaged in various types of cleaning work.
They, at the client's request, bring cleanliness and order to premises of various specifications, from residential to sanitary, industrial and office. Comprehensive cleaning by such workers includes washing household appliances and sanitary ware, cleaning furniture and carpets, floors, ceilings and interior walls.
Cleaning companies are also ordered to wash the exterior elements of buildings (facades, windows, and balconies, including on high floors), remove garbage, perform disinfestation, and clean up after renovations.
These jobs, which can be one-time or regular, are helped by special equipment and techniques.
Customers of cleaning services include representatives of warehouse, trade, manufacturing, hotel and other types of businesses, owners of public catering establishments, sports, educational, financial and many other institutions. Cleaning is often ordered for cleaning all types of housing, public places and areas adjacent to these facilities.
Business plan for opening a cleaning company: what should you consider?
It is necessary to decide on the form of the newly created company. There may be two options: LLC or FOP. The first is optimal for cooperation with commercial organizations. FOP will be the right solution for services that will be mainly engaged in cleaning residential facilities.
Experts recommend starting such entrepreneurial activity by registering a second-group individual entrepreneur, which involves simpler record-keeping. The "Diya" application will help you perform such work if you have an electronic signature.
The founders of a cleaning company will also have to take a number of steps related to the preparation of a package of necessary documents:
- signing an office lease agreement;
- registration of a cleaning service in the pension fund;
- signing an agreement for the supply of detergents and other consumables;
- opening a bank account;
- staffing;
- preparation of health books for employees;
- concluding a contract for waste removal.
- coordination of organizational aspects of work with the fire department.
Special licenses and permits are not required by Ukrainian legislation to open a cleaning company.
Specifics of investments and estimated costs for them
Before launching a project, a budget must be approved, which lists all items and amounts of necessary financial investments.
Experts note that as of this year, starting a cleaning business requires a number of targeted investments, which are listed below. The amounts in brackets are approximate for a small company with a staff of 6 employees.
- Registration of documents – from 2000 ₴
- Office rental fee – from 8000 ₴
- Office furniture – approximately 25,000 ₴
- Purchase of working equipment – 32,000-35,000 ₴
- Purchase of consumables – from 6000 ₴
- Salary fund – approximately 90,000 ₴
- Overalls – 4000-5000 ₴
- Marketing and advertising costs – from 12,000 ₴
In general, the amount of initial investment for opening a cleaning company with 6 employees, taking into account the above-mentioned basic and other additional costs, will be approximately 180 thousand hryvnias.
Equipment: machinery and tools
Professional cleaners use industrial vacuum cleaners, the functionality of which includes floor cleaning. It is recommended to purchase two such devices. The average price of such a machine today is 14 thousand UAH.
An industrial hair dryer for drying carpets costs about 10 thousand UAH.
You will also need to buy quality machines for sweeping and drying floors (floor cleaners). These machines cost from 5 thousand and 10 thousand UAH, respectively.
The price of a professional steam generator starts at 9 thousand hryvnias.
The category of auxiliary tools that cleaning specialists will need in their work includes various types of brooms and mops, brushes, scrapers and dustpans, and window cleaning equipment.
Such specialists will not be able to do without wheeled buckets and cleaning carts.
To purchase auxiliary tools, you will have to spend from 13 thousand hryvnias.
Another item of financial investment is the purchase of consumables, in particular, gloves and masks, garbage bags, sponges and rags. This category also includes detergents and cleaning products - detergents for various surfaces, stain removers and air fresheners. And also necessary products for the care of plumbing, mirrors, parquet, glass, wooden interior elements, etc.
The minimum amount for purchasing the initial batch of consumables is 2.5 thousand hryvnias, and for cleaning and washing products - from 6 thousand hryvnias.
Recruitment of personnel for the team
The success and profitability of a cleaning business is determined by the professionalism of the employees of this service.
This means that each employee must perform their job duties perfectly - clean efficiently, be a model of integrity, punctuality, and responsibility.
Careful selection of employees is key. It is better to hire people with experience.
Such cleaners must be able to work with specialized equipment and accessories, use detergents correctly. Each of them must look neat and tidy and communicate politely and correctly. A medical certificate is mandatory for a cleaner.
The staff of a small cleaning company at the start of its work includes 4 cleaning specialists, an administrator, and an outsourced accountant.
To optimize the work of such a newly created service, it is advisable to use a CRM system with the option of booking orders in an online format. As a result, you will be able to accept requests from customers 24/7, and not only during the administrator's working hours.
For optimal systematization of all data and effective management of the company, it is worth using smart software.
If business goes well, two additional units can be added to the staff in the future - a service sales manager and a driver.
How to promote a cleaning business: methods and channels
The condition for the success of such an enterprise is the presence of the necessary number of customers. You can attract customers using the following marketing techniques:
- placing advertisements on the Internet, in periodicals, on television and broadcasting them on the radio;
- design of information printed banners;
- use of contextual and targeted marketing;
- creating company accounts in popular social networks and your own website.
A personal Internet portal is a particularly effective solution for advertising and building a positive reputation for a company. Such a site aims to widely promote the cleaning company's services and provide its offers to business representatives of various sizes.
Experts also prove the effectiveness of using a CRM system that supports the function of a personal web page. The developers of the corresponding software provide the possibility of providing a free site that opens up the possibility of processing applications online, automating the flow of customers. Such a compromise solution costs entrepreneurs who have opened cleaning companies cheaper than a full-fledged site.
An effective advertising move would be to implement a well-thought-out loyalty program. Customers will be interested, for example, in a discount for the first order, a bonus system for regular customers, or seasonal promotions.
Results
Cleaning is a good idea for novice entrepreneurs. Its advantages are a relatively quick payback and relatively modest initial investment.
However, opening such a company requires careful preparation, which includes drawing up a detailed business plan and clear financial planning, and developing several financial scenario options.
This is necessary to calculate profit and the rate of return on investment.
Success awaits a team whose leader and team are motivated and responsible.
The greatest chances for development in our country are for cleaning services operating in Kyiv and regional centers. But we should not forget that in large cities the competition for them is also fiercer.
