How to Start a Natural Cleaning Business

With our current global fixation on going “green”, men and women are looking for innovative new ways to reduce our harmful footprint on the environment. In every industry, from automobiles to interior design, the most successful businesses are learning to take advantage of the current earth friendly focus and to promote natural services and products to prospective clients. For this reason, there has never been a better time than now to consider starting your own natural cleaning business.

Natural Cleaning Explained

Well, before you can start a natural cleaning business, you should know what one is and what it entails! Most cleaning services use chemical cleaning agents that are harmful both to the environment and to living creatures (humans included). Natural cleaning businesses, on the other hand, use cleaning products that are earth and creature friendly. This means that you can keep both your home or office and the environment clean in one fell swoop.

Count the Cost

Any new business startup requires a certain investment in order to get the company up and running. Before you launch your natural cleaning business, you should take some time to research what the following will cost you:

• All natural, 100% plant based cleaning products (plus essential oils for smell)
• Cleaning equipment (vacuums, dusters, mops, etc.)
• Storefront location (if desired) and/or professional website with contact information.
• Promotional campaign (media advertisement and local canvassing)
• Insurance and employee benefits packages (if employing workers other than yourself)
• Transportation (company vehicles and gas/maintenance costs)

Once you have calculated all of these costs, you can go about amassing the necessary funds. Make sure that you have enough funds to keep your business running for at least six months with no real incoming profits. If the profits happen to come in before then, great, but it is best to be prepared for slow and steady growth in the market.

Set Your Fees

You want to be able to provide new clients with a clear price list for your various natural cleaning services from day one. The rates you set will dictate the clientele to which you will be marketing, from high-end to budget customers. Remember, the more you charge for your services, the better your overall impression on the customer must be; a high-end target clientele will therefore require a larger initial investment on your part to make sure that you are using the finest quality products, equipment and promotional materials.

If you are marketing to a budget consumer market, your initial start up fees will be lower, as will the expectations placed on your newly budding service. Remember, you can always grow from humble beginnings. If you are new to the natural cleaning industry, you may want to start by offering budget services and open a high-end branch of the business when you are more confident and better equipped to provide exceptional (and high priced) services.

Build Your Clientele

Unless you have some great connections in the industry, do not expect clients to bang down your doors as soon as you open up shop. In order to gain new clients, you may have to offer free services to a few key local businesses or individuals in order to secure their valuable commendation. If you can convince a few influential business owners or well-regarded individuals that your natural cleaning service is top notch, they will begin to refer to their friends and associates; paying customers that seek you out instead of the other way around.

You may also want to advertise a free initial cleaning estimate, discounted cleaning service or even a free limited-time cleaning offer to generate interest in the community. The idea is to get your foot in the door and prove that you are worth the cost associated with your natural cleaning services.

Create a Signature

In order to stand out above your competitors, you may want to develop a company signature that no other cleaning service can duplicate. For instance, you may choose specially concocted aromatherapy scents to use in conjunction with your natural cleaning products that will linger soothingly in the air after you are gone. Or, you may want to leave a little card at each cleaning site, calculating the positive effects your client’s choice to hire a natural cleaning service are having on the environment.

A signature sets you apart, makes you special and gives your clients a reason to come back for more.